By Melanie Petrucci, Senior Community Reporter
Shrewsbury – At the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen’s Dec. 12 meeting, Assistant Town Manager Kristen Las reported on the Municipal Vulnerability Grant Program that the town applied for in May 2016. Put forth by the Energy and Environmental Affairs Department, this grant was awarded to Shrewsbury in July.
“The town has $22,000 from the state to spend with a consultant to review our hazards, whether they are flood plain or environmental, and combine that into a plan moving forward to mitigate vulnerabilities,” Las said.
Hundreds of providers have been trained by the state to provide these consulting services. Shrewsbury has received three proposals in the past week to look at various plans on file -including the Master Plan, as well as hazard mitigation, open space and recreation plan – to hold workshops and create the final report on town vulnerabilities. Floods, chemical spills, hazardous situations and severe weather create potential areas of vulnerability.
The next steps are to identify the consultant and to devise a plan. Las believes that this will be completed for a final report to selectmen by March 2018.
In related business, selectmen reviewed the Municipal Letter for and application for grant funding from the Mass Development Real Estate Services for Master Planning and Visioning for Sites.
This program provides funds for technical assistance, market feasibility studies, master planning and financial analysis. Originally intended for Centech Park North, a representative who oversees this program suggested the application be for the Beal Center and Town Center revitalization instead.
It made sense, according to Las, who consulted with Selectman Jim Kane who chairs the Beal Building Committee and is putting together the Beal Re-use Committee and endorses this opportunity to include the Town Center project.
“I commend Kristen for integrating the efforts in and around the center of town…I think this is a great opportunity,” Kane said.
The grant application deadline is Dec. 15.
The board also voted to close the Warrant for a Special Town Meeting that will take place Jan. 17. Town Manager Kevin Mizikar reported that the warrant consists of eight articles. The full warrant will soon be available on the town’s website: https://shrewsburyma.gov.