Announcements

Call for At Home in Greater Lowell Steering Committee Members

NMCOG has begun work on a comprehensive regional housing strategy for its nine member communities: At Home in Greater Lowell. The plan will incorporate data and projections, housing market analysis, and stakeholder input to develop realistic affordable and market-rate housing production targets to be used in local plans and policies. In addition, the plan will incorporate a storytelling and public education campaign about housing issues in our region, and will include a toolbox of educational materials that our communities and agencies can use to implement needed changes to meet our regional housing goals.

We are seeking up to fifteen community members advise us in this work by serving on the At Home in Greater Lowell Steering Committee. Committee members will meet approximately every other month via Zoom during the planning process to review content, advise and evaluate engagement strategies, and share the word about the plan with their networks. Click here to learn more about the committee and how to express your interest! Deadline Friday, January 12, 2024.

Public Notice

Communities of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Littleton, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough and Westford Department of Weights and Measures Effective January 1, 2024

In accordance with the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 98, Section 41, as amended:

All persons, establishments and businesses having or using weighing or measuring devices in the communities of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Littleton, Lowell, Tewksbury and Westford for the purpose of buying or selling goods, wares or merchandise for public weighing, or for hire or reward are hereby notified that such devices must be tested, adjusted and sealed by the Sealer or Deputy Sealer of the Department of Weights and Measures.

For questions or other inquiries, please contact the Department of Weights and Measures on weekdays between 8 A.M. and 5 P.M.

Northern Middlesex Council of Governments Department of Weights and Measures 672 Suffolk Street, Suite 100 Lowell, MA 01854 Phone: (978) 454-8021 ext. 125 Email: mnormandin@nmcog.org

Respectfully,

Mark Normandin

Sealer of Weights and Measures

Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Littleton, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough and Westford

Call for Planning Assistance and Project Ideas Open Now!
Member communities asked to apply by November 30 for priority consideration

NMCOG has issued to member communities a call for ideas for planning assistance, research, and projects through our Technical Assistance Program. This year, communities are invited to submit project ideas using a simplified form. NMCOG will work with project contacts to develop a scope of work and schedule that meets the requirements of a particular funding source.

This simplified and collaborative approach will enable us to gain insight into community needs, while potentially identifying additional funding sources for projects beyond NMCOG’s available funding and help out communities align projects with regional, state, and federal goals.

Additional information and the project application form are available at nmcog.org/tap.

NMCOG awarded MA Land Use and Planning Grant for Regional Housing Strategy

LOWELL — The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs awarded the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) with a $125,000 Land Use Planning Grant Program grant to support At Home in Greater Lowell: A Regional Housing Strategy. The funding will support NMCOG’s planning efforts to respond to the regional housing shortage and will support the nine communities in Greater Lowell in advancing locally specific policies to increase housing choice. For more details click HERE.

Previous Announcements

Envision 2050 Adopted as Long Range Transportation Plan for Greater Lowell

LOWELL - The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) announces the release of Envision 2050, the Greater Lowell region’s long range transportation plan to guide sustainable and multimodal solutions that support regional mobility goals. As the region’s long range transportation plan, Envision 2050 establishes a comprehensive and equitable vision for the region’s transportation system and provides a framework for the investment of federal and state dollars towards the transportation investments valued by communities in our region through the year 2050. For more details click HERE.

Northern Middlesex Council of Governments Announces Funding Awards for Technical Assistance

May 8, 2023 – LOWELL - The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) is pleased to announce nearly $800,000 in technical assistance across the region to the City of Lowell and the Towns of Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford addressing housing, energy and sustainability, economic development, and transportation. For more details click HERE.

Virtual Design Public Hearing Resurfacing and Related Work on Route 110
On Thursday, August 3, 2023, the City of Lowell and NMCOG hosted the Regional Meeting on Homelessness. The event was designed to bring together leaders across the region to learn from service providers, system leaders, and advocates about homelessness in the Greater Lowell, learn the facts and gain insight into the issue, and learn from each other what actions can be taken in each community to respond. More than 100 attendees gathered to listen, learn, and share initial needs and ideas.
NMCOG is working with the City of Lowell to develop a follow up meeting summary, including notes on what was shared and heard at the meeting, including a list of next steps. In the interim, meeting materials are available at the links below:
Presentation slides
Video recording
Handout distributed at the meeting
On July 26, 2023, the Northern Middlesex Metropolitan Planning Organization (NMMPO) voted to endorse the 2023 Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Plan following a 21 public comment period. The final endorsed document is available HERE.
Plan Update: Our 2023 Title VI Plan is available for public comment. The 21-day Public comment period began on February 24, 2023, and will end on March 10, 2023. Visit this link to view the NMMPO Title VI 2023 Report.
NMCOG is embarking on the public engagement process for the 25-year Regional Transportation Plan. Subscribe to our e-mail list to follow along for more details throughout the planning process. Visit Envision 2050 for more details.
Visit our Clean Energy site to link to programs which can save you money, reduce your carbon footprint, and even improve your health, safety and comfort. A variety of programs are available to homeowners, renters, landlords, drivers, and low-income households. Check this site out before you buy your next vehicle or heating/cooling unit!
The 2020-2024 Greater Lowell Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) has received Economic Development Administration approval and is Now Available.
On February 26, 2020, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration employees were on hand at the NMMPO meeting to hear public input on the MPO's transportation planning processes as part of a Federal Certification Review.
Your input is important! MBTA Rail Vision will identify cost-effective strategies to transform the existing Commuter Rail system into one that better supports improved mobility and economic competitiveness in the Greater Boston region. See https://www.mbta.com/projects/rail-vision.
Resources supporting Students Experiencing Food Insecurity and assistance in Starting a Campus Food Pantry are now available as part of the Lowell Food Security Coalition effort.
Check out the Chemical Safety and Climate Change Resources video for businesses and municipalities, offered through the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTA).
NMCOG Council Meeting presentation on the Baker/Polito Housing Choice Initiative is now available.
NMCOG Council Meeting presentation on "What's new at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center" is now available.