CPC Minutes
Community Preservation Committee
Minutes of December 8, 2021
Virtual Meeting
Attending: Gary Sorkin, Chair; Michael Fisher, Rhonda Fowler, Jim McAuliffe, Elaine McIlroy, David Mead-Fox, Janis Plaue, Geraldine Ramer, Fred Streams
Also attending: Mary Beth Rodman, WES Principal; Harry Terkanian, Affordable Housing Trust Fund Chair; John Dufour, O’Brien & Sons; Dawn Walsh, Lily House; Andrea Aldana, Community Development Partnership; John Connors, Barbara Cary, Eric Winslow, Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum.
Chair Gary Sorkin called the virtual meeting to order at 9:00 a.m., and members of the Community Preservation Committee introduced themselves.
Bonding Discussion
Gary Sorkin discussed the Wellfleet CPC policy for accepting emergency applications at a time after the deadline, which was November 15th this year. David Mead-Fox suggesting a notice on the Town website’s CPC page to let people know about the emergency provision.
Chair of the Wellfleet Affordable Housing Trust Harry Terkanian reviewed bonding procedures and explained a sample debt schedule for a two-million dollar bond for land acquisition. Over a time period of 20 years, the principal remains the same at $100,000 each year while the interest decreases. The total cost of the debt in the end is $2,663,250. He said the Trust had not identified a particular property, but he said if one became available, the Trust is not able to compete in the fast-moving marketplace. With a ready source of available funds, the Town Treasurer could move quickly as long as Town Meeting and the Selectboard approved a land purchase. If a sale was above the $2,000,000 that CPC could offer through bonding, it would be up to the Selectboard’s response on how the Town could proceed. It would also depend upon having a seller who would be willing to consider dealing with the Town. The Affordable Housing Trust will be meeting on Monday to determine a path forward for bonding using CPA funds. The Wellfleet surcharge is the only portion of CPA money that may be used for bonding purposes, so initiating a new debt for twenty years would affect total money for CPA projects until the debt is paid.
Estimated CPA Funding FY2023
Gary Sorkin reviewed the estimated revenue figures for Fiscal Year 2023 that are available for this round of grant applications. Requests this year exceed the amount of money that can be offered. If authorization to borrow is allowed, it doesn’t have to begin in Fiscal Year 23, but it will be ready for next year. Also, the Town’s financial account problems will be resolved by next year, and the CPC’s fund balance ascertained. That should also make it possible for CPA to consider more robust grants.
Minutes of 11/17/2021
Jan Plaue moved to approve the amended minutes of November 17, 2021. Michael Fisher seconded, and the motion carried 9-0.
Wellfleet Elementary School Playground Request
Wellfleet Elementary School Principal Marybeth Rodman introduced Lisa Holmes from the School Playground Committee and Joe Dufour, representative of O’Brien & Sons. Principal Rodman presented background information on the importance of the playground for the school, children, families, the town, and the Recreation Department now located at WES. Joe Dufour discussed how his company provides playground design that meets all state and federal regulations and ADA requirements. The equipment is commercial grade, made to last twenty-plus years. It is designed for no maintenance. The surfacing is done by certified installers. The cost is high, in keeping with other Cape playgrounds, but the professional installation is designed to eliminate liability.
It is possible to split the playground installation into three phases, but with rising prices, the project total would be higher than putting all the features in one step. Mr. Dufour gave a three-phase option with approximate prices: Phase 1 – the major section at $265,000; Phase 2- the swings (2 ADA and 4 regular) at $70,000; and Phase 3 – zip-cruise posts and track with ADA track at $76,000. The total for the phased approach is $411,000. It is more cost effective to do the entire playground once for $385,000, Mr. Dufour said.
Recreation Director Becky Rosenberg expanded upon the collaboration of the Recreation Department and the School in making WES a community recreation center seven days a week. She said a safe and upgraded playground will be a draw for future families at Lawrence Road. Jan Plaue, a former School Committee member, said she considers the playground a basic need for children.
Mary Beth Rodman addressed several questions previously raised by CPC members, concerning other grant opportunities, the playground’s status on the Town’s Capital Improvement Plan, cost of playgrounds in other Cape towns, and the fundraising campaign. She reported that they have now raised $20,000 from private donations. She said it would be possible to subtract that amount from the CPA request.
Mr. Dufour added information about the problems of a community-build approach. In addition to the liability issue, it is difficult to raise a needed 45-50 volunteers and difficult to manage a group of that size if it does coalesce. He projected a 4-5 week for an O’Brien & Sons’ installation of the playground in July-August 2022, subject to approval at Town Meeting.
Mary Beth Rodman promised to send the proposal for three phases to the CPC members through the Coordinator Mary Rogers.
