Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Engagement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westport committee sets River Days outreach to sign residents up for Code Red and preview climate data
Summary
The Westport Climate Resilience Committee organized a presence at Westport River Days (June 20) to recruit residents for the Code Red emergency system, show UMass Dartmouth dashboards and collect local flood and heat observations to inform a draft resilience report.
The Westport Climate Resilience Committee agreed on outreach plans for Westport River Days on June 20 to recruit residents for the town emergency alert system and gather local input on flooding and heat impacts.
Diya, who is leading the River Days table logistics for the committee, said the plan is for a half-shift staffing model from about 9:30 a.m. and to use several iPads and printed materials so residents can sign up for Code Red on site: "Code Red is an emergency, messaging system that town government can use to reach out for, like, any kind of weather hazards or any kind of, like, up, really, urgent messaging," she said, adding the chief shared a flyer and QR codes to simplify signups.
The committee plans multiple interactive elements to prompt resident feedback. Diya proposed displaying flood maps and asking people to place sticky notes where they had experienced flooding or extreme heat so the committee can visually capture local concerns; she also said UMass Dartmouth prepared a short data flyer and dashboards with QR codes to help residents view projections and local dashboards. Jeff noted the booth will include dashboards and demonstrations and that UMass Dartmouth materials will help people "navigate those viewers and how to read the data."
Members discussed ancillary offerings: an index card with the Code Red link for those who prefer to sign up later, kids’ activities organized by the Watershed Alliance, a photo collection to source images for the report and a newsletter sign-up to tell residents when the public engagement process and draft report are released. A committee member suggested using MyCoast-style citizen reporting to collect photos and dates of localized flooding or downed wires.
Logistics were resolved: committee volunteers and UMass interns will staff iPads and displays, a banner and easels were confirmed, and organizers agreed to circulate draft materials before the event and recruit three to four volunteers to cover shifts.
The outreach is intended to both increase sign-ups for emergency alerts and gather anecdotal, resident-sourced evidence to refine the draft resilience report ahead of public release.
