Southwick residents are invited to provide comments on the update of the Town of Southwick Hazard Mitigation Plan on Wednesday, March 18 at 10:00 a.m. in the Land Use Room of Southwick Town Hall, 454 College Highway. All members of the public are welcome to attend the event. Local businesses, residents of neighboring communities, and municipal officials of neighboring communities are also encouraged to attend and provide their feedback.

The meeting will include an introduction to the planning process, a summary of existing mitigation initiatives, and an outline of recommended strategies for addressing natural hazards in Southwick. Municipal officials and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission staff will be available to answer questions and listen to comments on the draft plan, which is posted at http://www.pvpc.org/plans/town-southwick-hazard-mitigation-plan. A paper copy of the plan will also be available at Southwick Town Hall.

The plan is being produced 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). This planning effort is being undertaken to help the Town of Southwick assess the risks faced from natural hazards, identify action steps that can be taken to prevent damage to property and loss of life, and prioritize funding for mitigation efforts. A mitigation action is any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards.

For more information, please contact PVPC's Josiah Neiderbach at jneiderbach@pvpc.org or (413) 781-6045.