Acton board schedules public workshop after EMA director seeks $75,000 resiliency grant

The Town of Acton will hold a public workshop on July 8, 2026, after the town’s Emergency Management Agency director outlined a vulnerability assessment that could make the town eligible for up to $75,000 in resilience grant funds.

Phil Caruaso, the EMA director, told the Select Board the grant track includes a vulnerability assessment and mitigation planning that could fund items such as culvert improvements and dry hydrants without a local match. Caruaso said he had met with County EMA representative Rebecca Reed and the Road Commissioner to assemble an initial list of candidate projects, then suggested the board solicit public input to prioritize the town’s most pressing hazards.

The Select Board discussed the timeline: applications and required materials must be completed by October, and the assessment and grant process will be expedited by County staff once the priorities are set. Rebecca Reed confirmed the town is enrolled in the program and that the $75,000 award would require prioritizing work because the funds alone will not cover extensive infrastructure projects.

The Town Administrator will work with County EMA to produce an informational flyer and public notice. Caruaso said the workshop will identify where the town is most vulnerable to hazards and inform how the grant, if awarded, would be allocated. The board did not take a formal vote on the grant at the meeting but agreed to schedule the July 8 workshop and to prepare community outreach materials.

Background: Caruaso said mitigation proposals will focus largely on road-related vulnerabilities and fire-protection access on small roads where fire apparatus currently cannot reach. The board was told that public input will be combined with Road Commissioner and Fire Department priorities to create a ranked list for potential grant funding.