Mayor James J. Fiorentini > Press Release

October 31, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

City Obtains State Grant to Speed Business Permitting

HAVERHILL- Mayor James J. Fiorentini today announced that the City of Haverhill has obtained a State grant designed to speed up permitting for new businesses in the City.  Under the Commonwealth’s new ‘expedited permitting’ program in Massachusetts General Law Chapter 43D, the City was awarded a preliminary amount of over $66,970, with another $82,950 to be awarded later for a total of $149,920.  The Mayor applied for the grant after learning about the program from the new State Permitting Ombudsman hired by Governor Deval Patrick.

These funds will be used to put business application forms on-line and to hire a new Purchasing Ombudsman. Mayor Fiorentini stated that the Permitting Ombudsman will be a new position and entirely paid for with City funds.  The job of the Permitting Ombudsman will be to mediate any disputes between new businesses and City departments, resolving those disputes in the most expeditious manner possible.

“The Permitting Ombudsman for the State is Gregory Bialecki.  We met with him concerning some of the new businesses coming to the City and he did a tremendous job in shepherding the developments through the State.  It is my hope that a new City Permitting Ombudsman can do the same thing for the Haverhill,” Mayor Fiorentini stated.

"Bringing in new businesses to expand our tax base is a key goal of this Administration.  We have already brought in BJ’s, Target, Lowe’s, Starbucks and Magellan Aerospace Industries.  I believe that there is much more to do,” the Mayor added.  “Businesses repeatedly tell me that the key to coming to a city is expedited permitting.  Time is money and businesses simply cannot afford to wait.  We believe that the Permitting Ombudsman and the infrastructure paid by our expedited permitting grant will be key elements in bringing new businesses, jobs and tax revenue to our City."