TL;DR: Pittsford residents can review the working draft of the 2027 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan from September 16 to October 7, 2026, and submit comments by email or in person at the October 7 Selectboard meeting.

What opened for review on September 16

Pittsford residents have a working draft of the 2027 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan available for review, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The notice is titled "(September 16 to October 7, 2026) Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Open Comment Period – Pittsford."

The date posted on the announcement was September 17, 2026, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The comment window runs from September 16 to October 7, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The document under review is described as the working draft version of the plan, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The plan is identified as the 2027 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan update, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The invitation is addressed to Pittsford residents, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Residents are asked to submit any comments they may have regarding the 2027 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan update, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

How to submit comments before October 7

Two email options for written feedback

From September 16 to October 7, comments may be sent to [email protected] or [email protected], according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Both addresses are presented as options for submitting comments regarding the update, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The same two addresses are listed for questions, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Questions may be directed to [email protected] or [email protected], according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

In-person option at the Selectboard meeting

Residents may also attend the October 7 Selectboard meeting to provide feedback in person, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The October 7 Selectboard meeting is the in-person opportunity identified in the notice, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The final day of the written comment period and the in-person meeting share the same date, October 7, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Where to read the working draft

Town Office copy at 426 Plains Road

Residents can view the working draft version of the plan at the Town Office at 426 Plains Road, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The Town Office is one of two locations where the working draft can be viewed, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Online copy through the short link

Residents can also view the working draft through https://tinyurl.com/pittsford-lhmp27, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The short link is the online location identified for viewing the working draft version, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

What the enlarged Hazard Map shows

Town Office and Fire Department displays

The Town has enlarged versions of the Hazard Map at the Town Office and Fire Department, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The two display locations are the Town Office and the Fire Department, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The enlarged versions allow residents to see for themselves which areas were marked as vulnerable, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Three hazards marked by the local Planning Team

The areas marked on the Hazard Map are those the local Planning Team marked as vulnerable to flooding, high winds, and snow drifts, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Flooding is one of the three hazards marked on the map, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

High winds are one of the three hazards marked on the map, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Snow drifts are one of the three hazards marked on the map, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The Planning Team is identified as local, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

What a hazard mitigation plan covers

Identifying risks and reducing damage

A Hazard Mitigation Plan is a document that identifies natural hazard risks facing the community and outlines strategies to reduce damage to people, property, infrastructure, and the environment, according to The Wayland Post.

Community input is described as essential to ensuring the plan reflects local priorities and strengthens long-term resilience, according to The Wayland Post.

Residents in that example were encouraged to share experiences, identify local hazard concerns, and provide input, according to The Wayland Post.

Such a plan is designed to assess risks from natural hazards such as tornadoes, floods, severe storms and winter weather, while creating an action plan to follow in the event of emergency, and setting strategies to reduce long-term vulnerability, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana, which attributed that description to Hancock County Surveyor Chad Coughenour.

Planning meetings for such updates can bring together city planners, health department specialists, emergency responders and organizations serving underserved populations, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana.

Past events and changing demographics are considered when revising each plan, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana.

Why the five-year update cycle matters

To maintain eligibility for non-emergency disaster assistance and grant funding, federal law requires state and local hazard mitigation plans to be updated and resubmitted every five years for approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana.

In the Hancock County example described by the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana, FEMA approved the updated plan last summer, at which point the county had one year to gather official buy-in from collaborative partners.

In that example, each community had one year from FEMA approval to adopt a resolution stating that it had seen and understood the plan, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana, which attributed that explanation to Hancock County Surveyor Chad Coughenour.

Updating a county plan was described as a months-long process during which representatives from across the county assessed hazard risks and planned coordination, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana.

Representatives from county government, city government, and multiple towns participated in that process, according to the Daily Reporter - Greenfield Indiana.

Vermont mitigation funding context in September 2026

FEMA funding announced for buyouts and planning

Vermont's Congressional delegation said the state will receive more than $33 million from FEMA for flood buyouts and mitigation, according to WAMC.

The state will get more than $27.6 million for the buyout of at least 90 homes across Vermont that are located within a floodplain, at risk of landslide, or that sustained irreparable damage from flooding in 2023 and 2024, according to WAMC.

The remaining $5.6 million will be for costs associated with the administration of Vermont's Emergency Management and future hazard mitigation plans, according to WAMC.

WAMC published that report on September 14, 2026, with reporting by Pat Bradley.

Representative Becca Balint said the funding for families should bring welcome but bittersweet closure and will give communities resources to become more resilient to future flooding, according to WAMC.

Who to contact at the Rutland Regional Planning Commission

Phone, email and office address

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission lists 802-775-0871 and 802-775-1766 as contact numbers, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The commission lists [email protected] as a contact email, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The commission lists its address as 16 Evelyn Street (Second Floor) and PO Box 430 Rutland, VT 05702, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

For this Pittsford comment period, however, the notice directs questions to [email protected] or [email protected], according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

How Pittsford households can use the review period

Compare the draft with the Hazard Map

Residents reviewing the working draft can also review the enlarged Hazard Map versions at the Town Office and Fire Department, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The Town Office at 426 Plains Road offers both the working draft and an enlarged Hazard Map version, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The Fire Department offers an enlarged Hazard Map version, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The map focuses on areas marked as vulnerable to flooding, high winds, and snow drifts, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Choose email or the October 7 meeting

Residents who prefer written comments can use [email protected] or [email protected] during the September 16 to October 7 window, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Residents who prefer to speak directly can attend the October 7 Selectboard meeting to provide feedback in person, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

The notice was published on September 17, 2026, one day after the comment period began on September 16, according to the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.

Sources referenced