Massachusetts SD 2135: An Act establishing transit improvement districts

Bill Text

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2135 FILED ON: 1/18/2019
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2083

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Cindy F. Friedman
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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 establishing transit improvement districts.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS:
Cindy F. Friedman Fourth Middlesex
Michelle L. Ciccolo 15th Middlesex
Sean Garballey 23rd Middlesex 1/24/2019
James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester 1/29/2019
Michael J. Barrett Third Middlesex 2/1/2019

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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2135 FILED ON: 1/18/2019
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2083
By Ms. Friedman, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2083) of Cindy F. Friedman,
Michelle L. Ciccolo, Sean Garballey, James B. Eldridge and others for legislation to establish
transit improvement districts . Transportation.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)
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An Act establishing transit improvement districts.

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. The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 40W the
2 following chapter:
3 Chapter 40X: Transit improvement Districts.
4 Section 1. For the purposes of this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context
5 clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
6 “Fee”, a payment for services or improvements within a TID.
7 “Lead municipality”, the municipality exercising managerial control over the TID, as
8 designated by the group of municipalities participating in the establishment of a TID.
9 “Municipal executive body”, the mayor or city manager in a city or the board of
10 selectmen, town manager, or town administrator in a town.

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11 “Municipal legislative body”, the city council or board of alderman in a city or the town
12 meeting in a town.
13 “Partnership”, the businesses, entities, municipalities, district, regional entities, and state
14 agencies participating in a TID.
15 “Program plan”, a statement of means and objectives for providing the capital,
16 operational facilities, and resources to improve transit, transportation, and quality of life within a
17 TID .
18 “TID”, a transit improvement district formed pursuant to this chapter, which is a
19 specified area within 1 or more municipalities that shall consist of 2 or more parcels or lots of
20 land, whether or not contiguous, or 2 or more buildings or structures, whether or not adjacent, on
21 2 or more parcels of land; provided, that the total area of all TIDs within a municipality shall not
22 exceed 25 per cent of the total area of the municipality.
23 “Transit improvement program” a transit program that implements transit improvements
24 upon existing transit services within a TID.
25 Section 2. (a) Prior to establishing a TID, a municipality or group of municipalities shall
26 develop a program plan describing said TID’s purpose and goals. At a minimum, the program
27 plan shall include:
28 (1) a financial plan that describes the costs and sources of revenue required to establish
29 transit improvement programs within a TID, including cost estimates for the transit improvement
30 programs, the amount of indebtedness, if any, to be incurred, and any sources of anticipated
31 capital; provided, that the financial plan’s cost estimates may include any of the following types

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32 of costs: (i) administrative costs, including any reasonable charges for the time spent by town
33 employees in connection with the implementation of a transit improvement program; (ii) capital
34 costs, including the costs of the construction of public works or improvements, new buildings,
35 structures and fixtures, the demolition, alteration, remodeling, repair or reconstruction of existing
36 buildings, structures or fixtures, the acquisition of equipment, or the grading and clearing of
37 land; (iii) discretionary costs, including any payments made by a municipal entity that, in its
38 discretion, are necessary for the creation of TID or the implementation of a transit improvement
39 program; (iv) financing costs, including all interest paid to holders of evidences of indebtedness
40 issued to pay for transit improvement program costs and any premium paid over the principal
41 amount of that indebtedness because of the redemption of the obligations before maturity; (v)
42 information costs, including any costs associated with promoting and advertising any new transit
43 improvement programs, providing public safety information, disseminating new transit
44 schedules, or providing other forms of information necessary to the transit operations of a TID;