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Framingham Mayoral Candidates Respond to Business Related Questions - Geoff Epstein's Responses

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Framingham Mayoral Candidates Respond to Business Related Questions - Geoff Epstein's Responses

 

1. Streamlining Permitting & Business Support

Framingham’s city website notes its “Plan-Build-Grow” initiative, expedited permitting adoption (via Chapter 43D), and business assistance (site finding, licensing, financing) through the Community & Economic Development Division. (Framingham MA)
o How will you ensure the city continues to reduce red-tape, coordinate business support, and improve response times for new and expanding companies?
 
Response
We have a cumbersome interface with business, which is exemplified by the fact that an online permit management system was purchased sometime ago and never properly deployed for a long time. Deployment only happened when in the FY26 budget process a procurement management module was requested to be added to the software system. The City Council rejected that based on the lack of deployment of the existing permit management module. Following that the permit management system appears to have been deployed. The city has a poor digital culture and that will change under my leadership.
In shifting city business processes online, we are following the lead of multiple other cities and towns. Amongst those, Westwood is a leader and provides a good model for Framingham. Here is an example of how they support business: https://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/departments/community-economic-development/economic-development-division/quick-business-info
 Framingham needs to completely build out its website to support permitting and business support. 
One of the first tasks, if I am elected, is to rapidly review Framingham’s business approach, including especially how it is supported through the city website, and then upgrade our processes and the website. I have a great deal of experience in putting business processes online and I expect to use that to drive big improvements.
When business processes are managed digitally, reports can be generated which track response times and outcomes. Those can be then used to pinpoint bottlenecks and speed up everything. This can then effect a big transformation in Framingham’s business performance.
In all of this, it is notable that the Mayor and the Chair of the City Council Finance Subcommittee have spent almost their entire working life in the public sector, so have zero perspective on what it is like to work in the private sector. I have broad experience of companies from startups, such as PTC in its infancy, to EMC in early maturity and Polaroid as it reached the downturn brought on by digital photography. My experience runs the gamut, and is firmly in engineering and specifically database-driven software application development. No one in city government leadership has anything close to that level of experience, and I plan to use it to accelerate improvement of all government operations, including business development. 
 

2. Downtown & Transit-Oriented Economic Revitalization

Framingham’s Strategic Plan and Consolidated Plan highlight the need to improve the appearance of business areas, decrease vacancies, enhance pedestrian/bike access, and focus on the downtown and south side of the city. (Framingham MA)
o What policies or incentives will you propose to reduce commercial vacancy, boost mixed‐use development, and increase foot traffic?
 
Response
Framingham’s Strategic Plan has not been updated since 2020, as far as I can tell, even though the City Charter requires it to be updated every two years. Here is the 2020 version: https://www.framinghamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/40772/2020-12-30-Framingham-Strategic-Plan.
It’s hard to make any progress without a plan. 
There are very broad goals which could play a very large role in how Downtown is developed. Big ideas would be to integrate Farm Pond with Downtown to produce what could be one of the most attractive business developments in the Commonwealth. Who has a large pond right next to downtown? 
Further, Framingham used to have the historic Harmony Grove meeting area as part of its fabric. We should bring that back.
Currently, we have the CSX railyard which is a blight on a prime city neighborhood. That has to go, and we should return to the days when that area was part of the pond connecting into the Harmony Grove meeting area, with the rail line sited further out into the pond on bridge.
Such a scheme would be transformational. 
Obviously, there are obstacles. 
CSX has to move its railyard somewhere else. There is a real concern right now that railcars full of who knows what are sitting right next to a residential neighborhood.
It’s a big plan, but Framingham needs big plans, not minor editing.
There are also implications for zoning, where now we are seeing out of scale buildings being erected in exactly this area, such as the monstrosity on Pearl St. That 6 story building has destroyed the rural view from Farm Pond looking back towards downtown, where it sticks out like a sore thumb. Tall buildings cannot proliferate in this zone if we are to realize the Farm Pond/Harmony Grove parkland integration with Downtown.
The Brazilian business community is already revitalizing Downtown, so that needs to be nurtured and expanded.
I could write much more, but first we need a vision and a plan.
The final point to make here is in relation to transit.
We have a Commuter Rail which is a rural railroad in an urban setting. It has very limited capacity for moving people, as it is hampered down by roads which intersect with the railroad. 
A large investment needs to be made in Boston by the state, with federal assistance, to separate the rail system from the roads and electrify it. The rail system in Sydney, Australia is a good model to follow. That would also include completing the north-south rail connection and likely building ring rail roads aligned with Rts 128 and 495. A rapid transit rail line along the I-90 corridor could be part of that plan.
Such a move would open up areas further out for housing developments which would solve the housing shortage by providing low cost housing and rapid transportation to Boston or Worcester.
That would also solve the traffic snarls in Downtown and give a giant boost to Framingham.
Plans and goals!!!

