Town of Belchertown to Hold Second Public Engagement Event for Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

02 Jun 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2016

 

CONTACT:           Jaimye Bartak, PVPC Senior Planner, (413) 781-6045 or jbartak@pvpc.org

Doug Albertson, Belchertown Town Planner, (413) 323-0407 or planning@Belchertown.org

 

Town of Belchertown to Hold Second Public Engagement Event for Hazard Mitigation Plan Update

BELCHERTOWN---Belchertown residents, businesses, and surrounding community residents and representatives are invited to provide comments on the update of the Town of Belchertown Hazard Mitigation Plan on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at 5 pm it Selectmen Room, Town Hall, 2 Jabish Street.

The purpose of the 2016 Hazard Mitigation Plan Update is to identify and assess Belchertown’s natural hazard risks and determine how to best minimize and manage them. A mitigation action is any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards.  Public participation and input is essential!  

The meeting will include a discussion of existing mitigation initiatives addressing natural hazards in Belchertown, and the strategies as currently proposed by the committee. Municipal staff and PVPC staff will be available to answer questions and listen to comments on the draft plan. The meeting provides an opportunity for you to share your opinions and participate in the mitigation planning process. A draft of the plan will be available for review on the PVPC website.

The plan is being updated by the Town with assistance from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

Upon completion, the plan will be presented to the Town of Belchertown for adoption and submitted to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and approval. A FEMA approved plan makes the community eligible for federal and state mitigation grant funding.

For more information, please contact PVPC's Jaimye Bartak at jbartak@pvpc.org or (413) 781-6045.

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