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Home My Public Portal AboutCommunity Preservation Committee -- 2018-05-09 Minutes m�ku11111 ri��i��i ; i f i '"< j f ;1 1P i„ got X064 Q%% F z Approved : 6/ 13/ 18 o ' p N 2198 Main Street Brewster Massachusetts 02631 - 1898 ii 0 \�\ � VOTE : 8-0-0 POPa 1pp � (508) 896 - 3701 riinnnrimmn+��a�� FAX (508 ) 896 - 8089 RESERVATION COMMITTEE COMMUNITY P Held a Regular Meeting On Wednesday, May 9 , 2018 at 4 :45 p .m . At The Brewster Town Office Building, 2198 Main Street, Brewster, MA MEETING MINUTES OF May 9, 2018 Present : Chair Paul Ruchinskas , Vice - Chair Faythe Ellis , Elizabeth Taylor, Diane Pansire , William Klein, Sharon Marotti , Roland Bassett, Peggy Jablonski , Barbara Burgo Absent: Also Present : Rick Scannevin Chair Paul Ruchinskas called the meeting to order at 4 : 45 pm Recording or Taping Notification : As required by the Open Meeting Law we are informing you that the Town will be videotaping and/or 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. " We request that all cell phones be turned off or to vibrate. 1 . Review of outcome of CPC Town meeting articles . Chair Ruchinskas stated that all the CPC articles passed, including the Open Space Purchase . Most of the debate on Millstone occurred during the Special Town meeting article to transfer the larger parcel . Once again, the Annual CPC article #9, was drawn last . Chairman Ruchinskas said that he spoke with Mr . Embury about having the annual CPC article taken in the beginning with the budgetary articles from now on . Ms . Taylor and Ms . Burgo both said that Chair Ruchinskas did a good job with the land articles . Chair Ruchinskas noted that he was thankful that the discussion was civil . 2 . Update on Bikeways Committee project for rail trail crossing lights . Rick Scannevin is here for the Bikeways Committee . The DPW is going to be doing for the install hopefully before Memorial Day or the week after . They have most of the equipment and were waiting on the poles . Acme Footing is going to make the bases . They have spent $ 38 , 600 to date . The site is already Dig Safed . Ms . Taylor asked where the bills were going to go ; CPC is supposed to see them . The price came in more competitive through a state contract and DPW is going to do the install . Mr. Scannevin i Community Preservation Committee Minutes of May 9, 2018 Page 1 of 4 did not believe that permitting was required . Ms . Jablonski asked where the lights are going. They will be at the Millstone crossing, Underpass Rd . , Route 137 and Route 124 . It was clarified that this is not part of the State Bike connector project across Route 6A ; that project is on State Land and the Town would prefer a tunnel . Ms . Jablonski asked what Committee in Town has oversight over traffic lights . Ms . Taylor said this is all State land and State roads and the Town does not have say . Ms . Ellis asked if there was a plan to do any public outreach on the Bike Lights project to make riders aware, maybe paper and town website . Mr . Scannevin said most of the other towns have these already . Ms . Ellis was more concerned about the motorists . Perhaps we can outreach through permit office . Mr . Bassett said it is not going to change anything, people still have to stop ; there is just a flashing warning now . Ms . Taylor said the Select Board is looking at Millstone Rd . and was that work factored in with this project. It was not, but Mr. Scannevin thinks they can just move them if needed . The DPW has cleaned a lot of brush in that area and it is better . 3 . Discussion and vote on Open Space Committee professional services request for consulting work for Long Pond acquisition . The Open Space Committee has put in a request for $4 , 000 for professional services to assist with application to the State for a Land Grant for the Robinson purchase . There might be more grant applications . Ms . Taylor said they have typically done very well with the Land Grant. If they apply for a drinking water grant as well , they may need more funding. Chair Ruchinskas clarified that if this occurs before June 301h, it will come out of professional services , after July 1 , the purchases included administrative expense money and they will need to figure out how to track those expenses . Bill Klein asked how this appraisal will differ from the one they already have . Chair Ruchinskas said they have to include more information in this appraisal for the grant applications . Motion made by Roland Bassett to accept the request, Diane Pansire seconded . VOTE : 9-0-0 . Ms . Ellis stated that she thinks they should watch the administrative expenses and professional services closely in this new process . Ms . Taylor said she is now getting copies of the legal bills so she can track legal charges that go to CPC projects . Chair Ruchinskas said they can create a tracking mechanism for the Administrative Lines as well as the expenses with the awards . Contracts with appraisal and other professional service should come before the CPC to approve first . Mr . Ruchinskas will check with Mr . Embury on a process . Ms . Taylor said she thought the Land Grant was due before June or July 1 . Mr . Bassett said maybe these reviews should be reported to Chair and he can report back to Committee . 