Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll Joins 2023 MARPA-DLS Conference
The Lt. Governor announced the launch of the administration’s Federal Funds Partnership for Massachusetts Municipalities and Tribes.
Written by Norman Abbott, Senior Government Affairs Specialist
October 10, 2023 - More than two hundred municipal officials and staff from across the Commonwealth gathered last week for the 2023 Statewide Municipal Partnerships Conference, hosted by the Mass. Association of Regional Planning Agencies (MARPA) and Division of Local Services at the College of the Holy Cross. Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll was present to keynote the conference and announce the launch of the administration’s Federal Funds Partnership for Massachusetts Municipalities and Tribes.
The new partnership will assist elected leaders and staff from all 357 cities, towns, and federally recognized tribes in Massachusetts with their efforts to apply for and win federal funding. In her remarks, Lt. Governor Driscoll noted that “As a former Mayor, I know how hard it can be to navigate the process for available funds. This partnership will open lines of communication between the state, federal offices, and municipalities on the ground. We want to make it easy for everyone to get the information they need and access the resources available to them so they can bring home federal dollars to their communities.”
Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Ed Augustus, Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper and Acting MassDOT Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt were also on hand to open the conference and welcomed attendees to Worcester. During a panel discussion, moderated by MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen, the Secretaries provided highlights of some of their policy priorities and highlighted programs that they are excited to see communities engage with.
During the conference's second half, workshops, led by senior administration officials from across the Commonwealth and MAPC staff, allowed attendees to think through the challenges and opportunities facing communities. The workshops consisted of five separate topic areas: climate resilience and climate action plans, strategies and resources for housing production and stability, post-pandemic public health, rural empowerment, and federal funding. The panels were facilitated by Katherine Antos, Undersecretary of Undersecretary of Decarbonization & Resilience, DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, Anne Gobi, Director of Rural Affairs and Quentin Palfrey, Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure from the Healey-Driscoll administration. Each panel provided insight into some of the strategies for success used by communities from Martha’s Vineyard to Springfield and highlighted the work and resources that municipal, RPA, and state staff can provide to help to ease the burden on communities.
2023 Conference Presentations:
Building Implementation into a Climate Action Plan
Future of Public Health: Opportunities & Challenges
Housing for Livable Communities
Planning for Housing" From Rural Towns to Gateway Cities