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Daily Update 11/3: Honoring a Commitment to Public Safety

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Governor’s Daily Update
Schools, Jobs, and Civic Engagement
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

 

In the Press:

George L. Hanna Jr. Memorial Awards by you.

Governor Patrick joins with Lt. Governor Murray and House Speaker DeLeo to present an award to Officer Dean C. Bickerton of the Boston Police Department at the 26th Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Jr. Memorial Awards ceremony.

 

  • Honoring a Commitment to Public Safety – Yesterday, Governor Patrick and Lieutenant Governor Murray honored 27 police officers and one state trooper for their courage and dedication at the 26th Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Jr. Memorial Awards ceremony. “These brave public servants have confronted extraordinary circumstances with courage and compassion, and made our communities better,” Patrick said.

 

  • Unitil Faulted on Two Counts for Storm Response – The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued two orders to the Fitchburg utility company Unitil, in one case citing profound service quality failures in the company’s response to the December 2008 ice storm. “I commend the DPU for its thorough investigation, but I do not believe that it goes far enough,” said Governor Patrick. “I called for this investigation after seeing firsthand the dismal performance that left Unitil’s customers without power for two weeks.  The company needs to be held accountable for its performance and should have been fined for its gross failure of responsibility.  I fully expect the DPU to take into account the company’s inability to respond to the storm in upcoming rate cases, and I am glad to see that the DPU expects to do so.” Learn more here.

Commitment to Innovation

  • Clean Energy Leaders – In keeping with Governor Patrick’s commitment to producing clean energy in the Commonwealth, the Patrick-Murray Administration has proposed a landmark bill to streamline the state’s appeals process and speed up the approval of wind-energy projects. These changes would help enable the state to meet Governor Patrick’s goal of producing 2,000 megawatts of wind power, enough for 800,000 homes, by 2020. “For us to see progress, there needs to be a lot more certainty in the permitting process,’’ said Ian Bowles, secretary of the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “That’s what we’ve heard clearly from the wind industry in order for them to do other significant wind projects in the state.’’ The bill, known as the Wind Energy Siting Reform bill, would create new rules governing the location of wind projects, who issues permits, and how they can be appealed. Learn more about Wind Energy Siting Reform here.

 

  • Affordable Health Insurance for Small Businesses – Delivering on the themes of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Economic Summit held last Tuesday, and moving forward on his call for small business health insurance reform in October, Governor Patrick announced yesterday that the Commonwealth’s Division of Insurance will host special sessions dedicated to the creation of group purchasing cooperatives beginning November 10th. “Small businesses need a break and these hearings can help with the rising costs of health-insurance,” said Governor Patrick. “These hearings will help us get to the root causes.” Learn more here.

Investing in our Infrastructure

  • MassDOT Launched – Moving forward with the state’s landmark transportation reform law, Governor Patrick appointed five members to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Board. The agency simplifies our transportation bureaucracy, and is responsible for improving the Commonwealth’s network of roads, bridges, tunnels, transit systems and private-use airports. "This is no small effort, it's a very heavy lift, it's integrating thousands of people in several different agencies and looking for efficiencies we know are there and finding other ones that will come," Governor Patrick said.

 

  • Capital Improvements for Community Based Non-Profits - On Monday, Governor Patrick announced the creation of a Community Service 501(C)(3) Loan Fund, which will offer flexible financing for capital improvements for community-based nonprofit organizations such as elder-care centers, daycare centers, community centers, and girls’ and boys’ clubs. Capitalized with $5 million from MassDevelopment, the state’s finance and development authority, the Fund will provide loans ranging from $100,000 to $500,000.  “We place a value on helping the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Governor Patrick. “This modest fund will support organizations that make a difference in the lives of so many in Massachusetts.” Learn more here.

Focus on Regional Economies

  • Support for Haverhill – The Lieutenant Governor yesterday announced that the City of Haverhill has received a $805,000 Massachusetts Opportunity Relocation and Expansion (MORE) jobs grant to fund Phase II of the Hilldale Avenue Industrial Park Sewer Extension Project, which will help support critical infrastructure, leverage private investment, and is projected to create 40 green economy jobs. Once Phase II is complete, Powerhouse Enterprises, a manufacturer of energy-efficient modular housing units, will be able to relocate and construct a new 50,000 square foot energy efficient factory building in the Haverhill. The project will break ground on November 16. Learn more here.

This Week:

  • On Monday, Governor Patrick offered remarks at the 26th Annual Trooper George L. Hanna Jr. Memorial Awards ceremony at the State House.
  • Monday afternoon, Governor Patrick attended the first board meeting of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation at the Transportation Building in Boston.
  • Later Monday, Governor Patrick attended a legislative leadership meeting at the State House.