Special Select Board Meeting: Tuesday, 8/21/18
Present: David Vaillancourt, Section Chief, Field Services Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM) ; Heather Donkerley, Field Representative, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM); Roger Trempe, Road Agent town of Dublin, Sherry Miller, Town Administrator town of Dublin; Erik Spitzbarth, Chair Hancock Select Board, Jeff Cady, Safety for Harrisville Fire Department, Jay Jacobs, Chair Harrisville Select Board, Jon Miner, Harrisville Select Board; Kathy Scott, Harrisville Select Board.
The Harrisville SB, Safety Rep HFD, and Field Services crew visited Venable, McVeagh and #4 Hill Roads to observe damages and current state of mitigation. Upon return to the Harrisville Town Hall, discussion continued with all listed above as present. Photos were displayed on the large screen of damages to #4 Hill Road, and Cherry Hill Rd, as examples of the road damages in both counties.
Explanation by Mr. Vaillancourt regarding Field Services operations: checking in with all towns affected by recent rain event 8/17/2018 in Cheshire, Hillsborough and Grafton Counties, to account for all road damages, including State and Town roads. Field Services will continue to check in and monitor for costs each town accumulates. FEMA threshold for Federal relief is $1.9 million. The threshold for potential Hazardous Mitigation funds is $283, 781 for Cheshire County, $1,474,000 for Hillsborough County. This figure includes all emergency management response costs including Police, Fire and Road Crew Mitigation/repairs. It does not include any costs by the State of NH Department of Transportation (NH DOT) for repairs to any State-owned roads. Hazardous Mitigation funds will require full reporting of costs from this event, expressed concerns requiring further mitigation, and then a review of cost/benefit analysis by NH Emergency Management, before potential financial assistance to each community.
Mr. Spitzbarth reported on a road concern for Middle Road in Hancock. The Field Services Chief and Field Representative agreed to visit the site after conclusion of this meeting.
Dublin representatives, Hancock SB chair and Harrisville SB chair each discussed or presented expectations to the Field Services Crew for HSEM regarding Mitigation costs and estimates so far. The Field Services Chief discussed his expectation that Cheshire and Hillsborough County will not meet the threshold for Federal funds through FEMA. It may be possible to meet the threshold for Hazardous Mitigation. If so, those funds could be applied for in the future. The determination will be made in the future regarding meeting the County threshold amount for potential future funds towards Hazardous Mitigation.
Respectfully submitted, Kathy Scott, HSB