Well, good evening everyone. This is the community preservation committee meeting for April 22nd, 2026. Um, we have a forum. We have a forum. We have um Linda Stein, Bartlet Harvey,
Carol Mueller, Sam Bell in um Carson and Kate Jacobson and Andrew Samaro are remote. Um I was just saying I think this is going to be kind of a short meeting. We don't have a lot to go over, but I thought it was kind of important since it's our meeting right before town
meeting um to go over a couple of things. I kind of want to talk about the um issue we had with uh the reserve and when we can have money whether we have to wait till July 1st or whatever. I think I think the town has come to kind
of a consensus of how they want to to do that going forward. Um, so I didn't there were there was no CPA news. The minutes I came from hating AI, not wanting anything to do with it to relying on it.
And our video this time didn't have a transcript. So, we're trying to figure out how to get the minutes um without having to go back and watch the meeting. >> Is there a reason? >> We're not sure. Um, press, my friend
Chris emailed LCTV to see if they could help us out with that. >> Oh, >> yeah. Or he thought there might be something that you could put it through that it didn't need a transcript, but um, >> if we have the video,
>> we um, yes, it's entirely possible. I do this all the time at work. You can have something else create the transcript for you. >> If you, you know, as long as there's sound on the video, that is entirely possible.
>> And if LCTV can't help, we can connect maybe Friday afternoon and I can help you. >> All right, great. That would be good. >> Okay. Uh any member updates from Nathan?
The only update I have is that um there was money left over from years and years ago that won't um housing authority and um I know that they housing authority has started to
get that money and I don't know how far they've got but I know that that's underway that that um the director has been in contact with the treasurer and it's being moved out. >> Great. >> So, that issue should go away
eventually. >> Yeah, there were a few old projects that were sitting out there that like last year we rescended some of the money. I just didn't get to it. I didn't get um there's some park and wreck um funds I got to talk with Alicia about, but I was talking to the town accountant Michelle
and I said, "Well, maybe we can do it in the fall. Um you know, once things calm down a little bit, we can concentrate on that." it was just too much to do for May. But that'll be good because by then we might know >> if there's any residual money there. Um it's not a lot that's that's left out
there. But well there is yeah um but there's like one of the boardwalks there's some money left over so we should be able to pull that back into the the reserves. So we'll we'll work on that for for November. those here that they're using up.
>> They were very happy. >> I'm sure they were very happy to they should be very happy that we're very lenient at some things, too. So, anything else? Oh, Rob, did you have anything to
>> just wanted to hear the conversation about the uh use of reserve funds? >> Yeah. So the use of the reserve funds and the town meeting article is kind of all put together. But if you remember we had we were it was kind of a sneak
attack on us at the last meeting. All of a sudden we were told that um the way we had been doing it in the past that we have been told and and it there's a provision for it is that if if you vote that the money comes from the reserve
meaning the money that the town has collected and has in the savings the CPA savings bank if we say that the project comes from the reserve our understanding was that you could spend it right away you didn't have to wait for July 1st.
first and there is um I found which I should have kept I think I gave it away um in the CPA instructions are that you can use any money that gets voted into the CPA savings bank can be used at any
time during the fiscal year as long as the project goes to town meeting which is what our understanding was and that's why we were so specific on voting it from the reserve. So then we at the
last meeting we were told no that's not not possible because and I I I do understand this annual town meeting is setting the budget for the following fiscal year. So in May we will set the budget and do all the finances for
fiscal year 27. What we're trying to say is when we have a project coming from the reserve, it's money that was voted in for fiscal year 26. So that money really belongs to the fiscal year 26 budget.
If you have a special town meeting, which we don't seem to do anymore, we could have put that into a special town meeting because that's usually prior year. You used to do prior year bills and and things like that. what we we're not doing it in a a special town meeting and it doesn't
sound like they want to. So that's okay. So what town council came up with and we didn't have ahead here a little bit the first part of article or actually it's the second part of or no first part
of article 24 and we'll go through this a little bit more. Um they have it worded to see if the town will vote here and to transfer from fiscal year 2026 community preservation reserves the
following. So they're putting in that in next year's budget in the in the annual town meeting which is for the following year a provision to use last fiscal year's monies.
So, what we need to be, those of us who are here next year, we need to remember this and it's probably something that we should ask all of our applicants. Do you need the money before July 1st? Um, I'm thinking maybe we even put it on our
application. If you don't really need it, okay, fine. We just put it in. It just goes through. If you do need it, it would need to go in um a section like this. That's a good idea.
>> Yeah. So, I think that's that's the way around it. And I think like for all of them, we should still vote from the reserve because it's still from the res even if it's the current year reserve, it's still reserve funds. Um, and that's the you'll see the
rest of the article is written up like that as well. WR written up like >> um from the reserve. All of them say from the reserve. From the reserve, >> but only the ones listed first. >> All of them do. Yeah. If you look >> No, no, I know they're all say reserve,
but are you are the only the ones that can use 2026 funds? The >> We have to make sure that says from the reserve, but it doesn't hurt that we vote all of them from the reserve because even if you're putting them next year, it's still reserved. I mean, everything is reserved once it gets to
CPA. Okay. So, but my question is these four bulleted projects are listed under 20 26 mosquito. So, that's the only ones that can be used for 20 26 before July 1st.
