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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-10-24-CPC-min1 Minutes of the Community Preservation Committee Thursday, October 24, 2024 Remote Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 852 3418 0997 4:00 PM Committee Members Present: Marilyn Fenollosa (Chair); Jeanne Krieger (Co-Vice Chair), Kevin Beuttell, Christian Boutwell, Robert Creech, Robert Pressman, Mark Sandeen, Melinda Walker. Administrative Assistant: Thomas Case Absent: Kathryn Roy (Co-Vice Chair) Other Attendees: Melissa Battite, Director of Recreation and Community Programs (arrived at 4:20 PM); Sandhya Beebee, Liaison, Capital Expenditures Committee (arrived at 4:04 PM); Mary de Alderete, Town Clerk; Philip Hamilton, Chair, Conservation Commission; Ruth Ladd, Conservation Commission; Karen Mullins, Conservation Director; Lisah Rhodes, Vice Chair, Capital Expenditures Committee (arrived at 4:02 PM); Pamela Tames, Executive Director, LexFarm; Althea Yates, Town Archivist; Ms. Fenollosa called the meeting to order at 4:01 PM. FY26 CPA Funding Request – Document Conservation – Ms. de Alderete and Ms. Yates requested $21,000 for the conservation and preservation of seven historic municipal documents and records. The documents include: a Marriage Intention Ledger from 1909-1913, a Marriage Intention Ledger from 1913-1918, an Accounting Journal Cash Book from 1895- 1896, Sanborn maps of Lexington from 1935, a Town Treasurer Accounting Ledger from 1880- 1889, an Expenses Accounting Journal from 1885-1891, and a Cash Book from 1882-1887. Ms. Yates confirmed that the Historical Commission voted to classify these documents as eligible historic resources and would be sending the CPC a letter and that scanning and digitization of the documents is only an incidental aspect of the project. Ms. de Alderete confirmed that this project is not a part of the Town Clerk’s mandatory records keeping responsibilities. Ms. Yates shared with the Committee her process of discovering and selecting municipal documents for preservation. She noted that the documents would not be digitally searchable. Ms. Fenollosa informed Ms. de Alderete and Ms. Yates that the CPC would have more requests for funding than the Committee has to allocate, but that the Committee would take a straw vote to convey the Committee’s support for the project. The straw vote is not a commitment of funding. The Committee voted by a roll call vote in a straw poll to support the project (8-0). 2 Ms. de Alderete and Ms. Yates left the meeting at 4:13 PM FY26 CPA Funding Request – Cotton Farm/Community Center Connector - Ms. Mullins requested $300,000 for surveying, engineering, and design plans for a new trail connecting Cotton Farm and the Lexington Community Center. Ms. Mullins explained the scope of the project would include surveying trail access points, route options, accessibility feasibility, community engagement and identifying potential geographic challenges; particularly regarding wetland areas behind the Children’s Place and Tricorne Road. Ms. Mullins noted that there may be grant opportunities for the construction phase of the project and that the trail would likely be under 0.5 miles. Ms. Fenollosa informed Ms. Mullins that the CPC would have more requests for funding than the Committee has to allocate, but that the Committee would take a straw vote to convey the Committee’s support for the project. The straw vote is not a commitment of funding. The Committee voted by a roll call vote in a straw poll to support the project (8-0). FY26 CPA Funding Request – Simond’s Brook Trail Design and Engineering – Ms. Mullins requested $75,000 for the surveying, engineering, and design plans for a new trail connection in the Simond's Brook Conservation Area between the end of Rangeway Street and an existing trail entering from Grove Street. The new trail would replace an existing trail located in an environmentally sensitive wetland area that is currently in very poor condition. The new trail will require a bridge-type crossing but will not need to meet ADA requirements. Ms. Mullins shared that the Conservation Commission owns the land where the trail would be built and that the Commission would be able to permit the project with the State. Ms. Mullins also shared that volunteers could be used for construction to lower costs and leverage for grant opportunities. Mr. Creech shared the Planning Boards experience with the Rangeway St. area and expressed support for the necessity of the project. The Committee voted by a roll call vote in a straw poll to support the project (8-0). Mr. Hamilton, Ms. Ladd, and Ms. Mullins left the meeting at 8:40 PM. Minutes - After a motion duly made and seconded, the Committee voted by a roll call vote to approve the minutes from the Public Meeting on 9-19-2024 (8-0). Committee Business- Ms. Fenollosa conveyed with the Committee that they will hopefully have another meeting to discuss project applications on October 31. 3 The Committee discussed the 2024 Needs Assessment Report and agreed to complete the individual sections before Thanksgiving. Ms. Fenollosa requested that Mr. Case distribute the relevant sections to the respective Committee members. The Committee discussed the latest CPA Trust Fund projections from the Department of Revenue (DOR). Per the Community Preservation Coalition, collections over the past few months indicate that the State match may be above the originally projected 14% base match. Final distribution figures are expected from the DOR on November 15. The Committee discussed the Affordable Housing meeting originally planned during the 9-19-24 meeting. Not all the affordable housing stakeholders were available to meet with the CPC prior to the November 1 application deadline and so the Committee will attempt to meet with all Community Housing applicants and stakeholders together at a future meeting. After a motion duly made and seconded, the Committee voted by a roll call vote (8-0) to adjourn at 4:48 PM. The following documents were used at the meeting: 1) FY26 CPA Funding Application – Town Clerk Document Conservation 2) CIP – Land Use Cotton Farm/Community Center Connector 3) CIP – Land Use Simond’s Brook Trail Design and Engineering 4) Land Use CPA Projects Slides 10-24-24 5) Draft Minutes 9-19-24 6) Draft Minutes 9-19-24 – Revised Respectfully submitted, Thomas Case Administrative Assistant Community Preservation Committee APPROVED: 11/7/2024