Loading...
CPC. Minutes -Public Hearing.10.08.2020-FINAL-APPROVEDCITY OF BEVERLY PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES COMMITTEE /COMMISSION: SUBCOMMITTEE DATE: LOCATION: MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: Community Preservation Committee October 8, 2020 Google Meet Virtual Meeting Chair - Heather Richter, Vice Chair - Derek Beckwith, John Hall, Christy Edwards, Thomas Bussone, Robert Buchsbaum, Wendy Pearl. Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory OTHERS PRESENT: Denise Deschamps - Economic Development Planner, Planning Department, acting as Committee staff City Councilor Todd Rotondo; Bruce Doig, Director, Beverly Department of Parks and Recreation; Mary McCaffrey, Beverly Farms Improvement Society; Christopher Wilcock, Ryal Side Civic Association; Audrey Jawando; Kenneth McKay; David Perinchief. Jodi Byrne - Recording Secretary 1) Call to Order Chair Heather Richter calls the October 8, 2020 meeting of the Beverly Community Preservation Committee to order at 7:00 p.m. and informs everyone that the meeting will be recorded. She reads an abbreviated version of 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 Richter repeats that the meeting is being recorded, and all participants are given the option of turning off their video and audio. She says that anyone who would like a copy of documents from tonight's meeting may contact Denise Deschamps. She states that all votes will be taken in a formal roll call vote and requests that the chat feature be used only for technical issues. Denise Deschamps takes a formal attendance roll call: Chair Heather Richter, Vice Chair Derek Beckwith, Robert Buchsbaum, Tom Bussone, Christy Edwards, John Hall, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Wendy Pearl. All members are present. 2) Welcome and History of Community Preservation Act Chair Richter introduces herself and welcomes all to the meeting, stating that she is a member at large. She reports that this meeting will be presented in four parts: welcome, discussion, how to apply, and a time for questions and answers. Chair Richter introduces Marilyn McCrory. McCrory asks meeting attendees to introduce themselves and share what they would like to learn at this meeting. The following attendees speak: 1. Audrey Jawando says that she would like to learn more about the work of the CPC. 2. David Perinchief is present to share information on the Dodges Row Cemetery Project. 3. Bruce Doig is present to represent the city's Recreation Department. 4. Chris Wilcock is on the call to share updates on the Livingstone Project. 5. Ken McKay is present representing Veterans. 6. Mary McCaffrey from the Beverly Farms Improvement Society is present to share information on the Beverly Farms Cemetery Project. McCrory states that the CPC (Community Preservation Committee) is the result of a state law adopted in 2000 that allows cities and towns to dedicate funds for the purposes of open space protection, historic preservation, and the promotion of community housing and recreation. McCrory reports that the city of Beverly adopted the CPA (Community Preservation Act) in 2012. McCrory says that the CPC is responsible for an annual public meeting that establishes F procedures for evaluating proposals and making recommendations of projects to the City Council. She adds that once the CPC makes a recommendation, the City Council then either rejects or approves projects for CPA funding. CPC board member John Hall states that each CPA proposal must present a plan that provides a description of its goals and procedures. Hall says that a proposal should include information that provides a guideline for citizens and a blueprint for the CPC in order to make recommendations to the City Council. Hall refers interested applicants to the CPC website as a source to review past applications. He adds that on this website, goals and priorities for applications are outlined. Hall provides a brief review of what the CPC has accomplished over the past years including applications received, projects funded, and monies awarded by category. n. d.M CPC board member Robert Buchsbaum discusses the wide range of projects funded by the CPC and he invites applicants to review the detailed chart provided on the CPC website. Chair Richter provides an overview of the budget, stating that each year the CPC submits a proposed budget to the City Council for their approval. She reports that the FY21 budget has been approved securing the CPC's eighth round of project funding. Chair Richter reviews the FY21 approved budget, reporting that a significant part of the budget has already been designated to the Briscoe project. 