Community Mitigation Fund - Massachusetts Gaming Commission

What you need to know

The Expanded Gaming Act created the Community Mitigation Fund to help entities offset costs related to the construction and operation of a gaming establishment.
Parties requesting appropriations from the fund submitted written requests for funding by the deadline of February 1, 2018.
The Community Mitigation Fund may be used to offset costs related to both Category 1 full casino facilities (MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor) and the state’s Category 2 slots-only facility (Plainridge Park Casino).

About the 2018 Community Mitigation Fund

As part of the effort to help offset impacts that may result from the development and operation of gaming facilities in the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Legislature created the Community Mitigation Fund as part of the Expanded Gaming Act. Pursuant to the Act, applications for funds are annually due in the beginning of February (February 1, 2018).

Over the next few years while the gaming facilities are being constructed and particularly when the facilities are operational, the Community Mitigation Fund will play a pivotal role in helping communities and others address impacts. The Commission looks forward to an ongoing dialogue with communities and other interested parties regarding the use of these funds in the future. Once Category 1 (full casino) facilities are operational, significant new funds will be deposited annually into the Community Mitigation Fund. However, at least through 2018, the Community Mitigation Fund will need to rely on one-time funds deposited by gaming licensees as part of their gaming license fees.

2018 Funds for Mitigation of Specific Impacts

The 2018 Community Mitigation Fund for mitigation of specific impacts may be used only to mitigate impacts that either have occurred or are occurring as of the February 1, 2018 application date. The 2018 Community Mitigation Fund is available only to mitigate impacts related to the construction of Category 1 gaming facilities and police training costs needed in advance of the opening of such facilities. It is not intended to fund the mitigation of specific impacts already being funded in a host or surrounding Community Agreement. For entities impacted by the Category 2 Plainridge Facility, the Commission will make available up to $500,000 in total for applications for the mitigation of operational or construction impacts.

2018 Transportation Planning Grant

The 2018 Community Mitigation Fund program also authorizes communities to apply for a 2018 Transportation Planning Grant. The communities that are eligible to receive funding from the Community Mitigation Fund are those in Regions A & B and for the Category 2 facility, including each Category 1 and Category 2 host community and each designated surrounding community, each community which entered into a nearby community agreement with a licensee, and any community that petitioned to be a surrounding community to a gaming licensee, and each community that is geographically adjacent to a host community.

Non-Transportation Planning Grant

The Commission shall make available funding to assist with non-transportation planning needs through in Non-Transportation Planning grants of up to $50,000 per community. These planning funds will be available only to those communities that have allocated their One-time Reserve and received Commission approval for the use of the Reserves. Any community applying for planning funds would also need to provide detail on what it will contribute to the planning projects such as in-kind services or planning funds.

Incentive for Regional Cooperation

In order to further regional cooperation the Commission recently approved establishment of Regional Planning Incentive Awards for Transportation Planning and Non Transportation Planning grant applications involving more than one community. The amount of potential Regional Planning Incentive Award grants may increase depending upon the number of communities involved in a joint project with a maximum Regional Planning Incentive Award of $50,000 for Transportation Planning Grants and $10,000 for Non-Transportation Planning Grants shared between applicant communities.

Workforce Development Pilot Program in Region A and Region B

The Commission will also make available funding for certain career pathways workforce development pilot programs (Workforce Development Pilot Program Grant) in Regions A and B for service to residents of communities of such Regions, including each Category 1 host community and each designated surrounding community, each community which entered into a nearby community agreement with a licensee, any community that petitioned to be a surrounding community to a gaming licensee, and each community that is geographically adjacent to a host community.

Tribal Gaming Technical Assistance Grant

Additionally, the Commission shall make available technical assistance funding to assist in the determination of potential impacts that may be experienced by communities in geographic proximity to the potential Tribal Gaming facility in Taunton. Such funding will only be made available, after approval of any application by the Southeast Regional Planning & Economic Development District or a comparable regional entity, if it is determined by the Commission that construction of such gaming facility will likely commence prior to or during Fiscal Year 2018.

