Plymouth selects $63,722 in FEMA storm funds for road hardening and culvert work

The Plymouth Board of Selectmen voted Aug. 11 to accept $63,722.52 in unanticipated funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offset repairs and support future flood- and storm-damage prevention on town roads. The funds reimburse work tied to a December 2022 storm and will be placed in a town account for road hardening, culvert work and stockpiling crushed gravel for emergency responses. The board opened a public hearing under RSA 31:95-b as part of the acceptance procedure and then approved the acceptance by majority voice vote. Board members and staff said the money will be used to prevent future washouts and to support planned work on the Hunt Road East culvert, a project listed in the town—s hazard mitigation plan. Town staff said repairs from the December 2022 storm are complete and that the reimbursement reflects multiple rounds of FEMA review and delays caused by staff turnover at FEMA. Officials emphasized this is reimbursement for past work and that the town intends to reinvest the award into resilient infrastructure: establishing an account, keeping funds available to buy crushed gravel and to perform culvert and roadside hardening work as needed. Discussion: staff described a lengthy FEMA review process that took about two-and-a-half years because of repeated staff reassignments at FEMA. Select Board members said reinvesting reimbursements into preventative measures is cheaper than repeatedly repairing catastrophic damage. Decision: motion to accept the $63,722.52 was made, seconded and approved by the board. No formal dissent was recorded. Next steps: staff will establish the designated account for the FEMA funds and return to the board with recommended projects or contracts to spend the funds. The board noted that future work will be coordinated with the highway department and with any grant or bond funding that becomes available. Ending: Residents with questions about specific proposed uses for the account were invited to raise them at future select board meetings when project-level allocations are proposed.