Community Preservation Committee Meeting
The committee recommended that City Council establish five CPA reserve accounts (Housing, Open Space/Recreation, Historic, Administrative, Budgeted) and transfer set percentages of FY2026 estimated CPA funds (10% to three reserves, 5% to administrative, remainder to budgeted); specific dollar figures were recorded in the minutes.
The Community Preservation Committee met May 21, 2025. Amesbury CFO Marisa Batista presented FY2026 CPA revenue estimates (minutes record $564,881 estimated, including a $69,000 match) and explained timing and administrative requirements: funds will be available July 1, applicants cannot receive payments in advance, and funded budgets, documentation of other funding, receipts, and a contract will be required before disbursement. The committee discussed the need to make a motion on June 1st to appropriate funds and to prepare recommendations for City Council in advance of the council’s June meeting.
The committee voted unanimously to recommend that City Council establish five separate CPA reserve accounts — Housing Reserve, Open Space/Recreation Reserve, Historic Reserve, Administrative Reserve, and Budgeted Reserve — and to transfer 10% of estimated CPA funds into each of the three program reserves, 5% into the Administrative Reserve, and the remainder into the Budgeted Reserve for FY2026. Members also read and approved specific dollar allocations tied to those percentages (the minutes record a 10% amount of $56,488 and a FY2026 remainder figure of $367,000). Howard Snyder will present the recommendation to City Council and attend the June 17 council meeting. No public comment was recorded.