The numbers speak volumes about Milford, Connecticut’s vulnerability to sea level rise: 4,000 structures in a flood plain – a whopping 900 of them damaged by Hurricane Sandy. I recently wrote a story about how Milford has one of the largest number of homes in New England that get flooded repeatedly and severely by coastal storms.
So it seems like a bit of madness to some that the Milford Board of Finance recently voted to eliminate the position that oversees the flood zone, development reviews and helps guide residents through the often confusing world of flood insurance and disaster relief. While eliminating the $77,000 a year job, the board added a $54,000 building inspector, according to the Milford Mirror.
It’s a decision that runs counter to what some other communities in New England are doing: redoubling manpower and dollars to protect areas most likely to be hit again and again by storms. New England seas are rising three to four times the global average and a spate of recent storms have made all too clear the enormous economic vulnerability along the thin ribbon of coast that separates the sea from billions of dollars worth of property.
No one from the mayor’s office or the finance committee has yet called me back. The budget process is still in flux in Milford and a series of pleas from residents and environmentalists could still result in the Board of Aldermen reinstating the position – they’ll need a two-thirds majority vote. A hearing is scheduled this week.
