Westbrook committee outlines grant opportunities and flags stormwater mapping limits

At the June 9 meeting, Planning & Zoning Development Director Peter Gillespie briefed the Coastal Resiliency Implementation Committee on next steps for the Long Island Sound Resilience Planning Support Program (PSP) and other funding opportunities. Gillespie said he had responded to questions from prospective firms; most inquiries related to the town’s stormwater system and its mapping, which he described as a "work in progress."

Committee members reviewed a list of near-term funding opportunities included in the meeting materials: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) with a noted 7/1/26 deadline, the LIS Futures Fund (listed 5/19/26 in materials) and LIS Partnership grant-writing assistance. Members discussed researching home-elevation grant eligibility and the potential for regional Council of Governments (COG) participation in such grant pursuits.

Consultant Jacobson and Sanborn is preparing a proposal for comprehensive stormwater mapping, but preliminary cost estimates were described as cost-prohibitive. The committee discussed phasing the mapping to focus on high-concern areas and the possibility of leveraging a Technical Assistance grant to cover scoping or targeted mapping work. No formal funding decision was made at this meeting; staff and the consultant will return with refined proposals and cost estimates.