Executive Order

Executive Order  No. 367: Nomination of federal empowerment zones and enterprise communities

Date: 03/21/1994
Issuer: William F. Weld
Mass Register: No. 736

Table of Contents

WHEREAS, the United States Congress has authorized the designation of empowerment zones and enterprise communities; and

WHEREAS, federal regulations require the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to nominate communities tor designation as either a federal enterprise zone or a federal enterprise community; and

WHEREAS, obtaining federal designation as an empowerment zone or enterprise community will contribute to the alleviation of social and economic distress and will stimulate private investment and economic development; and

WHEREAS, coordination of the assistance provided by the Commonwealth to communities seeking federal designation as empowerment zones or enterprise communities will aid communities in preparing applications; and

WHEREAS, as part of such nomination procedure, the Commonwealth must provide certain assurances to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that the "strategic plan" prepared by an applicant community will be implemented; and

WHEREAS, the strategic plan must identify the extent of Commonwealth and local resources being devoted to the aim of revitalizing the nominated communities; and

WHEREAS, the strategic plan must address the applicant community's approach to the challenging, but interrelated, issues of economic development, social/human services, transportation, housing, public safety, drug abuse prevention, education, and environmental concerns; and

WHEREAS, the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (the "EACC"), established pursuant to M.G.L. c. 23A, section 3B, is responsible for coordinating the Commonwealth's Economic Development Incentive Program, including the designation of communities as economic target areas and economic opportunity areas, and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development ("MOBD") provides staff support to the EACC.

NOW THEREFORE, I, William F. Weld, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

Section 1. The EACC is hereby designated as the Commonwealth agency responsible for reviewing the application from each community requesting designation as either a federal enterprise zone or a federal enterprise community. The EACC shall recommend whether the Commonwealth shall nominate a community to be a federal empowerment zone or a federal enterprise community.

Section 2. The Secretaries of Economic Affairs, Communities and Development, Public Safety, Environmental Affairs, Education, Health and Human Services, and Transportation and Construction (herein collectively "the Secretaries") shall provide information concerning the applicant communities to the EACC and MOBD, shall cooperate with MOBD in assisting communities in preparing strategic plans and applications for designation as a federal enterprise zone or a federal enterprise community, and shall assist MOBD in supporting the EACC during its review of such applications.

Section 3. The Secretaries shall identify State resources that are being, or could be, devoted to community revitalization in the applicant communities, and, where appropriate, shall commit program funds or set aside funds for implementation of the strategic plans of applicant communities.

Section 4. The Bay State Skills Corporation, the Community Development Finance Corporation, the Industrial Services Program, the Massachusetts Government Land Bank, the Massachusetts Center for Educational Telecommunications, the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, the Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency, the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation, the Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation, and other public agencies and authorities concerned with economic development, public health, public safety, environmental permitting, education, and housing (collectively, "the Agencies") are requested to provide information concerning the applicant communities to MOBD, to cooperate with MOBD in assisting communities in preparing strategic plans and applications for designation as a federal enterprise zone or a federal enterprise community, and to assist MOBD in supporting the EACC during its review of such applications.

Section 5. The Agencies are requested to identify agency resources that are being, or could be, devoted to community revitalization in the applicant communities, and, where appropriate, to commit program funds or set aside funds for implementation of the strategic plans of application communities.

Section 6. The EACC and MOBD staff shall establish a schedule and procedures governing: (i) the submission to the Commonwealth of applications by communities seeking nomination by the Commonwealth as either a federal enterprise zone or a federal enterprise community, and (ii) the review of those applications by the EACC, supported by MOBD and the Secretariats and Agencies.

This Executive Order shall remain in effect until December 31, 1994.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this 21st day of March in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four.

William F. Weld, Governor
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Michael Joseph Connolly
Secretary of the Commonwealth

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