Baker's Seaport Economic Council Meets In Beverly

Bass River in the summer/Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Members of the Seaport Economic Council met Dec. 14 at the Beverly Municipal Golf and Tennis Club to discuss infrastructure improvements and grants to coastal communities.

The Council approved funding of $1 million for the Fall River City Pier, a project that will construct new sheet piling and other pier and seawall infrastructure, and extend the public infrastructure needed to accommodate private investment on the pier.

The council was re-launched in mid-2015 to provide funding and promote economic development for resilient infrastructure to all 78 of Massachusetts' coastal towns.

“Our administration is partnering with maritime communities to build stronger and more resilient local economies,” said Governor Charlie Baker in a statement. “By giving all the Commonwealth’s maritime communities -- from deepwater ports to small coastal communities -- new opportunities to build on their unique economic assets, we will fuel new growth, and open pathways to prosperity.”

The council approved $50,000 in funding for Beverly's Bass River dredging project in 2012.

State Senator Joan Lovely attended the meeting and tweeted:

The Town of Swampscott received $50,000 to undertake a harbor development plan, which will focus on identifying and prioritizing necessary coastal infrastructure improvements. An evaluation of preemptive actions the town can take to address storm surge and sea-level rise is also in the works.