Public works mutual aid group to meet

The “municipal relief” bill enacted by the Legislature earlier this year includes two key provisions that encourage and formalize inter-municipal cooperation in the areas of public works and public safety in the case of an event that threatens to overwhelm the local capacity to respond.

Section 24 of the law (Ch. 188 of the Acts of 2010) established a statewide public works mutual aid agreement to “facilitate the provision of public works resources across jurisdictional lines in the case of a public works incident.” Participation in the agreement is at local option.

The law also established a statewide public safety mutual aid agreement.

The MMA worked with the Massachusetts Highway Association, which represents municipal highway and public works officials, to help write the law and win its final approval. The proposal was based on legislation filed for the MMA in 2009 by Rep. Stephen Kulik.

Wilbraham Public Works Director Edmond Miga, president of the MHA, said getting the agreement implemented is a high priority for the association this year. To help draft the agreement, the law created a seven-member Public Works Mutual Aid Advisory Committee, including representatives from the MMA (Danvers Assistant Town Manager Diane Norris) and the MHA (Salem City Engineer David Knowlton). The chair of the committee is Kurt Schwartz, undersecretary in the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

The committee is charged with developing the “procedural plans, protocols and programs for intrastate and interstate cooperation to be used by public works agencies in response to a public works incident.” The committee is also responsible for administration and coordination of the statewide agreement.

Schwartz has told committee members that he hopes to convene a first meeting in early October and to be ready to implement the new law when it takes effect later in the month.

Joseph Welsh, a former president of the MHA, said that time is of the essence in getting this program under way. He said the MHA should start educating local officials on the reasons for participating in the statewide agreement.

The public safety mutual aid agreement is similar in structure to the public works agreement. It is a local-option program, but does not include an advisory committee to draft the agreement or administer the program.