Selectboard adopts local emergency-management and hazard-mitigation plans

The Tunbridge Selectboard voted to adopt the town's local emergency-management plan and accepted a local hazard-mitigation plan, actions officials said are necessary to remain eligible for certain FEMA funds.

Presenter speaker 3 introduced the emergency-management packet, describing it as a confidential contact list and a plan for shelters and recovery sites. "It's a required component," Agency official (speaker 7) said, adding the document's personal contact details are not posted publicly and are retained by emergency management and the town.

Board members discussed next steps for signatures and continuity. Chair (speaker 2) asked for a motion; Resident (speaker 8) moved to adopt the plan and the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The board also accepted the hazard-mitigation plan for submission to state review, which speaker 7 said carries a 45-day review window and an expiration of the current plan at the end of June.

Board members said the unified-command approach will make town response more collaborative across departments in an emergency. Agency official (speaker 7) described unified command as an arrangement in which "we're all working together in a unified command" so no single person shoulders every responsibility.

Next steps: the clerk will obtain signatures and submit the mitigation plan to Vermont Emergency Management for its 45-day review; the board will revisit any state-required edits when they arrive.