City Clerk Recommendation Cover Letter
City of Northampton
Community Preservation Committee
210 Main Street, City Hall
Northampton, MA 01060
July 2, 2008
Mayor Clare Higgins
City of Northampton
210 Main Street, City Hall
Northampton, MA 01060
Re: Community Preservation Committee Recommendation to Fund the City Clerk
Historic Records Preservation Project
Dear Honorable Mayor Higgins,
On May 1, 2008, the deadline for the second round of Community Preservation Act
(CPA) funding requests in the City of Northampton, the Community Preservation
Committee (CPC) began reviewing the ten project proposals submitted for CPA funding.
The Community Preservation Committee and the Community Preservation Planner
reviewed each of the ten proposals for technical correctness prior to the CPC meeting on
May 21, 2008. At the May 21, 2008 meeting, the CPC compiled a list of questions and
additional information necessary for further project review. At this meeting the CPC also
set up a site visit for each of the proposed projects.
On May 31, 2008 the CPC met with each of the ten applicants to discuss their project
proposals, and on June 11, 2008 the CPC held a formal public discussion on the project
proposals. The purpose of the public discussion was to let members of the CPC hear the
views of the public on any of the applications prior to their final review.
On June 18, 2008, the CPC held its summary evaluative discussions of the applications;
during this five-hour meeting the CPC voted on all ten funding requests.
At the June 18, 2008 meeting, the Community Preservation Committee voted 5-4 to fund
$16,033 in FY08 and $33,675 in FY09 to the City Clerk Historic Records Preservation
Project. (Note: those opposed stated they are only opposed to the funding schedule and
would have preferred the CPC fully fund the project with FY08 dollars). The requested
funding is to dismantle bindings, surface dry clean, repair, restore, re-sew, re-bind and
encapsulate vital City records.
The following are conditions/contingencies that the Community Preservation Committee
is requiring as part of its recommendation for the City Clerk Historic Records
Preservation Project:
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Procedures for monitoring and reporting shall be worked out among the
Committee, Mayor and the grantee.
We hope that you will find this overview useful during this critical stage in the funding
process. The Community Preservation Committee has worked diligently to ensure that
both the Committee and the process have been comprehensive, transparent and inclusive;
we welcome your input and expertise on this project recommendation.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Jack Hornor
Chair, City of Northampton Community Preservation Committee