SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1108        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 354

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

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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 relative to the funding of senior center development.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1108        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 354

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to the funding of senior center development.

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

SECTION 1.  Chapter 23A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 64 the following:—

Section 65. The EACC under the MOBD shall oversee the award of grants for senior center development, either new construction or renovations, for municipalities. The grant percentage for approved senior center development projects shall be calculated based on the following formula, but no grant percentage shall be greater than 66 per cent.

(a) The percentage the commonwealth shall pay towards an approved senior center facilities project shall be determined by the following formula: Base Percentage (A) + Community Income Factor (B1) + Community Property Wealth Factor (B2) + Community Low Income Elderly Factor  (B3)+ Incentive Percentage (C).

(A) The base percentage shall be 50 percentage points.

(B) Ability to pay percentage points (income/wealth factor) is determined as follows:

(1) Community Income Factor = per capita income, as determined by the department of revenue, for a municipality as a per cent of the statewide average per capita income.

(2) Community Property Wealth Factor = Equalized property valuation per capita as determined by the department of revenue, for the municipality as a per cent of the statewide average equalized property valuation per capita.

(3) Community Low Income Elderly Factor = Proportion of low income elderly individuals in the community, as determined by either federal or state eligibility for low income assistance benefits, such as but not limited to EAEDC, SNAP, LIHEAP and SSI.

(C) Incentive percentage points may be awarded by the EACC. Incentive percentage points granted, if any, shall be in the sole discretion of the MOBD. The EACC may issue guidelines delineating the type and amounts of any such incentive percentage points; provided, however, that no individual category of incentive points shall exceed 6 additional points; and provided further, that no district shall receive more than 18 incentive percentage points. Such incentive points may be awarded for a district’s use of efficient construction delivery methods; regionalization with other districts; superior maintenance practices of a district; energy efficient and sustainable design and construction; major renovation rather than building new construction; and other incentives as determined by the board of the authority in order to encourage the most cost-effective and quality construction.

(b) In the case of regional senior center development, B1 and B2 shall be determined by calculating the relationship to the statewide average for each municipality of the regional district. The EACC shall determine the method of this computation.