A communication transmitted from Yi-An Huang, City Manager, relative to recommendations of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) for FY2025

To: Yi-An Huang, City Manager From: Taha Jennings, Chair of Community Preservation Act Committee Date: September 13, 2024 Re: Allocation and Appropriation of FY2025 CPA Funds The purpose of this memo is to summarize the process of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) and to convey the Committee’s recommendations for FY2025 CPA funding, voted on by the CPAC on September 12, 2024. The Committee met four times: May 31, 2024 (Organizing Meeting), July 17, 2024 (Project Recommendation Hearing), July 31, 2024 (Allocation Percentages Hearing), and September 7, 2024 (Project and Allocation Vote Meeting). The Committee’s recommendations are based on public comments and City staff presentations received at the July 17, 2024 and July 31,2024 hearings, public comment submitted while the record remained open, and CPAC discussion at the September 12, 2024 meeting. The Committee received comments as follows: • 1 public speaker at the May 29, 2024 meeting; • 6 public speakers at the July 17, 2024 hearing; • 6 public speakers at the July 31, 2024 hearing; • 10 communications received via electronic submission or telephone; and • Emailed petitions from 8 affordable housing developments with a total of 199 signatures. The Committee received 7 comments related to CPA projects: • 2 comments supported affordable housing projects; • 2 comments supported historic preservation projects; and • 5 comments supported open space projects. The Committee received 216 comments on the allocation percentages: • 16 individual comments supported an 80% allocation to affordable housing; • 199 petition signatures supported an 80% allocation to affordable housing; and • 1 individual comment in support of 78% or 75% allocation to affordable housing and increasing the open space allocation. The attached FY25 Project Recommendations Book provides additional detail on the Committee’s process, funding, and recommended projects for FY25. Accordingly, on September 12, 2024, the CPAC voted on the following recommendations to the City Council, through the City Manager. The CPAC voted unanimously for an allocation of 80% for Affordable Housing, 10% for Historic Preservation projects and 10% for Open Space projects. The Committee then voted to recommend that CPA funds in the amount of $21,300,000 be allocated and appropriated to the Affordable Housing Trust, as well as to certain historic preservation and open space projects. In addition, the committee voted to recommend appropriating $985,000 from the Historic Preservation Reserve Fund and $884,925 from the Open Space Reserve Fund to projects. All recommendations were voted unanimously. The Committee votes were as follows:

VOTE 1: Fiscal Year 2025 Local Funds ($14,700,000) Vote 1A 80% of FY2025 CPA Local Fund revenues ($11,760,000) allocated to Affordable Housing and appropriated to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust Vote 1B 10% of FY2025 CPA Local Fund revenues ($1,470,000) allocated to Historic Preservation as follows: 1. $75,000 appropriated to the CDASH Records Preservation Project 2. $50,000 appropriated to City Hall Façade Restoration 3. $200,000 appropriated to the Dance Complex Envelope Restoration & Preservation 4. $40,000 appropriated to Fresh Pond Golf Clubhouse Restoration 5. $40,000 appropriated to Historic Entry Stairs repair at the Cambridge Public Library main branch 6. $500,000 appropriated to Lexington Avenue Firehouse Windows 7. $270,000 appropriated to Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House Restoration 8. $240,000 appropriated to River Street Firehouse Envelope Repairs 9. $25,000 appropriated to WPA Painting Restoration 10. $30,000 appropriated to Winthrop Park Marker Vote 1C 10% of FY2025 CPA Local Fund revenues ($1,470,000) allocated to Open Space as follows: 1. $500,000 appropriated to Rafferty Park Construction 2. $640,000 appropriated to Raymond Park Renovation 3. $50,000 appropriated to Spatial Justice & Public Art at the Lynch Family Skate Park 4. $280,000 appropriated to Watershed Land Acquisition VOTE 2: Fiscal Year 2024 State Matching Funds [received in FY2025] ($3,000,000) Vote 2A 80% of FY2024 State Match revenues ($2,400,000) allocated to Affordable Housing and appropriated to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust Vote 2B 10% of FY2024 State Match revenues ($300,000) allocated to Historic Preservation as follows: 1. $300,000 appropriated to the Dance Complex Envelope Restoration & Preservation Vote 2C 10% of FY2024 State Match revenues ($300,000) allocated to Open Space as follows: 1. $300,000 appropriated to the Rafferty Park Construction VOTE 3: CPA Fund Balance ($3,600,000) Vote 3A 80% of the Fund Balance ($2,880,000) allocated to Affordable Housing and appropriated to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust Vote 3B 10% of the Fund Balance ($360,000) allocated to Historic Preservation as follows: 1. $360,000 appropriated to River Street Firehouse Envelope Repairs

