by John Osborn ·
Friday, December 22, 2023
Nearly two years in development, a request for expressions of interest in consulting on a plan for the future governance of Devens was finally approved last month by the Devens Jurisdiction Framework Committee. Last week members learned that the request will be ready soon for posting, but that money for the study remains out of reach.
The purpose of the request is both to notify the consulting community that a request for proposals (RFP) will be forthcoming, and to hear estimates from interested firms of what such a study would entail, including the scope of services required, staffing, timeline, and costs. The request is nonbinding on the committee and does not obligate it to issue a procurement that incorporates any of the information provided by a consulting firm. Any costs incurred in responding to the document are the sole responsibility of the respondent.
Town Administrator Mike McGovern of Shirley and Town Manager Robert Pontbriand of Ayer, who are both certified procurement officers for their towns, told the committee that the bid documents were 80% complete and would be ready for posting, with the committee’s approval, in January.
The study is mandated by Chapter 498, the law that created the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone, and must begin by 2030, but framework committee members believe the study should start sooner. MassDevelopment, the state organization charged with the development of Devens and the provision of interim services, disagrees, and CEO Dan Rivera has said repeatedly it will not join the study until a date closer to 2030.
Meanwhile, a $400,000 earmark intended to help pay for the study awaits its release in a bond bill passed by the last session of the Legislature and signed by outgoing Gov. Baker. Last month, framework committee Co-Chair Victor Normand wrote to Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao asking her to help win its release, which requires the signature of Gov. Maura Healey. The Devens legislative delegation—state Senators John Cronin and Jamie Eldridge, and state Rep. Dan Sena—had already written to Hao.
At this month’s framework committee meeting, Normand reported that Devens legislators and state officials had finally met to discuss the matter. Normand was not present, but was told the meeting included Undersecretary for Economic Development Ashley Stolba, MassDevelopment CEO Rivera, interim Executive Vice President for Devens Meg Delorier, and the entire state delegation. “To be generous, it would be to say that nothing was accomplished,” Normand said. “There was no commitment to provide funding, nor was there any commitment for MassDevelopment to even think about coming back.”
In a brief phone interview with the Press Wednesday, Eldridge, who was present at the meeting, confirmed its particulars, but offered a more positive spin. He was happy, he said, to have representatives of the Healey-Driscoll administration, MassDevelopment, and the Devens delegation meeting for the first time. “I did ask—whether the administration or MassDevelopment—to provide $400,000 to the three towns to study the future of Devens,” Eldridge said. But no commitment was made. “That’s something I’ll continue to advocate for.”
He added that at the meeting he had also reiterated the need for MassDevelopment to become more involved. “Obviously, as has been said many times, it’s critical now for MassDevelopment to get more engaged,” Eldridge said.