Community Preservation Committee July 9, 2026

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the to the republic for standard indivisible indivisibley liberty and justice for all.

This is the chair's announcement. Since we're virtual, this meeting is being held remotely in accordance with the governor of Massachusetts March 28, 2025 order suspending certain provisions of the open meeting law GL chapter 38 section 20 allowing remote and hybrid meeting options for public bodies through June 30th, 2027.

This meeting is being recorded.

Deb Crossley.

Oh, wait. That's Deb Crossley.

Uh, let's see what's going on. Hey, Deb, we lost you.

I know. And, uh, it's telling put in a code from the organizer.

Yes.

Okay. Uh, the You want the pen?

Maybe. Let's see if I can I can give you the code.

I'll I'll read out the pen. You have a pencil.

Hold on. So, I'm going to put it in while you talk to me.

Okay. The pin is You have been um No, that's something else. Oh, it's the code. Deborah, it's I just have a pin. Is there a code?

Hz. Are you ready, Deborah Crossly?

I don't know. I don't Oh, I have I have the code. Okay.

To put it in.

All right. So, if you do the meet.google.com google.com backr dash i v as in victor y like yes p like I'm actually seeing that code now but I'm get so it's google.com meet.google.com google.com. Do you want me to just text you the link?

No. Yeah. Yeah. That's just gonna let me in.

Yeah, you were in. I don't know what happened.

You're in.

It just The camera has gone off. That's all.

She's talking. Don't Let's Don't both talk. Wait a second. Uh, one of us talk about for to her. So, she's in. She just can't be seen.

Right. Deborah Crossley, you can hear us.

Oh, you can hear me now.

Yes, we've heard you the whole time.

Well, she's on my speaker phone.

It's something to do with your camera.

No, I I I'm seeing myself in a picture.

It just won't let me in. So, hold on.

I'll try it again. I I think you're hearing me because I'm on Deb's uh phone.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm sorry, folks.

We could leave it like this. So, we could just leave you on speaker and keep going. Do you want to do want to do that? Oh, wait. I see you back on.

You're back on. I'm going to end the call.

She's back on.

But she's muted.

She's muted.

How's that?

You're on.

Okay. I can't see anybody, but if you can see me, I guess that's something.

We can hear you.

All right.

All right. Good. We can keep going.

Okay. Um, the first item on the agenda, I was going to talk a little bit about CPC.

I've been a member since 2008 for 18 years. Um, most of the time he's either vice chair or chair.

And during that period, I've learned something about it. you learn something every single day as Deborah Chulie is telling me. Um but it's an interesting organization and I really um recommend two things very strongly.

One is that you go to the community pre uh preservation coalition website and look at what is on there and the answers to most of your questions uh is on there. The answer um data about the past about each community is on there.

So that's one the community preservation coalition.

The second is that we have a web page on the town website and that has information more information about the Westport CPC.

So, I'd advise you to look at that, look at the tables, that kind of thing. Um, there are also annual reports which are on the website on the town website. um uh annual reports for the town and there's a section in there for the community preservation committee and they go all the way back to 2002 when we um the town voted to adopt CPA.

So that's what I had to say. There's there's Jared here, Deb Crossley here, um David Inennis, the new members. It's interesting that we've had very little turnover for the last few years and all of a sudden six people are leaving. Uh there's only three from the past. So, it's going to be up to Deborah Chie to teach you everything that she knows. Oh, there you are. C Deb Cley, we see you.

Great.

So, the first uh item on the agenda is the election of officers.

Um I am resigning as chair. I'm leaving town and going to Texas and um I would like to make a nomination for chair. I, Betty Slade, nominate Deborah Chie for chair of the community Westport Community Preservation Committee. If you second it or vote, please give your name.

Is there a second?

Second. Chair Potter.

Thank you. Is there any discussion?

I'll call for a vote.

David Enis.

Yes.

David Marie, say your name, please.

Oh, Davidson. I vote for Deb Chaffy.

Crossley. I think she's gonna be Yes. Deb Crossley.

Jared Piger.

Jared Podiger. Yes.

Okay. Uh, Betty Slade. Yes. Deborah Chie.

Do I vote for myself?

You want to? Of course.

Okay. I Deborah Chie. All right. Deborah is now the chair and I turn over the meeting to Deborah Chelsea. Thank you.

First, I want to read something because we have so many new members. I got this from Phil Weineberg and I want to just read this because I want to encourage the new members who might be hesitant about getting involved in this. He said, "I wasn't an easy recruit to the CPC.