Vote 3C 10% of the Fund Balance ($360,000) allocated to Open Space as follows: 1. $360,000 appropriated to the Raymond Park Construction VOTE 4: CPA Fund Balance - Administration ($10,000) Vote 4A 1. $10,000 appropriated to Administrative Costs for Community Preservation Coalition membership dues VOTE 5: Historic Preservation Reserve ($985,000) Vote 5A $985,000 of Historic Preservation Reserve funding as follows: 1. $285,000 appropriated to Fresh Pond Golf Clubhouse Restoration 2. $700,000 appropriated to preservation grants VOTE 6: Open Space Reserve ($884,925) Vote 6A $884,925 of Open Space Reserve funding as follows: 1. $80,295 appropriated to Alewife Reservation Restoration 2. $84,630 appropriated to Farm@CRLS 3. $720,000 appropriated to Watershed Land Acquisition TABLE 1. Summary of FY2025 Recommended Appropriations by Expenditure Type Appropriation FY25 CPA Funds Reserve Fund Total Affordable Housing $17,040,000 $17,040,000 Historic Preservation CDASH Records Preservation Project $75,000 $75,000 City Hall Façade Restoration $50,000 $50,000 The Dance Complex Phase 2 Capital Project: Envelope Restoration $500,000 $500,000 Fresh Pond Golf Clubhouse Restoration $40,000 $285,000 $325,000 Historic Entry Stairs Repair at CPL $40,000 $40,000 Lexington Ave. Firehouse Window Replacement $500,000 $500,000 Margaret Fuller House Restoration $270,000 $270,000 Preservation Grants – Affordable Housing and Institutional $700,000 $700,000 River Street Firehouse Envelope Repairs $600,000 $600,000 WPA Painting Restoration $25,000 $25,000 Winthrop Park Marker: An Indigenous Perspective on the Settlement of Cambridge $30,000 $30,000 Subtotal (Historic Preservation) $2,130,000 $985,000 $3,115,000

Open Space Alewife Reservation Restoration $80,295 $80,295 Farm@CRLS $84,630 $84,630 Rafferty Park Construction $800,000 $800,000 Raymond Park Renovation $1,000,000 $1,000,000 Spatial Justice & Public Art at the Lynch Family Skatepark $50,000 $50,000 Watershed Land Acquisition $280,000 $720,000 $1,000,000 Subtotal (Open Space) $2,130,000 $884,925 $3,014,925 Administration/ Community Preservation Coalition $10,000 $10,000 Grand Total $21,310,000 $1,869,925 $23,179,925 TABLE 2. Summary of Recommended FY2025 Appropriations by Funding FY2025 Local Funds FY2024 State Funds CPA Fund Balance FY2025 Total Affordable Housing Trust $11,760,000 $2,400,000 $2,880,000 $17,040,000 Historic Preservation Projects $1,470,000 $300,000 $360,000 $2,130,000 Open Space Projects $1,470,000 $300,000 $360,000 $2,130,000 Admin./Community Preservation Coalition Membership Dues $10,000 $10,000 Total $14,700,000 $3,000,000 $3,610,000 $21,310,000