Muni Matters reports on key issues and breaking news affecting cities and towns in Massachusetts
Rockland, Abington Look to Lead Housing Developers to Water
The barriers to creating new affordable housing can be numerous, from zoning and density restrictions to limited funding and NIMBYism. With the help of state funding, two communities south of Boston hope to address a housing obstacle that might be less obvious: Water. The Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works was awarded $2.24 million from the MassWorks program to upgrade its water treatment plant, the Baker-Polito administration announced this week, paving the way for new housing projects in the area.
“The Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works’ Myers Avenue Water Treatment Plant Capacity Upgrade will increase Rockland and Abington’s potable water supply enabling key development projects to move forward supporting critical economic development in the region,” Rockland Selectmen Chairman Michael O’Loughlin said in a news release. The funds will go toward a new clearwell storage tank and pumping equipment for the facility, which will provide capacity for an additional drinking water well. The increased water output is estimated at an additional 160,000 gallons per day. The upgrades will be enough to support 12 proposed private development projects in the towns, according to the release, which include workforce housing, multi-family housing and low-income senior housing, as well as retail, commercial, and mixed-use developments.
“This MassWorks award will create much needed housing in the community and an increase in both jobs and economic activity,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in the release. “Congratulations to Abington-Rockland Joint Water Works for receiving this award and their collaborative efforts to play a role in addressing our housing crisis.” The grant is one of 56 awarded to 50 communities this year, totaling $66.5 million. This is the largest number of awards in six years, the release notes, as well as the first year that the state has used Community One Stop for Growth, a streamlined portal for grant applications. – Meg McIntyre/SHNS
Fires Set on MV to Protect Disappearing Ecosystem
Grasshopper sparrows, frosted-elfin butterflies and New England blazing star wildflower thrive in the native sandplain grassland of MassWildlife’s Katama Plains wildlife management area on Martha’s Vineyard, an important habitat that environmentalists say is becoming increasingly rare. That’s why MassWildlife, the town of Edgartown and The Nature Conservancy set fires on roughly 60 acres of the WMA and a nearby airfield Wednesday. “The town has partnered with MassWildlife and TNC on these kinds of conservation efforts since the 1980s,” Edgartown Conservation Agent Jane Varkonda said.
“Wildlife and plants don’t recognize land boundaries and our combined conservation efforts are protecting a large piece of the Island’s natural and cultural heritage. Prescribed fire helps maintain the open character of this historic grass-strip airfield.” Prescribed fires or controlled burns help keep invading trees and shrubs at bay, promote the growth of native wildflowers, little bluestem grass, lowbush blueberry, and certain plants that are important sources of food and shelter for wildlife, according to MassWildlife’s prescribed fire manager, Caren Caljouw. She said the burn will also reduce the risk of an uncontrolled fire that could threaten property.
TNC Massachusetts State Director Deb Markowitz said the sandplain grasslands at the Katama Plains WMA support many rare plants and animals, and are an ecosystem that is becoming harder to find around the world. “Martha’s Vineyard is one of the last remaining strongholds. That’s why this burn is so important to ensure these special grasses and other plants remain on the Island,” she said. – Colin A. Young/SHNS
Northampton Moves Closer to Municipal Broadband
At a time when broadband access has become essential, the results of Northampton’s municipal election last week bring the Pioneer Valley city one step closer to owning and operating its own fiber network. Voters resoundingly approved Question 1, which asked residents to support the establishment of a municipal light plant, with a final tally of 7,426 in favor and 705 against, according to unofficial results. Municipal light plants are locally-controlled utility companies that can provide electric, gas or internet service, depending on the community’s needs. Though the measure is nonbinding, it paves the way for city officials to move forward with building publicly-owned internet infrastructure, should they choose to do so.