>> Before July 1st. Yes. >> But they this money isn't affecting the 27 budget because it's already in hand, >> right? So, it really does make sense on some >> Yeah. It's just because we're in the annual town meeting which is supposed to
be for next year's budget. >> I mean, I understand the wording, but in reality, it's >> not affecting the 27 budget, >> right? >> And that's why they're going to spell it out, >> but as a way to continue what we were
doing and helping organization, helping projects out, >> right? This says to appropriate or reserve from fiscal 27 community position annual revenues >> following the notes. So
>> do we have to specify that it's we're appropriating or taking putting it in reserves or we just >> I think that's all I think that's the what we've always said. I don't think that's any different the following sections which we'll go over. >> Okay. >> Okay. But again, we just need to make
sure that we know when we vote in a project, do they are they going to expect it right away or can they wait until July first, right? I mean, we don't have a process to do it and only some I mean like the
clean lakes have been at this so they were expecting that we were following last year's procedures and they >> almost did it. >> Yeah. And I'm not sure how it quite came up, but I just wish we had known a little bit
earlier than than the final >> at the meeting of the final final vote, but it's all right. We So the the process what happened is after we found that out and we I know Rob was running around trying to see if we we could do a special town meeting. I happened to be
meeting with uh Robin Healey, the treasurer, and Michelle Reynolds, the accountant, and Jim Dugen came in and we kind of hashed it out. And when I left that meeting on Friday, I thought we would we were okay. I thought, you know, we convinced them that the way we've
been doing it is fine. And then I wasn't able to get to the select board meeting the following Monday. I had to work late. And then I heard that they had broken up the article. So when I pulled it off of the the agenda, I saw what had
happened and I I just Mark Mark Ronacher told me what what went on. So it it made sense. Um the unfortunate part was it was these four which I had named off the top of my head at our meeting on that Friday.
>> So I know I talked to Linda to make sure that you were okay with the July 1. >> Not happy about it. Yeah. >> I didn't get to Diane Corey. So, I didn't even get the chance to ask her if she could make it till um July 1st. I did talk to Tim Pearson in the
boardwalks. He said it wouldn't be a problem. They wouldn't be spending anything before that. So, I think we are okay. Um you know, the same with the the lake plans and the housing plan. That's all future anyways. >> So, just to clarify,
>> um the money can be spent until July 1st >> for your project >> for these. Yes, >> for the 27 fiscal year 27 project. However, >> planning can be done for that. >> Okay. >> All right, Andrew Kate. Sorry, I can't
see you. I thought my camera >> We're still in the shadows. >> Okay. Yeah, I just want to >> listening. >> Okay. If you have a question, just holler. >> Thanks. Um, so I just put the figure we could
just go through the articles so that we know what's going on. Um, article 23 is our first one. This is last year. I think they put it in the consent calendar. So, we may not have to speak to it, but this is the money that the town um through their policy to try to
match the 1% that we're putting in from the search charge from free cash. and they were able to do it this year 100% of that estimated 1% sir charge. So it's 4651 155 will be coming in. So this
article just puts that free cash into the CPA reserve. It doesn't the allocation comes in the next one. It just that will just make it sit there. Um so hopefully >> So does that bring the amount to 2% or 3%. >> 2%. >> 2%.
>> Yeah. But it's nice because it gives us a good match. It >> gives us better. >> Yeah. >> Um, article 24 is again broken into three sections. Um, and I will probably,
like I've done the last couple years, do this at on the floor of town meeting just to kind of explain because it's it's kind of all melded into into one. Um, so
um, we just kind of talked about this. These are the four project. Oh, the other thing that happened was when I looked at it, all these came from open space and not undesated. So like why wait? So luckily they they were able to fix this. But this again is the four
projects that we were able to get in into the article that will be available for spending on after Maytown meeting if they all pass. And those are the uh herbicide treatments for Long Lake,
Forge Pond, Nawani, and then the terrestrial invasives at the should be Hartwell, YAP, and New Town Hill conservation sites. And then the 20,000 from the open space reserves for the um improvement of the
draw down. The only thing I didn't get to ask, and maybe Rob knows, um whether Westford voted their part I have not heard that. >> Yeah, I was going to email Dave and I did hear select board say that action was being undertaken with regard to an
intermunicipal agreement >> that would allow for the funds that you're moving, but that's separate from whether they voted. So, but you know these clean legs, there's just a lot of
very specific intervals of action, coordination. Yeah. So, >> I had not heard that. >> Yeah. Okay. I meant to email and I just my mind. Um so that's the
so part two which is again is still part of of um article 24. Um so this is our budget. So these are the amounts that will be going um into and out of um the buckets. The
yellow highlighted on the screen are the debt service that we have. Um, still have some uh YAF uh three three conservation properties. Yap, Cobb in
the Williams up on Boxboro. Um, Yap we have a couple more years that ends in fiscal year 29. Cobb goes through fiscal year 31 and Williams through fiscal year 28. So, we have a little bit more to go on that. Um,
historic resources debt services the roof at the H Hotton Memorial Building. um that's goes through fiscal year 29. So we're still carrying a little bit of of debt service. Now I will show you how we get to those other dollar amounts.
