2007-12-00-CPC-rpt (Needs Assessment Report)

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Town of Lexington Community Preservation Plan Overview Introduction The residents of Lexington voted in March, 2006 to adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA). In fiscal year 2007, our first full year under the CPA, the Town will have collected approximately $2,500,000 raised through a 3% surcharge on the local property tax bills, available for eligible CPA proj ects. In October, 2007 a state 100% match will add another $2,500,000. At this writing (October 2007), 127 Massachusetts communities have adopted the CPA, increasing the demand on state matching funds. In subsequent fiscal years, unless the CPA is amended by the State Legislature, we can expect somewhat lower levels of state matching funds. The Lexington Community Preservation Committee (CPC) was formed in March, 2006 to make recommendations to Town Meeting on how to utilize the funds raised through the surcharge and the state match (CPA funds). The CPA requires that at least 10 percent of the CPA funds received in each fiscal year be spent or reserved for each of the CPA's three main purposes: open space, historic resources, and community housing. CPA funds that are not expended in one year may be "banked" or carried over to subsequent years. However, once CPA funds are banked for a specific purpose, they must ultimately be used for the purpose for which they were banked. The remaining 70 percent of CPA funds in each fiscal year are available to be appropriated or banked, according to the Town's discretion, for one or more of four purposes: the three listed above, as well as for recreational uses. In addition, subject to certain restrictions, up to five percent of the CPA funds raised annually may be used for administrative activities related to the work of the CPC. The CPC consists of nine members, including members appointed by and from. the Conservation Commission, the Planning Board, the Housing Authority, the Historical Commission, the Housing Partnership and the Recreation Committee, as well as three members appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The CPC is required to study the "needs, possibilities and resources" for community preservation in Lexington. To that end, we have reviewed existing plans and documents bearing on the four purposes designated for funding under the CPA: open space, recreation, historic resources and community housing. In reviewing new projects, the CPC: ■ Will be a catalyst for projects, not an initiator; N Will be a funder, not a developer; N Will utilize community goals previously set forth in other public documents that have received wide scrutiny and public input;