Community Preservation Committee Meeting
Harwich Community Preservation Committee
o The CPP should be consistent with the Planning Board’s Comprehensive Plan; their plan may be going out to bid for an update. The town’s plans – the CPP, the Recreational Plan, the Housing Production Plan, etc. should all be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
o Should the CPC be proactive in determining the CPC areas of concentration or be reactive? We will be reactive when responding to submitted applications, but do we want to be proactive? A mix of the two actions.
o It was questioned what the legal repercussions are for not having a CPP? It was noted that no one from the state has stated they wouldn’t give us funds without a CPP.
o If the CPC had staff, maybe they could create the CPP.
o A committee member stated they didn’t want to spend money on the CPP presently. Does this committee want to hire the consultant at $25,000.00 or wait?
o The Real Estate & Open Space Committee has tried to have a list of priorities, but also they react to what land has come available.
o The number of applications may increase. Could we handle in increase in numbers? The time frame of the application submissions period may need adjustment. Another item that may need to be thought out.
o The CPP could create priorities that might lead to this committee creating applications. Would we need to then defend those projects? Would that translate into this committee being bias to projects that don’t follow the Plan? More rationales would be important to defend the plan. Ideas would come from the report.
o So it comes down to three points:
§ Do we hire Goldson and have her do the CPP?
§ Or should we continue work as we have in the past or be more proactive?
§ Or do we want staffing and define their responsibilities?
o This committee process follows the ACT. Our budget is organized into three reserves and an undesignated account to be spent on the four CPC compliant categories - community housing, open space, historical preservation, and recreation. Other towns organize their budgets differently.
o A critical analysis is difficult. The Recreation Department has a very difficult time developing interest. When they ask for public input, they get a small response. So how do we get the public input? Maybe public forums or asking CPC related committees input.
o The Comprehensive Plan will not give us the public input. There is not enough detail for the process.
o A committee member suggested maybe waiting for the town planning before creating the CPP.
o The town administration is waiting for CPC input on staffing and the planning department structure for alternatives. Currently the CPC staffing needs cannot be handled by the Town Planner.
o A committee member suggested we deal with staffing first, and then come back to the CPP.
o What would staff provide us? They could handle the CPP’s historic info collection. They could they follow the flow of funds, the records of revenue and project expenses.
o Other Community Preservation Committees have the bills go through the CPC requisition process before anything is done, and they keep the records. We use the town accountant. Both ways work with the ACT.
o Can the CPC use administration funds to pay for more staff assistance needs going forward? Hire staff via a contract? If the town expands the Planner position, how could the CPC contribute to a town employee? We can’t do an article.
A motion was made by Chairman MacCready and seconded to currently not go forward with the CPP contract.
VOTE: Yes 6; No 0. Motion carried unanimously.
Jim Atkinson still needs to get back to the town administration and report what the CPC would like to do in regards to staff. Mr. Atkinson will let Mr. Clark know the CPC would like to be part of the new administrative work, but funding is an issue.
o Background: The Town Planner retires after July 4 th . Town Administrator Mr. Clark would like to advertiser for a new planner as soon as possible. He has been speaking with Planning Board Chair Jim Atkinson for help on the job description. The current town planner doesn’t provide the CPC with assistance. Would the CPC like the town planner’s job to expand to include staff assistance for the CPC? It was resolved this issue couldn’t be decided tonight and would need to be continued. It is unclear how the CPC can contribute to new staff costs.
o The ACT allows for an annual 5% administrative article. Our current admin account may not have enough funds this year for new staff. The CPP $25,000 article is restrictive to funding the Plan. Chair MacCready has reviewed open accounts as requested. There are enough funds for the Affordable Housing Production Plan approved last month. The CPC Board Secretary is a town employee and receives a paycheck directly from the town for just this one job. It is unknown if the source of that paycheck comes from CPC funds or the town.
o It was questioned if the committee still wanted to continue with the current CPC application process? Also to be continued.
Other:
Ø March payroll. A motion was made by Dave Nixon and seconded to pay the Board Secretary for 2 hours.
Harwich Community Preservation Committee
VOTE: Yes 6; No 0. Motion carried unanimously.
Adjournment 8:26 PM.