Lily House
Dawn Walsh, Executive Director of Lily House, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, explained how she was a hospice volunteer who helped vision this alternative for people who were dying alone is hospitals or nursing homes. Lily House at 40 Pocahontas Rd., Wellfleet, was bequeathed for use as a community home where people who don’t have the financial means or support to stay at home can have round the clock, holistic care at the end of their lives. Lily House can accommodate two people at a time. With an average stay of about a month estimated per person, Lily House expects that 20 to 25 people per year could be accommodated there. Preference would be given to Wellfleet and Outer Cape residents. There is already a waiting list from the medical hospice community for people in need. Lily House belongs to the Omega Home Network and is a social model since it is only the second home in Massachusetts.
Ms. Walsh said that Lily House will reach out to other Outer Cape towns for CPA funding, but there wasn’t time to do it this year. She explained that payment for a Lily House stay would be on a sliding scale. Some people pay more than the $250 per day needed, and some pay less. There is a lot of “paying it forward,” she said. Lily House is committed to cover the cost for those who do not have the means to pay. Their income sources are multi-pronged – fund raising, grants and angel contributions. They have received $200,000 from 400 individuals in grass roots donations.
The property at 40 Pocahontas Rd. was in a trust, and one signature remains to complete the deed transfer to Lily House. Ms. Walsh expects the final step very soon.
Affordable Housing Trust Request
Harry Terkanian discussed the effort to reach the state’s goal of 10% affordable housing in Wellfleet. The Trust will be meeting next week to determine if their request for approximately $70,000 remain as a grant to the Trust or if they will be looking for money to purchase land through bonding.
CDP Housing Institute
Andrea Aldana of the Community Development Partnership said that the Lower Cape Housing Institute is remaining virtual for now because the workshops serve more communities that way. However, there is more value in meeting face to face for the peer group, so CDP favors a hybrid approach when possible. She announced next week’s peer group meeting and suggested viewing any past programs on YouTube. She also recommended keeping up with CDP by subscribing to their monthly newsletter. So far, twenty-one people from Wellfleet have participated in the Lower Cape Housing Institute. Elaine McIlroy attested to the value of connecting with other communities through the peer group sessions. Gary Sorkin congratulated CDP and their partners, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. (POAH), on being selected as the developers of 95 Lawrence Rd.
Historical Plan
Historical Commission Representative Jim McAuliffe explained that their request for $20,300 would fund 68 additional Form B’s that are registered with the Massachusetts
Historic Commission (MHC) and sponsor a workshop series. A street survey by WHC identified 782 buildings, including mid-century modern ones, for inclusion in the Historical Plan. Of those buildings, 578 proved to be of historical significance. To date, 348 Form B’s have been completed and filed with MHC. Sixty-eight high priority buildings of the 230 remaining on the list are the focus of this phase of the plan. Lynn Smiledge will continue to compile the Form B’s and offer more workshops. Her recent “Wellfleet Homes and the Stories They Tell” virtual workshop drew an attendance of approximately 180 viewers, who requested more presentations.
Time Constraints and an Additional Meeting
Before hearing from the Wellfleet Historical Society & Museum, Gary Sorkin noted that because of time constraints, members of CPC could not remain if voting on the applications were to be done at this meeting. He recommended that the Committee hold an additional meeting next week. Everyone agreed. The extra week would also give them more time to consider each request and time for a bonding decision from the Affordable Housing Trust.
Wellfleet Historical Museum
Historical Society & Museum President John Connors said that they understood how their request greatly exceeded money that CPC could offer this year. They would be grateful for any amount that could be granted. Eric Winslow, Chair of the Building Committee, reviewed the work that has been done and the work that needs to be completed to make the museum ADA accessible. He could not single out a priority item from the grant request, but the elevator needs to be in place to continue the restoration. He discussed other money raised through a Mass Cultural Council grant of $250,000, $44,000 from private donations and the start of a new capital campaign. Barbara Cary, WSMS Treasurer, reviewed the suspension of their biggest fund raisers, the Annual House Tour and the Strawberry Festival, because of Covid constraints. John Connors said they have managed to keep their doors open and continued to offer walking tours during the summer months. Anything that CPC can give this year would help as they struggle to complete the museum restoration in the next few years.
Next Meeting
The next virtual CPC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. The agenda will include: bonding plans, decisions on applications for Annual Town Meeting, and approval of the Needs List for the public hearing.
Adjournment
Jan Plaue moved to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 11:04 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Rogers,
CPC Coordinator
The Community Preservation Committee approved these minutes at the meeting held 12/16/2021.
Public Records materials for the meeting of 12/8/2021
All applications are on file in the CPC permanent records
WES playground phases worksheet
Lily House financials