REPRESENTATIVES CASEY of WINCHESTER, CONNOLLY of
EVERETT, REINSTEIN of REVERE, DONATO of MEDFORD, FESTA of MELROSE, AYERS of
QUINCY, PROVOST of SOMERVILLE and NATALE of WOBURN move that the bill be
amended in section 2, in item 2800-0100, in line 17, by inserting after the
words “February 14, 2007,” the following: “provided further, notwithstanding
section 54 of chapter 7 of the General Laws, the division of capital asset
management and maintenance, on behalf of and in consultation with the
department of conservation and recreation, is hereby authorized,
notwithstanding sections 40E to 40I, inclusive, of chapter 7 of the General
Laws and using such competitive proposal process as the commissioner of said
division deems necessary or appropriate, to lease and enter into other
agreements, for terms not to exceed 20 years, to or with 1 or more offerors who
participate in that process, for 1 or more skating rinks, so as to provide for
the continued use, operation, maintenance, repair and improvement of the following
state-owned buildings and facilities together with the land and appurtenances
associated therewith, comprising the following ice skating rinks and facilities
of said department: Connell memorial rink, Weymouth; Flynn memorial rink,
Medford; LoConte memorial rink, Medford; Shea memorial rink, Quincy; and
Veterans memorial Rink, Somerville; provided further, that there shall
be an option for renewal or extension for operations and maintenance services
not exceeding an additional 5 years, and that such renewal or extension shall
be at the discretion of the division of capital asset management and
maintenance in accordance with the original contract terms and conditions or
contract terms and conditions more favorable to the state; provided further,
all leases must contain a provision that requires the lessee to carry
comprehensive general liability insurance with the commonwealth named as a
co-insured, protecting the commonwealth against all personal injury or property
damage within the rink and on the land during the term of the lease; provided
further, that such leases and other agreements shall be on terms acceptable to
the commissioner of the division of capital asset management and maintenance
after consultation with the commissioner of the department of conservation and
recreation, and, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary,
shall provide for the lessees to manage, operate, improve, repair and maintain
the properties; provided further, that any such leases or other arrangements
requiring capital improvements to be made to any buildings or surface areas
shall include a description of the required capital improvements and, at a
minimum, performance specifications; provided further, that such leases and
other agreements shall provide that any benefits to the commonwealth and the
costs of improvements and repairs made to the properties provided by the
tenants or the recipients of the properties shall be taken into account as part
of the consideration for such leases or other agreements; provided further,
that the division, in consultation with the department, shall structure each
lease or other agreement to minimize disturbance of the current rights of any
tenants who may currently use any part of the rink or adjoining facilities,
whether under a written lease or other arrangement; provided further, that all
consideration received from the leases or other agreements shall be payable to
the department of conservation and recreation for deposit into the General Fund,
and that the lessees of said properties shall bear all costs deemed necessary
or appropriate by the commissioner of the division of capital asset management
and maintenance for the transaction, including without limitation, all costs
for legal work, survey, title and the preparation of plans and specifications;
provided further, that the division, in consultation with the department, when
evaluating proposals, shall give preference to a youth-oriented, non-profit,
long-standing tenant in the municipality where the rink or rinks are located or
cities and towns adjacent thereto, provided that the proposal complies with the
ice time allocation guidelines outlined in chapter 149 of the acts of 2004;
provided further, that the division of capital asset management and
maintenance, in consultation with and on behalf of the department of
conservation and recreation, shall solicit proposals through a request for
proposals which shall include key contractual terms and conditions to be
incorporated into the contract, including but not limited to (1) a
comprehensive list of all rinks operated by the responsive bidder or offeror in
the last four years, (2) other facilities management or experience of the
responsive bidder or offeror, (3) other skating or hockey management experience
of the responsive bidder or offeror, (4) a residential discount program, (5)
reservation policies, (6) proposed reasonable rates that will ensure continued
public access, (7) required financial audits, (8) policies to encourage use of
the rink by persons of all races and nationalities, (9) safety and security
