Lowell outlines hazard-mitigation, climate-resilience work; council votes to include sustainability director on public project design

Catherine Moses, sustainability director for the city of Lowell, told the City Council Environmental and Flood Issues Subcommittee on Jan. 14 that the city's Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) plan and its hazard mitigation plan are central to winning federal and state resilience grants and guiding local projects such as Clay Pit Brook and the St. Louis Sponge Park.

Moses said Lowell's MVP process began in fiscal 2020 and produced a master plan that identified 21 areas of vulnerability, prioritized actions, and enabled the city to compete for grants. "One of the things that you're able to do once you are a certified MVP community by having the plan in place is you can apply for competitive grants," Moses said, noting Lowell has received three competitive action grants through the MVP program.

The overview framed why the work matters: updating the hazard mitigation plan, accessing federal programs and using nature-based solutions to reduce flood and heat risks across neighborhoods with concentrated vulnerability. "We're very excited to get started with [FEMA] technical assistance," Moses said, describing no-cost federal help the city secured to develop…