Massachusetts H 3945: An Act authorizing the city of Cambridge to provide police, fire, emergency and other municipal services to certain properties in the city of Somerville and the city of Boston

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4092 FILED ON: 2/24/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3945

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mike Connolly
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act authorizing the city of Cambridge to provide police, fire, emergency and other municipal
services to certain properties in the city of Somerville and the city of Boston.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Mike Connolly 26th Middlesex 2/24/2021

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4092 FILED ON: 2/24/2021
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3945
By Mr. Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Mike Connolly (with the
approval of the city council) that the city of Cambridge be authorized to provide police, fire,
emergency and other municipal services to certain properties in the city of Boston and the city of
Somerville. Municipalities and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)
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An Act authorizing the city of Cambridge to provide police, fire, emergency and other municipal
services to certain properties in the city of Somerville and the city of Boston.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
2 WHEREAS, Cambridge Crossing (also known as North Point) is a mixed-use, smart
3 growth master plan development containing 20 separate and distinct building parcels and
4 comprised of approximately 45.37 acres of land, situated in the Cities of Cambridge, Boston and
5 Somerville (the “Development”) or (“Cambridge Crossing”); and
6 WHEREAS, the majority of the Development, (approximately 38.77 acres), is situated in
7 the City of Cambridge, with the balance of the land located in the City of Boston, (1.29 acres),
8 and the City of Somerville, (5.28 acres), with the majority of the buildings constructed or to be
9 constructed (with the exception of one building which is wholly situated in the City of
10 Somerville) to be located in whole or in part in the City of Cambridge (collectively, the

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11 “Serviced Parcels”, and each individually, a “Serviced Parcel”); and
12 WHEREAS, emergency access to the Serviced Parcels is only feasible by public ways
13 situated in the City of Cambridge and the City of Cambridge will be providing the water, sewer
14 and other municipal services to the entirety of Cambridge Crossing and neither the City of
15 Boston nor the City of Somerville will be providing those municipal services to Cambridge
16 Crossing; and
17 WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms of a Memorandum of Agreement between the City of
18 Cambridge and the current owner of the Cambridge Crossing, the roadway network and
19 municipal infrastructure being (or to be) constructed therein by the current owner, will be
20 conveyed to the City of Cambridge and become part of the City of Cambridge municipal system;
21 and
22 WHEREAS, the Cities of Cambridge, Somerville and Boston each desire to enter into
23 agreements with one another to have the City of Cambridge (i) provide police, fire and other
24 emergency services, including but not limited to, emergency communication and ambulance
25 services (“Emergency Services”), and (ii) offer and provide such other municipal services to the
26 Serviced Parcels as may be reasonably required and/or requested from time to time as a result of
27 the Serviced Parcels being accessible solely from roadways situated in the City of Cambridge
28 and the utilities owned, or to be owned, by the City of Cambridge located therein, including,
29 without limitation, the provision of water, storm sewer and sanitary sewer (and the ability to
30 charge normal and customary fees associated therewith) and services provided by the fire
31 department (such services, “Other Municipal Services”); and
32

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33 WHEREAS, the Cities of Cambridge, Somerville and Boston agree that having
34 Cambridge provide the above services to the entirety of Cambridge Crossing will enable
35 increased efficiency in, and the expeditious delivery of, public safety responses; and
36 WHEREAS, the Cities of Cambridge, Somerville and Boston agree that the City of
37 Cambridge requires the authority to assess any unpaid fees for Emergency Services to a Serviced
38 Parcel. Specifically, the Cities seek authority to allow the City of Cambridge to (a) assess any
39 unpaid fees for these services that are attributable to (i) a Serviced Parcel situated partially in the
40 City of Cambridge to the real estate tax bills of such Serviced Parcel issued by the City of
41 Cambridge and (ii) the Serviced Parcel situated