The Joint Boards of Selectmen for Devens Disposition, comprising selectmen from Ayer, Harvard, Shirley and members of the Devens Committee, issued the following press release this week:
The Joint Boards of Selectmen (JBOS) has been diligently working toward a collaborative solution for the disposition of Devens since May 2008.
Accomplishments as of Oct. 24, 2008
- Developed high-level success criteria to guide thought and decision-making process. Ayer, Harvard, and Devens have had public meetings with their residents to discuss the success criteria. All groups so far have submitted or are developing criteria that fit into five key areas. MRPC facilitated public forum for Harvard residents.
- Increased the frequency of meetings from monthly to every two weeks, to improve communication among the participants. MassDevelopment will begin participation as soon as the success criteria are finalized
- Contracted with the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) to provide consulting services to facilitate the disposition process, using $102,000 in available state funding. Expenditures will be approved on a project-by-project basis.
- Agreed to comply with Section 10 of Chapter 498 as the basis for changes to housing caps, requiring the unanimous consent of the Town Meetings of Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley.
- Requested a copy of a recent state study on housing needs to guide decisions about additional housing on Devens. Alana Murphy of the Department of Housing and Community Development has been attending JBOS meetings.
- Requested and received financial data from MassDevelopment.
- Created a finance subcommittee to develop a financial model with common standardized assumptions and variables in order to analyze and compare financial data on estimated tax revenues and expenses provided by Mass Development. Members include Mike Boucher, Tim Clark, and Rick Gilles.
- Developed discussion concept of managing rate of growth of both commercial and residential development rather than housing caps as device to accommodate each town’s capacity to provide and fund new services.
- Developed discussion concept of mutually beneficial shared municipal services.
Goals set to date
Adopted a goal of presenting a final Devens disposition scenario or scenarios to the voters of the respective towns and stakeholders within 120 days of the last to occur of the 2009 annual Town Meetings in Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley.
Next steps
- Continue to offer specific opportunities for public input and engagement in disposition options and outcomes.
- Develop and present plan for transition of local jurisdiction from MassDevelopment to a local governing entity or entities.
