NAHANT — Town Administrator Tony Barletta announced that the town has made progress in securing a $4.5 million hazard-mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare Short Beach for future sea-level surges.

“We received a request for information from FEMA, which is a good thing,” Barletta said. “We’ve moved up their list.”

The town has had multiple meetings with FEMA, including a site visit this past winter. Nahant could also receive approximately $150,000 in funds from damages incurred on Short Beach from a storm in 2018, however Barletta said it would not even be necessary if he is able to secure the grant beforehand.

“We’re not at the finish line yet,” Barletta said. “It was a lot of work over the last month or so pulling together that information, but we met the deadline, we’re submitted, and hopefully we get some good feedback.”

Barletta presented the update at the Board of Selectmen’s first in-person meeting since before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was the last for Chair Mark Cullinan, who is not running for reelection. Fellow Board members Josh Antrim and Gene Canty each commended Cullinan for his decades of work serving his hometown.

“Through it all, you have always tried to do what’s best for the Town of Nahant by being level-headed, fair, and easy to work with,” Antrim said.

Barletta presented Cullinan with a framed photo of the Life Saving Station that reads, “Thank you for your many years of dedicated service to the Town of Nahant.”

Cullinan drew applause from residents in attendance on multiple occasions.

The third-generation Nahant resident served as the town administrator for 17 years, before deciding to run for selectman in 2019. Throughout his municipal career, Cullinan also spent time as a member of the Nahant Housing Authority, Conservation Commission, Charter Commission, Open Space Committee, and as president of Nahant Little League.