3) Opening of the Public Hearing with Discussion of Current Needs, Possibilities and Resources in Beverly ■ W e Pub& hpa,� CPC Vice Chair Derek Beckwith motions to open the public hearing for October 8, 2020. McCrory seconds. There is a roll call vote with all members voting yes: Chair Heather Richter, Vice Chair Derek Beckwith, Robert Buchsbaum, Tom Bussone, Christy Edwards, John Hall, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Wendy Pearl. (The motion passes 9 -0.) CPC board member Wendy Pearl moderates this question and answer part of the meeting. Pearl reports that the language of the public hearing requirement is so the CPC can discover the resources and needs as it relates to community preservation. She states that this is a great way to receive feedback about potential projects and to identify the visions for Beverly. Pearl says that the public input serves the CPC in its preservation plan for the city including needs that are underutilized or underused, resources that are not accessible to people, and a guide to protect and 3 understand the quality of life. She adds that the CPC supports open space protection, historic preservation, and the promotion of community housing and recreation. Pearl invites members of the public to speak. Chris Wilcock says that he is currently preparing an erosion plan for Obear Park, working with the state and the Conservation Commission. He adds that once the Livingstone Park project is completed, he will be more actively working on this important project that addresses rising tides. Audry Jawando asks if there is any interest in community gardens. Pearl says that there is an interest, and McCrory adds that control of the land can sometimes pose a challenge in this. McCrory says that the proponent has to show that they have ownership of the land and are able to maintain it. Buchsbaum says that the Conservation Commission is finding an alternative to the community garden on Cole Street and that it will become a community garden for the city of Beverly. Pearl says that CPC funds can restore or enhance lands or housing through a joint resilience approach. Buchsbaum mentions the challenge of finding open space projects and requests suggestions, noting that while there are sometimes early proposals, most do not move to full proposals. Hall says that the trails at Sally Milligan Nature Reserve were waiting to be expanded, and Buchsbaum says that there was a Eagle Scout project in the talking stage that looked to build a trail that would connect the overall trail system. McCrory reports that the Open Space Committee has this before the Conservation Commission and that it is awaiting approval. The Green Hill project to connect Green Street and Bridge Street is referenced as support that trail projects can qualify for CPA funds. Pearl suggests projects that address the water access from Independence Park to Lothrop Street, with something that the city can provide with recreational potential. Chair Richter asks about a beach project at Congress Street, and McCrory reports that there was an issue with the ownership of land being challenged by an abutting property. In addressing the idea to expand the Green Trails to allow pedestrian traffic along the entire waterfront, McCrory says that the Open Space Committee has a map of connected trails on their website. She suggests other ways to acquire land such as an easement that provides public access. Pearl asks if there are updates to the conservation plans, and it is reported that the Open Space Plan is updated every seven years. Pearl addresses a new city -wide preservation plan with recommendations being a feeder for future preservation projects with overlaps for housing goals and open space goals. Chair Richter suggests a group getting behind a project at Dane Street Beach to restore the bathrooms or to update the building there. 0 CPC board member Nancy Marino and Recreation Department head Bruce Doig are asked to speak about any possible recreation projects. Doig says that he is thinking about various projects such as replacement lights. He states that he will be looking at what can and should be done to compile another list of projects and thanks the CPC for their role in the completion of over 16 recreation projects. Marino says that she is hoping that the city and the Recreation Department will address the carriage house at Lynch Park as it is in need of repair and restoration, noting that it is fragile due to sea storms and a past fire. Vice Chair Beckwith says that he suggests the involvement of neighborhood organizations and the need to make them more aware of how the CPC could help them promote a community based project promotion. Marino wants to acknowledge the Civic Association for their contribution to the Powder House and GAR Hall restorations, and more recently proposing the restoration of stairs leading to Pleasant View Beach. She says that community and civic groups have been a powerful voice behind some of the CPC projects. Buchsbaum notes that these groups are also the ones working to get matching funds, making them appealing to CPA grants. Beckwith motions to close the public hearing. Bussone seconds. There is a roll call vote with all members voting yes: Chair Heather Richter, Vice Chair Derek Beckwith, Robert Buchsbaum, Tom Bussone, Christy Edwards, John Hall, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Wendy Pearl. (The motion passes 9 -0.) 