Press Release Baker-Polito Administration Awards $2 Million in Community Compact Grants

BOSTON — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded $2 million in Community Compact Cabinet grants that will assist 92 communities and 8 School Districts across the Commonwealth. The Efficiency and Regionalization Grant Program was started by the administration in 2016  to assist municipalities and school districts interested in providing services to their constituents in a more efficient and cost-effective way. In Fiscal Year 2017, the administration awarded $2 million to over 110 municipalities and 18 school districts.
 
“Our administration created the Community Compact Cabinet to enhance state government’s role as a reliable partner for municipalities under the leadership of Lt. Governor Polito who has logged countless miles travelling Massachusetts working with local officials and stakeholders,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud to announce this year’s round of grants to help cities, towns, and school districts from across the Commonwealth work together to share services that will better serve their constituents in a more cost-effective manner.”
 
“As former local officials, Governor Baker and I understand the importance of continuing to support our cities and towns through this effective grant program,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Chair of the Community Compact Cabinet. “We are committed to using these grants to work with cities, towns, and school districts to better serve their residents and make Massachusetts a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”
 
"The Community Compact Cabinet grant program provides local leaders with the flexibility and support to pursue projects that best fit their communities," said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan. "The administration is pleased to have provided over $17 million to cities and towns through this program to pursue important regionalization and efficiency efforts, best practices, and technology infrastructure upgrades."
 
The Community Compact Cabinet’s Efficiency & Regionalization grant program provides financial support for governmental entities interested in implementing regionalization and other efficiency initiatives that allow for long-term sustainability. The grants will provide funds for one-time or transition costs for municipalities, regional school districts, school districts considering  forming a regional school district or regionalizing services, regional planning agencies and councils of governments interested in such projects.

Grant Recipients:

Regionalization / Shared Services

• Mosquito Control District (Deerfield, Bernardston, Conway, East Longmeadow, Hadley, Montague, Northampton, Palmer, Shelburne, Southampton, South Hadley) - $150,000
• Pioneer Valley Planning Commission Regional IT (Blandford, Chester, Cummington, Huntington, Montgomery, and the Gateway RSD) - $150,000
• Shared Fire/EMS (Halifax, Plympton) - $132,300
• Regional IT (Danvers, Essex, Hamilton, Wenham) - $100,000
• Regional Animal Control (Palmer, Monson, Ware, Warren) - $67,000
• Regional Public Health Nurse (Avon, Holbrook, Randolph) - $46,000
• Metropolitan Area Planning Council Regional Opioid Programming (Chelsea, Medford, Winthrop) - $36,500
• Regional Treasury/Collections (Berkley, Cheshire, Chester, Conway, Egremont, Hawley, Heath, Middlefield, Oakham, Royalston, Tyringham, Washington, Windsor) - $22,109

Regional Economic Development

• Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission Regional Economic Development Director (Barre, Hardwick, Hubbardston, New Braintree, Oakham) - $95,000
• Regional Economic Development (Dedham, Norwood, Westwood) - $50,000
• Merrimack Valley Planning Commission Regional Economic Development (Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Rowley, Salisbury, West Newbury) - $50,000
• Rural Economic Development Planning (Chester, Blandford, Huntington, Middlefield, Montgomery, and Russell) - $42,339

Regional Wastewater

• Cohasset, Hull, Scituate - $200,000
• Barnstable, Dennis, Harwich, Yarmouth - $150,000
• Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, Sandwich (with Joint Base Cape Cod) - $140,000

Regional Transportation

• Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem, Swampscott) - $125,300
• Martha’s Vineyard Commission Regional Transportation Planner (Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury,  West Tisbury) - $100,000
• Bedford, Burlington, Lexington - $85,000

Schools

• Regional School District Consolidation / Collaboration (Gill-Montague RSD, Franklin Co. Tech, Pioneer Valley RSD) - $109,998
• Add Member to Old Colony Regional VocTech (Freetown schools) - $30,000
• Exploration of Regionalization (Amherst and Pelham schools) - $21,500

Efficiencies

• Gardner Combined Dispatch - $82,952
• Williamsburg Police Records/Reporting - $10,350

About the Community Compact Cabinet:

Formed in January 2015, the Community Compact Cabinet is chaired by Lt. Governor Polito and comprised of the secretaries of Housing & Economic Development, Education, Transportation, and Energy & Environmental Affairs, the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Local Services, the Assistant Secretary of Operational Services, and the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth. The Community Compact Cabinet elevates the Administration’s partnerships with cities and towns, and allows the Governor’s Office to work more closely with leaders from all municipalities. The Cabinet champions municipal interests across all executive secretariats and agencies, and develops, in consultation with cities and towns, mutual standards and best practices for both the state and municipalities.  The creation of Community Compacts creates clear standards, expectations and accountability for both partners.

As of today, 323 compacts have been signed.

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