Maine Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Economic Recovery Grant Program

Maine Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Economic Recovery Grant Program Application

The funding for this program originates from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund and will be awarded in the form of grants to directly alleviate the disruption of operations suffered by Maine’s small businesses and organizations in the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is governed by Federal CARES Act requirements and the State cannot expand eligibility to organizations excluded in the Federal legislation. DECD, in collaboration with our economic development and business support partners, is offering a final round of targeted grant funds to provide some revenue loss relief due to COVID-related business disruption.

Funds will be awarded to the first 2,500 approved applications on a “first come-first served” basis to eligible tourism, hospitality & retail customer facing businesses and organizations in the following industry classifications:

  • Accommodation and Food Services; Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries
  • Retail Trade
  • Arts, Entertainment and Recreation

Gross sales as reported on sales tax filings is the key metric so eligible organizations will also need to have submitted sales tax filings for their operations.

Eligible applicants may receive up to $20,000.

Click Here for more information

Community Development Block Grant CDBG Program 2021

Town of Bridgton and Cumberland County Community Development Block Grant Program 2021

Please be advised the Town of Bridgton is soliciting applications for the TOWN OF BRIDGTON MAINE & CUMBERLAND COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT CDBG PROGRAM for FFY 2021. Applications are due January 12, 2021 on or before 4 PM. Applications shall fall under the following types of projects/programs: Public Service, Public Infrastructure/Facility, Housing, Downtown Revitalization, or Economic Development. Applications must meet one of 2 national objectives: serving those with low/moderate income or for the elimination of slum and blight. Applications will be reviewed by staff and forwarded to the Community Development Committee for a recommendation and then forwarded to the Select Board for approval. For Infrastructure project applications click here. For Public Service applications click here. Applicants are required to attend a MANDATORY “workshop” with Community Development staff to review requirements and project eligibility. The mandatory virtual workshop will take place December 9, 2021 at 9:00. Any questions may be directed to Courtney Kemp, CDBG Admin at the town office- ckemp@bridgtonmaine.org or (207)-803-9960

       Mandatory Workshop Login Information

Please join meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/388171805

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States (Toll Free): 1 877 568 4106
United States: +1 (571) 317-3129

Access Code: 388-171-805

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/388171805

Select Board Meetings – Remote Only

All Selectboard Meetings will be held remotely until further notice. Login information for the meeting can be found on at the top of the agenda of each meeting. Please note that this number does change with each meeting. Please visit the Board of Selectman Page on the website or Click Here to find the Agendas and meeting minutes for each meeting.

New Small Business and Nonprofit Grant Opportunity

$40 Million Economic Recovery Grant Program to Support

Maine Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Small Businesses

Gov. Janet Mills announced today an economic recovery grant program to support Maine’s tourism, hospitality, and retail small businesses. Backed by $40 million in Federal CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF), the Tourism, Hospitality & Retail Recovery Grant Program is focused specifically on supporting Maine’s service sector small businesses, such as restaurants, bars, tasting rooms, lodging and retail shops, which have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and now face additional challenges with the coming winter months.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis to the first 2,500 applicants which will allow for funding to be dispersed as applications are received and reviewed.

The application portal will open Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. on DECD’s website and will remain open until funds are depleted.

The application is expected to take about ten minutes to complete. Funds must be committed by December 30, 2020 per guidance from the U.S. Treasury Department.

Eligible applicants may receive up to $20,000.

INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, December 2 at 9 AM to discuss the program and to answer questions. Please click here to register.

Town Office Closure Update

An additional staff member has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The affected staff member was last present at the Bridgton Town Office on Friday, November 20th, 2020. In accordance with CDC guidance, the office will remain closed until Monday, December 7th, 2020. Staff members are working remotely at this time and all Department Heads are available via email or cell phone. A list of services for the Town Clerk’s office available for online processing can be found on the Town’s website, on the Town Clerk’s page, or by clicking here.

 

Any member of the public who has been identified as an individual with “close contact” which is described by the CDC as “Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2-days before illness onset.” will be notified accordingly.