4) How to Apply for CPA Funds Historic Preservation Category: Mary McCaffrey from the Beverly Farms Improvement Society presents on behalf of the Beverly Farms Cemetery Fence Project. Pearl asks how McCaffrey identified the need and how they solicited interest in the project. McCaffrey says that the BFIS likes to identify projects that benefit green space and downtown areas. She reports that they contacted the Mayor and he helped them identify the project as the fence had not been replaced since 1899. McCaffrey says that the process included the need to address the history and damage, and that after receiving a quote for $180,000.00, they proceeded with vast support from the community. McCaffey explains the phased approach in managing the project and its financing through dividing the project into phases and that it makes the project more manageable. She reports the CPA grant of $70,000.00, and adds that they also received $15,000.00 through donations and the selling of names engraved on bricks to be placed in downtown Beverly Farms. McCaffrey says that as a taxpayer and voter, she was aware of the CPC, but did not fully understand how she could approach a grant until it was suggested. She reports that after attending the CPC informational meeting last fall, she was encouraged to fill out an application. 5 CPC board member Nancy Marino introduces Chris Wilcock and City Councilor Todd Rotondo to discuss the Livingstone Playground Project. Rotondo says that CPC members Richter and Marino approached them on this project, and that they submitted an application after attending the CPC informational meeting. He says that it is important to have a vision of what you want, and that they were looking for funding for more playground equipment, a basketball court, and a hibachi area for the neighborhood. Rotondo says that in addition to the grant, they also raised money from the local neighborhood association. He adds that one challenge was in understanding how to present an application that addressed the clear vision and scope of the project to the CPC. Chris Wilcox thanks the committee and states how great it was to get the community together to work on getting the project together and funded. Wilcock says that the CPC website is helpful in providing past project examples and how to submit applications. He states that this project was identified by parents with school -aged children that used the park. Wilcock says that a pavilion was designed to provide an area with bricks from Ellis Square that they sold as well as the selling of park benches, both working to raise about $50,000.00 in funds. Wilcock reports that this project brought neighborhoods and people together, and he hopes for more projects like this to benefit other areas of the city. Marilyn McCrory speaks on behalf of the Girl Scout's Camp Paradise Project at 44 Cole Street. She reports that when this twelve acres of land came up for sale, it could have been sold as lots to a developer if the Parks and Recreation Department had not stepped in to pursue an acquisition. Doig says that the characteristics of Camp Paradise was that it was open space with a pond, but that there were developers interested in purchasing the Camp. He says that this was his first time submitting a CPA grant application, and that while there was a learning curve, he looked at previous grants for ideas and also asked for help from CPC members. Doig says that this camp has greatly benefited the community in keeping camp kids outdoors. He says that both Girl and Boy Scouts have used the camp and that during the pandemic it has been a place for camp kids to use as open space in partnership with Lynch Park. He adds that the camp has several hiking trails for the public and that overall it is a great green space for the city. McCrory also notes reports of public birding at Camp Paradise. Doig says that in addition to the CPA funds, with city approval, they proposed that the city take out a bond. Vice Chair Derek Beckwith reports on the CPC Emergency Housing Assistance Program. Beckwith says that because this program was generated from within the CPC, that it is a bit different from other projects. He reports that the CPC was looking for ways that CPA funds could be used for housing and rental assistance, and at the April 16, 2020 meeting of the CPC they voted to form a subcommittee that would research this subject and report back to the CPC. The subcommittee members included CPC Chair Heather Richter, CPC Vice Chair Derek Beckwith, Thomas Bussone, and Nancy Marino. Deschamps staffed the