A recent marketing study commissioned by the city ranked Northampton 321st for connectivity out of 351 cities and towns in the Bay State. The report notes that out of 15 cities of comparable size, it is one of only three communities with no fiber-to-home network, alongside Chelsea and Gloucester. The next phase of the project will entail a feasibility study to analyze the potential costs and logistics of developing a network, according to the city’s website. Northampton isn’t the only community eyeing municipal broadband as reliable internet access has become an even more pressing concern for municipalities during the pandemic. Worcester has also been exploring the potential of locally-owned internet service, while a group of towns in western Mass. have joined together to form WiredWest, a collective effort to build a regional fiber-optic network with service offered through public utility provider Westfield Gas and Electric. – Meg McIntyre/SHNS
Local Governments Ask Congress for More ARPA Flexibility
Organizations representing municipal, county and state governments this week sent a letter to U.S. House of Representatives leadership urging passage of legislation that would give them additional flexibility for spending allocations from the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund created in the American Rescue Plant Act. ARPA and the CLFRF provided $3.4 billion in aid to Massachusetts cities, towns and counties, but some municipal officials said this week that they are waiting to spend that money until they know if they might be able to piggyback off additional state support.
Cities, through organizations like the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities, are also asking Congress to loosen the constraints on their ARPA allocations. “Since the enactment of ARPA, we have been working collaboratively with our respective memberships, the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to implement the $350 billion provided under the law. We believe that this new legislation would both streamline and strengthen this historic program,” a collection of seven organizations wrote to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday referring to a bill (S 3011) that passed the U.S. Senate on Oct. 19. Its companion bill (HR 5735) is pending in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill, which does not add new spending or create new mandates on city or state spending, would allow counties and municipalities nationwide to use a total of over $27 billion for new transportation and infrastructure projects and over $17 billion for government services, according to the National Association of Counties. “America’s state and local governments have been engaged in our nation’s response to COVID-19 since the earliest days, and providing these governments with flexible, essential financial resources is the surest way to see that our nation’s preparedness and responsivity continues,” the groups wrote. – Colin A. Young/SHNS
Towns Focus on LGBTQ Outreach, Remembrance in November
The typical pride month celebrations have concluded for 2021, but a few Boston area communities are promoting events in November to support and engage with LGBTQ residents. Brookline will host its annual public health policy forum Monday at 6 p.m., with this year’s event focusing on health and wellness for queer youth. The virtual event will be moderated by Dr. Natalia Linos of the FXB Center for Health & Human Rights at Harvard University and will explore mental and physical health disparities faced by LGBTQ youth, ways to make health care more inclusive and equitable, and how to create safer school environments.
“The Town of Brookline prides itself on being an inclusive community, and we are committed to having open conversations like these to promote health equity for LGBTQ+ community members,” Interim Health Commissioner Patrick Maloney said. “It is so important for all members, especially the youth, to feel heard, accepted and loved.” In Arlington, officials have organized a trio of events to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance, which takes place Nov. 20 and commemorates transgender and gender-nonconforming people lost to anti-trans violence.
Next week, transgender pride flags will be on view on the lawn of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Pleasant Street “to provide visibility to the continued murders of Transgender individuals in our country and around the world,” according to a news release. On Nov. 18, members of the LGBTQ community in Arlington and beyond are invited to attend a free intergenerational meal and karaoke night at the Town Hall, co-organized by the Arlington Council on Aging, the Arlington High Gay Straight Alliance, the Arlington Rainbow Commission and LexPride. And on Nov. 20, there will be a virtual ceremony to honor victims of transphobic violence with a reading of names, as well as highlight local transgender and nonbinary people and encourage discussions of allyship. Registration is required for Brookline’s forum, “Advancing Equity: Health & Wellbeing for LGBTQ+ Youth.” For more information, contact Administrative Coordinator Darlene Johnson at 617-730-2301 or djohnson@brooklinema.gov. To reserve a free meal at the SAGE Table LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Meal in Arlington, RSVP to 781-316-3419 or mshapiro-ide@town.arlington.ma.us. You can register for the Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony here. – Meg McIntyre/SHNS
