Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus is Protecting Historic Downtown from Rising Sea Levels
Matt Lutkus is Town Manager in Damariscotta. The town is taking action to protect its historic downtown from rising sea levels with a comprehensive waterfront infrastructure project to guard against flooding, replace sewer lines, improve drainage and pedestrian access, and build new public restrooms. This work was funded by a $3 million federal grant and $1.3 million in funds raised locally after being planned for a decade — a timeline the Climate Action Plan wants to accelerate for towns through a State Infrastructure Adaptation Fund.
Was there a “lightbulb moment” for you regarding climate impacts?
In early 2012, the Board of Selectmen first viewed inundation scenarios prepared by the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission, which identified our downtown village as one of the areas in Lincoln County most vulnerable to coastal flooding.
For years, the downtown parking lot flooded several times a year, but except when first-floor businesses were flooded, it was viewed as a nuisance the community always dealt with. The inundation scenarios, however, showed that flooding was going to get worse — and soon. This got everyone’s attention, and shortly after flood resilience was made a top planning priority.
What should towns do to start preparing for climate change?
Use federal, state, and regional data to educate the public on the effects of climate change in their community. Then, work to build a consensus on an action plan. Beyond the first steps, planning, engineering, designing, and having projects “shovel ready” pays off. When construction dollars do become available at the Federal and State levels, decision-makers want to see results within a few years versus a decade. Other than that, I recommend patience and perseverance. Try never to miss an opportunity to tell your story to whomever will listen.
What should the governor or legislature consider for towns when they read this report?
Officials from various State agencies have been extremely helpful to us in our flood resiliency planning activities, and more generally in the Town’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Currently, the electric energy for all of the municipal facilities is derived from a solar array, we are in the process of converting all of our street lights to LED, and we are installing a two-unit electric vehicle charging station in our parking lot. I encourage the governor and legislature to continue to encourage these and similar efforts in municipalities and in the private sector.