Plymouth Agricultural Committee

Text of FY10 Commonwealth Capital from Governor Patrick

July 10, 2009

Dear Municipal Leader:

I am pleased to announce the release of the 2010 Commonwealth Capital Policy – an initiative that uses state funding as an incentive for municipalities to work toward achieving consistency with the Commonwealth’s Sustainable Development Principles.

The important decisions the Commonwealth and its municipalities make daily about where and how we will grow have profound implications for energy consumption, resource conservation, and the provision of homes and businesses that shelter our citizens and bring jobs and revenue that safeguard our future prosperity.  In many ways, Commonwealth Capital has been a tremendously successful policy for guiding these decisions.  Municipalities have committed to and implemented hundreds of land use regulatory improvements including new plans and zoning. Commonwealth Capital has also been important in ways that can’t be quantified - inspiring better communication and cooperation between local boards and commissions and providing a specific list of Commonwealth-endorsed measures that municipalities can undertake to realize smart growth/smart energy goals.

While we have made great progress in ensuring that today’s decisions do not compromise the interests of future generations, more needs to be done to make sure Commonwealth Capital explicitly endorses, and local governments implement, planning and zoning measures as well as specific actions and investments that can provide clean energy and produce more livable communities consistent with the Sustainable Development Principles. For fiscal year 2010, we have made some relatively modest changes to the policy – leaving the criteria themselves unchanged, but modifying the guidance in a few places to reflect passage of new legislation – most notably, the Green Communities Act, and to enhance clarity. 

It will take our cooperative efforts to build a greater quantity and diversity of housing and to develop the businesses we need to provide employment and revenue in ways that carefully steward our natural resources.  My administration is committed to partnering with municipalities to improve our conservation and development practices, and I urge municipalities to work with us as we ensure that state policies, programs, and investments embody smart growth /smart energy principles.

We have an obligation to future generations to leave the Commonwealth better than we found it, and I look forward to working with you toward that goal.

Sincerely,
Deval Patrick