Marion has received a state grant to develop a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Plan, and is seeking residents interested in planning for, analyzing and mitigating natural vulnerabilities in town.

The town has contracted with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) for support in completing a comprehensive, baseline climate change and natural hazard vulnerability assessment. The goal of the process is to develop a prioritized list of actions for dealing with priority hazards using the Community Resilience Building workshop guide developed by the Nature Conservancy.

Working together as a team, the SRPEDD representatives and a core team of seven town departments will gather available background information on hazards, vulnerabilities and strengths, conduct interviews with staff and volunteers, and plan two, four-hour workshops.

The workshops will be held on May 23 and May 30, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Space is limited to 15 residents. Those interested in attending should contact Debbie Paiva at 508-748-3520 and dpaiva@marionma.gov.

During the workshops, the team will work to:

• Understand connections between natural hazards and local planning/mitigation efforts.
• Evaluate strengths and vulnerabilities of residents, infrastructure, and natural resources.
• Develop and prioritize resilient actions for the municipality, local organizations, institutions businesses, private citizens, neighborhoods, and community groups.
• Identify immediate opportunities to advance actions that reduce the impact of hazards and increase resilience in Marion.

A letter has been sent to around 10 town committees and personnel, as well as 15 local organizations and businesses requesting they provide one representative to attend the workshops. The Town of Marion is extending the workshop invitation to Marion residents who may be interested.