After the Migrants Go – Rep Sees a Chance for Better Planning

Above, an image of Bay State Correctional facility in Norfolk, which will be closing this summer as a migrant shelter.

The
Healey Administration’s decision, announced Monday, to decommission
its hotel shelters this summer, which directly impacts the former
Best Western property in Franklin, also extended to the Bay State
Correctional Facility in Norfolk, which was pressed into service as
an emergency shelter last year. In both instances, there was little
or no local consultation, warning, or or input. This created
understandable concern among local residents and strained local
resources, especially public safety.

In
Norfolk and Wrentham, both small towns, the concerns were
particularly acute and drew the attention of State Rep., Marcus
Vaughn, who became a key voice demanding transparency from the state
and assistance in dealing with the fall out.

For
example, Norfolk saw a rapid uptick in calls to police and fire,
while schools and service agencies were left initially with more
questions than answers about potential impacts to classrooms and
healthcare infrastructure.

“From
the start, I worked to be a strong advocate for transparency and
accountability. I called for—and continue to call for—regular
communication between the state and local officials,” said Vaughn,
who has met frequently with the Healey Administration and state
agencies to press for answers, and push for more local input in
state-level decisions. “I also supported legislation to strengthen
municipal notification when emergency shelters are activated and I
stayed in close contact with our local police, fire, and school
officials to ensure they had what they needed to respond and
prepare,” he added.

Dealing
With the State: Lessons Learned

With
the crisis seemingly winding down, Vaughn said he is focused on what
worked well and what to guard against in the future.

State Rep. Marcus Vaughn

Under
the ‘what worked’ heading, Vaughn said the individual communities
in his district (and by extension, others in the state like
Franklin) showed remarkable resilience and found ways to collaborate
to deal with the situation. “Local officials and residents alike
stepped up with compassion, even when the situation wasn’t ideal,”
Vaughn said. What didn’t work well—and must change, he said—is
the state’s approach to decision-making.

“This
situation exposed how top-down governance can ignore the unique needs
of small towns. The lack of a plan for long-term housing and the
reactive nature of the shelter rollout were major issues. Going
forward, transparency and partnership must be prioritized,” he
said.

For
now, the situation looks like it is returning to normal. As with the
migrant hotel in Franklin, the current plan calls for the Norfolk
facility to cease operations as an emergency shelter at the end of
July. “I will continue holding the administration accountable to
that timeline. My office will be actively monitoring developments to
ensure that Norfolk residents are not left in the dark and that there
are no abrupt changes without notification,” Vaughn stressed.

Looking
at the longer term, however, this ‘crisis’ has highlighted the
clumsiness of state actions, including even as a steward of public
properties, which often are held in inventory without a plan for
their future – or even for proper maintenance. “I’ve formally
called on the state to develop a clear plan for the long-term use of
the Bay State Correctional property,” said Vaughn who wants to
ensure the site doesn’t sit idle and is not subject to more
last-minute decisions or emergency repairs. “I’ve requested that
the Executive Office for Administration and Finance initiate a
working group that includes Norfolk town officials to evaluate
possible uses—whether for state needs, redevelopment opportunities,
or reversion to the town,” he said. And,he insists, Norfolk
deserves a seat at the table for any future planning.

“This
past year has reminded me why I fight so hard for local control and
government accountability,” said Vaughn. Communities like Norfolk
and Wrentham should not be afterthoughts,” he stressed.