LONDONDERRY, Vt. – At the Aug. 5 meeting, the Londonderry Selectboard heard from two representatives of the Windham Regional Commission, Alyssa Sabetto and Meghan Arpino, to go over the town’s initial project proposals to apply for the hazard mitigation grant through the Resilience Initiative for Vermont Empowerment and Recovery (RIVER) project.
The commission is looking at the feasibility and eligibility requirements, along with the urgency of each project. “What projects make a difference in terms of flood mitigation?” Sabetto posed to the board. Eligible project examples include floodplain restoration or dam removal, upsizing bridges and culverts, floodproofing of municipal or commercial buildings, structural elevations, road relocation or elevation, and buyouts.
Sabetto reported that at this time they are gathering information in order to create conceptual designs for the projects that the town wants to move forward with. The RIVER project will only award a few projects per town. She also confirmed the funds would be distributed throughout the state, so they would likely be in competition with other towns for grant funding.
Town administrator Shane O’Keefe suggested the board sit down with FEMA to see what would be approved by them for funding or partial funding. Arpino cautioned that projects that had already been started, completed, or approved for funding by another federal agency, would not be considered by the RIVER project for grant money.
Board member Martha Dale expressed that the proposed list of projects seemed “granular” compared to what needed to be done after the flooding last year. Sabetto agreed, adding that grouping items into one larger project might help make their project more competitive for approval rather than “one culvert here and there.”
Board chair Tom Cavanagh urged the importance of getting Cobble Ridge Road Bridge replaced, though FEMA had already denied that project. Sabetto expressed they may continue to “see that repetition” of denial from other organizations. Cavanagh pressed that in the event of an emergency, the only way they would have been able to access those properties would be by helicopter, saying, “The fact that no one realizes this [importance] is a joke to me.” An alternate access would be the second option for this project, to get access for life-saving emergency responders. “That’s people’s lives,” Cavanagh said.
The board also discussed how FEMA won’t pay for construction of a new fire department building. Arpino suggested they use the commission’s resources to get that project off the ground, though they may not be able to complete it. Cavanagh said he’d rather use the grant funding for more urgent projects, since the town already has land for the building.
It was suggested to elevate the entire strip of Main Street, referring to the Town Plan analysis performed by Stevens & Associates. Resident Chad Stoddard noted that there are 11 properties along Main Street, and the buyout would cost $7.1 million. The Town Plan document that the commission was using as a reference for projects has since been removed from the town’s website. “The document needs to be put to bed,” stated Stoddard. Cavanagh confirmed the document was on the site for two years before it was taken down, adding, “I think everyone had a chance to see how ridiculous it was.”
After more deliberation, the board agreed to prioritize their top three projects, respectively, in the order of culvert replacements, Cobble Ridge Road Bridge replacement or alternate access, and North Village floodplain.
The board moved to discuss interviews for the planning commission applicants. They voted to reduce the size of the planning commission to five members, and if they determine they need to add more seats, they will use the recommendations from the newly appointed members. Dale suggested screening for backup options or replacements if necessary.
The interviews will take place on Wednesday evening, Aug. 14.
The Londonderry Selectboard meets on the first and third Mondays of each month, at 6 p.m.