MMA’s 2018 policy committee rosters set

The MMA Board of Directors on Feb. 13 approved the membership of the MMA’s five policy committees for 2018, welcoming 18 new members from all parts of the Commonwealth to bolster the rosters.

There are a total of 110 policy committee positions that include all of the MMA member groups.

There are two new committee chairs this year: Scituate Town Manager Jim Boudreau as chair of the Policy Committee on Personnel and Labor Relations, and Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday as chair of the Policy Committee on Municipal and Regional Administration.

Westborough Town Manager Jim Malloy was appointed chair of the Fiscal Policy Committee midway through 2017 and continues this year.

The Policy Committee on Public Works, Transportation and Public Utilities and the Policy Committee on Energy and the Environment will continue to be led by Mount Washington Selectman Jim Lovejoy and Charlton Town Administrator Robin Craver, respectively.

It is the job of the policy committees to advise the MMA Board of Directors, MMA staff, and MMA members on current legislative and regulatory matters and to help develop positions on long-term public policy issues.

Legislation related to zoning and housing production continues to be a focus of the Municipal-Regional Committee, and a variety of budget and tax issues, including the fiscal 2019 state budget and short-term rental legislation, are before the Fiscal Policy Committee.

It is also the role of the committees to draft resolutions for the MMA Annual Business Meeting, develop model municipal practices for the MMA’s Best Practices series, and draft bills (biannually) for the MMA’s legislative package.

Each committee has a regular schedule of meetings, usually one per month, at the MMA office. Additionally, committee members may be asked to read legislative summaries, bill text, and/or position papers to prepare for meetings.

Each committee is assigned an MMA Legislative staff member to assist with its research, consideration of issues, and administrative functions.

Each committee has 22 members, including mayors, selectmen, councillors/aldermen, city/town managers/administrators, and finance committee members, plus four “presidential appointees” and four technical appointees. Presidential and technical appointees serve one-year terms, while the other members serve three-year terms.

The MMA president names the chair and members of the committee, subject to approval by the MMA Board of Directors. The MMA had put out a call for new policy committee members in December and January and had almost 30 applicants for a limited number of open positions.

Click here for more information about the policy committees, including membership or contact Alandra Champion at the MMA.