Press Release

Representative Jay Kaufman

June 3, 2004

For decades, residents in Lexington, Lincoln, Bedford and Concord have been battling Massport, the state agency that runs Hanscom Airport. Using terms like "adversarial" and "an agency run amuck" to describe Massport, community leaders have been frustrated in efforts to communicate concerns about, and objections to, Massport policies. All that will change under a major reorganization of Massport adopted by the Massachusetts House of Representatives as part of a recently-voted transportation bill. Under this bill, each of the four communities abutting Hanscom will have a seat on a newly-created Massport Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will also include representatives from the communities impacted by Logan Airport. The Advisory Board, in turn, will name three members of the newly-expanded Massport Board of Directors. Two of these new Directors will represent the Logan communities and one will come from either Lexington, Lincoln, Bedford or Concord. The Advisory Board will have major budget oversight responsibilities, as well as the power to review Massport policies and the power to hold hearings on any aspect of Massport operations.

"We have been fighting to get heard by Massport and realized a decade ago that the only way to get heard is to be at the table with a vote. With this major reworking of Massport's charter and authority structure, we are at the table with the vote we need," said Representative Jay Kaufman who worked with colleagues from both the Hanscom and Logan communities to lead the charge for this major charter revision. "While this doesn't guarantee perfect decision-making at Massport in the future, I am hopeful that the era of Massport running roughshod over us is over," he added. "Maybe now we can devote the incredible concern, talent and commitment in the Hanscom communities to better planning for Massport and Hanscom, rather than needing to play defense or fight against the agency's ill-advised policies," he concluded.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration, and, thereafter to the Governor's desk.