In Boston, Massport awarded nearly half a million dollars in grants to fund summer employments for more than 300 students as part of the port authority’s Community Summer Jobs Program. The Port of Los Angeles approved a Port Master Plan, its first comprehensive update in nearly 30 years of the document that guides the port’s decisions regarding resource use, terminal efficiency, public access to the waterfront, recreational uses and historic preservation. 

Boston: Massport Program Supports Summer Jobs for Youth 

The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has awarded grants totaling $450,000 to fund summer employment for more than 300 students as part of the agency’s Community Summer Jobs Program. 

The summer jobs program is designed to assist civic and social service agencies by providing funds to support youth programs and summer employment. Massport’s Community Summer Jobs Program benefits communities where Massport facilities are located   Charlestown, Chelsea, East Boston, South Boston, Revere, Winthrop and the towns of Bedford, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln and Worcester. This year’s program is funding summer employment at 40 organizations.

Participating agencies are responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring and supervising summer employees. Since the program started in 1991, more than 6,000 summer jobs have been funded for local high school and college students, allowing young people the opportunity to gain valuable job skills while serving their community.

In addition to its $400,000 commitment to the community summer jobs program, Massport is contributing $50,000 to the City of Boston to support Mayor Thomas Menino’s summer youth employment efforts.

"Helping students from our impacted communities get ahead in life is one of the important things that Massport is able to do as a good corporate neighbor," said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. "It has always been a priority to fund the summer jobs program, even during the toughest of times."

Los Angeles Harbor Commission Approves Comprehensive Update to Port Master Plan

The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on August 8 approved a new Port Master Plan that is the first comprehensive update of the port’s development policies and procedures since its original plan took effect more than three decades ago. 

The new plan incorporates previous amendments and anticipated future changes to the use of property within the coastal zone managed by the port. The document promotes orderly development consistent with the port’s long-term goals of making the best use of its land and water resources, increasing terminal efficiency, accommodating diverse cargoes, increasing public access to the waterfront, enhancing recreational uses and, when possible, preserving the port’s heritage through adaptive reuse of historic buildings and sites.

"This comprehensive update reflects our evolution, growth and priorities going forward," said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. "For example, the updated plan preserves the fishing community at Fish Harbor while ensuring Terminal Island is primarily designated for cargo handling and related uses."

In accordance with applicable laws, the Port Master Plan sets forth development policies for the port to promote commerce, navigation, fisheries, recreation and environmental protection, and it provides for the port to adapt to changing technology, cargo trends, regulations and competition from other U.S. and foreign seaports.

The updated Port Master Plan:

• Reduces the number of planning areas from nine to five: San Pedro, West Basin/Wilmington, Terminal Island, Fish Harbor and Waterways.
• Clarifies the planning process and, in alignment with current practices and goals, specifies a single land use designation for the most parcels within the port district.
• Simplifies the process for issuing coastal permits by reducing the number of permit types to two from three, and delegates the authority to approve permits for the minor land and/or water use changes to the executive director. Major land and water use developments will continue to require a public hearing and approval by the Board of Harbor Commissioners.
• Updates the port’s Risk Management Plan for assessing the potential risks related to the storage and transfer of crude oil and petroleum products.

The development process for the updated Port Master Plan began more than 18 months ago with input from industry, tenants, labor, governmental agencies, the community and other stakeholders. Like its predecessor, the new Plan is subject to certification by the California Coastal Commission.