Community Preservation Committee Meeting

The committee opened a statutorily required public hearing on the draft Community Preservation Plan and provided an overview of the Community Preservation Act implementation in Amesbury, including the 1% surcharge (with the first $100,000 exempt) and an approximate CPA fund balance of $1.2 million. The plan describes eligible project categories (historic preservation, open space/recreation, and affordable housing), references existing city plans (master plan, housing production plan, open space plans, historic commission input), and outlines application timelines and evaluation criteria. Staff noted applications and full application forms will be available in the first week of October and described a proposed meeting schedule for review, deliberation, and possible site visits before recommendations are sent to City Council for appropriation.

Members of the public and committee raised several substantive points: corrections to scrivener errors (Appendix A reference), clarification that CPA funding is primarily reimbursement (no prepayment), the need for a clear evaluation rubric or numeric/weighted selection criteria, requests for transparent application deadlines and how the community will be notified, and improving website materials showing fund balance and application instructions. After discussion the committee voted to adopt the Community Preservation Plan as amended to correct the Appendix A notation and to add a provision that the committee will consider public input during funding deliberations. The committee agreed a subcommittee will draft two or three rubric/selection-criteria alternatives for consideration at the next meeting (scheduled for October 21, 2026) to guide project evaluations going forward.