JAY — Community members from Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls gathered Jan. 8 for a regional workshop focused on identifying vulnerabilities and prioritizing actions to strengthen resilience to natural hazards.

The meeting was part of an ongoing vulnerability assessment process being conducted by the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, with funding through the state’s Community Resilience Partnership.

The workshop was designed as an interactive session allowing residents to review feedback collected over several months and help shape next steps.

“The main goals were for community members to have an opportunity to review, further develop and prioritize possible actions through an … interactive exercise as well as small and large group discussions,” said Shelley Kruszewski, regional planner for the council.

Participants took part in small and large group discussions and exercises used to prioritize potential actions.

“The intention was to hear from community members to solidify actionable next steps the communities would like to take to reduce vulnerabilities and think about what project(s) the towns can pursue funding for,” Kruszewski said.

Eighteen community members attended and provided written feedback and discussion notes, which the council will use to help finalize recommendations.

The vulnerability assessments aim to identify populations and infrastructure at risk from natural hazards, assess those risks and guide future planning and funding efforts.

“These assessments help communities to identify populations and infrastructure vulnerable to natural hazards, assess risks and prioritize actions,” Kruszewski said.

During the meeting, participants reviewed priorities and major impacts identified through earlier outreach. Areas discussed included flooding of roads, bridges and culverts; public health; economic stability and public services; protection of critical infrastructure; environmental concerns; and recreation.

While some vulnerabilities are tied to location-specific assets, most discussion focused on challenges shared by all three towns.

Participants prioritized actions using a dot exercise, with each person receiving three dots to place on actions they felt were most important. Maps of each town were available to support discussion.

The highest-ranked priority was planning, followed by increasing learning opportunities for practical skills. Mentorship programs and the establishment of a warming and cooling center tied for third. Other priorities receiving strong support included hiring an engineer to assess vulnerable sites and conduct culvert inventory and prioritization, obtaining a generator for the Livermore Falls Fire Station, developing a regional burn training building, and refurbishing pump stations.

The council reported that while many priorities overlap among the three communities, the final vulnerability assessment will also include issues unique to each town.

For this project, the towns may choose to pursue collaborative or individual projects, with the council providing assistance.

This year, Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls are expected to be eligible to apply for the next round of Community Resilience Partnership Community Action Grants.

“Later this spring, the communities can apply for the anticipated next round of the Community Resilience Partnership Community Action Grant with assistance from AVCOG,” Kruszewski said.

The meeting was not recorded, but findings will be documented in a vulnerability assessment report scheduled for distribution to the towns this spring.

Public input for the assessment was gathered through multiple avenues beginning in spring 2025, including presentations at select board meetings, a paper and digital survey, a regional public meeting, about 20 interviews with town and emergency personnel, and the January workshop.

The completed assessment may be used to support grant applications, capital planning and emergency management efforts. Findings have already been considered in Jay’s completed comprehensive plan and Livermore Falls’ plan currently in progress. Livermore may also use the assessment during future comprehensive plan updates.

Established in 1962, the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments is a nonprofit regional planning agency serving communities in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties. The organization provides services in economic development, land-use planning, transportation planning and environmental management.