Comments Will be Accepted Until Friday, June 5
Town Administrator Mallory Aronstein is inviting residents to submit feedback on the town’s Hazard Mitigation Plan before the draft is submitted for state approval.
The Hazard Mitigation Plan highlights vulnerabilities and potential hazards within the community, allowing officials to prioritize certain projects and other mitigation work in order to lessen the damage done to the community by severe weather or other emergencies.
In all, there are 34 actions that make up the plan, ranging from simple, low cost planning items to multi-layered government response or major infrastructure changes.
Comments and general feedback will be accepted until Friday, June 5. Those wishing to submit comments can do so by emailing maronstein@dighton-ma.gov, mailing written comments to Town Hall, 979 Somerset Ave., Dighton, MA 02715, or dropping written comments off in the drop box at Town Hall.
Once the Town has collected all public comments, the plan will be submitted to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) for review. An approved plan also helps to better position the Town for additional grant funding in the future to complete the projects identified in the plan.
The development of the Hazard Mitigation Plan is being led by Jamie Caplan Consulting LLC, a Northampton-based firm.
The Town was able to complete this plan, along with a Municipal Vulnerabilities Plan, using a $22,000 grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
The Municipal Vulnerabilities Plan is used to help the town identify and mitigate risks the community faces from climate-related catastrophes, such as rising sea levels. The final draft of this plan has been submitted to the state for approval. Once approved, the Town will use that plan to apply for an Action Grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to study the Segregansett River hydrology.
More information about the status of both the Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Municipal Vulnerabilities Plan can be found here.