4 . Review and discussion of CPC funding application and priorities , and possible vote(s) on changes to application . Chair Ruchinskas started with making sure the names of the current committee members are on there . Ms . Ellis said that she thinks they should be stricter with the deadline dates . She spent some time looking at surrounding towns . She would like to remove the words that Community Preservation Committee Minutes of May 9, 2018 Page 2 of 4 applications may be received at any time . She believes they should be ready earlier in the process and present to Finance Committee sooner . One town has one deadline for all other applications , except land purchases . Mr . Bassett stated that this last cycle , it was land purchases that were received after the deadline and not necessarily before the Finance Committee cycle . Chair Ruchinskas said most of the other applications are on time . Chair Ruchinskas struggles with this issue as he felt that both the land purchases this last town meeting were important, but he does not like being unprepared or making decisions without all the information and at the last minute . Perhaps , land purchases should get an extra amount of time . Mr . Taylor said she was very close to pulling the Open Space purchase . Ms . Ellis asked if the timing on that purchase would have been able to be done at Fall Town meeting. It was noted that weather and cancelled meetings impacted the schedules . Ms . Pansire suggested that even though the process might be messy, the outcome in these cases was worth the uncomfortableness of the process . Ms . Jablonski agrees that applications may be submitted at any time, but keep the word should instead of must to give some leeway . Ms . Burgo agreed with the wording should . Mr . Klein suggested they say at the discretion of the committee, deadlines can be extended on a case by case basis . Ms . Ellis is not comfortable with aiming towards the Warrant deadline . Chair Ruchinskas noted that even BHS came in later because they didn ' t have solid numbers and weather impacted scheduling consultants . Ms . Jablonsky asked what the deadline is . Ms . Taylor explained there is a deadline to get an article on the warrant and a deadline for changes then a deadline for posting which is about 30 days . It was decided to take the sentence out, can be submitted at any time . Chair Ruchinskas said under site control , they need to add a sentence about an appraisal which meets the standards that justifies the acquisition price . Ms . Marotti asked if any additional language needs to go in for the Historic Preservation ; there does regarding religious institute evaluation on criteria and checklist. On Page 5 , the criteria has not changed for a long time ; Chair Ruchinskas asked if there were any thoughts on it. Ms . Jablonsky asked what alternative corridors meant under Recreation . Ms . Pansire asked if it would be useful to look at the Housing Production Plan and integrate some of those goals in . Ms . Pansire will look at housing checklist; Ms . Ellis will look at Historic ; Ms . Taylor will look at Open Space . On guidelines , there should be a line added about review by town counsel . Chair Ruchinskas believes every application should be reviewed by Town Counsel , Ms . Ellis thought they should add something in the liaison updates to require applicants to come in to give updates if needed . They are supposed to provide written updates, but it may be good to have the option to have someone come in with an update at their request. Chair Ruchinskas asked that the comments be worked on and brought back in June . 5 . Discussion of Mass . Supreme Judicial Court ' s decision in Caplan vs . Town of Acton regarding CPA historic preservation grants to churches . Chair Ruchinskas read the decision and found that Anti -Aid Amendment discussion interesting . Chair Ruchinskas gave an overview of the history of the amendment which basically said that public funds should not be allocated for religious entities or sectarian schools and eventually the language was added that support for any private institution that does not meet a public benefit criteria was not eligible . Former Town counsel always made them put something about public benefit. Chair Ruchinskas explained that basically this case ruling which was about an allocation to a Church means that they will have to review Community Preservation Committee Minutes of May 9, 2018 Page 3 of 4 applications to make sure there is a three part test to ensure they are meeting the public benefit criteria . Ms . Ellis said this is another good reason to submit all requests to Legal Counsel . Chair Ruchinskas said they are still unsure how the Brewster Baptist allocation is being resolved . CPC also funded the Unitarian Church which is a very historic building . It is a complicated issue . 6 . Topics the Chair did not anticipate & Announcements Ms . Pansire received a request for a copy of the Elijah Cobb application . Ms . Taylor asked whether she should continue to include Ms . Moberg. Ms . Ellis suggested they have a calendar to track when progress reports are due for projects . 7 . Next meeting : June 13 , 2018 @ 4 : 45 p . m . at Town Hall The next meeting will take place on June 13 , 2018 at 4 : 45 pm . Potential agenda items are to look at the current CPC application and the deadlines . Motion made by Faythe Ellis to adjourn the meeting at 5 : 45pm . Roland Bassett seconded . VOTE : 9-0-0 Respectfully submitted, Donna J . Kalinick Items used at the meeting : • Open Space Professional Services request Community Preservation Committee Minutes of May 9, 2018 Page 4 of 4