Melrose State Legislators Applaud Grants

The following was submitted by the offices of state Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian and state Senator Jason Lewis.

BOSTON – Melrose legislators Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Senator Jason Lewis are pleased to announce that the City of Melrose will administer two climate change resilience and flood mitigation grants totaling over $200,000 through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. The first grant, which Melrose will administer on behalf of the communities of the Upper Mystic River Watershed, will fund efforts to minimize stormwater flood damage in the Upper Mystic Watershed; and the second will contribute to the Melrose-Malden-Medford joint Building Resilience, Efficiency, and Affordability Project.

“Melrose is very excited to be the municipal lead on these two regional grants with Malden, Medford, other neighboring cities and towns,” said Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur. “The Upper Mystic flood analysis and green building design guidelines build on the great climate mitigation and adaptation work we’ve done to date. We can’t wait to get started on these new projects.”

“Climate change is an existential threat that demands creative solutions at every level of our society, and it’s crucial for our communities to plan mitigation strategies from the impacts of climate change and to develop new strategies to offset and prevent future climate impacts,” said State Senator Jason Lewis. “I’m pleased to see the Commonwealth supporting these efforts through the proven effectiveness of the MVP grant program.”

“With climate change impacting every aspect of our lives, I am glad to prioritize state investments that support our cities and towns in addressing and negating its effects,” said State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian. “Climate resilience is a crucial issue for the City, and I am pleased Melrose will receive grant money to actively address flooding issues and invest in building resiliency efforts.”

The flooding mitigation program, led by the City of Melrose and the Mystic River Watershed Association, will cover 17 communities across the Upper Mystic Watershed. The program aims to:

1) Refine our understanding of flooding in the Upper Mystic watershed to more specifically highlight flood damages (based on economics, transportation, and social vulnerability, as opposed to just property values), and

2) Develop a toolbox of policy strategies that are specifically geared towards the most vulnerable parts of the upper watershed. This data and information will enable the municipalities to better advocate for the land use policies they need to protect their communities, while also allowing them to hone in on solutions for the most vulnerable areas in their communities.

The Melrose, Malden, and Medford Building Resilience, Efficiency, and Affordability Project will collaboratively develop complimentary sustainable and resilient building design guidelines for residential and mixed-use developments and retrofits that are co-created in consultation with community members, particularly those from environmental justice communities and other populations with high exposure to climate-driven extreme weather. The project is supported by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission (MAPC).

The landmark 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act enabled the creation of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Program nearly a decade later. Earlier this year the Legislature passed updated climate legislation into law to further assist the Commonwealth in our collective efforts to reduce carbon and transition the Massachusetts economy into a clean energy future. The MVP program provides support for cities and towns in Massachusetts to identify climate hazards, assess vulnerabilities, and develop action plans to improve resilience to climate change.