JBOS Finance Subcommittee to analyze Devens revenues and expenses

The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) submitted a draft of its final report, “Devens Economic Assessment,” a document that concludes that Devens operating expenses consistently exceed operating revenues by large margins, but that Devens revenues are trending upward. The document states that “external funding is currently the largest source of income [for Devens]” but that it is neither an asset nor a renewable source of income. The report states further that the utility infrastructure (gas, electric, wastewater, water, etc.) contributes to the revenue stream and that taxes have steadily increased from fiscal 2005 through fiscal 2009. It asserts that “regional sharing of operations may reduce costs.” The report completed MRPC’s role in the analysis of Devens revenues and expenses and, as Glenn Eaton, executive director at MRPC stated, “It’s in the subcommittee’s hands,” referring to the JBOS Finance Subcommittee.

Harvard Selectwoman Marie Sobalvarro, chairwoman of the subcommittee, said, “This is a first step in the assessment of Devens [finances and] provides a foundation document.” The towns are looking at Devens finances in an effort to determine strategies for regional cooperation and eventual disposition of Devens. The subcommittee will use the data from the document to separate Devens municipal expenses from MassDevelopment’s real estate development expenses so that Devens municipal expenses can be compared to expenses of the towns (Ayer, Harvard, and Shirley). Sobalvarro said the subcommittee plans to base its work on common metrics, such as the number of miles plowed by the Department of Public Works, and will be meeting biweekly to provide an analysis of the raw data from the report.

MassDevelopment visits JBOS

Robert Culver, CEO of MassDevelopment, appeared at the Feb. 25 meeting of the JBOS, joining Meg Delorier, MassDevelopment chief of staff, who is acting as Devens administrator until a replacement is found for Rich Montuori, former executive vice president for Devens Operations. Delorier was on the agenda to address areas of mutual benefit, such as regional sharing opportunities.

Culver’s visit turned into a rehash of Devens disposition history, notably the multiyear development of “scenario 2B” which would have made Devens the 352nd town in Massachusetts. Obviously frustrated with that failed plan, and the more recently failed Vicksburg Square plan, he said he was not interested in providing more data to the towns without a clearer commitment to move to disposition.
 

—Joe Hutchinson