Vacant Storefronts Program Webinar

The Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD) will be holding a webinar to increase awareness of the Massachusetts Vacant Storefronts Program (MVSP). This program first became available through the Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIP) in 2019, and can be used to help municipalities in their efforts to revitalize their downtowns and commercial areas.

Municipalities may apply to the Economic Assistance Coordinating Council (EACC) to designate an area as a Certified Vacant Storefront District. After the district is certified, businesses or individuals may apply to the EACC for refundable EDIP tax credits for leasing and occupying a vacant storefront in that district, subject to a commitment of local matching funds.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, July 30th, at 10:00 AM.

Click here to register via Eventbrite. Webinar dial-in information will be provided in a confirmation email upon completing registration.

Legislature Passes COVID-19 Spending Bill

Both chambers of the state legislature have now passed H.4808, An Act Making Appropriations for the Fiscal Year 2020 to Authorize Certain COVID-19 Spending in Anticipation of Federal Reimbursement, a COVID-19 response spending bill. The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature or veto. 

The legislation carries an emergency preamble, meaning if signed by the Governor, it will take effect immediately.

The legislation appropriates $1.1 billion of fiscal year 2020 direct appropriations related to the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic, including among other items:

The legislation further, among other measures:

Click here to access the full text of the legislation, as well as a bill history.

MBTA Commuter Roundtable

As companies transition employees back to working on-site, the MBTA’s Employer Services team is interested in hearing from commuters through a Roundtable discussion taking place virtually on July 23rd. Deputy Director of Fare Products & Strategy Brendan Fogerty and MBTA Senior Manager of Sales Transformation Carmel Levy will give updates from the T and engage in conversation with the group on how best to meet needs around commuter transportation. This session is open to all commuters currently using or interested in using public transportation. 

Discussion topics will include:

This webinar is hosted by MBTA and TransAction Associates. 

The webinar will take place on Thursday, July 23rd, at 12:00 PM. Click here to register.

 

Please note that the representatives joining from the MBTA do not work in the areas of service planning or operations. While they will be able to hear feedback about your needs with respect to MBTA service, the best way to submit feedback about any items outside of fare products and strategies is to contact MBTA Customer Support online at this link.

Regional Transit Authorities Seeking Rider & Community Feedback

Our Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs) are currently updating their Regional Transit Plans, and seeking feedback from riders and community members within their service areas. Community feedback is essential for successful RTA services.

Please take a moment to complete the appropriate RTA survey for your region below; click the hyperlink over each RTA to access their respective survey.

Complimentary Headshots for Unemployed Residents Being Taken in Natick Next Week

A national effort to provide free headshots to unemployed individuals currently in the job market will include an all-day session in Natick next week.

Westborough photographer Nicole Connolly will be producing the complimentary headshots on Wednesday, July 22 from 10:00 AM through 7:00 PM at at the Natick Mall. Complimentary headshots are open to anyone currently unemployed; interested participants are asked to visit HeadshotBooker.com for details and schedule a time to be photographed. More than 200 photographers will participate across all 50 states, creating pop-up studios nationwide. Headshots will be provided to participants on site through event photo sharing platform SpotMyPhotos.

The base price for a high quality, professional headshot starts around $250, which equates to more than $2.5 million in collective services these photographers will provide through this initiative.

Click here for more information or to schedule a photoshoot.

Biweekly MetroWest Employer Town Hall Series

Area employers are invited to join the 495/MetroWest Partnership and the MassHire Metro South/West Workforce Board for our continuing discussions, occurring every other week, surrounding critical issues business are facing. We will answer questions about the various resources that are available to companies and their workers during these difficult times.

These discussions are open to any interested party, and are held every other Wednesday at 1:00 PM via Zoom. The next session will be held on July 22nd; click here to sign up!

Hosts:

Sincerely,

Jason Palitsch

Executive Director

The 495/MetroWest Partnership