Pepperell to enter Devens ETA/EOA, Hargraves states
Pepperell Free Press
October 31, 2008
PEPPERELL -- Town meeting received word Monday night from Rep. Bob Hargraves that the Legislature had approved the town's request to be included within the Devens Enterprise Zone's economic target and opportunity areas.
House bill 4986, co-sponsored by Rep. Hargraves and Sen. Steve Panagiotakos, amends the law, Chapter 498 of the Acts of 1993, that established the Enterprise Zone. Pepperell thus joins the towns of Ayer, Devens, Groton and Shirley in their ability to direct benefits to employers for sake of job creation and retention, for instance real estate tax relief and eligibility for low-interest loans.
"It's all about jobs," Rep. Hargraves said. "My office has already received a note of thanks from one Pepperell employer who plans 15 new hires. That is welcome news from Main Street as we confront the massive problems of Wall Street."
Pepperell's town meeting vote of May 6 led to enactment of H 4986 on Oct. 20, the same day as Rep. Hargraves announced it at the fall Special Town Meeting. "Getting it done cost some shoe leather and required coordination between Steve's and my offices," the representative stated. "If we hadn't stayed on top of it, we might be sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner before getting that bill onto the governor's desk."
Since August, a few House members have delayed the legislative process for all of their colleagues by using parliamentary procedure.
"When my good friends doubt the presence of a quorum and the Speaker finds that to be so, he must end the session," Hargraves said. "Hundreds of local initiatives are hung up in the process, and some will die in December, at the end of this Legislature. I am glad that we were able to slide H 4986 through the openings in the blockade that opened from time to time."
