Rising Sun adopts county hazard-mitigation plan; town cites potential FEMA funding for wastewater work
November 22, 2022 | Rising Sun, Cecil County, Maryland
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Rising Sun on Nov. 22 unanimously adopted a resolution adopting the Cecil County Hazard Mitigation Plan, a move town officials said is required to preserve eligibility for FEMA disaster reimbursements and hazard-mitigation grant programs.
The board’s motion to accept “resolution 2022-20 adopting the Cecil County Hazard Mitigation Plan” was made by Commissioner Pearson and seconded by Pauline Braun; the presiding officer called the vote and members present answered “Aye.”
Town administrator Calvin and county emergency-management staff said the countywide plan — a 500-plus-page document that catalogs local hazards such as severe weather, dam issues and flooding — incorporates municipal input and must be updated every five years. John, a county representative, told commissioners that FEMA will not consider some forms of public-assistance, individual-assistance or hazard-mitigation grants unless jurisdictions have an adopted plan in place.
Michael Burris, the county’s newly introduced emergency planner, described the plan’s scope and the follow-up steps after adoption, including threat assessment, identification and risk assessment. “This 500 page monstrous binder does describe overview of our county's hazards,” Burris said, summarizing the document’s purpose.
After the vote, Calvin said the county’s coordination has helped Rising Sun respond to recent flooding and highlighted related wastewater funding opportunities. He told the board the town faces an unfunded MS4 mandate that would require about $1,700,000 by 2025 to reduce the town’s nutrient footprint, and that the town has advanced to the next round for “about $5,000,000 of funding through FEMA” that could support decommissioning the lagoon and creating a wetlands buffer to address both the lagoon and the MS4 obligation.
Why it matters: local adoption of the county plan preserves eligibility for federal assistance after disasters and opens access to mitigation grants that can fund infrastructure projects such as flood and wastewater improvements. The resolution commits the town to the county’s hazard-mitigation framework and triggers follow-up assessment work county staff said they will coordinate with municipalities on.
What’s next: county and town staff said they will continue coordination on specific mitigation projects and begin the next five-year planning cycle following adoption.
Sources: presentation and discussion by county representatives John and Michael Burris and town administrator Calvin during the Nov. 22, 2022 Rising Sun Board of Commissioners meeting.
The board’s motion to accept “resolution 2022-20 adopting the Cecil County Hazard Mitigation Plan” was made by Commissioner Pearson and seconded by Pauline Braun; the presiding officer called the vote and members present answered “Aye.”
Town administrator Calvin and county emergency-management staff said the countywide plan — a 500-plus-page document that catalogs local hazards such as severe weather, dam issues and flooding — incorporates municipal input and must be updated every five years. John, a county representative, told commissioners that FEMA will not consider some forms of public-assistance, individual-assistance or hazard-mitigation grants unless jurisdictions have an adopted plan in place.
Michael Burris, the county’s newly introduced emergency planner, described the plan’s scope and the follow-up steps after adoption, including threat assessment, identification and risk assessment. “This 500 page monstrous binder does describe overview of our county's hazards,” Burris said, summarizing the document’s purpose.
After the vote, Calvin said the county’s coordination has helped Rising Sun respond to recent flooding and highlighted related wastewater funding opportunities. He told the board the town faces an unfunded MS4 mandate that would require about $1,700,000 by 2025 to reduce the town’s nutrient footprint, and that the town has advanced to the next round for “about $5,000,000 of funding through FEMA” that could support decommissioning the lagoon and creating a wetlands buffer to address both the lagoon and the MS4 obligation.
Why it matters: local adoption of the county plan preserves eligibility for federal assistance after disasters and opens access to mitigation grants that can fund infrastructure projects such as flood and wastewater improvements. The resolution commits the town to the county’s hazard-mitigation framework and triggers follow-up assessment work county staff said they will coordinate with municipalities on.
What’s next: county and town staff said they will continue coordination on specific mitigation projects and begin the next five-year planning cycle following adoption.
Sources: presentation and discussion by county representatives John and Michael Burris and town administrator Calvin during the Nov. 22, 2022 Rising Sun Board of Commissioners meeting.
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