 

3. Workforce Development, Housing & Linking Business with Talent

Framingham’s economic development site mentions workforce development (internships, training funds) as key for business growth. (Framingham MA)  Framingham faces a tight housing market with high prices and low vacancy rates, which make it difficult for employers to attract and retain talent.
o What specific strategies would you pursue to balance workforce needs with housing affordability and community growth?
o How will you align Framingham’s educational institutions, business community, and workforce training programs to ensure local companies have access to the talent they need?
 
Response
The single thing I can think of which could make Framingham a standout is to boost STEM in the educational system. Already, we see our brightest spot in the school system is King Elementary School, which was recently recognized for its real improvements. It is STEM focused, which allows for science to help students utilize their math and reading skills to start solving problems, which is the path to boosting student performance.
Further on is the boosting of STEM with robotics programs. 
We have VEX Robotics in Framingham Public Schools, but I have thought for years that Keefe Tech could have a world class First Robotics program. 
Agawam is a model to follow, as they needed to grow and attract local talent for their high tech businesses, so they supported a First Robotics program in the schools. When I served on the School Committee in Newton one of my early achievements in 2008 was to work with parent activists to get Newton to start its First Robotics team. That worked and has been very successful: https://ligerbots.org/
I don’t have much to offer on housing affordability except that the city should shift from encouraging endless high rent apartment building development to support lower cost, less expensive units suitable for younger folks and seniors. It would be great to turn the Women’s Prison into such a development.
 

4. Supporting Business Diversity & Inclusive Growth

Framingham has a dedicated “Business Diversity Collection” (highlighting BIPOC-, woman-, veteran-, LGBTQ‐, and disability-owned firms). 
o What specific initiatives will you champion to increase procurement opportunities, support access to capital, and reduce barriers for underrepresented entrepreneurs in Framingham?
 
The city has been run in the same ‘old guard’ way for 25 years and it is time to change that. That is what my Mayoral campaign is about. We need to completely change the old, insider, calcified way of running the city, with no analytics, no diversity of opinion, little debate and low community engagement in government. 
Once we shift that culture to a much more open one where discussion is welcome and many viewpoints are heard, we will see a large improvement in our ability to foster diverse businesses. 
You just have to go to Facebook in this election to see that we have one of the most toxic online cultures I have encountered in 25 years. Some of the worst misinformation has been promoted by City Councilors and appointed board members.
That is an enormous problem if Framingham is trying to present a friendly, welcoming face to the world.
We need a culture change in city government to really promote business diversity. That will happen if I am elected.
 

5. Infrastructure, Innovation & Business Attractiveness

Framingham’s economic development materials highlight access to major transportation, world-class companies, biotech readiness, and infrastructure improvements. (Framingham MA)
o What is your plan to maintain and upgrade key business-supporting infrastructures (roads, utilities, broadband, transit) in Framingham to keep the city competitive for headquarters, research and development, and high-growth companies?
 
Response
I have already commented on the poor nature of the Commuter Rail, so I shall address the other issues.
Roads are currently underfunded at $4 million/year, when $8 million/year is needed. This needs to be addressed and folded explicitly into budget planning, so we see roads improving rather than deteriorating. In my first budget, the investment will be moved to $5 million/year and should be at $8 million/year by the end of my term.
Water & sewer remains a big problem, with the Sisitsky approach causing ever increasing water & sewer bills, as the Mayor tries to deal with a $200 million backlog of maintenance with rate increases. 
That is simply not workable, as water & sewer bills for everyone will become impossibly expensive. We need to fund the work by moving the pension liability payoff date from 2030 to 2040 to free up $10 million/year to solve the problem. This approach has been used in other municipalities, such as Wayland, to address capital project demands.
Framingham has been stressing businesses with high water & sewer rates. Large rental apartment complexes pay double per unit for water & sewer, compared to condos or single family homes. That impacts landlord costs and rents, so there are business impacts and affordability impacts. 
That needs to change.
I would also favor giving restaurants a break on water & sewer, as they use large amounts of water. That is done in Sudbury and the hope for Framingham is that finally we might be able to attract at least one upscale farm-to-table restaurant.
Hope also rides high that the newly operational Economic Development Corporation will eventually produce good results like Marlborough’s EDC has, but I think the Mayor needs to be a member of EDC as in Marlborough. That is not the case for Framingham’s EDC.
I expect many opportunities to arise to foster business growth, and I should be able to offer much better experience and perspective than the current Mayor, as I have 40 years of private sector experience, compared to Charlie’s zero.

This article was copied from the original response we received from Geoff Epstein, see the response document here!

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