Joint Committee hears testimony on governmental bond bill

(The Center Square) – Members of the Baker administration outlined House Bill 4336 and its plan to maintain the state’s infrastructure Monday before the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Assets and State Assets.

The $4.99 billion bill outlines efforts to maintain the state’s 1,700 buildings and 61 million square-feet of space across Massachusetts and upgrade emergency response vehicles over the next six years.

Michael J. Heffernan, secretary of the Office for Administration and Finance, said the bill is “very important” to the “operation and security and well being of government in the commonwealth.”

The secretary said that 85% of the funds being asked for in the legislation would be used to “maintain and modernize critical facilities” around the state and the other 15% would be allotted to grant program assets and upgrading systems.

“We don’t want to expand our footprint,” Heffernan said, “we want to take care of what we have.”

Heffernan told the committee that many of the state’s buildings are “old and in need of maintenance.” He said among the projects the state has identified is roof replacements, window replacements, pipe replacements, and ensuring the upgrades are conducted in a manner that addresses climate controls and energy efficiency.

If enacted, the bill would set aside $100 million for large business upgrades and modernization, which would include replacing public safety vehicles and equipment, Heffernan said. The bill would also provide workforce skills capital grants for running programs at vocational technical schools to ensure students and adults can acquire the skills they need to maintain employment.

Heffernan also outlined how the bill would enhance food security over the next six years, while also supporting cultural facilities and the Housing Choice grant program.

For public safety, Heffernan said the state is planning to replace 300 state police cruisers each year. The plan, he said, features switching to hybrid vehicles, citing a lack of inventory on electric vehicles. The bill would also fund improvements for the Department of Fire Services and the coroner’s office.

Heffernan said of the state’s buildings, more than “two-thirds were built before 1975” and even the buildings constructed in the 1990s were a “quick build and not durable.”

“The buildings we own have unique challenges,” Heffernan said. “Existing structures need financial flexibility because we don’t know what we will find when we move in” to start maintenance.

Secretary Curtis M. Wood, who serves as the state’s chief information officer, told the committee they are asking for $185 million, with $100 million earmarked for general use for the Office of Technology and Security.

He told the committee the unemployment office is in the planning stages of replacing the “legacy online unemployment system we’ve had for years.”

Feeney asked Heffernan about debt affordability as it pertains to the bill.

“We have the debt affordability, and the committee meets every year,” Heffernan said. “We have recommended guidance and it will be up to $125 million this year. The authorization gives us the ability to execute on that capital plan.”

Danielle W. Gregoire, D-Middlesex, chair of the House committee, asked about the replacement of state crime labs and the backlog of rape kits, saying she wanted to make sure the project is “up to speed, up to date, and have the staff they need to do the job they do.”

Heffernan said that upgrades at the facility were “front and center” along with the office of medical examiner, encompassing “physical facilities, expansion of the crime lab, and equipment.”

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