It was the pinky on counting off how many other town boards and committees I was already on. But you supported me, Betty, in my earliest combative days of getting elected to the board of health.

And let's face it, your gentile but implacable persistence was irresistible.

Your leadership fostered a multitude of diverse contributions to the quality of life and character of our community and you inspired many others to join you. It is a privilege to be in the room where it happened.

So I want to thank you personally because you've taught me a tremendous amount as you've mentored me in the last 18 months or so and I accept your um appointment of me as chair. Now, I want to nominate Betty Slade as vice chair of the CPC for whatever brief time I will be privileged to have her as vice chair.

So, I'd like to um make that nomination.

Does someone have a second?

Second. Jared Potter.

Okay. I'd like to take a roll call vote.

Jared Podiger.

Jared Podiger. Yes.

Brian Valort.

He's muted. Brian, unmute your mic.

We can read your lips, but unmute.

Okay, we'll come back to Brian after he unmutes his microphone. Deb Crossley.

Deb Crossley. Yes.

David Andis.

David Andis. Yes.

Betty Slade.

Betty Slade. Yes.

Brian, you're unmuted. Brian Valkcourt.

Brian Valard. Yes.

Okay. Betty is the vice chair of the CPC. Thank you.

All right. So, to continue the rest of this very long meeting, I want to just um mention that we're going to have future meetings. The next one will be in September. Usually, it's a second Thursday of every month, but we don't meet every month, which is kind of good because it's it's good to have just when we really need to meet. The next meeting will be in September. We're skipping August

and September will be September 3rd instead of the second Thursday only because I have a very happy occasion to be out of town on the 10th. My son's movie is premiering in Toronto. So, I'll be out of town for that on the 10th.

So, I'll tell you about it another time, but it's a very exciting time. So, we're going to have the September meeting on the 3. Maria's already set it up and that will be a true hybrid meeting. I plan to be there in person at the town hall with whoever wants to join me and the rest who can't can be virtual on the either Google Meet or Zoom. We'll figure out what might be the best

um connection to make. But that will be on September 3rd and it will be a true hybrid meeting. The rest of the meetings October November December January, those are all important meetings. We will have those monthly meetings and they'll either be hybrid or virtual. I wanted to poll you guys and see if you wanted to do some meetings in person. So, I'd like to just ask around the table

if you would like to have some meetings in person. So, Brian, what do you think?

Um, I'm good either way. It doesn't matter. I'm, you know, five minutes from town hall, so either way. Okay, Deb.

Uh, yeah. I, as I've said to you a few times, I prefer in-person meetings, especially at the beginning. I don't know anybody. Um, and I think people work differently when they're in person.

Uh, as a rule, David, I I'm like person in person also, although I' I'd like it to be hybrid because I'm I'm not always here. So Jared, uh, I I work, you know, I'm a hybrid worker already, so I have no problem coming to town hall once. I'm five minutes away from town hall, so I would like to meet in person as much as possible.

Great, Betty.

Um I am going to only be here a month, so we'll see about that.

Doesn't matter, but our experience has been pretty good since, uh, COVID. we've had completely virtual but we all knew each other before that. So I think that's uh I think the point is that you don't know each other. It's good to sort of have that in action and I for years and years went to before COVID annual the monthly meeting. Remember we only have about five meetings a year. It works out

the period from September to January.

The rest of the time generally we don't need to have meetings. So it'll be good to get together.

Right. And Maria, will you be able to join in person occasionally?

I can do that. And I just want to add that the September meeting is typically also a public meeting. So I will publish that in the newspaper usually in the shorelines and that will solicit applications for from uh anyone who wishes to uh obtain some CPA funds. So we'll see what happens that day.

Okay, great. So like we got a lot of flexibility. People are willing at least.

Can I just say one thing more about the September meeting? It is a meeting where people are being welcome to come in and but you know the CPC itself can discuss what they think the needs are of the town. If you see um something that you think any member I think you should at that time is a very good time to suggest it.

And Betty, if we're going to have that kind of discussion, should we have that without a public hearing and then do the public hearing? Are you saying that that whole It's all together. It's all you have the public hearing and then you'll have your regular meeting right after the public hearing.

Okay. Got it. All right.

Go ahead.

Oh, thank you. Um, so I if you're having a public hearing, is that to for expressions of interest in CPC funds or will we be receiving packets of proposals to review in advance and and and then they're going to be lobbying for their project.

