Massachusetts Senator Marc Pacheco Addresses Seminar Participants

April 17, 2000

Massachusetts Senator Marc Pacheco addressed the Urban Water Council’s Northeast Municipal Services Seminar in Waltham, Massachusetts on March 29th.  Senator Pacheco discussed the Massachusetts experience with public/private partnerships and water infrastructure. The Senator sponsored legislation in Massachusetts that is now emerging as model legislation adopted in a number of other states. In Massachusetts, state procurement laws impeded the ability of local government to enter into long-term partnerships. SB 1664, also known as the “Pacheco Bill”, allows cities to enter into long-term partnerships if the project can demonstrate cost-savings of taxpayer dollars.

The Senator identified two cities that have taken advantage of the legislation in the last few years. Both of those projects involved partnership arrangements that are valued above $60 million.

The remaining problem in Massachusetts is that in order for a city to take advantage of the legislation they must petition for legislative approval. Senator Pacheco stated that he has also sponsored omnibus legislation that would take the principles adopted in the earlier legislation and allow cities to move forward without special legislation.

Senator Pacheco also emphasized that while cost-savings is an attractive advantage of long-term partnerships, it is unclear whether or not the savings are real. Along with removing state law impediments to long-term partnerships, the state legislature will monitor how successful the projects are over time.

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