GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Breakfast on Friday morning had full attendance for a discussion with members of the state and federal delegations, who spoke to the region’s needs for housing, equity and infrastructure.
Emceed by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jessye Deane, the breakfast featured a panel of state Sens. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and Paul Mark, D-Becket, state Reps. Aaron Saunders, D-Belchertown, and Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, and Koby Gardner-Levine, representing Congressman Jim McGovern’s office. Also in attendance, but not a panelist, was Jesse Lederman on behalf of U.S. Sen. Ed Markey.
Speakers also included Peter Albero, president and CEO of Greenfield Savings Bank, who spoke about a bus trip to the State House with a group of local nonprofits and businesses to advocate on behalf of western Massachusetts, and Ellen White of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA), who spoke to state financial support for its programming.
To help frame the conversation, Deane said there would be a “woo-hoo” section dedicated to the progress being made in Franklin County with support from the Chamber of Commerce, and the “to-do” section that the legislators would pick up from.
“We are here to express our appreciation to our legislators, and talk through some of those areas where we still have some work to do,” Deane said, pointing to housing, transportation, workforce development and rural schools, among other topics. “These are the kinds of challenges that are going to require all of us to work together, and especially with the leaders that are sitting at this table.”
Over Zoom, Mark shared some things he’s excited about in Franklin County. He represents 11 towns in the western portion of the county.
“Franklin County has unlimited opportunities for growth,” Mark said.
He spoke to the location of major transportation routes like Interstate 91, the tourism strengths and marketing by the Chamber of Commerce to highlight the region, as well as the opportunities ahead with a new 1st Franklin District legislator set to be elected later this year.
Waving a magic wand
When Deane asked what Franklin County problem each panelist would eliminate if they had a magic wand, the answer was clear.
“I think housing is really an issue,” Whipps said to kick off the discussion.
Whipps explained the housing issues that both young and older residents face, with younger homeowners struggling to get the keys to a house, and older people struggling to find appropriate senior housing. She believes that finding a “safe, affordable, accessible place” for seniors to age in place then opens the doors for young families to move in, addressing additional issues in the workforce and school enrollment.
According to a new housing tracker launched by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, the state is about 15.6% of the way to reaching its goal of adding 222,000 housing units between 2025 and 2035. The tracker states that Franklin County is 90%, or 210 net new homes, away from meeting its housing goal between 2025 and 2035.
“I think it really underscores how much of a behemoth housing is, and unlocking the solution to the rest of the challenges that we face,” Saunders said, jumping off of Whipps’ point while also mentioning the need for water infrastructure.
Comerford said there are a “cluster of issues” that include a lack of housing, but also different factors in funding equities and state commission representation. Speaking to housing specifically, Comerford mentioned the $5.16 billion housing bond bill that Gov. Maura Healey signed in August 2024, which has an earmark to track housing dollars as they’re spent to ensure equity.
Speaking on behalf of McGovern, Gardner-Levine explained that many constituent concerns center around affordability for Franklin County, including the lack of jobs for college students who want to stay in the area, and housing affordability for those living on fixed incomes. He said transportation and infrastructure will be key pieces to unlocking the “tremendous capabilities” Franklin County has to offer.
Rural character, rural schools, rural health care
Later questions focused on the county’s rural nature in the wider context of state policy.
Saunders was asked if there is anything his eastern Massachusetts constituents don’t understand about Franklin County, and he said there are “assumptions” made about community investment. Since his colleagues come from areas with decades of steady investments, he has to take a “step back” before approaching the conversation, informing them about the differences in access to health care, or inequity in funding for programs like Chapter 90.
Comerford spoke about rural schools and her advocacy for more rural school aid. She pointed to several policy points, including revising the Chapter 70 formula, the need for a Foundation Review Committee and how the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) supports small schools in tackling construction or repair projects.
When asked about the biggest barrier local businesses face in retaining a workforce in a rural area, Whipps responded as a legislator and business owner herself, re-emphasizing the issue of housing, while also reminding people to shop local and that where there is housing, there are jobs.
Deane asked Gardner-Levine to speak about the impact of federal policy on local communities. He first declared McGovern’s commitment to protecting the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and how federal policy changes have impacted people who use the program nationwide.
“The bottom line is that children shouldn’t have to go to school hungry in the richest country in the history of the world, and Congressman McGovern is committed to fixing this, and also to supporting organizations that are on the front lines of this work,” Gardner-Levine said.
Legislators then took questions on initiatives they’ve advocated for, with Saunders speaking to the steps Massachusetts can take to improve heath care, Comerford giving an update on progress with the Northern Tier Passenger Rail project, and Whipps discussing the payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program for state-owned land and advocacy to change the funding formula.
To cap off the discussion, Deane had each panelist mention a way for attendees to take action on an issue or cause they believe in. The key takeaway, the panelists reiterated, is to let the legislators know about community needs.
“There’s all these metaphors that we use about the constituents being the ‘fuel that fires us to do our work in Boston,'” Saunders said. “This is jet fuel, this is rocket fuel, and please, please, please keep it up.”
