The Community Preservation Act (CPA) recommendations for FY2018

The purpose of this memo is to summarize the process of the Community Preservation Act Committee (CPAC) and to convey its recommendations made by the CPAC on September 12, 2017. Recommendations were based on the City’s goals, staff presentations and public comments heard at the CPA public hearings held on June 22, 2017 and July 27, 2017, public input from letters, emails, online project requests and petitions received since the beginning of the process, and CPAC discussions at working CPAC meetings on May 19, 2017 and September 12, 2017.

Twelve members of the public spoke at the June 22, 2017 public hearing and suggested projects for CPA funding. In regards to affordable housing, eight members of the public spoke about preserving long-term affordability at Fresh Pond apartments and other expiring use properties, continued support of the First-Time Homebuyers Program and the critical need in funding housing creation and preservation given recent cuts in federal funding.

Three requests for historic preservation grants to fund restoration work were presented. In addition, an open space request for improvements to accessibility at Magazine Beach canoe and kayak launch was proposed. City staff also discussed projects, needs and concerns for open space and historic preservation and affordable housing.

A public hearing, held on July 27, 2017, was to discuss the allocation preferences among the three CPA funding categories; sixteen members spoke. Eleven of the 16 members of the public spoke in favor of the CPAC continuing the 80% allocation to affordable housing. In addition, seven separate petitions with at total of 365 signatures were submitted supporting affordable housing. A summary of the total comments heard at both hearings are listed below.

Public hearing comments (28)

• 13 supported the 80% allocation for affordable housing
• 2 supported a change for an allocation of 60%-20%-20%
• 1 supported a 1/3 split between project areas
• 8 supported affordable housing projects
• 3 supported historic preservation projects
• 1 supported an open space project
• 7 petitions were submitted which represented a total of 365 signatures. In addition, twenty-five project requests were also received through July 27, 2017.
• 5 supported affordable housing projects
• 14 supported a variety of projects related to open space
• 6 supported historic preservation grant funds for restoration work at various historic buildings Accordingly, on September 12 and 19, 2017, the CPAC voted on the following recommendations to the City Council, through the City Manager. The CPAC voted unanimously that the CPA funds in the amount of $12,832,848 to be allocated and appropriated as follows: Recommended FY 2018 Allocation and Appropriation of CPA Funds VOTE 1: Fiscal Year 2018 Local Funds ($9,000,000) Vote 1A 80% of FY2018 CPA Local Fund revenues ($7,200,000) allocated to Affordable Housing and appropriated to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust. Vote 1B 10% of FY2018 CPA Local Fund revenues ($900,000) allocated to Historic Preservation as follows: 1. $600,000 appropriated to the Historic Preservation Grants 2. $25,000 appropriated to the Brattle Street sidewalks 3. $125,000 appropriated to the Electrical Department’s 3rd Street slate roof replacement 4. $125,000 appropriated to the City Hall steps 5. $25,000 appropriated to the Council Chamber painting Vote 1C 10% of FY2018 CPA Local Fund revenues ($900,000) allocated to Open Space as follows: 1. $867,000 appropriated to the Sennott Park playground renovations 2. $25,000 appropriated to the Magazine Beach park canoe/ kayak launch 3. $8,000 appropriated to CRLS tennis courts VOTE 2: Fiscal Year 2017 State Funds [received in FY2018] ($1,470,000) Vote 2A 80% of FY2017 State Match revenues ($1,176,000) allocated to Affordable Housing and appropriated to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust. Vote 2B 10% of FY2017 State Match revenues ($147,000) allocated to Historic Preservation as follows: 1. $25,000 appropriated to City Council chamber painting 2. $30,000 appropriated to the Historic and African American trail markers 3. $9,000 appropriated to Cambridge Public Library annual reports digitization 4. $83,000 appropriated to the Electrical Department’s 3rd Street slate roof replacement Vote 2C 10% of FY2017 State Match revenues ($147,000) allocated to Open Space as follows: 1. $147,000 appropriated to CRLS tennis courts VOTE 3: CPA Fund Balance ($2,100,000) Vote 3A 80% of the Fund Balance ($1,680,000) allocated to Affordable Housing and appropriated to the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust. Vote 3B 10% of the Fund Balance ($210,000) allocated to Historic Preservation as follows: 1. $170,000 appropriated to Electrical Department’s 3rd Street slate roof replacement 2. $40,000 appropriated to Longfellow Park steps Vote 3C 10% of the Fund Balance ($210,000) allocated to Open Space as follows: 1. $210,000 appropriated to CRLS tennis courts VOTE 4: Historic Preservation Reserve ($18,750) and Open Space Reserves ($234,098) The following appropriation requests represent major initiative to utilize CPA Historic Preservation and Open Space Reserve Funds based on a process to identify eligible open space and historic preservation projects that meet CPA criteria. Vote 4A Appropriate $18,750 from the Historic Preservation Reserve to the Public Investment Budget as follows: 1. $18,750 appropriated to the O’Connell Branch interior lighting Vote 4B Appropriate $234,098 from the Open Space Reserve to the Public Investment Budget as follows: 1. $206,507 appropriated to Sennott Park Playground renovations 2. $27,591 appropriated to the Amigo and Morse School playgrounds VOTE 5: CPA Fund Balance - Administration ($10,000) Vote 5A 1. $10,000 appropriated to Administrative Costs for Community Preservation Coalition Membership Dues. Table 1 Summary of FY18 Recommended Appropriations by Expenditure Type

Affordable Housing $10,056,000 Historic Preservation Historic Preservation Grants $600,000 Historic and African American trail markers $30,000 Main Library annual reports digitization $9,000 Brattle Street sidewalks repair $25,000 City Hall steps $125,000 Council Chamber painting $50,000 Electrical Dept. 35 Third St. slate roof replacement $378,000 Longfellow Park steps $40,000 Subtotal (Historic Preservation) $1,257,000 Open Space Sennott Park playground renovations $867,000 CRLS tennis courts $365,000 Magazine Beach Park- canoe/kayak launch $25,000 Subtotal (Open Space) $1,257,000 Administration/ Community Preservation Coalition $10,000 Appropriate from Historic Preservation Reserve to Historic Preservation Projects Amount O’Connell Branch interior lighting $18,750 Subtotal (Historic Preservation) $18,750 Appropriate from Open Space Reserve to Open Space Projects Amigos and Morse School playgrounds $27,591 Sennott Park playground renovations $206,507 Subtotal (Open Space) $234,098 Grand Total $12,832,848 Table 2. Summary of Recommended Appropriations by Funding Source FY2018 Local Funds FY2017 State Funds CPA Fund Balance Reserve FY2018 Total Affordable Housing Trust $7,200,000 $1,176,000 $1,680,000 $10,056,000 Historic Preservation Projects $900,000 $147,000 $210,000 $1,257,000 Open Space Projects $900,000 $147,000 $210,000 $1,257,000 Administration/ Community Preservation Coalition Membership Dues $10,000 $10,000 Historic Preservation Projects from Reserve $18,750 $18,750 Open Space Projects from Reserve $234,098 $234,098 Total $9,000,000 $1,470,000 $2,110,000 $252,848 $12,832,848