CPC Minutes.05.07.2020-FINAL APPROVEDCITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
COMMITTEE /COMMISSION: SUBCOMMITTEE
DATE:
LOCATION:
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Community Preservation Committee
May 07, 2020
Google Meet Virtual Meeting
Chair - Marilyn McCrory, Vice Chair -
Heather Richter, Derek Beckwith, John Hall,
Tom Bussone, Robert Buchsbaum, Nancy
Marino, Christy Edwards
MEMBERS ABSENT:
OTHERS PRESENT:
Wendy Pearl (arrived 7:20 p.m.)
Denise Deschamps - Economic
Development Planner, Planning
Department, acting as Committee staff, Wes
Slate; Mary McCaffrey
Jodi Byrne - Recording Secretary
1. Call to Order
Chair Marilyn McCrory calls the May 7, 2020 meeting of the Beverly Conservation Committee
to order at 6:31 p.m. and informs everyone that the meeting will be recorded. Chair McCrory
takes a verbal roll call and then reads the following:
Pursuant to Governor Baker's March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the
Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §18, and the Governor's March 23, 2020 Order imposing
strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the
Beverly Community Preservation Committee will be conducted via remote participation to
the greatest extent possible. No in- person attendance of members of the public will be
available, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the
proceedings in real time, via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so,
despite best efforts, we will post on the City's website an audio or video recording,
transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after the
meeting.
Applicants and /or representatives required to appear before the Beverly Community
Preservation Committee must make arrangements to present remotely as there is not a
physical meeting location. Documentary exhibits and /or visual presentations must be
submitted 3 business days in advance of the meeting to Denise Deschamps via email at
ddeschamps @beverlyma.gov. If you wish to have a comment and /or question read during
the meeting please submit them to Denise Deschamps at ddeschamps @beverlyma.gov.
Chair McCrory repeats that the meeting is being recorded and that it will also be captured on
video. All participants are given the option of turning off their video and audio. She says that
anyone who would like a copy of any documents from tonight's meeting may contact Denise
Deschamps.
Chair McCrory states the rules of conduct for the meeting. She says that after the Board speaks
she will call upon members of the public to speak. She states that all votes will be taken in a
formal roll call vote. She asks for the chat feature to be used only for technical issues.
2) Review of Meeting Minutes from November 21, 2019; January 30, 2020; February
27, 2020; April 16, 2020.
The November 21, 2019 minutes are reviewed and amended as needed. John Hall motions to
accept the November 21, 2019 minutes as amended. Robert Buchsbaum seconds. A formal roll
call vote is made with all voting yes: Heather Richter, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Robert
Buchsbaum, Derek Beckwith, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Tom Bussone. The motion
passes (8 -0).
The January 30, 2020 minutes are reviewed and amended as needed. Derek Beckwith motions to
approve the January 30, 2020 minutes as amended. Heather Richter seconds. A formal roll call
vote is made with all voting yes: Heather Richter, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Robert
Buchsbaum, Derek Beckwith, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Tom Bussone. The motion
passes (8 -0).
The February 27, 2020 minutes are reviewed and amended as needed. Tom Bussone motions to
approve the February 27, 2020 minutes as amended. John Hall seconds. A formal roll call vote is
made with all voting yes: Heather Richter, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Robert Buchsbaum,
Derek Beckwith, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Tom Bussone. The motion passes (8 -0).
The April 16, 2020 minutes will be tabled until a recording of the meeting is released so that the
end of the meeting notes may be amended as needed.
3) Report Out by the CPC Emergency Housing Relief Subcommittee
Chair McCrory provides a review of the subcommittee formed to study how CPA funds may be
used to assist in emergency housing relief. Denise Deschamps, Derek Beckwith, Tom Bussone,
Heather Richter, and Nancy Marino are a part of this subcommittee.
Richter says that this subcommittee has met twice, and that they have been working to first
determine the need of this committee. She says that their research shows that there is not an
immediate need, but that down the road when unemployment insurance and the eviction
moratorium run out, this funding may be needed. Richter says that this subcommittee is going to
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put together a matrix that they could present to the CPC at the May 21, 2020 meeting.
Beckwith says that Richter provided a good synopsis of the group's work, and that Deschamps
and Richter are pulling together information in the anticipated need of those who either meet or
are below the AMI in the City.
