Minutes
Lincoln Community Preservation Committee
Feb. 12, 2007
Present: Rayna Caplan, Susie Collins, Craig Donaldson, John Koenig, Bill Stason, Peter von Mertens, John Valpey and Bryce Wolf
Absent: Colin Smith
Susan Harding of the Cemetery Commission appeared to discuss the request for funding to repair the Rev. William Lawrence table-top memorial. The Commission has received pledges of $1,000 from the Lincoln Historical Society and $1,000 from First Parish. The Commission has had the quote for this work for over a year, but did not act on it due to the lack of funds within the Commission.
Peter Sugar of the Library Trustees appeared to discuss the request for funding for the library’s fire suppression/detection system. The Committee analyzed the request for funding to determine the most critical needs at this time. Mr. Sugar reminded the Committee that the study for the fire system was undertaken after expressions of concern from the Town, rather than at the initiation of the Library Trustees.
The Committee then went into executive session for the purpose of considering the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 39, Section 23B(6). Members voting in favor of going into executive session were Rayna Caplan, Susie Collins, Craig Donaldson, John Koenig, Bill Stason, Peter von Mertens, John Valpey and Bryce Wolf.
[executive session]
The Committee came out of executive session, then discussed the Town’s renewed negotiations with the owners of the condominiums on Ridge Road, and the probable request for CPA funding if those negotiations are successful.
The Committee also discussed information from the Community Preservation Coalition regarding the state match. According to the Coalition, $17.8 million of state matching funds were distributed to 34 participating communities in 2002, compared with $58.6 distributed to 102 communities in 2006. The Coalition believes that the 100% state match will continue “for at least one more year.” With additional communities adopting the CPA, and a slow down in real estate activity, the state fund may not support a 100% match for much beyond that. The Coalition is currently working on projections for the size of the state fund for FY 08.
The Committee then discussed the proposal for funding from the Affordable Housing Trust (2008-9). It was decided that the terms of the grant agreement between the CPC and the Trust were flexible enough for the funds granted to be used for options or for a down payment on property or properties. It was also decided that it would conflict with the concerns underlying the original $900,000 grant to grant any additional funds to the Trust until the original grant had been expended.
The Committee then discussed the Town Administrator’s proposal for funding of a follow-on study to the Town Facility Review, focusing on Town Hall and Bemis Hall (2008-8). The Committee had a number of questions about the request, and it was decided to gather those questions and forward them to the Town Administrator as soon as possible.
The Committee then discussed all funding requests received for fiscal year 2008, and voted unanimously to approve the following funding requests for recommendation to Town Meeting in March 2007:
Request Description Amount Comments
2008-2 Library Fire Suppression Sys:
Item 2
Item 4
Completion of study
$23,700
$9,724
$20,830
2008-4 Conservation Prop. Purchase $275,000 This funding is contingent upon the Conservation Commission entering into an option to purchase the subject property on or before March 1, 2007.
2008-3 Conservation Fund $75,000 This amount to be funded only if the contingency for 2008-4 is not met.
2008-5 Pierce House
B-6 - exterior repairs
B-7 - exterior painting
S-1 - sills, posts, studs
S-4 - Manager’s bathroom
$65,000
$50,000
$25,000
$15,800
2008-6 Cemetery Commission $4,300 The Committee discussed a claw back provision, but did not vote on that.
2008-7 Town Clerk Records $7,720
The total to be funded, based on this determination, would be either $497,074, if Request 2008-4 is funded, or $297,074 if Request 2008-4 is not funded (and 2008-3 is funded).
The Committee scheduled its next meeting for Tuesday, February 27, 2007, for the primary purpose of discussing Request 2008-8 with the Town Administrator.
The committee approved the minutes from its December 11, 2006 meeting.
Submitted By: John L. Koenig
Approved: 2/27/2007
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