Meetings Ahead
Most meetings are being held in person, but some are still remote or virtual. Go to eastham-ma.gov and click on the meeting you are interested in to learn about meeting locations and any remote options that may be offered.
Monday, Dec. 26
- Town Hall offices closed for holiday
Tuesday, Dec. 27
- Town Hall offices closed for holiday
Wednesday, Dec. 28
- Human Services Advisory Committee, 7 p.m., Town Hall
Thursday, Dec. 29
- Board of Health, 3 p.m., Town Hall
Conversation Starter
Flood Insurance Discount
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has rewarded Eastham residents who have flood insurance with a 15-percent discount on their rates beginning in 2023.
FEMA’s Katie Rand, the emergency management specialist and regional coordinator for the agency’s Community Rating System (CRS), told the Independent that Town Planner Paul Lagg and his team had done an excellent job creating the floodplain management plan for the town. The plan earned Eastham a Class 7 rating in the CRS program, which comes with the insurance discount.
“They got a lot of points for involving the public, and they got maximum points for coordinating with other agencies,” Rand said.
FEMA requires homeowners living in flood zones to carry flood insurance. Towns that participate in the voluntary rating system can earn discounts for residents based on the quality of their floodplain plans. The ratings range from Class 9 to 1; the lower the number, the higher the discount. Towns can apply every year, and plans are reviewed annually for compliance.
In Massachusetts, 22 towns participate in the CRS and only 12 have a Class 7 rating now. Eastham will be number 13, Rand said.
Other towns that have earned that classification on Cape Cod are Wellfleet, Orleans, Chatham, Harwich, and Sandwich, she said. Provincetown is a Class 8. None have earned a better rating, she said.
Many of the Cape towns are scoring points with the CRS judges due to the consulting work of Shannon Hulst, deputy director of the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, who is a floodplain and CRS specialist, Rand said. —K.C. Myers