Chair McCrory asks if the subcommittee has any approved minutes that they could share, and
Richer reports that they will plan to release minutes at the next CPC meeting. Chair McCrory
asks Deschamps about any webinars that she attended or for any more information that has not
yet been discussed. Deschamps answers that she has not been on a webinar since her last report,
but recalls a lengthy webinar call from the previous week. She notes that there were over 100
people on the call, and that they were provided with guidance from neighboring communities
who had already gained some ground in this process. Deschamps says that they heard instruction
on how to establish a relief fund or to set aside funds for housing relief first, before determining
who in the community could assist in administering the funding. She notes that most cities do not
have the staff to support this type of initiative.
Chair McCrory requests the minutes from the subcommittee meetings, and Deschamps confirms
that the subcommittee will review and approve the minutes from their last two meetings in order
to share them at the next CPC meeting on May 21, 2020.
4) Staff Report re: Preservation Restriction
Chair McCrory asks Deschamps to lead this discussion in relation to The Cabot Lobby
Restoration Project. Deschamps reviews that at the last CPC meeting, the funding for The Cabot
Lobby Restoration was recommended with an agreement for some type of mutual plan for a
preservation restriction or alternatives to a preservation restriction. Deschamps states that the
City's planning department is also considering this, and wants to know what it would mean to
have a preservation restriction. Deschamps says that as Bussone stated at the last CPC meeting,
this would be a new precedent for the City, and that they should take their time in developing a
plan. Deschamps states that the City's planning department agrees with this process.
Chair McCrory says that the three projects recommended for funding after the last CPC meeting
were sent to City Council, and that a public hearing date of May 18th, 2020 was assigned. Wes
Slate states that this public hearing date was posted publicly in the local newspaper.
Chair McCrory says that when City Council decides on the funding for The Cabot, that the CPC
will need to come to a decision on the language of the agreement. Deschamps hopes that the City
can have a more in -depth discussion about this next week and be able to suggest language to the
CPC.
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5) Review of the following applications for CPA funding:
Chair McCrory provides a brief review from the last meeting when three projects were approved
for funding recommendations. She states that there are three more applications to review, and
that tonight the CPC will review the following two:
1. The Beverly Farms Cemetery Fence Restoration
2. The Preservation of Historical Documents
Chair McCrory says that both projects have been discussed in the past, and that at tonight's
meeting, they want to address any outstanding questions so that they can move forward any
recommendations to City Council.
Preservation/Restoration of Beverly Farms Cemetery Fence as proposed by the Beverly
Farms Improvement Society (Mary McCaffrey)
Chair McCrory says that this project falls within the historic restoration category. She reports
that this group is requesting $70,000 in funds for phase two of their fence restoration project.
Chair McCrory reports that the total cost for phase two is $75,609. She also notes that this
proposal ranked the highest of all applications that were received. Chair McCrory reports that the
work to be done is 271 linear feet, and that the previous section was already restored using the
Beverly Farms Improvement Society's own funds. At the February 27, 2020 meeting, the CPC
Board asked the BFIS to determine both who would manage the project and who would be the
project's representative to the City. The applicant has stated that the City will manage the
contract, put the project out for a public bid, and oversee the overall procurement of the project.
Deschamps reads an email that she received stating that Commissioner of Public Services and
Engineering Mike Collins will oversee this project. Deschamps says that she wants to make sure
that the Beverly Farms Improvement Society is comfortable with this arrangement. BFIS
President Mary McCaffrey says that this is a fantastic solution, and that they are excited to work
with Commissioner Collins. Chair McCrory says that this is similar to the GAR project where
the city worked as a partner, and that it worked well. Chair McCrory asks the Board if they have
any questions or comments.
Beckwith says that he supports this project. Buchsbaum states that he also supports this project.
Buchsbaum acknowledges that the BFIS already has a relationship with a fencing company, and
he asks if they are disappointed in a public bid process. McCaffrey says that the fencing
company reported that they are used to this process.
Richter motions to approve a recommendation of funding for this project under the category of
historic restoration for the amount of $70,000. Marino seconds. A formal roll call vote is made
with all voting yes: Heather Richter, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Robert Buchsbaum, Derek
Beckwith, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Tom Bussone. The motion passes (8 -0).
