March 26th Information & Resource Update | | |
In this issue...
- You're Invited: 495/MetroWest Partnership Annual State House Day
- Reminder: 495/MetroWest Employer Survey Now Open
- Accelerating Climate Resilience Grant Program: Expressions of Interest Being Accepted
- Upcoming Chamber of Commerce Events: Corridor 9 Business Expo, Taste of MetroWest
- Recap: 495/MetroWest Partnership Quarter 1 Committee Meetings
- Job Posting: Ashland Town Planner
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You're Invited: 495/MetroWest Partnership
Annual State House Day
The 495/MetroWest Partnership cordially invites you to attend our annual State House Day event on April 29th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
495/MetroWest State House Day
with Senate President Karen E. Spilka
and members of the 495/MetroWest Delegation
Tuesday, April 29th, 2025, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
at the Massachusetts State House
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This event is an annual opportunity created by the Partnership for our stakeholders to interact with members of our region’s legislative delegation, hear about their priorities, and ask questions or offer feedback relevant to your business, organization, or community.
Advance registration is required for this event; click here or the link above to register. Additional details including access and parking information will be provided to registrants during the week prior to the event.
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Reminder: 495/MetroWest Employer Survey Now Open
The 495/MetroWest Partnership invites business and organizational leaders from across our region to take part in our annual 495/MetroWest Employer Survey! This survey represents a collaborative effort between the 495/MetroWest Partnership and Framingham State University's MetroWest Economic Research Center (MERC). Over the past decade, this survey has proven an important tool in gauging business confidence in the 495/MetroWest region.
Now being conducted for the 12th year running, the survey is an opportunity for our region’s employers to communicate concerns and challenges, which can guide policymakers in considering needed changes and investments.
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Key survey details:
- Who should take the survey? Owners, leaders, or individuals with regional hiring authority for private/ nongovernmental organizations that have a presence in the 495/MetroWest region.
- This survey should only take about 5-7 minutes to complete.
- Your individual responses are anonymous; your answers will be aggregated and reported with all responses.
Click here to access the survey.
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Accelerating Climate Resilience Grant Program:
Expressions of Interest Being Accepted
MAPC has recently begun accepting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the FY25-27 Accelerating Climate Resilience (ACR) Grant Program. Working in partnership with the Barr Foundation, MAPC administers the ACR Grant Program as a vehicle to help municipalities advance strategies that protect people, places, and communities from the impacts of climate change. Specifically, the program intends to fund long-term, innovative climate preparedness solutions, with a focus on projects that advance climate equity, regional coordination, and social cohesion. The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest is April 9th, 2025. Click here to access the Expression of Interest (EOI) form.
Eligible applicants include the 101 Greater Boston cities and towns in MAPC’s service region, as well as local 501(c)(3) community-based organizations (CBOs), tribes, and Indigenous communities. CBOs without 501(c)(3) status can still submit an application by partnering with a municipality. Click here to access a map of MAPC’s service region.
Additionally, MAPC will be hosting Office Hours from March 24th through April 14th to support interested communities and organizations with their project ideas. This will serve as an opportunity for potential applicants to brainstorm project ideas and learn how projects can align with program priorities. Click here to schedule a time to meet with the MAPC team.
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Upcoming Chamber of Commerce Events:
Corridor 9 Business Expo, Taste of MetroWest
Corridor 9 Business Expo: The Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Business Expo on Thursday, April 3rd, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westborough. The largest business show in the region, this event showcases businesses of all sizes that provide products or services to other businesses, professionals, or the public. This event is free to attend; click here to register.
Taste of MetroWest: The MetroWest Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 12th annual Taste of MetroWest on Monday, April 28th from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Sheraton in Framingham. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample food and refreshments from the area's restaurants, caterers, gourmet and ethnic markets, gift boutiques, wineries and brew houses, as well as vote to determine awards for the best Drink, Appetizer, Entree, Dessert, & Presentation of the MetroWest. Click here to purchase tickets.
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Recap: 495/MetroWest Partnership Quarter 1 Committee Meetings
The Partnership's Issue Committees each met in person during the first quarter of 2025. Information and links to reports and presentations from each meeting can be found below.
Housing Committee: The Housing Committee of the 495/MetroWest Partnership met on Thursday, March 20th to review and discuss the Governor's statewide housing plan, and how it relates to regional efforts to spur housing growth. The committee also discussed the recommendations made as part of the Unlocking Housing Production Commission.
Transportation Committee: The Transportation Committee met on Tuesday, March 18th to hear updates from the Boston region and Central Mass. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) on their Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, development processes this year and entertain comments and questions. Each of the two presentations can be accessed at their respective links below:
Energy and Sustainable Development Committee: The Energy and Sustainable Development Committee met on Wednesday, March 12th to discuss innovative local and regional approaches to energy affordability. The committee heard a presentation from MassEnergize on their Framingham Community Solar program; the slide deck from the presentation can be accessed at this link.
Water Resources Committee: The Water Resources Committee met on Wednesday, February 26th for a discussion of stakeholder views regarding the EPA's draft Residual Designation Authority permits in the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset river watersheds. Information about the RDA process can be found on our Water Resources Committee page.
Stay tuned for information about our Quarter 2 meetings, which will be hosted virtually!
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Job Posting: Ashland Town Planner
The 495/MetroWest Partnership includes job postings at the request of a municipality; please contact Executive Director Jason Palitsch at Jason@495Partnership.org to request inclusion of a municipal job posting in a future Information and Resource Update.
The Town of Ashland is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Town Planner. The Town Planner is responsible for the performance of supervisory, administrative, technical and professional work in current and long-range planning related to the development and implementation of land use and related municipal plans and policies.
Essential functions of this role include but are not limited to: managing and supervising planning operations to achieve goals using available resources; providing leadership and direction in the development of short and long-range plans; gathering, interpreting, and preparing data for studies, reports and recommendations; coordinating department activities with other departments and agencies as needed; providing professional planning and land use advice, including presentations, to planning board members, other public officials and the general public; and evaluating land use proposals for compliance with established plans and bylaws, as well as applicable Town, State, or Federal laws.
The ideal candidate should have the following qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in land use planning, urban planning, landscape architecture or a closely related field with five years of experience; a Master’s degree is preferred. A certificate from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is desired. Click here to access the complete posting along with application information.
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As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if the 495/MetroWest Partnership can be of any assistance to you:
Jason Palitsch, Executive Director
(774) 760-0495
Jason@495Partnership.org
Thank you for your continued commitment to strengthening our region.
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