All Hazards Mitigation Plan 2021 Update Meeting #2 Thursday March 25, 2021 - 9:30am Meeting Minutes - Meeting Minutes PDF
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All Hazards Mitigation Plan
2021 Update Meeting #2
Thursday March 25, 2021 – 9:30am
Meeting Minutes
This meeting was held virtually via zoom and was setup by the Town of
Winchester. The goal of the meeting was to engage the public and
stakeholders, to review the evacuation routes and emergency shelter
locations, and to update the hazards identification matrix. Stakeholders
were invited to the meeting by the Planning Team. The meeting was also
posted on the Town’s calendar and was open to the public.
(1) Meeting Attendees
Beth Rudolph, PE – Winchester Town Engineer
Chief Rick Tustin – Winchester Fire Department
Bryan Manter, PE – Winchester Assistant Town Engineer
Brian Szekely – Winchester Town Planner
Elaine Vreeland – Winchester Conservation Agent
Jennifer Murphy – Winchester Health Director
John Corey, PE – Woburn City Engineer
Ron Knight – Director Security, Transportation, Parking
Emergency Management and Safety at Winchester Hospital
Emily Sullivan – Environmental Planner & Conservation Agent –
Arlington
Ruth Trimarchi – Chairwoman of the Winchester Climate
Action Advisory Committee
Julie Wormser – Mystic River Watershed Association Deputy
Director
Timothy McGivern, PE – Medford City Engineer(2) Abutting Community/Stakeholder AHMP Status
Arlington (Emily Sullivan)
i. Recently updated their AHMP with assistance from
MAPC.
ii. Flooding along Mill Brook was determined to be the
natural hazard with the largest area of concern.
Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC)– Mystic River Watershed
Association (MyRWA)
i. Work with 20 of the 21 communities in the Mystic River
Watershed
ii. Flooding and Amelia Earhart Dam are two examples of
potential hazards the RMC works on with the 20
communities.
iii. Raised $2.5 million towards improving water quality of
the Mystic River.
Medford (Tim McGivern)
i. AHMP updated in 2017 with assistance from MAPC.
Woburn (Jay Corey)
i. Currently updating their AHMP (this will be their 3rd
update) with help from MAPC.
ii. Integrated MVP program
Winchester Hospital (Ron Knight)
i. HVA annually updated in February
ii. Three highest risks identified in most recent update:
1. Pandemic – risks identified were issues
surrounding number of beds and where to
expand space to accommodate additional
beds.
2. Hazardous Materials – There are several trucking
routes and a train line which transport hazardous
materials.
3. Mass casualty events
(3) Public Outreach Arlington was able to conduct public outreach in person
(prior to pandemic).
i. Arlington received public feedback/comments once
the draft AHMP was publicly published.
ii. Utilized a map so public could circle areas they
thought were susceptible to hazards.
iii. MVP process included in the plan update
The Town of Winchester and the RMC have been working
together for several years on initiatives which impact the
watershed.
Town of Winchester and the Winchester Hospital
communicate on emergency preparedness matters
(4) Review of Hazard Mitigation Goals
Meeting attendees reviewed the goals from the 2016 Plan
and discussed potential changes, as noted below:
i. Make note of populations who will be
disproportionately impacted by a hazard.
1. People who have a less comprehensive
community network to rely on
2. People who are economically less secure
3. People with health conditions making an
individual more susceptible.
4. People who rely on technology or supplies,
where the loss of electricity or ability to obtain
necessary supplies (medicine, special dietary
needs) has greater negative ramifications tot
their health.
ii. Revise goals to included impacts from climate change
1. Storms are become more intense
2. Heat is becoming more intense
3. Drought is becoming more severe
4. Seasonal storm patterns are becoming more
unstable
Ruth Trimarchi noted that the Climate Action Committee is in
the process of bringing a grant proposal to the Board of
Health Proposal on heat related impacts.(5) Review evacuation routes & emergency shelter locations
Meeting attendees reviewed the evacuation routes and
emergency shelters identified in the 2016 plan. Comments
and changes are noted below:
i. Consider adding the Jenks Center as an emergency
shelter.
ii. Keep Ambrose School, High School and Lincoln School
as emergency shelters.
iii. Cooling Centers
1. Jenks and Library could be daytime cooling
centers
2. Sanborn House could be a good cooling center
during daytime hours. This location will have
capacity for 30 people.
