Gov. Maura Healey, seen here at a previous appearance at Western New England University, recently announces grants to assist rural and small towns prepare for environmental emergencies.
Reminder Publishing file photo
The Healey-Driscoll administration has announced its latest round of grant funding that will be used to support rural and small-town infrastructure upgrades in combating increasingly extreme weather.
The $28.7 million in grants will go to help 54 Massachusetts communities prepare for increasingly extreme weather — including heat waves, flooding, wildfires and storms.
This year, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs made a targeted effort to recruit rural and small towns into the Massachusetts Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant program, with $11.1 million going specifically to those areas.
Westhampton is one of the Hampshire County communities receiving some of this funding. The town will receive $971,856 toward the installation of a 75kW ground-mounted solar array and energy backup system at Westhampton Elementary School. The project will launch in October with final design and permitting to be completed by June 30, 2026. Construction will be completed by June 30, 2027.
“The town so appreciates the support of the Healey-Driscoll administration in supporting this project and for its program and financial commitment to help municipalities to achieve greater community resilience. This project would not be possible without the support of the commonwealth,” said Southampton Select Board Chair Susan Bronstein.
Project Manager and Chair of the Master Plan Implementation Committee Teri Anderson told Reminder Publishing that the grant will make it possible for the town to implement energy goals that were identified in the town’s 2021 Resilient Westhampton Master Plan, also funded by a previous MVP grant. The project will reduce greenhouse emissions at the school as part of a larger effort in reaching energy independence through converting municipal buildings from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
“In that plan, the town had identified as a priority energy efficiency and converting municipal facilities to renewable energy as a way to improve our carbon footprint, save the town funding and decrease our reliance on fossil fuels, so that was primarily why this became a priority,” said Anderson. “There was a strong emphasis in the master plan for municipal government and facilities to become more resilient to climate change and so, that’s really important I think that we’re achieving that in a very short period of time.”
The town recently completed solar panels at Town Hall and construction will soon be underway to solarize the Public Safety Complex, followed by the elementary school next year. Solar energy at municipal buildings will also result in significant energy cost savings for the town.
“Another important aspect of the project is to improve the capacity of the elementary school to serve as a warming and cooling center during severe weather-related events, climate disasters or other emergencies by having a renewable energy backup system that allows the facility to operate during power outages,” added Anderson.
Community members will be invited to participate and learn more about the project at upcoming public information and educational meetings. The town will also partner with the University of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the Hilltown Community Development Corporation to provide community information sessions about solar energy, energy efficiency and climate resilience on private and public property for town residents, businesses and surrounding municipal officials.
In Southampton, the town is receiving $82,770 toward a feasibility study for Project Stay Cool: Empowering Southampton Against Extreme Heat. Town Administrator Scott Szczebak told Reminder Publishing the town has been working to collaborate with the Council on Aging in establishing official heat-related illness cooling centers for the town.
“Ultimately, it’s for a feasibility study for Norris School to look at if we can possibly use Norris School and upgrade their HVAC and create an official warming and cooling center for the community. That’s the ultimate goal,” said Szczebak. “It should get us to a concept plan.”
The result of the feasibility study will help the town better assess what exactly is needed in turning the school into a heating and cooling center. Szczebak added that at that point, they will plan to apply for additional federal grants to help continue the project forward.
Currently, the town does not have an official heating and cooling center, but Szczebak said all residents are welcome at the library or the Council on Aging as a substitute during those situations in the meantime.
The funding across state supports real, on-the-ground improvements such as rebuilding parks with shaded spaces where residents can cool off during heat waves, protecting wetlands that reduce flooding in neighborhoods, and designing safer and more affordable housing on higher ground. Other projects include new wildfire evacuation routes, culvert upgrades to stop roads from washing out and emergency plans to protect the most vulnerable people.
“Communities across Massachusetts are already feeling the impacts of rising heat, flooding and other extreme weather. These grants give them the ability to prepare before disaster strikes, protecting homes, public spaces and essential services,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “Preparation is the most affordable, effective way to protect people and avoid much higher costs down the road.”
Also benefiting from this funding is the Fort River Watershed Culvert Assessment & Prioritization Plan, with this being a third round of MVP grants toward work based in Amherst consisting of replacing deteriorating, undersized culverts with crossings that are larger and more open to improve flood resilience and allow for water life passage. This latest funding will benefit the communities of Amherst, Belchertown, Hadley, Shutesbury and Pelham.
Belchertown specifically is also receiving $2.7 million for the Hop Brook culvert replacement, while Hatfield and Hadley will be benefiting from $179,000 toward assessment, maintenance and nature-based solutions, or NBS, improvements to agricultural drainage channels.
Reminder Publishing was unable to connect with organizers on these projects by press time.
The MVP Program is a statewide initiative that helps cities and towns plan and implement locally-driven strategies to deal with the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change. The program funds plans and helps communities turn them into action.
Since its inception in 2017, MVP has funded over 500 projects ranging form stormwater system upgrades and cooling shelters to updated zoning and emergency response planning.
This year’s initiative also emphasizes equity and inclusion. A new effort launched this year as part of MVP 2.0 pairs communities with local organizations and individuals that specialize in community engagement. These partners help towns ensure that planning reflects the needs of all residents, especially those most at risk.
The MVP program is a core piece of Healey’s recently proposed Mass Ready Act, which includes $315 million to further invest in local economies.
“We’re seeing more communities step up to address the real impacts they’re facing — hotter summers, stronger storms and more frequent flooding,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “These grants support that work by funding practical, local solutions.”
MVP is a priority program of ResillientMass, the statewide climate adaption plan to reduce risk and strengthen communities in the face of climate change impacts.
To streamline the application process for resilience projects, the next round of MVP Action Grants will be part of the new Environment and Climate One Stop. This unified application platform will allow applicants to access multiple EEA grant programs that fund climate resilience and restoration projects.
This initiative will be modeled after the Executive Office of Economic Development’s Community One Stop for Growth. More information is available at mass.gov/environment-climate-one-stop. EEA is accepting expressions of interest for new projects at this time.
“Communities across our commonwealth are grappling with hotter summers, stronger storms and record flooding,” said state Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll administration for expanding the Massachusetts Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program to include funding targeted for rural and small towns, ensuring that every community has the tools it needs to meet the challenges of a changing climate. This $11.1 million investment into our rural and small municipalities is driving forward key climate resilient infrastructure projects that are designed and constructed to serve our communities and residents for the next 100 years.”
