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2024-01-25 CPC Minutes (PDF) (1) CITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES BOARD: Community Preservation Committee LOCATION: Beverly City Hall, 191 Cabot Street, 3rd Floor Chambers DATE: January 25, 2024 BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair Derek Beckwith, Vice Chair Robert Buchsbaum, Suzanne LaMont,Nancy Marino, Heather Richter, Christy Edwards BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: OTHERS PRESENT: Economic Development Planner Erin Schaeffer, Parks and Recreation Director Bruce Doig, Fred Hopps of Solar Now RECORDER: Naomi Moca 1. Call to order Chair Beckwith opens the meeting at 7:01 p.m. and states the goal of the meeting is to produce a list of questions for each of the applicants to address at the February 15, 2024 meeting. 2. Consultation and Q&A with the CPC There is no one present. 3. CPC Project Close Outs a. Gillis Park Stairs —Beverly Recreational Department Beckwith states that the Gillis Park matter will be continued to the February 15, 2024 meeting. 4. CPC Project MOU Expirations /Extension Requests a. Moraine Farm —Purchase of Conservation Restriction—City of Beverly/Planning Department—MOU expires 2/2/2024 (Anticipated) Beckwith states that Moraine Farm is requesting a one-year MOU extension due to delays caused by backlogs at the State level. Vice Chair Buchsbaum states that he recently observed new signage in the area. Richter states that she was not aware at the time of the last discussion that the Community Garden would be moved to that space; she was under the impression that a new garden was being established. Marino comments that the document does not mention the relationship with the Trustees nor the Parks and Recreation Department and School Department programming. Richter: Motion to extend the MOU for Moraine Farm's purchase of Conservation Restriction for one year with the request that the Committee be updated with public outreach and community programming. Marino seconds. The motion carries (6-0). Beverly Community Preservation Committee January 25,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 5 b. Greenergy Park -preservation/restoration of inverter house and subset of solar panels—Beverly Department of Public Services —MOU expires 2/7/2024 (Anticipated) Fred Hopps of Solar Now is present and states that the architect's proposal was beyond the project budget, so he obtained a new proposal from a more reasonably priced architect. Hopps states that the applicant is ready to start the work in cooperation with the Department of Public Services (DPS). Marino clarifies with Hopps that the applicant is requesting a one-year extension. Hopps states that there are panels stored on the site and that the applicant has preserved legacy panels that were already on site. Hopps states that John Archer will work with the Historic Districts Commission (HDC) and Planning and Development Director Darlene Wynne on the Secretary of Interior standards. Hopps states that the educational component is a priority, especially considering its location adjacent to the Beverly High School campus, and preserving the history for the future is also a priority. Marino: Motion to extend the MOU for Greenergy Park-preservation/restoration of inverter house and subset of solar panels for one year. Buchsbaum seconds. The motion carries (6-0). c. Beverly Farms Cemetery-Perimeter Fence Restoration—Beverly Department of Public Services—MOU expires 2/7/2024 (anticipated) Beckwith states that the Engineering Department has expressed its intention to complete the project this year(2024) and that a change in leadership in the Beverly Farms Improvement Society has impacted the time needed to complete the project. For this reason, Commissioner Michael Collins requested a one-year extension of the MOU. LaMont observes that the Committee approved the project in 2020. The Committee discusses what recourse there may be if an applicant does not provide a progress report. Edwards: Motion to extend the MOU for Beverly Farms Cemetery - Perimeter Fence Restoration for one year with the requirement that DPS submit a progress report to the Committee by April 1, 2024. Buchsbaum seconds. The motion carries (6-0). 5. CPA Funding Round 11 — Initial Review of Applications a. Beverly Affordable Housing Trust(AHT)Allocation—Mayor's Office The Committee discusses that a list of the projects the AHT has funded and letters from project applicants would be beneficial. Marino states that perhaps the AHT would be better served being distributed among smaller projects. Richter observes that the AHT applied for CPA funding when it ran out of money, not when it had a new initiative. Richter compares it to Habitat for Humanity,which expressed willingness to partner with the Committee on the project, whereas this application only asked for funding. Richter states that CPA funding is discretionary money Beverly Community Preservation Committee January 25,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 5 that citizens have voted to give,yet the Affordable Housing Trust has conducted no public outreach or communication. The Committee discusses how the funds are disbursed and whether funds are allocated but not given until the project is completed. The Committee discusses that the applicant should confirm that this is not a multi-year project, the milestones for the project, the number of people being helped by the project, and whether it plans to post appropriate signage so that citizens get credit for making the project happen through the CPA. Marino points out that the wider community may not know about the scope of the Trust and states the Trust's public outreach plan would be beneficial to include in the application. The Committee discusses that it has not delayed a single project by lack of nimbleness and furthermore has funded hundreds of thousands of dollars and 550 units of affordable housing. The Committee agrees that the application would be more robust if it were more specific. LaMont asks if the Trust has the staffing to support this project and Schaeffer states that the application was made by the Planning Department to move these funds to the Trust, and it is not a specific project. b. Holcroft Park Renovation—Beverly Recreation Department Marino states that Parks and Recreation Director Bruce Doig stated the PARC grant in the amount of$400,200 has been confirmed. The Committee discusses that the funding is time- sensitive. LaMont points out