I think I think I think both. Sometimes we'll get something in advance and Maria would put a packet together and it's September. I've already invited one person to come in September and talk to us with WIAA. So I know they will be coming and we may have others come without a proposal yet just to talk to us. But Betty obviously more experience in this. So why don't you just weigh in on that?

there the um I don't think I know of any case where someone has come in September uh with a proposal because it's at that time they I mean with a proposal but nothing formal because it has to be decided if the project is eligible for CPA funding and that's one of the things that happens at that meeting people come in for example it was a religious organization it there's That's very

delicate and you have to be very careful. So this this meeting is just simply people coming in and giving ideas and for the CPC itself to exchange ideas and that's all in the public hearing.

Yeah.

Is there a follow-up public hearing after the proposals have been accepted and reviewed or are meetings generally do generally accept public comment at the meetings?

Do you want me to answer that or?

Well, we have a meeting once a month in this period, the fall through January.

The pattern is we have these meetings where we get idea exchange, encourage people to make their proposal. When the proposal comes in, Betty, it historically has given them feedback on what's missing on their proposal, things they need to fix or change or add. And when the proposal is ready for prime time, then it goes into a packet.

Everybody gets copies of that before the meeting. Maria prepares the packet a good week in advance.

Oh, good.

So can read every before the meeting and then we discuss it with knowledge of what's being proposed. So we have you know advanced warning and that happens on a you know month and month basis until December. we have to make a decision uh in December and January is when the decisions are made about which ones do we want to put forward in our budget for making grants. So that's sort

of rhythm of how it all works and then I think January there's actually a deadline. We have to make that decision by January.

December is the deadline for applications.

January is a public hearing uh Deb Crossley and at that time we have to we hear the projects again generally short uh and then we um go into a regular meeting and at the regular meeting we make our decisions and talk about how we're going to finance it. So the deadline for applications in most cases is December.

There's sometimes diff there's sometimes if there is something that's been in executive session or something, it may uh end up being presented in in January, but that's only happened a couple times.

So, do you never accept proposals on a rolling basis?

If something comes up in June, let's say, I don't know, a piece of property becomes available and a missiondriven affordable housing developer, you know, wants to make a proposal to the CPC and five other organizations as well.

Well, the cycle the cycle is that year, that fiscal year. So they have to submit everything and then we decide as Betty just described final deadline.

See we don't we don't approve the projects. We recommend the projects to tell me.

I understand.

That is why we're so early in doing it because we have to get off the warrant and uh the CPC uh chair has to go before the finance committee and the board of selectmen. So there's a whole period and if there's a special town meeting like in September, then sometimes we can get it get projects in there. That's happened once since I've been on it since 2008. But um generally we just we

have to meet the town's uh deadlines and that's why we're so early.

Well, that's interesting. That's very different from how we do it here or how we do it in Newton, I should say. Um, housing proposals in particular were accepted on a rolling basis until we now give like $2 million a year to the housing trust. Um, let's pause second because the housing trust, they have their own system, their own calendar, their own meetings that we give them money every year. The CPC

always gives them a grant at least in short experience that I've had. And then once goes into the trust, the trust has their own meetings and they have their own decision, right?

And that too. Now you and David are both on the trust as well as CPC. So, you're going to see that for them, which is very different than ours. And they have um you know, their own decision making.

Understand? But the $300,000 they get from the CPC in Westport is not a lot of money when you're talking about housing, right?

Well, it's accumulated to a bit now.

They've got over a million that they're sitting on.

But remember, we don't have the kind of money in which I know you don't.

We have the population. Yeah, I get it.

Um, yeah. Okay.

Yeah, I think if you take a look at that paper that I wrote, I did.

Okay. It answers some of those questions. Yeah.

Yep. No, I just This is just very interesting for me because um Yeah, there's I mean there's no town meeting obviously in a city with a strong mayor. Um but the way things happen is that the mayor doesn't in your town the executive also it has to hold a town meeting before the executive can rule on something or the executive recommends to town meeting.

The select board is the executive for legislative purposes.

Yeah, I get it. Well, it's just interesting.

We had the the the select board I was on for nine years.

So, the select board has to uh kind of close the uh agenda or close the um warrant uh the warrant up in February usually is when we try to get it done by uh sometimes March as late as March, but we we like to have 60 days before town meeting that we have closed the warrant and allow for the for whatever is going to be on the on the on the meeting that year.

