Page 22 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, DECEmbER 15, 2023 SOCCER STADIUM | FROM PAGE 1 House that would contain language to remove the DPA status from the parcel, potentially clearing a path to initiate construction of a soccer stadium and waterfront park along the Mystic River. The new stadium, if built, would be the home of the New England Revolution, which now sits at less than half-empty, 68,000-seat Gillette Stadium for home games in Foxboro. The standalone bill that Sen. DiDomenico said he will file will include the same language that lawmakers left out of the $3.1 billion budget bill Gov. Maura Healey signed last week. Sen. DiDomenico told the Council he intends to “open up more opportunities for the public to weigh in on the property’s future.” “As the state senator for this community who strongly believes that we can do something special on that land, I am going to file that bill,” Sen. DiDomenico said at the meeting, according to an online report. “I am going to make sure we have all of our ducks in a row to make sure and conGET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local senators’ roll call attendance records for the 2023 session through December 8. The Senate has held 99 roll calls so far in the 2023 session. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each senator voted and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record. Thirty-one (77.5 percent) of the current 40 senators did not Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen miss any roll calls and have 100 percent roll call attendance records. It is a Senate tradition that the Senate president only votes occasionally. Current Senate President Karen Spilka follows that tradition and only voted on 19 (19.1 percent) of the 99 roll calls while not voting on 80 (80.9 percent) of them. Eight (20 percent) of the 40 senators, other than Spilka, missed one or more roll calls. Sen. Liz Miranda (D-Boston) has the worst record. She missed nine roll calls for a roll call attendance record of 90.9 percent. Sen. Mike Barrett (D-Lexington) missed two roll calls for a roll call attendance record of 97.9 percent. Newly elected Sen. Peter Durant (R-Spencer), a former state representative, also missed two roll calls, His attendance record is 97.1 percent -- based on the 70 roll calls the House has held. The Senate has not held any roll calls since Durant was sworn in. The following senators each missed one roll call resulting in a 98.9 percent roll call attendance record: Sens. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield), John Keenan (D-Quincy); Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth); Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury); and John Velis (D-Westfield). Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted the eight senators at least three times asking why they missed some roll calls. Only three of the eight responded. ---Sen. Miranda’s chief of staff Kevin Higgins responded: “The roll calls [missed by] Sen. Miranda were all in a formal session on February 9th, pertaining to Senate rules, where remote participation had not yet been adopted. Sen. Miranda was not able to vince the people at the State House that the city of Everett doesn’t want this industrial past to continue.” Sen. DiDomenico said the soccer stadium/waterfront park project would be “transformational, not just for the environmental aspects of it but the economic impact of this community as well.” The Mass. Senate had backed the proposal’s inclusion in the supplemental budget, DiDomenico said, with the House ultimately removing the language from advancing as lawmakers focused on the migrant crisis and pay raises for public employees at the last minute, with some House members weighing in, citing “unanswered questions.” Some top-level House members called concerns from “several environmental groups” regarding unresolved environmental concerns about the site” as a factor in bypassing the amendment on the land status designation. Sen. DiDomenico then made a key point, saying that it was those very same environmental groups – not Mayor Carlo DeMaria – who The site of the proposed $600 million professional soccer stadium and waterfront park, a 43acre parcel which includes a former power plant. (Courtesy Photo) had gone through talks with The Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium and The Revolution, due to the intensive remediation that would be needed on the heavily contaminated land parcel due to former industrial use. The Kraft Group, owner Robert Kraft’s holding company, is looking to move the New England Revolution from Gillette Stadium closer to Boston. “I am going to continue to advocate to state leaders that participate as she was home sick with COVID-19. We are grateful that the Senate adopted remote participation rules this session, following guidance that is aligned with public health recommendations.” ---Sen. O’Connor’s legislative director Thomas Skehill responded: “Sen. O’Connor missed … roll call #37 … due to a medical appointment.” --- Sen. Gomez responded: “I am going through recovery from kidney transplant surgery. On May 4, 2023, I received my transplant. While during this 6-month period there could’ve been a moment that I was predisposed within my recovery process. Could’ve been slow trying to getting my vote in on time as well. Mobility was tough during the first couple months. Especially if it was a late vote during our marathon in closing out from summer session.” ---Sens. Keenan, Rush, Velis, Durant and Barrett did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them for a statement. SENATORS’ 2023 ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE RECORDS THROUGH DECEMBER 8, 2023 The percentage listed next to the senator’s name is the percentage of roll call votes on which the senator voted. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls BEACON | SEE PAGE 23 a lower income, minority-majority community like Everett deserves the chance to explore such a transformational economic development opportunity,” Mayor Carlo Demaria said this week, in support of DiDomenico’s pledge. VOTES DOWN | FROM PAGE 2 organizations, which Navarro said “understand the needs of the community.” He added that citizen advisory panels will scrutinize specific requests to determine if they “make sense.” For instance, money slated for infrastructure improvements might be vetoed if other city expenditures are covering it. These sub-recipients, as Navarro called them, will be subject to additional scrutiny as to if the money is being spent as intended and if they have the resources necessary to spend the money as intended. “Sub-recipients will have to define their plan and staff, including checkpoints,” Navarro said. “If they’re not spending within guidelines, the money is taken back and reallocated. Sub-recipients will have specific reporting requirements; they’ll have to report back to the city. In the sub-recipient agreement, you have the ability to determine if they have attended meeting sessions and an out to say they’re not meeting requirements. Money not spent goes back to the federal treasury.” Not all businesses will be eligible for economic recovery aid. “It’s not everybody, just the businesses Treasury says are eligible,” Navarro explained.
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