MARION — The town has been awarded a grant for $27,750 to prepare a Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The plan, which identifies how to lessen the risks and damages of disasters, is supposed to be updated every five years. However, in Marion it has been 15 or 20 years since the grant plan was updated.

Town Planner Gil Hilario applied for the grant last year. He said at a Dec. 16 meeting that the Department of Public Works could particularly benefit from it.

Once the town has a more updated plan in place, it can apply for further grants to lessen the impact of disasters before they happen, help homeowners with flood insurance, and apply for grants if a presidentially declared emergency impacts Marion.

The town will have to hire a consultant through the federal procurement process.