For immediate release
For more information, contact
Tammy Snodgrass
or
Caitlin Jones
MARIES COUNTY—Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) will be meeting with the Maries County hazard mitigation planning committee at 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 7, 2023, at the Vienna Fire Protection District training room, 308 N. Mill St., Vienna, MO, to update the county’s hazard mitigation plan. The meeting is open to the public.
Hazard mitigation planning is focused on reducing risk before disasters strike. Activities such as burying electric lines, reducing damage during tornadoes and elevating homes in the floodplain help reduce damage and loss of life during natural disasters. Public input is necessary to truly understand the risks that could be facing the county. Additionally, the county must have a current, updated plan to be eligible for some hazard mitigation grants.
The first draft of the revised plan must be submitted to SEMA by March 5, 2024. The county, cities within the county, schools, fire departments and others are asked to participate in the planning process. Jurisdictions such as local governments and the school districts are required to complete questionnaires, review the revised plan and adopt the new plan. For those members of the public interested in providing input, a public survey can be found and completed at https://www.meramecregion.org/surveys/.
County-level hazard mitigation plans cover a five-year timeframe. Maries County’s last plan was approved in May 2019 and can be found at https://www.meramecregion.org/publications/.
If you have questions, please contact Tammy Snodgrass at MRPC at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Steve Vogt, representing the city of Belle, serves as MRPC chairman. A professional staff of 34, led by Executive Director Bonnie Prigge, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities.
To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.
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