CPC Minutes

Truro Community Preservation Committee

Minutes of Meeting of November 13, 2015

Truro Town Hall

Members Present:  Co-Chair Deborah McCutcheon, Co-Chair Mary Rose; Maureen Cronin, Richard Larkin, Robert Lowe, Bonnie Sollog, Lisa Maria Tobia

Co-Chair Deborah McCutcheon called the meeting to order at 4:15 p.m.

Minutes

Robert Lowe moved to approve the amended minutes of October 9, 2015.  Maureen Cronin seconded, and the motion carried 5-0. 

New Projects

Six applications had been submitted for new projects.

The Truro Disabilities Committee had submitted and application “Improved Accessibility of Snow’s Park/Town Green,” requesting $8,811.38 for access mats.  Committee members would like amplification on the locations proposed for the mats, information on whether they are to be purchased or rented, and clarification if this is a one time only request or if it is going to be repeated yearly. 

Friends of the Truro Meeting House, Inc. asked for $48,598 for the “Restoration of the Revere Foundry Bell at the Truro Meeting House.” Robert Lowe discussed the historical importance of the bell.  He explained when the bell would be rung.  The Committee would like to hear more about fund raising efforts for the Meeting House.  It is also time for the next report from the Friends of the Truro Meeting House.  CPC members would like information on the restoration cost of a Barnstable bell like the Truro Meeting House one.

Contribution towards a Regional Housing Consultant, submitted by the Truro Housing Authority, is a request for $40,000 for a shared consultant with Wellfleet.  Deborah McCutcheon said she will check with the Community Preservation Coalition about the legality of this request.

“Rent Relief for Highland Affordable Housing,” submitted by Highland Affordable Housing, is a request for $8,659 for rental assistance at 53 Shore Rd. and 6 Helen’s Way.

The Committee had a number of concerns and had reservations about management of the units.  There were questions about turn-over of the renters and the overall budget.  Some of the services that were provided were called into question.  Co-Chair Deborah McCutcheon will seek opinion on the legality of the project.  

Edgewood Farm Historic Building Preservation, submitted by Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, is a request for $300,000.  Deborah McCutcheon suggested offering money as a challenge grant.  Some of the items listed in the request were considered deferred maintenance rather than preservation.  The CPC would like clearer language about community access to the center.  The Committee recommended more specific detail in the “Scope of the Work & Cost Estimates” section of the application.   CPC members requested actual figures for the work listed.   The other suggestions were that the project be done in phases and that the applicants be paired with someone who had worked on the Truro Meeting House restoration project. 

Robert Lowe moved to send a letter to Castle Hill expressing the CPC concerns.  Maureen Cronin seconded, and the motion carried 5-0.

Preservation and Restoration of Highland House Museum, presented by the Historical Society, is a request for $168, 106 for historic preservation of the museum.  CPC would like to see a longer lease period with the National Park Service.  Deborah McCutcheon suggested that this could be a project that could make use of bonding.  She will speak to the Town Accountant about that possibility for the project. 

Meeting Schedule

Applicants for the Access Mats for the Town Green, the Truro Meeting House Bell, a regional Affordable Housing Consultant and the Highland House Affordable rental relief will be invited to a CPC meeting on Nov. 30, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Town Hall for discussion  of their projects.

The CPC Meeting on Dec. 11, 2015 at 4:15 p.m. will deal with Castle Hill’s request for Edgewood Farm and the Historical Society’s request for the Highland House Museum.    Decisions on what projects will be brought to the public hearing will be made at this meeting.  Also the Town Accountant will make a request about structuring a reserve fund for CPA money. 

The target date for the public hearing on CPC projects to advance to Town Meeting is January 14, 2016 at 6 p.m. at the Community Center.

Finances

Town Accountant Trudi Brazil had provided the Committee with the estimates for Fiscal Year 2017 which the Committee reviewed.

Membership

No new representatives from the Open Space Committee or Recreation Commission have been added to CPC since those committees have not met recently.

Adjournment

Richard Larkin moved to adjourn.  Mary Rose seconded, and the motion carried 7-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:19 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________________                          _______________________

Mary Rogers, CPC Administrative Consultant                      Date

CPC approved these minutes at the meeting held 12/11/15.