Board of Selectmen

As a Selectman you are responsible for administering the essential functions of the municipality, such as selecting appointed officials, hiring staff, and paying bills. Depending on which community you serve, you may also have special permit issuance authority.

The members of your community look to your board to protect its people, property, and tax dollars. Improving the way your community manages its floodplains can help meet all these goals.

Following are some of the ways that you can take action:

Hazard Identification and Mapping

• Interpreting Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Studies
• Understanding the limitations of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Studies
• Sharing emergency information

Planning

• Creating risk mitigation strategies
• Creating a multi-objective management plan

Regulation and Development Standards

• Keeping public infrastructure outside of damage-prone areas
• Using freeboard to elevate structures above predicted floodwaters

Mitigation and Shore Protection

• Using non-structural shore protection
• Using flood and erosion control structures
• Retrofitting existing structures
• Relocating existing structures
• Acquiring existing structures
• Using freeboard to elevate structures above predicted floodwaters

Infrastructure

• Protecting critical access routes
• Keeping roads and utilities out of damage-prone areas
• Regularly inventorying hazard risk to all public property
• Insuring public buildings
• Improving construction and design of critical facilities
• Siting critical facilities out of harm's way

Emergency Services

• Creating a disaster response plan
• Improving disaster response coordination
• Creating a post-disaster recovery plan
• Planning for outside help
• Assessing damage to buildings

Education and Outreach

• General hazard awareness
• Hazard training for local officials
• Sources for outreach materials