Re-authorization of the 2015/2016 One-time Reserves

Communities that received approval for 2015/2016 Reserves do not need to re-apply. The 2015/2016 Reserve will automatically be preserved for use in 2018. Funds may be used on a rolling basis when specific impacts are determined or the specific planning activity is determined. Once known, communities should contact the Ombudsman’s Office, which will assist the community in providing the needed information.

To read the full guidelines for the 2018 Community Mitigation Fund, click here.

Further detail on this year’s program may be found in the Guidelines or by contacting John Ziemba in the Commission’s Ombudsman’s Office. Mr. Ziemba can be reached at 617.979.8423 or via e-mail at john.s.ziemba@state.ma.us. The Commission’s address is 101 Federal Street, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02110.

A Request for Public Comment: 2018 Community Mitigation Fund Applications

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission hereby requests public comment on grant applications from the 2018 Community Mitigation Fund.

Please email comments to mgccomments@state.ma.us with ‘2018 Community Mitigation Fund applications’ in the subject line. The Commission will review any comments received.

About the Community Mitigation Fund

Over the next few years while the gaming facilities are being constructed and particularly when the facilities are operational, the Community Mitigation Fund will play a pivotal role in helping communities and others address impacts. The Commission looks forward to an ongoing dialogue with communities and other interested parties regarding the use of these funds in the future. Once Category 1 (full casino) facilities are operational, significant new funds will be deposited annually into the Community Mitigation Fund. However, at the current time, the Community Mitigation Fund will need to rely on one-time funds deposited by gaming licensees as part of their gaming license fees.

Specific Impact Applications

Transportation Planning Grant Applications

Workforce Development Pilot Program Applications

Non-Transportation Planning Grant Application

Tribal Gaming Technical Assistance Grant Application

Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District 2018 Tribal Gaming Technical Assistance Grant Application

Reserve Planning Grant Application

Town of Wrentham 2018 Reserve Planning Grant Application

2018 Community Mitigation Guidelines and Application Forms

2017 Community Mitigation Fund Awards

A Community Mitigation review team conducted a comprehensive review of all applications to ensure compliance with the 2017 guidelines. The review team made recommendations to the Commission and those recommendations were discussed in a series of public meetings. Based on those discussions, the Commission voted to award the following grants:

GRANTS AWARDED	2017 TYPE OF APPLICATION	AWARD	DESCRIPTION
City of Everett	Specific	$150,000.00	The grant will provide funding for a bike sharing service in Everett that will help Everett lessen potential casino related construction and operation period traffic congestion.
City of Everett	Transportation	$150,000.00	The grant will provide funding for the preliminary design and engineering of a bus-only lane on the west side of Broadway/Route 99 from the Everett city line to Route 16 / Sweetser Circle, a primary traffic corridor for expected casino related traffic.
City of Lynn	Transportation	$100,000.00	The grant will provide funding for transportation planning studies to help alleviate potential casino related traffic impacts on Lynn roads.
Norfolk District Attorney’s Office	Specific	$25,000.00	The grant will provide funding to develop a data system to help the Norfolk County DA’s Office determine casino related impacts on Office resources and caseloads.
Town of Plainville	Specific	$148,750.00	The grant will provide funding for the purchase of a fire suppression vehicle for the Plainridge Park facility.
Town of Plainville	Reserve	$98,397.92	This grant will provide funding for public safety radios that can work in the Plainridge Park facility, a cardiac monitor, and body armor to be used in responding to events at Plainridge Park.
City of Springfield	Specific	$31,523.00	The grant will fund the continuation of a valet pilot program for the Caring Health Center and other area businesses impacted by construction.
City of Boston	Transportation	$150,000	The grant will provide funding for a portion of the City’s engineering design costs for a proposed reconstruction of Sullivan Square / Rutherford Avenue, a major traffic corridor expected to support casino related traffic and traffic from other traffic generators over the long term.
City of Boston	Reserve	$100,000	In conjunction with Boston’s 2017 Transportation Planning Grant, this grant will provide funding for a portion of the City’s engineering design costs for a proposed reconstruction of Sullivan Square / Rutherford Avenue, a major traffic corridor expected to support casino related traffic and traffic from other traffic generators over the long term.
City of Medford	Transportation	$80,000	The grant will provide a full year’s worth of funding for a contract transportation planner and funding for an engineering feasibility study for a proposed new multi-use path. A new multi-use path (the South Medford Connector) may greatly enhance connections to other regional pathways and provide another method for employees and patrons to access the casino.
City of Revere/Town of Saugus	Transportation	$150,000	This grant will provide funding for a shared transportation planner to help the two communities plan to address casino related transportation issues. This innovative sub-regional cooperative effort is designed to help the two communities focus on achievable transportation improvement projects involving roadways that may be impacted by casino related traffic.
City of Somerville	Transportation	$150,000	The grant provides funds to initiate a formal planning study of the intersection of Interstate 93, State Route 28 (Fellsway/McGrath Highway) and State Route 38 (Mystic Avenue), which already experiences one of the highest crash rates in the state and may be impacted by casino related traffic. A consultant team will be engaged to conduct public engagement, alternatives analysis, and concept design.
City of Somerville	Reserve	$100,000	The grant will provide funding for baseline data collection for two areas that may be impacted by casino related traffic, near-highway air pollution and vehicular traffic patterns. The City can use such data when comparing such pollution and traffic patterns once the casino is operational.
Town of West Springfield	Transportation	$150,000	The grant will provide funding for engineering design services for improvements to the Elm Street (Route 20) corridor from Westfield Street to Park Street to enable the town to better accommodate casino related traffic and to improve pedestrian, bicycle and public transit access and safety.
Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (“SRPEDD”)	Tribal Gaming Technical Assistance Grant (Reserve)	$200,000	Upon a determination by the Commission that construction of a proposed Taunton gaming facility will likely commence during Fiscal Year 2018, this reserve would provide funding to the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) for technical assistance funding to assist in the determination of potential impacts that may be experienced by communities that are geographically proximate to such proposed facility.
City of Malden	Transportation	$150,000.00	The grant would provide funding for planning and design of improvements to Exchange Street from Pleasant Street to Main Street. The area was named as a hub for parking and transport for both casino employees and patrons to the site.

