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11/28/2022 01:20 PMUpdates to the Hazard Mitigation Plan for natural disasters affecting municipalities represented on the South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG) like East Haven are currently a work in progress for towns.
The goals of the most recent plan, released in 2018, are in review by the regional council and Jamie Caplan Consulting, the organization tasked with leading the development stage of the new plan.
Caplan presented an aerial view of the plan at a virtual presentation hosted by SCRCOG on Nov. 7. SCRCOG will schedule another presentation at a yet-to-be-determined date.
Along with the presentation, SCRCOG posted English and Spanish-language surveys on its website, asking respondents about their concerns, opinions, and readiness regarding hazardous weather events and their effects on communities. As of Nov. 17, 38 percent of respondents were identified as East Haven residents, making up over a third of the 694 surveys completed.
“So far, there are 233 responses from East Haven. That's a significant amount compared to the rest of the communities '' said Jamie Caplan, the leader of the eponymous firm spearheading the development. “They’ve done an incredible job of participating in the survey.”
According to the early survey results, the majority of respondents across the region were over the age of 60 and/or have a family income between $100,000 to $150,000 a year. Nearly 100 percent of respondents identified as year-round, permanent residents, and 65 percent said they were living inland rather than coastal. Respondents were mostly concerned about hurricanes, tropical storms, and winter storms.
In achieving the actively amended objectives for the new plan, SCRCOG, Caplan, and other associates have prioritized five cardinal goals to consider and meet for consistent, effective hazard mitigation efforts for the region. Those goals include community planning, flood hazards, trees, collaboration, and public awareness and preparedness.
In developing the new plan for 2022 and onwards, Jamie Caplan Consulting and other contributors refer back to the 2018 plan and differentiate between parts that were implemented and those that were not. Some of the explanations for the latter group’s absence from prior official mitigation planning have to do with a lack of funding to realize their implementation or actions taken to execute those plans were delayed, both due to factors such as the interruption of the coronavirus pandemic or their irrelevance regarding the needs of a municipality, according to Caplan.
The consulting agency is expected to consider previous plans and look at changes in each SCRCOG town to determine an effective course for the new plan.
“For each municipality, we look at what are the changes in development. For instance, if there’s new buildings or infrastructure, we’re looking to understand what those are, what’s taken place in the last three to four years, as well as what’s projected for the future,” said Caplan. “Some communities know they’re going to be buying out homes to reduce their flood risk, or they know they’ve got a big infrastructure project going. We want to look backward as well as forwards.”
SCRCOG will also look at each member municipality's current priorities and their independent town plans.
“Any kind of land use or resiliency plan, climate adaptation plans, economic development housing, you name it. We want to get a sense of what is current for that community, what their priorities are, and make sure that the mitigation plan, and the actions themselves, reflect those priorities,” said Caplan.
Coordination between other regional groups will be a key factor in updating plans, as to understanding what new updates to implement based on their suggestions in hazard mitigation. Other organizations with similar goals SCRCOG will work with include the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority, the Nature Conservancy, and the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, an institute with the University of Connecticut.
“We see effective ways for communities to collaborate with their neighbors, as well as regionally,” said Caplan.
The new plan is expected to include updates to recognize the impact of climate change on the region and to consider greater security against natural disasters with regard to both the infrastructural integrity of the towns and the social perspective on how hazardous events can affect various demographics.
“When we think of our mitigation actions we want to prioritize buildings and infrastructure of what exists today as well as what’s in the future, and protecting environmental justice populations. Areas of community that may be disadvantaged, whether it means they’re not English-speaking, low-income, or minority groups,” Caplan said.
In the category of trees, removal is dependent upon their locations. Trees alongisde certain roads or adjacent to powerlines, for example, should diminish the risk of power outages and blocked roadways. Caplan also noted that trees are another element for regional climate change resiliency as well.
“We’re seeing the need to plant drought-resistant trees. They remain a priority to mitigate risk of drought and extreme heat.”
With the consideration of the impact of climate change on SCRCOG-represented municipalities, Caplan said she and other planners will continue to be mindful of independent local plans and infrastructure projects while undertaking efforts to establish nature-based solutions and even education and awareness programs for residents of SCRCOG town members into which updates will fit.
“It could be websites, presentations to school or neighborhood groups, mailings, there’s endless things you could do there. It’s whatever you can think of,” said Caplan.