Agenda and Minutes 2013-05-01
City of Northampton
Community Preservation Committee
210 Main Street, City Hall
Northampton, MA 01060
Community Preservation Committee
DATE: Wednesday, May 1 , 20 1 3
TIME: 7:0 0pm
PLACE: City Council Chambers, 212 Main Street (BEHIND City Hall)
Contact:
Downey Meyer , Chair, Community Preservation Committee
downeymeyer@gmail.com
Sarah LaValley , Community Preservation Planner
slavalley@northamptonma.gov
(41 3) 587 - 1263
Agenda
General Public Comment
Minutes
March 20, 2013
April 3, 2013
Chair’s Report
Funding Round Debriefing
Review and Approve Contracts and MOU for Funded Projects
City Hall Preservation
Access to Housing
Sign Contract Extension for Look Park Recreation Design Project
Other Business Not Foreseen When Agenda Was Published
Adjourn
For additional information please refer to the Community Preservation Committee website:
http://www.north amptonma.gov/cpc/
Next Meeting: May 1 5 , 2013
Community Preservation Committee Minutes
May 1 , 201 3
Time: 7:0 0 pm
Place: Cit y Council Chambers, 212 Main Street
Memb ers Present: Downey Meyer, Brian Adams, Debin Bruce, David Drake , Dave Rothstein
Staff Present: Sarah LaValley
Downey ca lled th e meet ing to order at 7 : 0 2 PM.
General Public Comment
None
Minutes - March 20 , 2013
Brian moved to approve the minutes as presented. Seconded by Debin, the motion carried
unanimously.
Chair’s Report
Downey reminded the CPC that he will be providing a follo w - up letter to DPW regarding the
unfunded Pulaski Park project, and asked Committee members to provide any suggestions by
email.
Funding Round Debriefing
Brian expressed support for the CPC’s decision not to f eel obligated to fund all projects proposed
an d conserve funds for future rounds.
Dave noted that the Committee did not as a group go through the CPC evaluation criteria outlined
in the CPC Plan , though members may have done so independently . Downey suggested that staff
could develop a checklist.
D ebin stated that she would not be opposed to a checklist, but would not want it to be used as a
type of scorecard, since each project is unique, and projects that may not meet many criteria could
still be very worthy of funding.
Dave stated that it seeme d odd to put so much emphasis on the criteria, and then not discuss
them during the evaluation process. The Committee should acknowledge the criteria met by each
project, especially since some applicants do not address the criteria, and some claim in
appl ications to meet criteria that may not be part of the project.
Downey noted that these observations are usually discussed in Q&A with applicants and
subsequent Committee discussions. Staff could provide the criteria when applications are first
distributed so that Committee members have them in mind early in the process.
Dave agreed this would be useful, and suggested the criteria be again distributed with ranking
sheets prior to final allocation discussions.
Review and Approve Contracts and MOU for Fun ded Projects
City Hall Preservation
The Committee clarified a condition that the applicant must demonstrate compliance with the
Secretary of the Interior standards. Dave moved to approve the contract. Seconded by Debin, the
motion carried unanimously.
A ccess to Housing
D avid recalled that the application noted that ServiceNet would try to focus program efforts on
homeless individuals with ties to Northampton, and moved to approve the contract as presented,
with a condition that ‘reasonable efforts shall be made to ensure that recipients have connections
to Northampton. Seconded by Dave, the motion carried unanimously.
Other Business Not Foreseen When Agenda Was Published
David informed the Committee that the Lions Club approached the Historical Commissi on with
an inquiry about the possibility of using CPA funds for restoration of a 1920’s fire engine.
Northampton Community Preservation Committee Minutes
1
M ay 1 , 2013
Debin stated that the City Council will discuss approval of a grant application for an extension to
the Norwottuck trail to Williamsburg. That section of the trail includes the Beaver Brook Bridge
that was funded for rehabilitation with CPC funds.
Adjourn
On a motion and second, with unanimous vote , the meetin g was adjourned at 7 : 4 5 PM
Northampton Community Preservation Committee Minutes
2
M ay 1 , 2013