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Dalton Select Board reviews hazard mitigation plan, flags gaps on floodplain review and emergency facilities
Summary
At a working session the Dalton Select Board reviewed updates to the town hazard mitigation plan, flagged a mismatch between plan language and local practice on building permits in floodplains, discussed adding a 'building notification' process, and noted infrastructure needs including culvert replacements, HVAC for the municipal building, and incomplete emergency generator hookups.
The Dalton Select Board met in a working session to review updates to the town's hazard mitigation plan and identified several areas needing clarification or follow-up, including floodplain permitting language, emergency power and cooling arrangements, and pending culvert projects. Chair (speaker 2) led the review and said board members had already submitted many of the edits by email and would send any remaining comments to the plan coordinator.
The board flagged a passage on page 37 that reads, in part, 'the board of selectmen reviews all building permit applications for new construction or substantial improvements to ensure that proposed sites are reasonably safe from flooding.' "We don't have any process for building permits or reviewing building permits," the Chair said, noting Dalton lacks a local permitting system and does not have zoning. Select board members (speakers 3 and 4) said they were unsure whether state or floodplain regulations require the town to perform that review and recommended staff check applicable floodplain rules before changing local wording in the plan.
To avoid the political perception of establishing zoning, board members discussed creating a 'building notification' procedure rather than a permit. One participant suggested framing it as a notification so the town can alert the fire chief and advise residents on driveway or state code requirements without acting as a regulatory gatekeeper.
The draft lists the municipal building as a cooling and warming center but members emphasized the facility lacks adequate air handling and air conditioning. "We need an air handling system first," one member said, urging a professional assessment and a search for funding instead of assuming mini-split units would suffice. Members agreed to add a note in their comments that the cooling designation is contingent on completing HVAC upgrades.
Infrastructure projects raised in the plan include culvert replacements on Miller Road and Harriman Road; the board confirmed both projects remain pending. Members also noted no action has been taken yet on Cushman Brook and Bridal Road culverts.
On emergency power, the board reported a generator at the highway department is installed but not fully connected and lacking fuel/propane; members said hooking it up is on the highway department's spring agenda. The board also noted the town's solar panels are producing power and that generation was visible on monitoring systems.
The session included discussion of a town emergency notification system; the board does not have an active push-notification system and members said the listed commercial option (Genesys) appears costly — roughly $3,000 per year was cited — so that item will likely remain a possibility only if funding is identified.
The board agreed to consolidate edits and submit clarified comments to the plan coordinator. The board also noted the hazard mitigation plan must be approved by FEMA, so routing the document through the town's experienced grant coordinator remains important to ensure compliance with FEMA requirements.
The working session did not result in a formal policy change; board members directed staff to research floodplain permitting obligations and to incorporate conditional language about the municipal building's status as a cooling station pending HVAC work.