 

For more information about Community-Related Exposure please visit the CDC Website by clicking here

 

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for understanding.

 

 

Select Board Meeting 11/24 Cancelled

The Board of Selectmen Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, November 24, 2020 has been cancelled due to a positive staff contraction of the COVID-19 virus, the Bridgton Town Office will be closed until Monday, November 30th.
We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.

Town Office Closure Tentatively Until 12/03/2020

Due to a positive COVID-19 virus test of an employee, out of an abundance of caution, the Bridgton Town Office will be closed tentatively until Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 per CDC recommendation.

For more information on CDC guidelines please click here to be directed to the CDC public health page.

 

COVID-19 Guidelines for Food Establishments

COVID-19 Guidelines for Restaurants in Maine

Glove Use

Gloves are not mandated. Per the food code gloves are to be used once hands are washed when they
are touching ready to eat foods like sandwiches.

Face Coverings
Executive Order 14 FY 20/21 requires eating establishments, bars, tasting rooms, social clubs and
lodging operations and accommodations to implement measures requiring customers and employees to
wear face coverings in publicly accessible areas. Such measures may include denial of entry or
service. The establishment’s responsibility under this section is in addition to compliance with all other
applicable Executive Orders, State of Maine guidance and the Restarting Maine’s Economy COVID-19
Prevention Checklists, including requirements governing the use of signage.

Patrons

A person not wearing a required face covering who seeks to enter an establishment shall first be
informed of the face covering requirements and given a chance to comply by putting on either a cloth
face covering or plastic face shield. If that person continues to refuse and asserts a medical condition as
the reason for the refusal, the operator of the establishment may offer alternative means of service at
curbside or delivery if available as an accommodation but may not permit the person to enter without a
face covering. The establishment operator shall not ask for the nature of the medical condition, or as
for proof.

ADA Employee Accommodation

When discussing face coverings with an employer and the employer states either they or their staff have
medical conditions and cannot wear a face covering, let them know a face shield is required
then. However, there may be a mental health condition or other disability, which would preclude a
person from wearing a mask or face shield. Please do not get into a discussion about an individual’s
disability with the employer. We cannot ask about details of medical conditions, mental health issues or
disabilities, except to learn whether there is one. If the employer insists someone cannot wear a face
shield, then our guidance is to simply refer them to the ADA Coordinator (Eric.Dibner@Maine.gov) who
will advise them on a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The
employer will need to let you know what the corrective action plan is. It is also our understanding that if
the employee cannot be reasonably accommodated, then they might be unable to conduct the duties of
that position.

Eric Dibner’s contact info:
150 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 592-2087 cell
(207) 623-7950 desk
(207) 287-5292 fax
TTY users call Maine Relay 711

Indoor/Outdoor Gatherings

Establishments must comply with the following occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor seated food
and drink service:

1. For indoor seated gatherings, the total number of people at any one time must be no more than
50% capacity or 100 people total, whichever is less. This includes front-of-house staff. Tables
should be spaced to ensure that guests of separate parties are no less than 6 feet apart when
seated.
2. For outdoor seated gatherings, the occupancy limit is 100 people. This includes front-of-house
staff. Establishments with outdoor seating should ensure that they have a back-up plan for
outdoor seating that adheres to physical distance requirements in case of inclement weather.
3. Total occupancy of an establishment (combining indoor maximum of 100 and outdoor maximum
of 100) must not exceed 200 people.
4. The amount of space needed to safely seat patrons will vary based on a number of factors,
including the layout of the establishment. Establishments need to include six feet of physical
distancing, room for seating and patron ability to sit and stand, room on the sides for patrons to
be able to reach their seats, and central aisles or egress routes.
5. If an establishment cannot accommodate the maximum occupancy limit and the physical
distance requirements, occupancy must be further limited to allow for compliance with physical
distance requirements.

Enforcement

Consistent or repeated violations of a restaurant not enforcing employees and customers wearing a face
covering or face shield or non-compliance with the Executive Orders and Department of Economic and
Community Development (DECD) Prevention Checklists will result in the issuance of an IHH if the
violation is substantiated and temporary license suspension for repeated substantiated violations.

