The Morgan-Scott Hazard Mitigation Committee, comprised of the disaster departments in both counties, will meet Thursday in the second of a series of meetings to develop the plan. The plan involves reviewing activities and projects that aim to reduce the damages caused by natural and technological disasters.

Representatives of twelve cities and towns in Morgan and Scott County, including Jacksonville, are attending. Morgan County ESDA coordinator Bob Fitzsimmons says the public is invited to attend.

“The base group is your village and county-elected officials and appointed people to be able to have better protective measures,” he says. “At the meeting, we’ll look more at defining each one of the areas concerned, or [develop] an assessment of each one of the areas, whether it be anything from tornado sheltering to better information to flood mitigation and preparation.”

Fitzsimmons says the mitigation plan will supplement the county’s disaster plan that’s already in place.

“We’ve done awareness and assessment throughout the years, but with the advent of nationwide catastrophic events and the amount of funding that’s requiring, oftentimes the federal government on disaster declarations have gone back in and said, ‘What can we do in the way of levy reconstruction? What can we do in the way of outdoor warning announcements?’” Fitzsimmons says.

“And we’re looking at saying, ‘We have studied this, and these are some things we have on the shelf as funding would become available that would help reduce the impact to the local citizens- should that become available.”

The meeting will be at 1 p.m. at the South Jacksonville Fire Department at 1801 Sequoia Drive.

While the plan is being developed, at least four mitigation committee meetings will be conducted. Public comments will be used to develop the plan.