SCITUATE - July 21, 2026 - The Scituate Select Board convened on Tuesday evening to face a major financial blow as federal emergency authorities abruptly withdrew funding commitments for long-standing coastal repair projects. Town Administrator Jim Boudreau revealed that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is walking away from multiple legacy disaster declaration projects, leaving Scituate facing an unexpected $3 million deficit. The board also discussed strict Tier 2 water conservation enforcement, approved upcoming community tradition logistics for Heritage Days, and weighed a proposed long-table community dinner on Front Street for cancer patient support.
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Town Administrator Jim Boudreau opened his administrative report with critical news regarding municipal finances. FEMA notified the town that it is abandoning multiple legacy disaster declaration grants dating back as far as 2012, including projects along Third Cliff. According to Boudreau, the federal agency cited extensive permitting delays—despite past assurances urging the town to proceed—and is now demanding reimbursement or withholding roughly $3 million in anticipated project funding.
The decision not only forces Scituate to cover the direct project costs but also threatens to create cash deficits on the town’s financial books where federal receipts had been anticipated. Scituate is reaching out to state officials, federal legislative delegations, and seven other Massachusetts coastal communities facing identical federal clawbacks to organize a collective response. Select Board members expressed sharp frustration over the sudden policy shift, noting that lengthy multi-year state and federal environmental permitting processes placed the town in an impossible double bind.
“FEMA has been telling us to keep going and now the time is, ‘Well, sorry. We don’t care. We told you to keep going, we’re going to take back the money that you spent.’ So this could be impactful... It also underscores the fact that the state and feds are going to have to make some changes to how they permit repair projects. It should not take 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 years to permanently repair a structure.” — Jim Boudreau, Town Administrator