EO 14 (FY20/21)
https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/sites/maine.gov.governor.mills/files/inlinefiles/An%20Order%20to%20Implement%20Phase%20Four%20of%20the%20Restarting%20Maines%20E
conomy%20Plan.pdf

Here is the link to the DECD Seated Food and Drink Service Checklist for more information:
https://www.maine.gov/decd/checklists/seated-service

Please contact Lisa Silva at lisa.silva@maine.gov or Rebecca Walsh at rebecca.walsh@maine.gov if you
have any further questions or need assistance

Help Bring Better Broadband to Bridgton

The county has put out a link to a broadband speed test for
towns to get a handle on service quality and unserved areas of
Bridgton. Quality is most often a matter of speed. This data is
most important for the purposes of funding.
Currently Bridgton is seen as having robust coverage (in the 90%
range), which is contrary to experience and puts us out of reach of
available grants that could help cover costs for expanding
broadband in the town. It is also important to uncover actual
speeds versus stated service speeds from your provider. If you do
not have broadband access at your location, there is a place where
you can report that as well. This will be most important to grant
applications.

We hope everyone will take a moment to take the test. Click here
to access the County speed test.

Traveling to Maine-Quarantine Requirements

Travel and Visitor Information

The Keep Maine Healthy plan aims to protect Maine people, protect visitors, and support Maine small businesses by reducing, to the greatest extent possible, COVID-19 risks associated with travel.

The plan relies on three cornerstones:

1) Testing that encourages all visitors to “know before you go”;

2) Screening for symptoms among travelers; and

3) Engaging Maine communities to promote COVID-19-prevention best practices and public health education.

If you are traveling, or planning to travel to Maine, please consult the Keep Maine Healthy plan and FAQs for the latest guidance. A list of Maine COVID-19 testing sites is here.

Election Day Notice!

Tomorrow is Election Day!

 Polls will be open on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Bridgton Town Hall

26 North High Street, Bridgton, ME 04009

Fore more information about this election please visit our election page.

Please note: Facial Coverings and Social Distancing are required.

** Boil Water Notice! North Bridgton Customers Only **

** ATTENTION **

from the Harrison Water District

to North Bridgton Customers ONLY

Due to a Water Main Break and reduced pressure in the North Bridgton water main, a Boil Water Order has been issued.

This will remain in effect until further notice.

** BOIL WATER ORDER **

Due to the possibility of unsafe water, North Bridgton customers are directed to Boil ALL Water for one minute at a rolling boil before, drinking, making ice cubes, washing foods, brushing teeth or in any other activity involving the consumption of water.

This Order shall remain in effect until further notice!

Questions regarding this notice should be directed to:

Bill Winslow @ 595-1601

(or)

The State of Maine Drinking Water Program at 287-2070 during normal business hours.

Registrar Weekend Hours Notice

Registrar Hours Notice

 

Reminder The Town Clerk’s Office will be open for extended hours Tomorrow, Saturday, October 31st; 9:00 a.m. until noon for the purpose of accepting voter registration, absentee balloting, and other election related issues.

 

No other town business will be conducted during this time.

 

For more election information please visit the election page here

Registrar Extended Hours Notice

Registrar Hours Notice

Reminder The Town Clerk’s Office will be open for extended hours Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29nd; 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of accepting voter registration, absentee balloting, and other election related issues.

 

No other town business will be conducted during this time.

 

For more election information please visit the election page here

Registrar Weekend Hours Notice

Registrar Hours Notice

 

Reminder The Town Clerk’s Office will be open for extended hours Tomorrow, Saturday, October 24th; 9:00 a.m. until noon for the purpose of accepting voter registration, absentee balloting, and other election related issues.

 

No other town business will be conducted during this time.

 

For more election information please visit the election page here

Registrar Extended Hours Notice

Registrar Hours Notice

 

Reminder The Town Clerk’s Office will be open for extended hours Tomorrow, Thursday, October 22nd; 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of accepting voter registration, absentee balloting, and other election related issues.

 

No other town business will be conducted during this time.

 

For more election information please visit the election page here