Community Preservation Committee Meeting

Meeting date: 
Thursday, September 10, 2015

Approved Minutes 10.8.15

 

HARWICH Community Preservation Committee Regular Meeting

September 10, 2015, at the Harwich Town Hall, Griffin Meeting Room

 

 

Present: Chairman Bob MacCready, Vice Chair Kathy Green, Walter Diggs, Daniel Tworek, and Robert Bradley

Absent: David Nixon, Cindi Maule, and Peter de Bakker 

Vacant: Housing Committee representative

Guests: Town Administrator Christopher Clark, Brooks Free Library’s Ginny Hewitt, Library Director and JoAnne Brown, Co-Chair Building and Grounds Committee, Town Residents Sally Urbano and Anne Howe

 

 

 

 

Called to order at 7:03 PM by Chair Bob MacCready.  Guests welcomed.

Meeting open for public comments.  No comments.

 

    

A motion was made by Walter Diggs, and seconded to approve the minutes of the August 13, 2015 CPC meeting.

Vote: 5 Yes. Motion carried unanimously. 

 

 

New Business:                                                                        

 

  • Town Administrator Christopher Clark discussed the town’s accounting for CPC:  In the past the debt service

payment has been included in the town budget warrant article.  The new town accountant would prefer this item to become a stand-alone CPC warrant article allowing the town to vote for or against it instead of being buried in the town budget.  If there are any questions, they can be discussed on the town meeting floor. 

        Accounting for CPC monies is still an issue.  Each CPC warrant article project is assigned a number, a designated item in the general ledger that can be tracked.  We can ask for a printout of all the spending on any article.  We can also ask for a balance sheet for each bucket reserve equity account.  However it is still difficult to get a clear picture of open CPC articles’ funds because the money’s are listed in the town’s general ledger under several different accounts, like the open general fund, CPC, treasurer’s, and others.  Mr. Clark will ask the town accountant for more clarification.

 

  • Brooks Free Library update following their August 27, 2015 presentation:  Committee members received an

email with a digital version of the MK&A’s Exterior Assessment Report.  A few hard copies of this study were distributed.   They thanked the CPC for supporting the study project, and appreciated the CPC members that were able to attend their August presentation.  The audience had a good diverse group of about 25 people.

       Ginny Hewitt submitted their application request.  The application is the study’s assessment.  The capital plan does not cover the assessments.  The library hopes to soon receive their requested a list of priorities from MK&A. 

       Robert Cafarelli, the town engineer will be looking at the columns to assess if they are decorative or structural.  It was suggested Bill Crowell would have physical knowledge of the columns.  The column tops have separated because the base has collapsed.  

      The paint report revealed the exterior shows there has been a “failure of paint” and they shouldn’t just continue to paint.  It would be best for the whole structure, historical and non-historical sections, to be stripped and repainted at one time.  The report didn’t address the color.  Paint color analysis would cost $1,500.  The study has a balance of $500, and the previous warrant article has a balance of $38,656.  The CPC will research if the previous article balances can be used to deal with the color analysis.  It was suggested the library should discuss the paint color with the HDHC.  Whether the painting can be covered with CPC funds may again be maintenance vs. restoration question, historical and non-historical sections problem. 

        The streetscape section reported a list of everything that was wrong.  The town’s highway department has plans to remove the trees in the front of the library.  Their roots are upsetting the sidewalk.  The town is responsible for the town’s sidewalks.  The library will look so bare without the trees.  Maybe other town departs can address these needs.

        CPC advisors remind us that CPC funds can’t restore non-historical resource.

 

 

Approved Minutes 10.8.15

9.10.15    Page 2

 

  • Wastewater issue discussed:  The wastewater project may be a tax burden on the tax payers.  A recent article

in The Cape Cod Times reported CPC funds could contribute.  This is a town counsel topic.  Harwich is a Modified CPA town.  The town would need to vote to reduce CPC 3% tax levy to 1 ½ % (this would leave the town with just enough to cover the land debt service and not much more).  Another town vote would be needed to make a tax for a wastewater fund.  The State has presented other tax percentage options.  The selectmen have been exploring options. 

 

  • Town resident Anne Howe asked if the Community Preservation Plan extended to the preservation of historical

habitat? She pointed to maintaining habitat corridors and the historical grasses?  Ms. Howe is concerned wastewater planners are only looking at undeveloped land and ignoring the essence of the environment, which should be part of their concern.  She was reminded the CPC doesn’t submit the applications requesting funds.  It was suggested she discuss topic with the Harwich Conversation Trust, they may address this.   

 

Old Business

 

  • Community Preservation Plan (CPP)’s RFP:  A RFP draft was emailed to committee for comment.  The final RFP needs to be

reviewed by the town.  The current draft is non-historical focused and a concise boilerplate plan.  Note: dates will be adjusted.

What does the committee want delivered from the consultant?  A non-historical plan can create a clearly defined process for the committee to use.

       Additional parameters discussed that the committee may want to include:  

  • A system to address application process and review criteria.  Creating a grading/scoring system to evaluate how the application is viewed. For example: Current application suggests getting other town boards/committees to support proposal.  Maybe if new applicants do get support from a committee, they would earn points in the new system.  
  • Providing criteria would provide information for the committee and the public for support and input; transparency compliant. 
  • An accounting process. 
  • A monitoring process of projects to provide accountability and time frames.  But this workload may strain this committee.  A paid employee could handle this. 

      Daniel Tworek suggested a modification statement to include these emphases.    

 

Other:

 

  • A motion was made by Daniel Tworek, and seconded to pay the committee clerk the submitted payroll hours of

$50.85 and $36.98.  Vote: 5 Yes. Motion carried unanimously.

 

  • Land bank debt service.  On the current schedule, the town will pay off the LBDS in six or seven years, owing some

$1.8 million including interest to financial services companies.  The town does occasionally refinance the debt.

 

Adjournment 8:24 PM.