Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
President Joe Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration on April 18 for the severe winter storm that hit Massachusetts on Jan. 28 and 29, making federal disaster assistance available to cities and towns, state agencies, and certain nonprofits to help cover storm-related response and repair costs.
Total reimbursable costs for the storm are expected to exceed $13 million, according to the Baker-Polito administration, which had requested the federal disaster assistance.
The Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance, including Snow Assistance, supports Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties, and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Each of the four county’s eligible storm costs exceeded federal financial thresholds under the Public Assistance Program.
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Acting Director Dawn Brantley said her agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency worked closely with affected cities and towns, state agencies and nonprofits to document and assess storm costs and pursue the federal disaster declaration. She said MEMA will now work to ensure that the federal resources are “delivered as quickly as possible.”
Affected local governments, state agencies and some private nonprofit organizations in the declared jurisdictions will be reimbursed for 75% of their costs associated with response and emergency protective measures, including storm-related overtime for first responders, clearing debris from public roads and public property, snow removal costs, and repairing, replacing, restoring or reconstructing damaged public facilities and infrastructure. Snow removal costs are reimbursable only when a county receives a record snowfall, or comes within 90% of the record snowfall.
Federal disaster funds will also be available for projects that will mitigate the costs and impacts of future disasters.
In the near future, MEMA said it will announce a series of information sessions in the impacted counties to explain the process for applying for federal disaster assistance to municipal and state officials and eligible nonprofits.
“From the first indications of any dynamic weather system, the Baker-Polito administration remains in close contact with local, state and federal officials to prepare for and mitigate impact,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “Securing these federal funds sustains the ongoing recovery efforts and creates new opportunities for our municipal, state, and nonprofit partners.”