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.”