And again, as as I said, What CPC does is we recommend that you pass these funding items at town meeting because unlike you know a mayor with a with a city council um the the town meeting is actually the city basically the city council and legislative body.

So they have to pass it and then we can execute you know I should say the select board can execute.

Yeah. No well thank you for all that.

It's just I'm going to get my have to get my ducks in a row with town government.

It's the last surviving form of direct democracy.

Right.

Okay. Just raise one other thing because we don't have a lot of meetings and because we have projects that are ongoing, we have bills to pay that that happen to be in between meetings. So, what we want to do, and we've done this in the past, we'd like to ask for authorization for the chair and vice chair to be able to approve bills that come in between meetings, get those

paid, and then at the next meeting that we have, we report out what has been paid so it goes on the record. So, I'd like for that vote. So, I'd like to ask for a motion to authorize the chair and the vice chair to approve payments that come in between the meetings of the CPC.

Deb, this is David. Um, I'm fine with that, but what what kind of bills do you have?

Like the projects that we're running, they submit invoices for Oh, you mean I I see things we we've voted on already. Okay. or for Marie time that she spends as clerk, we have to pay invoices that are related to projects that have already been approved and they're underway. By the next meeting, you're going to get list of all the projects that are outstanding so you understand what we're already working

because of the administrative process.

If we had to wait for CPC, it would add another month to No, no, I'm fine. I didn't know what you meant by bills.

Yeah. Invoices on projects that are ongoing.

Okay. David has moved. Can I get a second?

Second.

Second.

Okay, I'm gonna do a roll call vote.

Betty Slade.

Betty Slade. I Jared Pottinger Pig.

Jared Pig. Jared Podiger. I Brian.

Brian Valort. I Debb Crossley.

Deb Crossley. I David Enis.

David I.

Deborah Chelie. I So the motion passes.

So we will Deborah. May I say something?

Um, some bill some things that are administrative in character, administrative funds, we have a separate funding for that. Um, we do come to the CPC if it's a major expenditure and ask for permission uh because it's something that hasn't been recommended to town meeting. For example, if um the CPC decides that it's necessary to have a preservation restriction on a property that it has financed for restoration,

similar it will ask CPC, the chair will ask CPC for permission to hire a um an expert to write up that uh preservation conservation. That's an example. Um, so we don't take we Deborah will not take responsibility to all these initiate these things. She will just be paying the bills that come from the projects generally and for the monthly payment for the clerk, things like that that you all know about.

Okay.

All right. So, we don't have any other business on the agenda. Does anyone have any other comments, questions that they might want to ask now before we move to adjourn?

Maria. Maria.

Yeah. I just I just want to apologize to everybody for all the crazy emails that everybody's been getting. I was trying to the Google Meet calendar has been set for I think forever. Second Thursday of the month. So when I tried to change it from September 10th to September 3rd and then include it in person as well as through Google Meet.

It was a disaster. I was get you guys are getting cancellation notices.

Betty's like why is everything cancelled? I was I was getting them. And so I just want to apologize for all that and hopefully from now on it'll be a little more organized.

Thank you. Google Google Me is is a system that is sometimes not always user friendly. Let's just say that way.

You know, you could use Zoom.

Yeah, Deborah and I have talked.

You could use Zoom.

Much easier. Actually, I I find it much easier.

You might consider using Zoom. Other other committees do that.

Yeah, I I have a Zoom account so I know I can um host it if we want to use Zoom. So, that's fine. I have to talk to Val about that at the town hall. see if she can get my Zoom account onto the screen there, which I think she can. So, we're going to work on that for for the September meeting.

Might be better to do for Maria because she'll be at each meeting. You may not be at every meeting.

But just we need to get the We need to have Val be able to use Zoom.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Maria may need an account to get multiple people for over an hour. I think Zoom only does the first hour free unless you have an account.

So, it's a little bit tricky, but we might say that all these meetings go to YouTube and then they're also shown they're um available on the town website under view meetings.

Y okay. Um well, if no one has any other questions, can I have a motion to adjurnn?

So, move second. Betty Slade.

Thank you. So, um, I'll take a roll call. Betty Slade.

Betty Slade. I Jared.

Jared. Podiger. I Brian.

Brian Valort. I Debb Crossley.

Deb Crossley. I David Enis.

David Enis. I Deborah Chely. I. So, meeting is adjourned and I want to thank everybody and we will see you in September. Good luck.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Bye. There's my late summer every