plans, (10) seasonal opening and closing dates, (11) hours of operation and
(12) how the operator will satisfy the following ice time allocation guidelines;
provided further, that ice time at rinks under the jurisdiction of the division
of urban parks and recreation shall be allocated to user groups in the
following priority order: general public skating; non-profit youth groups;
school hockey; youth groups other than non-profit youth groups; and adult
organizations or informal groups, and that ice time may be allocated at the
discretion of the operator, provided that general public skating shall be
booked at a minimum of 12 hours per week, with a range of times and days which
reasonably allow for public skaters of all ages to participate in some public
skating sessions; provided further, that every effort shall be made to balance
the ice allocation needs of long-established youth organizations and newly
formed youth organizations in a manner that provides equal opportunity and
equal access for youths of each gender; provided further, that the inspector
general shall review and approve any request for proposal issued by the
division before issuance; provided further, that the failure of any city or
town to apply for pre-qualification as set forth below shall not prohibit that
city or town from bidding under this section; provided further, that before the
division, in consultation with the department, sends out any request for
proposals under this section, the division shall hold open a pre-qualification
period of at least one month for cities and towns, or a partnership of
municipalities which share geographic boundaries as long the subject rink or
rinks is located within the geographic area of the municipalities comprising
the partnership, that desire to bid on rinks that are listed in this section
and are located within the city or town; provided further, that any city or
town or such partnership of muncipalities that desires to lease a rink under this
section may submit materials for prequalification, and that such
pre-qualification may include, but may not be limited to, said city’s or town's
or said partnership’s ability to finance the capital improvements determined to
be necessary at each rink
listed in this section by the division and to manage, operate and maintain the
properties; provided further, that the division, in consultation with the
department, shall determine whether a city or town or partnership is
prequalified within 15 days of the end of the prequalification period. If a
city or town or partnership is determined to be pre-qualified, that city or
town or partnership shall be awarded the lease for that rink under the terms and conditions
set forth in subsection (a) and the first paragraph of subsection (b); provided
further, that if a city or town or partnership is determined to be
pre-qualified, the city or town or partnership shall pay nominal consideration
for a lease subject to the required capital improvements, performance
specifications, and other prequalification requirements and terms of the
division and submitted proposal; provided further, that the length of such
lease shall be determined between the division and said city or town; provided
further, that it shall be a mandatory term of any request for proposals issued
by the commissioner and of any contract entered into by the commonwealth with
any party regarding the subject matter of this section that any party which has
entered into a contract pursuant to this section with the commonwealth shall require,
in order to maintain stable and productive labor relations and to avoid
interruption of the operation of the rinks and to preserve the safety and
environmental conditions of those rinks, that all employees currently working
on the operation and maintenance of the rinks be offered employment by any
party entering into a contract pursuant to this section; provided further, that
upon the execution of any agreements authorized by this section, the department
of conservation and recreation shall reassign or relocate those employees who
do not accept employment with the lessor, to comparable positions within the
department subject to applicable collective bargaining agreements; provided
further, that the provisions of any general or special law or rule or regulation
relating to the advertising, bidding or award of contracts, to the procurement
of services or to the construction and design of improvements shall not be
applicable to any selected offeror which is awarded a contract pursuant to this
section, except as provided in this section; provided further, that subsection (b) of section 279 of
chapter 149 of the Acts of 2004, is hereby amended by striking out the
second paragraph and inserting in place thereof following paragraph:-
No proposal to lease the Allied Veterans rink in the city of Everett shall be
considered responsive, nor shall it be accepted, without a proposal by the same
offeror to lease the Cronin rink in the city of Revere, except that a proposal
by the city of Everett to lease the Allied Veterans rink, without a proposal to
lease the Cronin rink, shall be considered responsive and may be accepted.”