Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 1
Title of chapter
Section 1. This chapter shall be designated and may be known as ''The regional planning law''.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40B — Regional Planning
Massachusetts · statute · Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B · 36 active provisions
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 2
Purpose of chapter
Section 2. The purpose of this chapter is to permit a city or town to plan jointly with cities or towns to promote with the greatest efficiency and economy the co-ordinated and orderly development of the areas within their jurisdiction and the general welfare and prosperity of their citizens.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 2A
Regional or district groupings; consent to placement
Section 2A. No state agency shall place a city or town individually or severally, within a regional or district grouping without the consent of the governing body of such city or town. The governing body in a town shall be the town meeting and in a city, the city council.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 3
Planning districts; establishment; new members; jurisdiction area; rights and liabilities
Section 3. Any group of cities, towns, or cities and towns may, by vote of their respective city councils or town meetings, vote to become members of and thus establish a planning district, which shall constitute a public body corporate. After a planning district has been thus established, any other city or town within…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 4
District planning commissions; membership; employees; meetings
Section 4. In each planning district so established there shall be a district planning commission consisting of one member of the planning board of each city and town voting to join such district, elected annually by said planning board and certified in writing to the district planning commission. Said member may be re…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 4A
Executive committees; establishment; membership; powers and duties; reports
Section 4A. Upon a two-thirds vote of all of the members of the district planning commission there may be established an executive committee, elected annually from the membership of the commission, and consisting of the chairman, vice chairman, if one is elected annually by the commission, the clerk, the assistant cler…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 4B
Seals authorized
Section 4B. Each planning district may have a seal consisting of a circular die bearing the words, ''Commonwealth of Massachusetts, . . . . . . . . . . Regional Planning District, (insert year)'', which seal may be used whenever deemed advisable by the district planning commission on papers and documents issued or exec…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 4C
Federal military installations within districts; commanding officer as ex officio member of commission
Section 4C. Whenever there is located, wholly or partially, within a planning district established hereunder, a federal military installation having a resident population of at least five hundred persons according to the most recent available federal decennial census, the district planning commission may vote to offer…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 5
Powers and duties; reports
Section 5. A planning commission established hereunder shall make careful studies of the resources, problems, possibilities and needs of its district and, on the basis of such studies, shall prepare a comprehensive plan of development or a schematic study plan of such district or of such part or parts thereof as the co…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 5A
Agreement for water favorability studies
Section 5A. Such commission may enter into an agreement with the water resources commission for the purpose of conducting water favorability studies under the direction of the water resources commission, as authorized by section nine of chapter twenty-one. The district's share of the cost of such studies shall be asses…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 5B
Economic development regional commissions; authorization to act
Section 5B. A district planning commission may, by an affirmative vote of two thirds of the representatives of the cities and towns comprising the district, agree to act as, and to assume the duties, obligations, and responsibilities of, an economic development regional commission for as many of the cities and towns wi…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 6
Cooperation of state agencies with planning commissions
Section 6. The several officers, boards, commissions, departments and divisions of the commonwealth and city and town officials may consult with any such district planning commission and shall furnish or make available to it on request all data and information within their knowledge and control pertaining to the area o…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 7
Preparation of budget; apportionment of costs; disbursement of funds; receipt of gifts; contracts for planning studies and services
Section 7. Said commission shall, annually in the month of February, estimate the amount of money required to pay the costs and expenses of the district for the following fiscal year, shall fix and determine the proportion of such costs and expenses to be paid by the constituent cities and towns thereof during such fis…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 8
Borrowing in anticipation of revenue from member municipalities
Section 8. The district may authorize debt by a majority vote of the commission in anticipation of revenue to an amount not in excess of that to be received during the current fiscal year from member cities and towns. Notes issued under authority of this section shall be in the name of and upon the full faith and credi…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 9
Southeastern regional planning and economic development district; establishment
Section 9. The secretary of economic development may establish a regional planning and economic development district consisting of all the cities and towns in the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Planning District established under this chapter, and the towns of Plymouth, Plympton, Carver and Kingston, to be known a…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 10
Membership; termination
Section 10. Upon the designation of the regional planning and economic development district by the secretary of economic development, all cities and towns within the boundaries of the district shall become members of the district. The secretary of economic development may from time to time review the boundaries of the…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 11
Dissolution of regional planning districts; transitional provisions; procedure
Section 11. If the district boundary of the regional planning and economic development district established in accordance with section nine includes a majority of cities and towns organized as a regional planning district pursuant to this chapter, said regional planning district shall be dissolved upon the organization…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 12
Commission; membership; appointment; term
Section 12. In the regional planning and economic development district established pursuant to section nine, there shall be a regional planning and economic development commission which shall consist of the mayor of each city, or in a city that has a Plan D or Plan E form of government the city manager, or their design…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 13
Advisory committee; membership; appointment; term; removal; vacancies
Section 13. Twenty-one persons residing within the district shall be appointed to an advisory committee for the purpose of providing advice and guidance to said commission and said persons shall be representative of business, labor, professional and civic organizations and other economic interests within the district.…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 14
Powers and duties
Section 14. The regional planning and economic development district established under the provisions of section nine shall have the following powers and duties: (a) to adopt a corporate seal; (b) to sue and be sued, but only to the same extent and upon the same conditions that a town may sue or be sued; (c) to rent, le…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 15
Executive officers; committees; meetings; rules and records; expenses
Section 15. The commission shall elect annually at its meeting held in the month of June by and from its members a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary and a treasurer, each of whom shall hold office until his successor is elected and qualified. The commission shall from time to time fill any vacancy in such an offic…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 16
Executive director; employees; tenure; compensation
Section 16. The commission shall employ, and may remove, an executive director, who shall be qualified by education, training and experience in economic development, regional and program planning, and community relations. The executive director, on behalf of and with the approval of the commission, shall employ and app…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 17
Contracts; expenditures and obligations
Section 17. The commission is authorized to enter into contracts and agreements with any department, agency or subdivision of federal or state government and any individual, corporation, association or public authority to provide or to receive services, facilities, staff assistance or money payments in connection with…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 18
Estimate of costs; fiscal year; assessment; limitation; payment; reserve funds; audit
Section 18. The commission so established shall not later than fifty days from the issuance of a certificate of organization by the state secretary prepare an estimate of the amount of money required to pay the costs and expenses of the district for the current fiscal year and, in the case of the district being dissolv…
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40B, § 19
Data exchange between agencies
Section 19. There shall be a mutual exchange between the commission and all agencies of the commonwealth and of each political subdivision thereof within the district, of data, records, and information within their knowledge and control pertaining to the district, or to parts thereof which may be required for the prepa…
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