that signage may not be funded by CPA funds. Edwards agrees. The Committee discusses that the Itemized Project Expenses column of the Project Budget Form may be unclear or confusing. Beckwith requests an updated project description since it should state $250,000 and not$400,000. LaMont points out that a project schedule for an 11-month period is not intuitive. The PARC grant requires all construction work completed and closed out by June 1, 2025. Beckwith states that clarity on the budget items would be helpful, such as labor and materials breakdown for the basketball court, replacing the bench, and the water fountain with the bottle- filling station. The Committee agrees that it is helpful to know how much the City is contributing in-kind with its labor. The Committee discusses whether CPA funds may be allocated to pay for lighting due to its purpose being more safety than community-building. Schaeffer asks what the reasoning behind separating the costs of materials and labor is if it is not out to bid yet, so it is an estimate now. Beckwith states general estimate is acceptable,just an approximation. Edwards points out the larger question of needing the applicant to include a plan for long-term maintenance and management after the project's completion, as CPA funds cannot be used for long-term maintenance. Marino states that Parks and Recreation staff audit the parks every year to assess repair work needed. The Committee discusses that parks exist as functional spaces meant for people to interact with equipment and thus there will be wear and tear. Richter points out that the community helps maintain parks, and parks help build community. Beverly Community Preservation Committee January 25,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 5 Marino comments that improvements to parks may have a positive ripple effect in neighborhoods, such as leading to improvements to the sidewalks and repair of streets leading to the parks. c. Critical Home Repair Program - Essex County Habitat for Humanity (HFH) The Committee discusses that more detail is needed for the application to move forward. The Committee clarifies that the application is for$100,000 applied for. Edwards and Beckwith agree that there should be an administrative process to ensure that CPA funds are used only for eligible proj ects. Richter states that CPA money has been granted for critical home care for HFH in other communities. Marino expresses concern that HFH may expect the City to administer the project. Richter states that there is a strong internal process including a social worker's assessment and estimates for the particular repair needed, such as a roof, on a case-by-case basis. Beckwith expresses hope that there will be administrative staff support in the near future to help with reporting progress to the Committee. Richter states that additional letters of support from local organizations or individuals would be beneficial. The Committee discusses the letters included with the application. d. Girdler House Generator Replacement— Old Ladies Home Society, Inc. d/b/a Girdler House The Committee discusses that the funds requested for the generator total $70,400, under the category of"Preservation," while the three Girdler House projects total $128,270. e. Girdler House Window Replacement—Old Ladies Home Society, Inc. d/b/a Girdler House The Committee discusses that the application is for$26.670 for assistance with the restoration of windows,which includes the restoration of eight windows, the repair of five windows, and painting. LaMont clarifies that the applicant provided quotes from more than one company. The Committee discusses that it does not necessarily always opt for the lowest quote and that it is possible, though not usual, to give more than requested. Vice Chair Buchsbaum confirms that restoration would be completed in compliance with the Secretary of Interior standards. f. Girdler House Kitchen Updates — Old Ladies Home Society, Inc. d/b/a Girdler House The Committee discusses that the application is for$31,200 to construct kitchen storage under the "Support" category. Buchsbaum and LaMont state that they voted against this application qualifying. The Committee discusses how this project would serve the purpose of making the housing affordable and Marino states that if the Board of Health shuts it down, the housing is not accessible for people who need affordable housing. The Committee discusses that while the Board of Health was not addressing storage,the work and new appliances that were necessary for compliance shifted the storage to a breezeway pantry. The applicant will need to address how Beverly Community Preservation Committee January 25,2024 Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 5 the storage cabinetry will serve the purpose of making the housing affordable. The Committee discusses whether the storage will help prevent the cost of outsourcing food. There will be follow-up invitations to the applicants to attend the February 15, 2024 meeting to discuss how they will address the Committee's questions. 6. Approval of minutes a. December 14,2023 The members review and offer edits to the December 14, 2023 draft meeting minutes. Marino: Motion to accept the December 14, 2023 meeting minutes as amended. Buchsbaum seconds. Motion carries (6-0). 7. CPC Administration a. Update on use of administrative funds for CPC staff support Beckwith shares the job description, which includes weekly meetings, follow-up with applicants who have missed milestones, tracking projects' progress, and assistance with applications, among other duties. The pay range will be $22-$30 per hour, it will be a half-time position, and it will not be eligible for benefits. The position may be created as a stipend, meaning additional duties for an existing City staff person, or as a standalone position. The Committee discusses whether a stipend or standalone arrangement would be optimal and the reporting and supervising of the position. Beckwith expresses optimism that the position will be formalized by May 2024 so that it has a June 2024 start date to coincide with the City's fiscal year. 8. Other items not known in advance of the posting of this agenda The Committee discusses the open slots on the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Open Space and Recreation Committee. 9. Adjourn Edwards: Motion to adjourn. Marino seconds. The motion carries unopposed. Meeting adjourns at 9:15 p.m. Next regular CPC meeting: Thursday,February 15, 2024, at 7 p.m.