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Yarmouth Select Board adopts 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan after FEMA review
Summary
The Select Board unanimously adopted the 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan after FEMA requested language changes, a groundwater hazard profile and prioritized mitigation items with cost ranges; adoption makes the town eligible for certain federal grants.
The Yarmouth Select Board voted unanimously on Aug. 11 to adopt the town's 2026 Hazard Mitigation Plan, a document FEMA reviewed with suggested edits before formal adoption.
Kathy, the town's hazard mitigation lead, told the board FEMA asked for revised template language, an added hazard profile for changes to the groundwater table and a table identifying existing capabilities and potential improvements. "They did have a couple changes that they wanted to make," Kathy said, and pointed to the plan's new cost ranges for mitigation actions, from smaller actions under $50,000 to larger projects in the $100,000–$200,000 range. The board read the adoption resolution into the record and signed it to satisfy FEMA and MEMA procedures.
Board members described the document as important for improving grant competitiveness and increasing resilience. The resolution cited federal statutes that guide hazard mitigation planning, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the National Flood Insurance Act. The motion to adopt passed unanimously.
Adoption carries practical next steps: staff will incorporate FEMA's language edits and post the updated plan, then move into implementation planning and grant application work. Kathy said the plan will help the town match mitigation actions to likely funding mechanisms and better articulate project costs in future grant proposals.
The board's vote formalizes the town's commitment to the plan's goals and preserves eligibility for federal mitigation funding tied to an adopted local plan.