So up on the top left is the projected 1% search charge. So that's what tax collector feels that we will get for the 1% search charge and this is for fiscal year 27. So this is going forward. So
they estimated that at 465155. The blended funds are what we just talked about then in the previous article that the town is giving us from free cash. So they're matching that. So our revenue for fiscal year 27 is
estimated at 930 $930,310. Obviously that will go up or down depending on um a number of different categories. Then the estimated state match. So the
estimated state match looks backwards. So that's going to look we get that in November. So we'll get that in November of 2026 and that looks back at what we have collected for fiscal year 26. So the the
search charge and blended funds forward looking the state match is backward looking. So last year we reported that we had $725,178 collected um at the end of the fiscal year.
The department of revenue has asked towns to estimate the state match at 15.5% this year. So that 11242459 is 15.5% of that 725.
So we have two revenue streams that will come in next year. We'll have that 930 310 which is the tax and the blended funds free cash amount. The 1124259 is the is the estimated what we'll get
from the state based on what we got last year. So we have those two dollar figures and then on the bottom is our our allocations that we voted in. So on the left hand side we have the 1% search
charge and blended funds which we vote differently than the state match. So we have the 40 40% 18% 20% 21 and then the 1% for administration and in that in that category we don't vote any
undesated. So you can see the 93310 at the bottom. Then we have the estimated state match which we vote on a little bit differently. That's 30,000 30 30% 15 for those three categories and then we put
the remainder which is 25% and undesated and that comes out to the 112 403. So we add those two allocations which are different calculations. We add those together into that uh 40 405,845
open space 184316 for historic 202922 for community housing 21225 for recreation 9,303 for administration and that would
leave 28,101 for undesated. So our total allocation is a million 42713. Now if you go back, so these all match out. You will notice that there's no line item for undesated
and that's because what they do is they bring all the money comes in and just sits in the CPA pot. So basically it's all undesated. We allocate it out. So what happens is that 25,000 just gets left behind. So we don't have to specifically vote it to an there's not
really an undesated reserve. And then we just remember at the end of the fiscal year the administr any administrative expenses that are left over get dumped into the um undesated bucket. any tax, back taxes, any fines,
penalties, all of that goes into undesated. And that's kind of how our undesated bucket grows. So, it's a little convoluted, but that's at least I can prove it. How do we get to it? >> All right.
And then the final part are our the rest of our projects whose funds will be available on July 1st. Um I'm hoping to be able to just give like a little brief synopsis of each one
and um if there are any questions specifically I would just ask the moderator to allow the applicant to come up. So if you have a project if you can just be and if it's a real simple question I'm answering it. If it gets into specifics, I think the applicant should speak to
it. I will talk to um John Folsome about the lake stuff and see how state and conservation want to put it together. But a record number of projects this year. Any other questions on
on any of that? >> Pretty clear. >> Clear as mud, as they say. Clear as mud. No. >> Yeah, it's just confusing because like you say, it would be nice if everything was separated out, but this is how we've been doing it for years, so I think it
makes sense. So, that will be our town meeting article. Um, does anyone else have anything else? I really don't. >> Oh, Carolyn, do you think it would be worth us um posting for town meeting just in case something pops up and they
need us to take action? >> Yes, I think that's a good idea. >> Okay, I can throw something together and get it up uh >> tomorrow. >> Okay, thank you. Yeah, that's a good idea. You never know.
>> You never know. Anyone have anything else? I told you it might be a short meeting, but I thought it'd be good if we got together and hash things >> get it as in place as possible. >> Yeah. In case anybody asks you, they are
doing I'll do um an LCTV spot on this and then I hope to get the the projects posted to the website. I'll do that. Finish that up tomorrow or maybe tonight when I get home and then
post that those are out there. Um in case anybody wants to look. I don't know. Be interesting to see if anyone actually goes out there. See if there's some stats. Um meeting schedule. I think last year we skipped the May after the town meeting. Um I don't we we can we have
plenty of time. I mean, if there's something that we feel we should talk about that something that happens or whatever, we can but um maybe we can skip May and go to June. >> It works, >> which would be
June 17th would be the third. That sounds nice and warm hopefully and then we'll just be in touch with wea may debrief >> June 17th 700 p.m. right
>> 7 p.m. Yeah, we'll do hybrid again. All right, any any last words of wisdom? It's like a record meeting. >> A record meeting. All right. Well, thanks everyone for coming out and joining. I appreciate it. And um we'll
see you after town meeting.