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Date: 4/27/2021
WESTHAMPTON – The town of Westhampton will be conducting a virtual Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) public listening session on April 29 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the Massachusetts state website, the MVP grant program provides support for cities and towns in Massachusetts to begin the process of planning for climate change resiliency and implementing priority projects. The state then awards communities with funding to complete vulnerability assessments and develop action-oriented resiliency plans. Cities and towns that complete the MVP program become certified as an MVP community and are eligible for MVP Action Grant funding.
In the case of Westhampton, the town pursued Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy Affairs MVP Planning Grant to “engage the community in a conversation about preparing Westhampton to withstand future weather and climate change related hazards.” The community has identified projects that will both build the town’s resilience to climate change and weather-related hazards.
According to the listening session’s agenda, the MVP planning process expanded upon efforts from the city’s 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), which fulfilled the grant eligibility requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Westhampton’s approved HMP contains additional information on historic natural hazard occurrences, the town’s current capabilities for mitigating hazards, and a vulnerability and risk assessment for non-weather-related natural hazards.
Amanda Kohn, Westhampton’s MVP certified provider, told Reminder Publishing the program is a gateway to additional funding for climate resilience and increased competitive standing in other state grants. Over 80 percent of the state has participated in this program.
“The MVP listening session is a key component of the MVP planning grant process, which also requires the convening of a Core Team and stakeholder Community Resilience Building workshop,” said Kohn. “The listening session is the opportunity for the public to review and weigh in on climate adaptation priorities developed to-date.”
According to Kohn, the MVP planning process was initiated in Westhampton when the town’s Select Board applied for and received a planning grant in collaboration with Weston & Sampson. Select Board Chair Phil Dowling and Weston and Sampson prepared the application.
“We plan to present the process, findings to-date, and hear from the community about their experiences of the past and ideas for the future,” said Kohn, with regard to how the session will be conducted. “We also hope to raise awareness about potential climate change impacts and how they can be mitigated.”
Westhampton is currently working on an MVP Action Grant application to conduct a master plan, update the open space and recreation plan, and further the town’s equity goals. According to Kohn, the town will also look into updating infrastructure with climate projections, like culverts, which is a structure that allows water to flow under a road, railroad, trail, or similar obstruction from one side to another. Energy resilience will be another top priority for the city.
“The MVP Action Grant, among other grant sources, will be critical to advancing climate change adaptation in the future,” said Kohn. “Educating property owners on actions individuals can take to increase resilience will also be key.”
The town started this process in the fall of 2020 after being awarded the grant. Kohn said that Westhampton plans to wrap the program up by June in accordance with the grant requirements. She added that the process often reveals priorities that need to be further assessed or analyzed for their feasibility, which is fundable under the second phase of the MVP program. “We recognize this is just the first step in the process,” said Kohn.
The listening session will be conducted over a Zoom meeting. The ID and password as well as the agenda can be found through this link: https://www.westhampton-ma.com/home/news/municipal-vulnerability-public-listening-session.