3. Wright-Locke Farm’s new education building
could be a cooling center when completed.
iv. Evacuation Routes
v. D in CEM Plans
vi. Add Highland Avene and Forest St (towards Route 93)
as evacuation routes. This could alleviate traffic
demands on Washington St allowing for quicker
ambulance response times.
vii. Mr. Knight asked about coordination with neighboring
communities about Winchester evacuation routes so
they are prepared for traffic load increases
1. Chief Tustin noted that the CEM Plan looks at
traffic control at major points between
communities.
Cooling Stations/Options
i. Identify sprinkler parks (Borggaard Beach)
ii. Conduct a survey of what type of shelters people use.
Our experience has been that few people use
overnight shelters (even in flood emergencies when
people are displaced from their homes), but daytime
cooling locations may be more useful.
iii. Identify business/retailers where a generator can be
used.1. Presently there is no formal coordination effort
with retailers (Stop and Shop) on sharing of
resources.
iv. Grant opportunities to purchase AC units for individuals.
v. Survey Housing Authority properties to assess their ability
to provide AC.
vi. Passive Housing – Building Code could be updated for
more robust insulation requirements. Great insulation
allows for a structure to maintain more consistent
thermal regulation with less energy.
(6) Review 2016 hazards list
The group decided to remove Urban Fires from Hazard
Identification Matrix since it not a natural hazard.
The group discussed the possibility of adding “pandemics” to
the plan. Jen Murphy indicated that Public Health
Emergency Plans already address pandemics, so it was
decided to reference those existing plans in the AHMP.
One member suggested including cloud bursts – short period
high intensity rain events – in the matrix. The group decided
that this could be covered under flooding, and not
referenced as its own hazard.
The group noted that winter weather is becoming more
unstable and therefore ice storms and winter rain/flooding
are an increasing concern. Ticks and other pests were noted
to increase as a result of traditional seasonal changes
becoming less regular.
Cyber attacks were noted as a concern, but not included in
the matrix since they are not natural hazards. Ms. Trimarchi
noted that there was a movement afoot for funding a
complete overhaul of Winchester’s IT infrastructure.
The need to maintain tree cover during drought conditions as
noted. Trees provide shade and can reduce temperatures.
Urban communities with less tree cover can have higher
localized temperatures than communities with greater tree
canopy.
(7) Update “Hazard Identification Matrix”
The group reviewed the Hazard Identification Matrix from the
2016 plan and made the following changes:i. The frequency of dam failures was increased from “very
low” to “low”, due to the recent downgrading in the
condition of the Town-owned North Reservoir Dam.
Town Meeting has appropriated funding for the
project, which is expected to be bid later this spring.
ii. The severity of thunderstorms was increased form
“minor” to “moderate” in line with expected climate
change impacts.
iii. The frequency of ice storms was increased from “very
low” to “low” in line with expected climate change
impacts.
iv. Urban fires was deleted from the matrix.
v. The frequency of wildfires was increased from “very
low” to “low” due to expected climate change
impacts and proximity to the Middlesex Fells.
vi. The frequency of drought and extreme temperature
were increased from “low” to “medium” as a result of
expected climate change impacts. And the severity
was increased from “minor” to “moderate”.
(8) Public Comment and Next Steps
No members of the public spoke at the meeting.
Elaine Vreeland noted that the Winchester Conservation
Commission is focused on climate change impacts and will
be evaluating that as part of their update to the Town’s
Open Space and Recreation plan, expected in the next 6
months. .
Next meeting is scheduled for April 8 at 9:30 am to be held
via zoom. Meeting agenda will focus on the identification of
existing and proposed mitigation activities.You can also read
