The Lincoln County Planning Commission (LCRPC) held its annual meeting the evening of Wednesday, April 15 at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, celebrating the incredible work the Commission accomplished over the last year, honoring community leaders, conducting regular board business, and hearing from Brian Ambrette, director of the State Resilience Office at the Maine Office of Community Affair. Attendees included the Lincoln County Commissioners, the County Administrator Carrie Kipfer, LCRPC board members, town municipal officials, state officials, and congressional delegations staff. Also in attendance were Representatives Lydia Crafts, Abden Simmons, and Holly Stover, following the end of the legislative session the previous evening.  

This year marked the LCRPC’s 16th anniversary as a regional planning commission, which inspired the “Sweet 16” theme for the meeting. Attendees kicked off the event with a tour of Bigelow Lab’s Center for Ocean Education and Innovation, which opened in 2025 to better engage students and scientists. In her welcome remarks and on the tour, Bigelow President and CEO Deborah Bronk highlighted how dedicated she, along with staff and scientists, are to the greater Boothbay and Lincoln County community through cutting edge blue economy leadership, research, and education.  

In his keynote address, Brian Ambrette, spoke about how state staff and leaders partner with and admire the work of the Commission. He noted that LCRPC staff have served on state-level committees and are often consulted on policy and program priorities. Executive Director Emily Rabbe, Community Resilience Planner Laura Graziano, Economic and Community Development Planner Alex Zipparo, and Land Use and Transportation Planner Erin Quetell are known for their efficient and effective work supporting Lincoln County towns, and Ambrette highlighted the team as a model for other regions throughout the state.

LCRPC staff and board members also awarded $24,000 in “Assistance with Specific Know-How” (ASK) grants to six applicants: Alna to address culvert damage caused by beavers, Damariscotta to support GIS software for planning, Kings Mills Union Hall Association for fire code and ADA compliance planning, Nobleboro for a drainage and engineering study for Nobleboro Central School, Southport for emergency communications, and Westport Island for the Town Hall’s historic preservation efforts. For over a decade, LCRPC has administered this annual grant opportunity to provide towns with funding for municipal and/or community projects that need specific technical assistance.

The evening also included recognition of community planning initiatives and leaders who make a difference in Lincoln County. Those who received an award included the Alna Climate Action Committee; the Southport Resilience Network; Stan Waltz, longtime CEO for many Lincoln County towns; Richard Powell, Nobleboro Selectboard; Dick Spear, Nobleboro Selectboard; and Lynne Barnikow, Jefferson Town Administrator.

LCRPC adopted their five-year Strategic Plan Update at the annual meeting, covering 2026-2031. The Strategic Plan is a tool to describe the Planning Commission’s priorities and desired outcomes while continuing to illustrate the skills and value of the Regional Planning Commission as a County department. It provides a concrete vision for the work the LCRPC is looking to accomplish over a five-year horizon through 2031. The Plan serves to guide the LCRPC to continue to be effective in creating positive change for Lincoln County towns, residents, businesses, and nonprofits. It assists staff in developing annual work plans, formulating budgets, and assessing progress.

Strategic Priorities for 2026-2031 are a continuation of the priority areas originally identified in the first strategic plan, which was released in 2021: Housing, Economic and Community Development, Transportation, Intergenerational Community Building, Environmental Sustainability, and Broadband.  

Those interested in learning more about how Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission serves municipalities, nonprofits, and businesses, visit LCRPC’s website: https://www.lcrpcmaine.gov/