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HomeMy Public PortalAboutCommunity Preservation Committee -- 2015-12-09 Minutes �.` � ykypEA,�4$� Z% Approved: 1/13/16 © )>' 2198 Main Street VOTE; 5-0-1 Brewster, Massachusetts 02631-1898 (508) 896-3701 FAX(508) 896-8089 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Held a Regular Meeting On Wednesday, December 9, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. At The Brewster Town Office Building, 2198 Main Street,Brewster, MA Meeting Minutes of December 9, 2015 Present: Vice-Chair Jeanne Boehtn, William Klein, Joan Carstanjen, Peter Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Burgo and Roland Bassett. Absent: Chair Paul Ruchinskas Also present: Recreational Director Ellen Bearse and Assistant Town Administrator Jillian Douglass Vice-Chair Jeanne Boehm called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm. Recording or Taping Notification "As required by the Open/Lleeting Lmv ive are if forming you that the Town will be audio taping this public meeting. In addition, if anyone else intends to either video or audio tape this meeting they are required to inform the chair." JVe request that all cell phones be turned off or to vibrate. 1. Approval of minutes of November 18, 2015 public hearing and meeting. Motion made by Peter Johnson to approve the November 18, 2015 public hearing and meeting minutes as amended. 1 illiam Klein seconded VOTE: 5-0-0 Ir[,l BRBISTER Telfa `w L.ERK (Two r)tembers arrived following the vote.) ,16 914401 CPC I feeting lylinittes Page I of 5 December 9, 2015 2. Discussion of public hearing testimony. There was a brief review of the Public Hearing testimony. Some of the recommendations heard at the meeting were briefly reviewed such as videotaping the CPC meetings and completing an inventory of properties. It is felt that the cost involved in videotaping the meetings was the reason they have not been. There was consensus that this should be explored and will be discussed in more detail at a later meeting. 3. Initial review of funding applications received and possible votes to refer applications to the appropriate committees for their review and recommendations. There were 4 applications received to date. Recreation Director, Ellen Bearse reviewed the application for the Recreation Department. The Babe Ruth field at Freeman's way has not been updated for 25 years and is in need of a major renovation. It is not known how long the rejuvenated field will last as so many things can happen to them such as insects, vandalism, or bad weather. The rental fees were reviewed and the revenues generated go toward routine maintenance of the fields. Some field maintenance comes from the DPW budget. The CPC will be taking the application under advisement and will take a vote at the next meeting. Elizabeth Taylor stated that she has filed a conflict of interest disclosure form to the Town Clerk and the Selectmen's office as she has had a boiler installed by HECH but feels she can be impartial as she hears testimony on their application. Jillian Douglas reviewed the application from the Harwich Ecumenical Council for the Homeless (HECH) dated November 2015 requesting $118,000 for a second round of home repair. Each project is capped at $25,000 so there will be up to 4 major projects allowed, though smaller approved projects could stretch the funds to complete more projects. It was the consensus of the Committee to refer this application to the Housing Subcommittee. There was a request for an additional member to serve on the Housing Subcommittee. The application from Cape Cod Village that is a private organization is a request for $100,000 from the Brewster CPC. It was the consensus of the Committee to CPC"Meeting 1Llntttes Page 2 of 5 December 9, 2015 refer this application also to the Housing Subcommittee. This project will not be located in Brewster but meets the qualifications in a regional housing endeavor. It was requested that the number of Brewster Residents that may be considered for this housing be determined. Concern was raised about staffing this project, as jobs in this area tend to have a high turnover rate. Bob Jones of the Cape Cod Village will be invited back to answer any questions on the project before the vote is taken. The application for the Cemetery Restoration project was briefly reviewed and Joan Carstanjen reviewed the work to be done. They are requesting $9,000. Though the DPW cleans up the cemetery they do no repairs and these funds will be used to maintain the Dillingham and Sears Cemeteries. There was discussion on the $3,000 cushion in the application to be expended over 2 years for repair at all of the cemeteries as required. It was recommended to add information in the application on how this project meets the historical restoration criteria and it was requested that the application be expanded to include repair and restoration of the stones. Other suggestions were made to make the application stronger. There has been a request to extend the Breakwater cemetery grant from 2010 where there is $5,000 unexpended. The large stones are not weathering well and it is anticipated that more work will need to be done. It was recommended that instead of extending the Breakwater Beach grant for $5,000 that it be closed out and added to the new application to keep it more current, so instead of$9,000 they would like to see the new application for cemetery repairs at $14,000. This way the money would not be restricted to just the Breakwater Beach cemetery. It was also requested to list the stones to be repaired. There will be no guarantee that this will be submitted to town meeting, but it was felt that there was a high probability that the CPC may be able to support this for town meeting. If the Historical Commission is unable to meet, the CPC can make the decision. 4. Vote to increase the funding amount on one of the mortgages in the Harwich IJt:uii un cal C—Cicil fot—tl`ie IIo1Tlcic6S' llousitl Jillian Douglas reviewed the HECH project for Caroline Davenport that has been increased over the original estimates due to finding termite damage. It is important to the project that the termite damage be treated and repaired. Since the mortgage has not been filed yet, this increase will need to be voted on by the CPC. The nature of home repairs is that sometimes you find more than what was anticipated. CPC Meeting 141inutes Page 3 of S December 9, 2015 There needs to be some flexibility or reserves in the home repair. Since this was voted on for a specific amount, this needs to be re-voted. Going forward we may want to adjust how we vote on these project such as "up to a certain amount with unexpended funds to be returned". Move to amend the mortgage resolution adopted by the Community Preservation Committee ("CPC") on October 28, 2015 to accept a mortgage interest of$17,403.45 (Seventeen thousand four hundred three dollars and forty-five cents) from Caroline Davenport, 231 Governor Bradford Road, Brewster, MA. in order to increase the mortgage amount by $1,260 (One thousand two hundred sixty dollars) to $18,563.45 (Eighteen thousand five hundred sixty-three dollars and forty-five cents). Motion made by Peter Johnson and seconded by Roland Bassett. The vote was 6 yes, 0 no, and 1 abstention. 5. Treasurer's Report, including reports on the November state match distribution and Finance Committee meeting. Elizabeth Taylor distributed and reviewed the Treasurer's Report. There was discussion about the Finance Committee recommendation about ending the CPA funding in 2020 and it was recommended that the Committee members watch the video of the meeting. There would be no state match if the CPA goes away. There was a brief review of all of the work done such as cemetery repair, ball field repair, historic preservation, and housing that without CPA funds would probably go by the wayside. 6. Topics that can be legally discussed that the chair could not have reasonably anticipated. There was a brief update on the problems with the historic restoration of the Brewster Baptist Church that is currently still up in the air. CPC Heeting IYHnutes Page 4 of 5 Deceniber 9, 2015 The Recreation Department will be returning the $8,000 that they have not expended. 7. Schedule next meeting. The next meeting will be scheduled for January 13, 2016 at 4:30 pm. Motion made by Peter Johnson to adjourn the meeting at 5:30 pin. Roland Bassett seconded. VOTE: 7-0-0 Respectfully submitted, Domia J. Moberg, Recording Secretary Items used in the Meeting: • Draft Minutes of November 18, 2015 • Recreation Application • HECH Home Repair Application • Cape Cod Village Application • Cemetery Repair Application • Treasurer's Keport CPC Afeeting 1Llinutes Page 5 Q1,5 December 9, 2015