Rochester officials hope for disaster preparedness grant

Sep 4, 2018

Officials in Rochester are looking to get working on prep work for a Municipal Vulnerability Preparation Program grant.

Conservation Agent Laurell Farinon said Rochester and Lakeville had submitted a joint application, as they share a pond resource.

“The money is for the towns to plan for the worst,” Farinon said.

The town would have to host two workshops, in which the town’s biggest stakeholders — from the Police Department to bog owners — would all come to a common table and discuss concerns.

“We’d look at Rochester-specific problems,” Farinon said, citing the damage from the winter due to downed trees. “Rochester concerns aren’t the same as Marion concerns.”

The towns are also working with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District.

Farinon was before the Rochester Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night to update them on the process, as well as come up with a general timeframe for the workshops.

Ultimately, the board and Farinon decided that with Special Town Meeting, the holidays and winter coming up, it’d be best to push it until March.