SOUTHWICK – In early June, DPW Director Randy Brown was informed that the Town of Southwick had been approved for a $15,000 grant for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program.
Southwick DPW Director Randy Brown. (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick)
A state-run program through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program addresses issues or hazards in a community that have developed due to climate change.
The $15,000 grant will allow the Southwick DPW to use that money to hire a trained consultant. Selected by Brown, a consultant from Fuss & O’Neill will assist the DPW through the process of becoming an MVP community. Once going through this process with the consultant, it will allow Southwick to apply for more grants in the future that only MVP communities can apply for.
“We’re always looking for grant opportunities,” said Brown. “This is another opportunity that we are able to benefit from.”
According to Brown, he’ll be looking to meet with multiple town departments soon to identify where the most vulnerable areas in town are. Culverts and drainage systems that aren’t sized to accommodate climate change or intense storms, will most likely be at the forefront of the discussion.
In May, the Westfield News reported that Brown and the town were in the process of joining the program and applying for the grant.
For more information on the program, visit the MVP page at www.mass.gov.
