Monkton Updates its Hazard Mitigation Plan
Officials from the Town of Monkton are working with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission to update its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. These plans are updated every five years and identify policies and actions that can be implemented to reduce risk and future losses. This helps break the cycle of disaster damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. Having a current and approved plan allows the municipality to receive several types of federal hazard mitigation funds and maintain higher level of post-disaster reimbursement through the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF), which has been important in recent years for financing repairs to flood-damaged roads and culverts.
Monkton’s last hazard mitigation plan was updated in 2017, and identified a number of potential hazards including severe ice and snow storms, highway accidents, structural fires, wildfires, earthquake, extreme temperatures, ice jam, tornado and high winds, drought, invasive species. The Monkton Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee is currently re-evaluating the town’s vulnerability to those, and several additional hazards, based on factors including their probability, warning time, geographic extent, and potential impact. After the highest vulnerabilities are determined, the Committee will identify hazard mitigation goals and actions for the next 5 years. Residents that are unable to join the meeting are encouraged to weigh in on hazards priority on a poster at Town Meeting and the Town Office, or take an online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/MonktonHazardSurvey
“This planning process allows our community to be better prepared for natural hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover rapidly from storm disruptions.” said Select Board Chair and Emergency Management Director, Stephen Pilcher. “We want to reduce risk for the entire population so we are providing multiple ways for residents to meaningfully participate, make their concerns known, and ultimately to benefit from future hazard mitigation projects.”
The next meeting of the Monkton Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee will be on Thursday, March 21 at 7pm, in person at the Monkton Town Office and via Zoom. Zoom Meeting ID 802-453-3800 passcode 1762 or via this link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8024533800?pwd=QnlTb20weWwxTEhuSmZ2RENyR3ZzUT09