2017 Workforce Development Pilot Program Grants

On June 28, 2017, members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved close to $600,000 in grants for a Workforce Development Pilot Program designed to fund gaming career pathways for local residents. The Workforce Program is a component of the 2017 Community Mitigation Fund, which was established by the Gaming Law to help entities offset costs related to the construction and operations of gaming establishments.

The Workforce Program was developed to provide interested residents in gaming regions the ability to attain academic and occupational credentials needed to work in the most in-demand occupations related to the gaming industry. Additionally, it was established to assist the unemployed or underemployed to either get their GED or Adult Basic Education (“ABE”) which would position them to get future jobs in the casino industry or training in advance by the backfilling of jobs.

In evaluating the Workforce Program applications, the review team analyzed the applications to the general criteria for review of all Community Mitigation Fund applications and more specific criteria developed specifically for the Workforce Development Pilot Program.

The review team made recommendations to the Commission and those recommendations were discussed in a series of public meetings. Based on those discussions, the Commission voted to award the following grants:

Entity	Program	Requested Amount	Summary
REGION A
MetroNorth Regional Employment Board	Metro North Casino Careers Consortium (MNCCC)	$200,000.00	The purpose of the MNCCC is to prepare and train local residents for jobs related to the construction of the Encore Boston Harbor gaming facility and to create a system in which local residents are able to start a career pathway leading to any number of casino-related careers.
REGION B
Springfield Public	Ahead of the Game Program	$171,833.03	The Springfield Public Schools would like to establish an initiative called “Ahead of the Game” program which will target low-skill, low-income adults, interested in pursuing long term careers with MGM Springfield. The Ahead of the Game program will focus on individuals looking to obtain their adult basic education (ABE) or GED, in order to pursue higher education. The goal of this program will be to prepare low-income adults for enrollment into post-secondary workforce training programs relevant to the needs of MGM Springfield.
Springfield Tech	Hampden Prep	$200,000.00	Springfield Technical Community College (STCC), in collaboration with Holyoke Community College (HCC) proposes to develop and implement an innovative High School Equivalency (HSE) and workforce readiness program, Hampden Prep. The overarching goal of Hampden Prep is to accelerate ABE, HiSET prep and developmental programs for Hampden County residents and to provide non-traditional students the supports needed to complete postsecondary credentials in areas recognized by employers in the Springfield labor market.

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