Subcommittee. Beckwith thanks Deschamps for her leadership on this subcommittee. He reports that this C. subcommittee met on April 23, 2020 for the first time and discovered that due to the pandemic, the unemployment rates in the city jumped from 2.5 to 26.6 unemployment. He states that the workforce categories most impacted included hospitality, retail, healthcare, and construction. Beckwith says that the subcommittee researched social service and housing expectations while looking at various programs. He adds that they also researched already developed frameworks and local agencies that could handle the administration of applications at a low fee. Beckwith reports that qualified applicants can apply for 60% of rent for three months, with a cap of $3600. He says that the CPC placed $240,000.00 of funding into the program, and that they voted to adopt this plan and then send it to the City Council for approval. Beckwith reports that this proposal was approved on June 15, 2020 by the City Council, and that on June 26, 2020 the subcommittee began inviting organizations to apply for the management of the program. He says that on July 22, 2020 the CPC selected NSCAP to be the administrative organization to implement the program, and that on October 1, 2020 the Mayor signed off on this project. Beckwith reports that as of last week, the program is ready to go. He says that he encourages all to share this information with anyone who is in need and provides a direct line to NSCAP: 978- 548 -5776. He also reports that other local housing organizations will be forwarding candidates to this housing program. David Perinchief suggests that veterans and their families can be referred to this program. Chair Richter shows a map of projects funded throughout the city. p' r" ai rg nip r��l l� "I jl��'� Tom Bussone reviews the application package, noting that the state has determined four areas in which the CPC can fund projects: open space, historic preservation, recreation, and community housing. Bussone says that there are criteria published for each one of these categories as listed within the application packet. Bussone says that in the pre - application, the CPC looks at the qualification chart to determine the project's eligibility. If the project does meet one or more of the four categories, the applicant is invited to submit a full application and is also invited to a workshop designed to help them fulfill their application requirements. ��Ylr..?Yit2sY'lt omIr,; IY; Bussone shows a slide of the dates and deadlines and notes their importance so that the City Council can vote on projects at their June meeting. Bussone also notes the project deadlines and the December 17, 2020 workshop. ,° YirN7,771�l!Y Y�YI IY �Yi;'�Y.'r't0 I CPC board member Christy Edwards describes the changes and updates to both the pre - application and full application in order to help applicants through the process. She states that there will be a full grant workshop on December 17, 2020 with more detail provided. She says 7 that step one determines the project's eligibility with a sense of the project and the required category or categories. Edwards says that the pre - application is due at noon on October 29, 2020, and if it is eligible, the applicant will be invited to fill out the full application. Edwards says that the CPC is working to make this an easier process for applicants to follow. She states that applicants should include any supporting information as to why their project is important to the community. Edwards says that the CPC wants to promote successful applications through making the process as transparent and easy as possible. She stresses the importance of an outlined budget that identifies the funding request and also outlines and underlines all project costs. She says that all project costs need to be supported with documentation such as quotes or detailed cost estimates. Edwards says that the project schedule included in the application identifies and describes each step of the project in order to help the CPC track the project's progress. She reports that the full application is available on the CPC website and is due by noon on January 12, 2021. Edwards refers to other informational materials available on the website including instructions, common questions, schedules, funding categories, and other resource links. She states that CPC members are always available for questions. 5) Question and Answers There are no further questions. Richter thanks Denise Deschamps and the CPC members who put this presentation together. 6) Adjourn Bussone motions to adjourn the meeting. Hall seconds. Denise Deschamps takes a formal attendance roll call: Chair Heather Richter, Vice Chair Derek Beckwith, Robert Buchsbaum, Tom Bussone, Christy Edwards, John Hall, Nancy Marino, Marilyn McCrory, and Wendy Pearl. (The motion passes 9 -0). The meeting is adjourned at 8:52 pm. E:7