SAUGUS — Saugus is taking a proactive stance on dealing with the effects of climate change.
The town wants to become a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness-designated community, which will enable it to get funding to complete vulnerability assessments and develop action-oriented resiliency plans in case climate-change events happen. Toward that end, Saugus is taking its next steps towards achieving the designation by holding a public-listening session to gather input from residents on how the town can best address climate change.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the town is unable to hold the public feedback session in-person, so officials have instead opted to create a website to host a virtual public listening session that will allow them to gather public feedback remotely.
The workshop, which can be accessed online any time before Jan. 6, was planned and facilitated by a core team of local officials, residents, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC).
“We hope residents and stakeholders will participate in this important community project and use this opportunity to comment on the first MVP draft report,” said Town Manager Scott Crabtree. “The more we are able to learn about the community’s needs, the better this project will be for residents and the town for future planning.”
The MVP Planning Grant program is funded through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) and provides support for Massachusetts cities and towns to begin the process of planning for climate change resilience and implementing priority projects.
EOEEA awards communities with funding to complete vulnerability assessments and develop action-oriented resilience plans. Communities who complete the MVP Planning Grant become certified as MVP communities and are eligible to apply for MVP Action Grants and other funding opportunities.
To access the virtual listening session and to provide feedback, residents must visit the town’s Planning and Economic Development website at http://www.saugus-ma.giv/planning-and-economic-development/pages/municipal-vulnerability-prepardness-mvp-listening-session, or visit the following link: https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/saugus-feedback/.
The virtual listening session will consist of a 30-minute video that describes the planning project, projected climate impacts specific to Saugus, and climate priorities developed at the workshop held earlier this year, as well as a draft MVP report that details results from the first workshop. It will conclude with a short survey, which allows residents to provide feedback on Saugus’ climate resilience priorities.
Those with questions are asked to contact Senior Planner Alexander Mello at 781-231-4045 or [email protected], or Director of Planning and Economic Development Director Christopher Reilly at 781-231-4044 or [email protected].
