Around Town

Community Preservation Committee Looks to Get Process Rolling

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The committee chosen to oversee the money raised by the Community Preservation Act in Watertown will be hiring a consultant and a part-time coordinator to educate the public and help figure out how the money will be distributed. Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2016, and the property tax surcharge brings in about $2 million a year, plus the state will chip in matching funds (19 percent in Fiscal Year 2019). The money can be used on a variety projects, but they must relate to at least one of three areas: affordable housing, open space/recreation or historic preservation. At least 10 percent of the funds must be spent on, or saved in a fund for, each of the three areas. Elodia Thomas, chair of the Community Preservation Committee, said that she hopes that residents will become excited about the possibilities for the Community Preservation Act funds.

Community Preservation Act

Community Preservation Committee Scheduled to Meet for the First Time

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Watertown Town Hall

The first meeting of the Community Preservation Committee will take place on Feb. 21, 2019. The committee was formed after Watertown voters passed the Community Preservation Act in November 2016. The CPA raises money through a 2 percent surcharge on local property tax bills, and the funds can be used in three areas: recreation/open space, affordable housing and historic preservation. The Community Preservation Committee will look at potential places to use the Community Preservation funds and will propose a list of projects.

Government

Community Preservation Committee Appointees Announced, Must Get Council’s Approval

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Watertown Town Hall

The Community Preservation Committee will soon have all of its members, and be ready to start overseeing how to spend the funds collected from the Community Preservation Act. 

Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2016. The money raised from the 2 percent property tax surcharge can be spent on three areas: affordable housing, open space/recreation, and historic preservation. The Community Preservation Committee will make recommendations for how the money will be spent, and the plan must be approved by the Town Council. In June 2018, the Town Council approved an ordinance which spells out how the Community Preservation Committee members will be appointed. The nine-member Committee will be made up of five spots required by the State CPA statute to be on the board, and four members appointed by the Town Manager.  

On Tuesday night, Town Manager Michael Driscoll announced the four people he seeks to appoint to the Community Preservation Committee.

Government

Council Changes Direction on Community Preservation Committee, Town Manager will Make Appointments

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Tuesday night, after a long and contentious debate, a majority of the Town Council voted to approve a compromise that would give the Town Manager power to appoint member of the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) with those selected needing to be confirmed by the Council. The decision went away from the subcommittee recommendation to have members appointed by the Council. The approved ordinance, which was brought forward by Town Council President Mark Sideris, also provides specific direction to the Town Manager for what qualities to look for in the appointees. Since the Community Preservation Act (CPA) passed in 2016, the focus has been on how to appoint the four at-large members of the Committee, which is charged to come up with ideas and recommendations for how to use funds from the tax surcharge. The money can be spent on affordable housing, open space and recreation, and historic preservation.

Government

Some Major Changes in Final Draft of Community Preservation Ordinance, but it Keeps the Spirit

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A Town Council subcommittee approved the final draft for the rules on establishing the committee that will oversee the money brought in by the Community Preservation Act. The final draft eliminated some major portions of the previous version, but kept the main priorities. Tuesday night, the Council’s Rules and Ordinances Committee voted to send the draft to the full Town Council, which includes the changed ordinance and the separate policy for appointing the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) members who are selected by the Town Council. Each year the CPC will send to the Council a list of projects to be funded by the CPA funds. The state’s CPA statute allows the money, which comes from a 2 percent property tax surcharge, to be spent on affordable housing, open space or historical preservation.

Government

CPA Tax Appearing on Tax Bills for First Time, Some Can Get Exemption

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Watertown homeowners noticed a new line on their property tax bills, the one for “CPA Tax.” The new tax is on all bills, but some residents can qualify for an exemption on the new tax. The tax is the surcharge for the Community Preservation Act, which was passed by voters in 2016. The money raised by the tax will go into a fund earmarked for projects related to affordable housing, open space/recreation and historic preservation. The CPA adds a 2 percent tax surcharge.

Government

Town Council and Town Manager Will Appoint People to Community Preservation Committee

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After more than an hour’s debate Tuesday night, the Town Council decided who will appoint the four at-large members of the committee that will recommend how to spend the funds from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) after coming to a compromise, of sorts. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) was created when Watertown voters approved the CPA in November 2017, and will send recommended projects to be funded by the CPA money to the Town Council for final approval. Five members of the CPC are required to be on the committee by the state statute, but communities can add other members. Watertown decided to have four at-large members, but the Rules and Ordinances subcommittee could not agree on how the four would be appointed. The group that put the CPA on the ballot, Invest in Watertown, pushed for the four seats to be appointed by the Town Council.

Community Preservation Act

Council Asked to Weigh in on Who Should Select Community Preservation Committee

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The Town Council will be asked to decide who should appoint certain members of the Community Preservation Committee – the Council itself or the Town Manager. 

The Community Preservation Committee will make recommendations on how Watertown’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) money will be spent. The Town Council ultimately approves the projects, which must fall into at least one of three categories – affordable housing, historic preservation and open space/recreation. Towns and cities can decide who will be part of their Community Preservation Committee, but five positions are mandated by the state statues: member of the Planning Board, a member of the Conservation Commission, a member of the Historical Commission, a member of the Housing Authority Board and a member of the Parks Commission. Those members are chosen by their respective board or committee. Watertown does not have a Parks Commission, so the Council’s Rules and Ordinances subcommittee decided Monday night to have someone who “acts in the capacity or performs like duties of the Board of Park Commissioners.”