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Maine Gov. Janet Mills recently signed an executive order creating a commission that will develop the state’s first plan for long-term infrastructure resilience.
The commission will be comprised of 24 people and will be co-chaired by Linda Nelson, the Economic and Community Development director for the Town of Stonington, and Dan Tishman, Tishman Realty & Construction, principal and chairman. Other members will be representatives of affected communities, businesses, and industries; state and local officials; and industry experts.
The commission will travel across the state over the next year following storms to engage with communities, industries, and organizations to understand challenges, identify and bridge gaps in resources, and propose new approaches to improve disaster recovery and response.
“After signing my eighth request for a disaster declaration, it’s clear to me that there is more work to do to plan and prepare for future disasters like those we’ve just experienced,” Mills said. “We must ask the hard questions about what we can, and must, do to strengthen our ability to withstand storms that are increasingly more severe and dangerous and that pose a real threat to our infrastructure, our people, and our economy. The time is now for these immediate steps and this commission will give us the foundation to do just that so we can protect the Maine we know, love and cherish for our children and grandchildren.”