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Preservation/Restoration of Documents with Historic Significance
Under the Purview of the City Clerk's Office as proposed by the City
Clerk's Office (D. Wesley Slate, Jr. [retired])
Former City Clerk Wes Slate is present to represent this application. Chair McCrory says that
while there is support for this project, there are several questions that need to be addressed. She
asks Richter to lead this discussion.
Richter suggests to the Committee that this project not be funded during this round. She provides
the following rationale:
1. The City Clerk office is currently in transition.
2. A delay in previous work (round 6) granted to the City Clerk's Office.
3. Current pressure on CPC funds.
4. An acknowledgement that this project has been funded for a consistent time, and that a
new application and professional plan could be applied for at the next round.
Chair McCrory asks the Board for comments or questions. Marino asks if the CPC has a report
that shows the total funding of this project in previous rounds. Deschamps says that the total
amount is just over $300,000 for the last six rounds, but that she does not have the exact amount.
Deschamps reports that funding amounts were approximately $25,000 for the first round,
$50,000 for the second, and then $100,000 a few times. Marino says that she agrees with Richter,
and that a pause would be good to now work with the new City Clerk and to wait until the last
$100,000 appropriation gets started.
Wes Slate says that the delay in work had more to do with the purchasing office and the mayor's
approval before the bid could go out. Slate says that the work was sent out for public bid, and
that he does not know to whom the job was awarded. Deschamps says that at the time of the
Committee's last review, the job application had not yet been awarded. Slate says that the project
was delayed due to administrative issues.
Pearl joins the meeting at 7:20 p.m.
Chair McCrory states that she agrees with the pause due to recurring questions, and that the
Committee does not feel that it has received satisfactory answers. She says that since the last
funding round has not yet been used, that it makes sense to delay until the next round. She asks
for other comments from the Board.
Buchsbaum asks Slate if he has a response to the information in the report completed by the
outside entity regarding next steps in the project. Hall agrees to deny funding for this round due
to the project's delays and questions. He says that the Clerk's office should spend last year's
funds and after that, submit another application.
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Beckwith states that he agrees with taking a pause on funding this project. He says that he would
also like to have more information such as how they could produce a better inventory, show a
prioritization of documents, and provide information on documents referenced from the 1700's
and what might need to be done for those. Beckwith says that there is very little information on
the location of the records facility and how materials will be stored. He says that given time, the
applicant could firm these things up.
McCort' says that previous CPC meeting minutes show the outlined issues, and she invites the
Committee members to go back and review so that they can make recommendations for the kind
of things they would like to see resolved before continuing the funding of this project.
Richter motions that the CPC not fund the application for the City Clerk's Office Document
Conservation during this round of funding. Pearl seconds. A formal roll call vote is made with all
voting yes: Heather Richter, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Robert Buchsbaum, Wendy Pearl,
Derek Beckwith, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Tom Bussone. The motion passes (9 -0).
Chair McCrory thanks Wes Slate for his years of service and for championing this project for
many rounds. She says that she hopes he understands the CPC's decision to pause during this
round in order to make it the best project it can be.
6) Confirm Date of Next CPC meeting
Solar Now is the last application set to be reviewed at the May 21, 2020 meeting. Richer informs
the CPC that she will be helping Solar Now with the application, and that she wants to make this
transparent to the Committee. Hall says that he is glad Richter is helping as he likes this project
and wants it to move forward. Marino also thanks Richter.
The next meeting is confirmed for May 21, 2020 at 6:30 pm.
Pearl reports that there is a new online survey from the City regarding the preservation plan.
Pearl says that she will send a link to the group for them to complete and also to forward to the
public. She says that this will be the way to get the public input into the historic plan and also to
help further the Master Plan. Hall reports that the Mayor has posted the new survey on Facebook
with an appropriate graphic, and that this link would be a good one to share. Hall says that he
will share this link with the Committee.
7) Adjourn
Bussone motions to adjourn the meeting. Hall seconds. A formal roll call vote is made with all
voting yes: Heather Richter, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Robert Buchsbaum, Wendy Pearl,
Derek Beckwith, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Tom Bussone. The motion passes (9 -0).
C.
The meeting is adjourned at 7:40 pm.