June 2, 2016

On May 18, the federal Department of Labor issued new rules updating eligibility for overtime pay, a change expected to affect roughly 4.2 million American workers.
 
The salary threshold for overtime eligibility increased from $455 per week to $913 per week ($47,476 per year). The rule applies to both private and public sector employees.
 
Many public sector employees in Massachusetts also have overtime provisions in their collective bargaining agreements.
 
The effective date is Dec. 1, 2016.
 

posted by Jeff Bennett

The rest of the zoning article from the MMA website.
Multi-family housing districts
The Senate bill would require every city and town to establish “as-of-right” zoning districts for multi-family housing, removing any special permit or local approval process except for normal site plan review. The bill would prohibit local governments from setting density provisions less than eight units per acre in rural communities and 15 units per acre in all other cities and towns.
 
Accessory apartments
The Senate bill would require every city and town to approve accessory apartments in all residential districts “as-of-right” as long as the accessory apartment is no larger than half of the entire structure, or 900 square feet, and meets building code standards. Cities and towns could cap accessory apartments at 5 percent of the total non-seasonal housing units in the community.
 
A 2004 study of accessory apartment zoning in eastern Massachusetts showed that, of the 186 cities and towns surveyed, a significant majority allow accessory apartments, with most allowed through special permits. The Senate bill would override all or parts of these existing bylaws.
 
Open space residential developments
Every city and town would be required to approve “as-of-right” residential development projects with greater density if those projects are designed to preserve open space in or adjacent to the development. Many cities and towns have already adopted “cluster development” bylaws based on special permits.
 
Inclusionary zoning
The Senate bill includes specific statutory authority, supported by the MMA, for cities and towns to adopt inclusionary zoning as a way of ensuring the development of affordable housing.
 
Impact fees
The Senate bill would allow cities and towns to charge development impact fees to be used for studies to review a specific project and for related infrastructure improvements.
 
Master plan votes
In order to better connect planning and zoning, cities and towns would be required to develop a comprehensive master plan, and local government would be given the option to reduce the two-thirds majority legislative vote required to make zoning changes to a simple majority or a percentage in between.
 
Site plan review
Site plan review would be codified in statute, with a statutory deadline of 120 days for local review.
 
ANR/minor subdivisions
The Senate bill would address concerns over the “approval not required” issue by authorizing cities and towns to adopt a minor subdivision zoning bylaw to provide for local review of subdivisions of six units or less. Permitting of minor subdivisions on existing rights-of-way would be required within 65 days, and approval of minor subdivisions on new rights-of-way would be required within 95 days.


posted by Jeff Bennett

Diane Haley Brooks

Yesterday at 4:06pm · 

Um ya. This. Not gonna apologize as loud equates to passionate and that's who I am.

that is from a face book page and perhaps someone should consider that it is possible for others to be "loud" and passionate and caring and just plain wish to see good open, transparent governance. That should not be considered nit picking, back stabbing or else. That means no privacy setting changes so everything is in the open. That is my opinion on that subject.

posted by Jeff Bennett

Templeton needs to update it's service:
This is what I found today while researching some veteran issues;
This is copied from the Mass.gov/veterans website.

Local Veterans' Service Officers

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Taunton
Veterans' Services Officer
141 Oak Street
Taunton, MA 02780
508-821-1038
Fax: 508-821-1316

Templeton
Veterans' Services Officer
584 Main St.
Athol, MA 01331
978-249-6935
Fax: 978-575-0269

Tewksbury
Veterans' Services Officer
Town Hall 1009 Main St.
Tewksbury, MA 01876
978-640-4485
Fax: 978-851-4986

posted by Jeff Bennett

Mass.Gov

The official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

MASS.GOV|BY PORTAL

June 3, 2016

Gov. Charlie Baker today signed an overhaul of the state’s public records law that imposes strict new rules on cities, towns and state agencies governing timelines to respond to requests for records, how much can be charged to cover costs, and what penalties could be imposed on state and local government agencies.
 
The new rules take effect on Jan. 1, 2017.
 
The law, passed by the Legislature on May 25 after a year of debate, requires cities and towns to review and update local practices for responding to records requests. The state’s supervisor of records, in the secretary of state’s office, is expected to release regulations to guide implementation of the law by late this year.
 
Under the reform law, every city and town is required to designate one or more employees as a “records access officer,” likely the city or town clerk and any other employee appointed by the municipal chief executive officer. The local records officer will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating the response to requests for public records, including helping people identify records being sought.
 
Every city and town will be required to post in the municipal building and on the local website, if any, the name, title and contact information for the municipal records officer(s).
 
Public records will have to be provided in electronic form if originally available in that form


posted by Jeff Bennett

May 27, 2016

The Senate last night approved a $39.5 billion state budget bill for fiscal 2017 that includes some key increases in local accounts.
 
The House and Senate state budget bills now go to a conference committee to work out some significant differences, with a goal of getting a final legislative budget to the governor before the fiscal year begins on July 1.
 
Both budget bills would bring a revenue-sharing approach to municipal aid that was sought by the MMA, increasing the Cherry Sheet Unrestricted General Government Aid account by 4.3 percent, the same rate that state taxes are projected to grow next year. UGGA would grow by $42.1 million next year to $1.02 billion, the same number recommended by the governor in January.
 
The stability in the UGGA number throughout the budget process has helped cities and towns minimize revenue uncertainty and finalize local spending plans on time. Funding for UGGA next year would reach its highest level since the reductions imposed during the Great Recession of 2007-2009.
 
The House and Senate head into conference committee with some differences in calculations of Chapter 70 local contribution and school aid amounts. In both branches, the Chapter 70 appropriation would cover the basics of the law by ensuring that all districts are able to reach the current “foundation” level of spending and providing minimum new aid of $55 per student. (Most districts are minimum aid districts.)


posted by Jeff Bennett

Senate approves controversial housing and zoning bill

June 10, 2016

A divided Senate voted yesterday, 23-15, to approve a controversial housing and zoning bill that would require cities and towns across the state to make zoning changes to create “as of right” multi-family housing districts or face legal action brought by the attorney general or builders and land developers seeking permits.
 
The bill would also require “accessory apartments” to be permitted “as of right” and would override dozens of “accessory apartment” bylaws currently in place based on special permits.
 
The bill would also subject municipal zoning codes to challenge under the state’s anti-discrimination statue.
 
The Senate bill was based on legislation long in the works to modernize the state’s increasingly obsolete land use laws, including planning and zoning statutes. Earlier versions of the legislation were substantially reworked by the Senate Ways and Means Committee to add housing provisions that were part of separate housing-production legislation.
 
The Senate bill is now before the House, but legislative leaders have expressed doubt that any action would be taken before formal legislative sessions end on July 31.


posted by Jeff Bennett