DIGHTON — Town Administrator Michael Mullen and the Board of Selectmen are pleased to announce that the Town of Dighton has been awarded a $90,000 Efficiency and Regionalization Grant from the Baker-Polito Administration’s Community Compact Cabinet program.
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, Town Administrator Mullen, Board of Selectmen Chairman Leonard Hull and Selectman Kenneth Pacheco accepted the grant award from Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito at the Massachusetts State House.
The Town of Dighton will use these grant funds to partner with the Dighton Water District to conduct a feasibility study to assess the multiple and often overlapping organizational structures between the town and the Dighton Water District and evaluate opportunities for potential consolidation opportunities to increase efficiency among the departments.
Currently, the Dighton Water District is responsible for providing nearly 2,000 of the 2,600 water services to Dighton’s 8,100 residents. Despite the regular involvement by the Town’s financial departments (namely the Assessing Department and Treasurer-Collector’s Offices) relating to the Dighton Water District’s tax rate setting and tax collection processes, town officials aim to explore opportunities that may exist in regard to strengthening planning, efficiency, coordination and even consolidation efforts between the two entities.
The completed study is expected to provide a significant analysis of where these efficiency and coordination opportunities exist specifically relating to taxing capacity and equity for town residents; aligned fiscal management practices; improved planning for capital and infrastructure improvements and utility upgrades; further coordinated planning efforts relating to water capacities including resource limitations, growth and development; and overall municipal operations.
To conduct the feasibility study, the Town of Dighton will hire an outside financial and engineering consultant that will work with the town and water district to assess and make recommendations on the current structure and relationship between one another. The study will include meetings with stakeholders, assessing operations and financial conditions, and the composition of a written report. The process is expected to take approximately 11 months.
“Dighton is very grateful for its partnership with the Baker-Polito Administration’s Community Compact Cabinet which continues to provide us with tremendous assistance as we move our community further into the future,” Town Administrator Mullen said. “This latest grant is an example of our efforts to make sure we’re prioritizing efficient planning and coordination among our town departments and local utility partners to benefit Dighton residents and taxpayers. We greatly look forward to conducting this study to learn more about the coordination and efficiency opportunities that exist.”
This grant award is the latest in a series of Community Compact Cabinet grants the Town of Dighton has received since entering into a Community Compact with the Baker-Polito Administration in October 2017. The Community Compact Cabinet (CCC) was developed by the Baker-Polito Administration in an effort to facilitate a stronger partnership between municipalities and state government in order to support communities in efforts to improve their services.
Prior grants awarded to the town have included Best Practice grants that allowed for the establishment of the Town’s new Open Space and Recreation Plan, the implementation of Stormwater Management Best Management Practices, and a $25,000 Community Compact Grant to support the ongoing efforts by the Dighton Development and Industrial Commission to create a community Economic Development Plan with the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD). The Town was awarded a $17,000 Information Technology Grant last year to bolster its network capacity infrastructure, and in June was awarded a $201,000 state Community Compact Cabinet’s Municipal Fiber Program grant.
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