BOSTON – In a special formal session of the Massachusetts Legislature on Thursday, Nov. 14, lawmakers approved an omnibus bill with nearly $4 billion in spending.
Governor Maura Healey filed the bill, titled the “Mass Leads Act,” in February.
Language in the bill also allows the City of Worcester to appoint its permanent chief of police. See the full story.
The House of Representatives passed its version of the bill on June 27. The senate passed its version on July 11. and senate passed versions of the bill earlier in the legislative session. A conference committee was established to negotiate the differences between the bills of the two houses, which announced they had reached agreements in principal last week.
The newest version of the bill, H.5100, passed the House of Representatives by a 139 – 4 vote. The senate passed the bill 39-1.
Nearly $25 million of allocations within the bill affecting the City of Worcester, including:
- $3 million to establish a Financial Innovation and Research Center in the city of Worcester to conduct research on applied artificial intelligence and machine learning for the financial services sector;
- $500,000 for the city of Worcester to establish a storefront façade improvement program;
- $1 million to assist the city of Worcester in its 10-year cultural plan to promote diversity, equity and inclusion programming;
- $100,000 for the Dismas House;
- $3 million for Worcester Polytechnic Institute to establish an Innovation Hub for Recovery and Regeneration to serve as a focal point in research, workforce development, corporate-university partnerships and entrepreneurial growth in the region;
- $2 million to support the historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the Worcester Memorial Auditorium;
- $1.5 million for the New Garden Park, Inc infrastructure improvements for the Greendale Project;
- $1 million for the Create 508 – Youth Creatives and Entrepreneurs program;
- $1 million for neighborhood revitalization;
- $250,000 to the Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc. for the creation of a capital master plan, including workforce housing, for the campus at 26 Queen St.
- $1 million for the rehabilitation and restoration of the Ionic avenue Boys’ Club building located at 2 Ionic Ave. to transform the space into a community arts center;
- $2 million to the city of Worcester Redevelopment Authority for urban revitalization plan implementation;
- $5 million to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to establish an Innovation Hub for Recovery and Regeneration to serve as a focal point in research, workforce development, corporate-university partnerships and entrepreneurial growth in the region;
- $5 million for the creation and operation of a cyber range in the city of Worcester pursuant to a partnership between Quinsigamond Community College and Worcester State University.
Nearly $30 million in Allocations affecting other municipalities in Worcester County include:
- Fitchburg – $1.5 million to assist with the redevelopment, renovation and site improvement of underutilized properties to provide additional housing capacity;
- Fitchburg – $500,000 to the Fitchburg public library to develop a learning lab for resume workshops and job training programming;
- Auburn – $500,000 for the design and construction of the Sword street culvert replacement project in the town of Auburn;
- Auburn – $1 million for infrastructure improvements that support transportation to and from business districts in the town of Auburn;
- Barre – $150,000 for the construction of a new fire station in the town of Barre;
- Berlin – $250,000 for public safety building upgrades in the town of Berlin;
- Boylston – $1 million for renovations from the John B. Gough House in the town of Boylston;
- Boylston – $4 million for the construction of a new fire station in the town of Boylston;
- Charlton – $250,000 for the development and expansion of water infrastructure in the town of Charlton to encourage business development and mitigate PFAS;
- Clinton – $100,000 for waste removal at the WHEAT Community Services site;
- Douglas – $250,000 to conduct an updated Master Plan;
- Dudley – $250,000 for Stevens Mill, LLC for the renovation of Stevens Linen mill for senior and affordable housing units along with the build out of new business space in the town of Dudley;
- Gardner – $1 million for improvements to the downtown area in the city of Gardner;
- Gardner – $500,000 to the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce for economic development projects within the community
- Grafton – $250,000 for the purpose of promoting economic development and making improvements in the town of Grafton;
- Grafton – $500,000 for repairs and improvements to the One Grafton Common building in the town of Grafton;
- Harvard – $35.000 for the purchase of a drone to be used by the police and fire departments;
- Holden – $250,000 for the preparation of the demolition plan and RAM 1112 plan at the brownfield site in the town of Holden;
- Hubbardston – $150,000 for the construction of a new fire station;
- Lancaster – $100,000 for electronic signage in the city of Lancaster;
- Leicester – $500,000 to redevelop and re-use town-managed property for the development of an entrepreneurship center and commercial kitchen;
- Leicester – $500,000 for the town of Leicester to partner with Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Inc. to establish a veterinary training and research program;
- Leicester – $1 million to the Leicester Water Supply District for capital improvements;
- Leicester – $1 million for the repair and rehabilitation of the former Leicester middle school building to support economic development and the creation of training opportunities;
- Leominster – $500,000 to the Friends of Sholan Farms, Inc. for improvements at Sholan Farms in the city of Leominster;
- Leominster – $500,000 for the development of athletic fields behind the Leominster high school;
- Leominster – $500,000 for the stabilization of the North Nashua river;
- Mendon – $2.5 million for water, sewer and road improvements to promote economic development opportunities on state highway route 16 in the towns of Mendon and
Hopedale; - Milford – $720,000 for economic development projects;
- Northborough – $300,000 for economic development projects, including wayfinding signage and signage and façade improvements to the downtown area in the town of Northborough;
- Northborough – $500,000 for infrastructure improvements for veterans;
- Northbridge – $250,000 for promoting economic development and making improvements in the town of Northbridge;
- Northbridge – $1 million for the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce, Inc. in the village of Whitinsville in the town of Northbridge for regional economic development initiatives;
- Oxford – $250,000 to facilitate the expansion of sewer services through intermunicipal sewer agreements;
- Oxford – $200,000 for economic development of the downtown area;
- Oxford – $250,000 to construct a “Welcome & Interpretive Center” in conjunction with expanded community wayfinding, branding and streetscape improvements;
- Princeton – $1 million for PFAS mitigation in the town of Princeton;
- Rutland – $200,000 to conduct a planning study to identify a secondary water source to support future housing and commercial growth in the town of Rutland;
- Rutland – $50,000 for safety improvements at the intersection of Main street and state highway route 56 in the town of Rutland;
- Southborough – $300,000 for economic development projects, including wayfinding signage;
- Southbridge – $250,000 for the construction of a new fire station in the city of Southbridge;
- Southbridge – $1 million for the Simonelli Innovation Center at the Hamilton Mills building in the town of Southbridge for district revitalization and community development projects in the historic Globe Village in the town of Southbridge;
- Spencer – $1 million for water and sewer rehabilitation upgrades in the town of Spencer;
- Sterling – $500,000 for upgrades in downtown Sterling;
- Upton – $250,000 for economic development promotion in the town of Upton;
- Uxbridge – $2 million for economic development opportunities on state highway route 146A in the town of Uxbridge;
- Westborough – $400,000 for economic development projects, including the creation of an electric vehicle station plan, costs associated with rotary redesign, sidewalk improvements, and municipal parking improvements, and other projects in the town of Westborough;
- Westborough – $100,000 to the Westborough public schools for the purchase of a wheelchair accessible vehicle for the Bridging Over to Right Opportunities program;
- Westborough – $1,575,000 for economic development through improved infrastructure and roadways for the Otis street project in the town of Westborough;
- West Boylston – $1 million for business district sidewalk upgrades in the town of West Boylston
- West Brookfield – $1 million for the establishment of a public safety complex in the town of West Brookfield.
