Capturing material that can be diverted from disposal requires the active participation of those who generate waste – the residents and businesses of Metro Boston.   Making it convenient for them to separate and recycle or compost waste is essential to increasing diversion.  This means designing convenient waste management into new and retrofitted buildings, developments, and municipal infrastructure.

A water bank is a system of accounting and paying for measures that offset or mitigate water losses due to water withdrawals, sewering, and/or increased impervious areas that prevent aquifer recharge.  The purpose of a water bank is to provide a water supplier with the resources necessary to mitigate the demands of new development through conservation, leak detection, education, or infrastructure improvements.  For example, a water banking program might require that new connections or increased demands be mitigated through payment into a fund, proportional to the amount of water r

Water audits offer detailed information to targeted classes of users.   An audit includes a customer-specific on-site survey of water usage patterns and specific recommendations for increasing water efficiency.  It may also involved distributing and/or installing water-saving devices.  Audits can be conducted for both indoor and outdoor use for residential and nonresidential customers.

A quarter of Massachusetts businesses do business outside of the United States.  However, there are many barriers to smooth transnational financial transactions, especially for smaller businesses conducting smaller transactions at branch locations of their financial institution.  These barriers may be a drain on economic growth and may prevent small businesses from fully participating in the global economy.  While federal regulations on international money transfers are beyond the scope of this recommendation, financial institutions need to improve services in order to facili

Small businesses often have a great need for technical assistance and training.  By necessity, entrepreneurs must “multi-task” at nearly every aspect of their business; in doing so, they often find themselves far from their area of expertise, lost in the weeds of finance or contract negotiations.  

Many segments of the small business market often require small loans (less that $30,000) that are not a priority to many mainstream financial institutions.  Micro-businesses and sole proprietorships with few assets to collateralize may find it very difficult the secure the capital necessary to take advantage of certain opportunities.  Innovative lending models and new incentives for conventional lenders are necessary to create the access to capital that will allow the small business sector to thrive.

Marketing and information are critical to ensuring that the development community invests in areas consistent with MetroFuture.  Various public agencies, quasi-public organizations, and public/private partnerships provide statewide and national marketing to priority development sites and other designated locations.  Examples include the Massachusetts Office of Business Development, the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development, MassDevelopment, and municipal economic development departments.  

For a variety of reasons, many immigrants do not use conventional financial institutions.  They may lack a social security number, be unfamiliar with institutions, or face language barriers.  There are immediate and quantifiable costs to being “unbanked”:  unbanked individuals pay more for basic financial transactions such as cashing a check and paying bills.

Nearly every community in Metro Boston is served by a Council on Aging.  The mission of these volunteer, municipally appointed agencies is to link seniors with resources through service delivery or coordination, and community education and advocacy.  Each council focuses on a specific municipality and, most offer information and referral, transportation, outreach, meals (congregate and home delivered), health screening, and fitness and recreation programs.  

2.a    The Massachusetts Association of Health Boards and the Department of Public Health should work together to develop goals and guidance for municipalities to incorporate public health into their master plans

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