Q and A for CPC applicants
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT
CPC PROCEDURES
When are meetings scheduled?
Meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month at 7 pm at Town Hall in the Board of Selectmen’s room on the second floor. Please check postings of meetings at the Town Clerk’s office. There is a special public hearing in April for those projects which have been approved in previous meetings.
How do I obtain application forms to submit projects for consideration by CPC?
The application forms are available on the town website under Community Preservation Committee. You should also download the Guidelines for Submission of Projects to CPC and examine the chart entitled Community Preservation Fund Allowable Spending Purposes. Questions and Answers give you further information.
How do I know if my project can be funded with CPA funds?
The chart entitled Community Preservation Fund Allowable Spending Purposes gives a very good idea of the eligibility of projects. However further information is available at http://www.communitypreservation.org/index.cfm. You also may consult with the chair of the Westport CPC.
When and where do I present my application?
Once you have completed your application, it should be given to the Town Hall Office of the Selectmen at least 5 days prior to the next scheduled meeting. Please ask that it be date-stamped and placed in the CPC cubbyhole. The Secretary will then scan the application and send it to the members. You will be placed on the agenda and will be expected to explain your project in detail. You will be notified that you are on the agenda. You also may wish to bring 10 copies of your application to the meeting.
Who can submit a project for consideration?
The submitter is an individual who may act on behalf of himself/herself or a private or public entity, e.g., Historical Commission, Historical Society, Westport Grange, Fishermen’s Association, or Town Clerk, etc. This affiliation, if any, must be stated on the application and the supporting entity needs to have reviewed and approved the project. If a private entity or person is submitting, the public purpose of these funds must be clearly stated. CPA funds can go to private entities as long as there is a clear public purpose. If there is any doubt, then depending on the amount and use of the funds requested for the project, the CPC will require some guarantee that there will be a public purpose. For example, land acquisition may require a conservation restriction. Smaller projects may require entry to view the project. Projects for town of Westport bodies are assumed to have a public purpose.
What are the first steps when the project is in the historical preservation category?
The applicant should do two things: (1) check the Westport Historic Inventory list on the town website under the Westport Historical Commission to determine if the historic resource is on that list. (2) Contact the CPC representative of the Westport Historical Commission, Norma Judson, about being placed on the WHC agenda for a review of the project.
There are two scenarios: The historic resource is on the Westport Historic Inventory or it is not. In both cases, the WHC will review the project. Note carefully that if it is not on the Inventory, the WHC must make a determination as to whether the historic resource (building, structure, object) is locally significant. If the WHC determines it is not, then the project is not eligible for funding under the Historical Preservation Category of the CPA. If the historic resource is on the Inventory, then the WHC will provide assistance to the CPC’s review of a project’s scope of work. The WHC recommendations are taken seriously by the CPC. You should therefore take this submission very seriously and be prepared to give full details of your proposal to the WHC.
How is a project approved?
A project is first reviewed by the CPC for its eligibility under CPA. Applicants are asked about other financing available for that project including possible matching funds. The project itself is examined for its clarity and scope, public purpose, and completeness. Recommendations are given by CPC as to required bid process and other matters. Often the applicant must return with further information – it is not common that a project is approved at one meeting. The CPC, once it approves a project, will have a public hearing for that project, and submit it to the warrant of Town Meeting (usually held in the spring) where it is subject to a vote for approval. Applicants should factor in this time consuming process into their plans.
How are expenditures reimbursed for approved CPC projects?
Each CPC approved project gets a project number and name assigned by the Town Accountant. The applicant (of the CPC project) should ask for this project number and for voucher forms from the Town Accountant and should write the project number and name on the voucher for each request for payment under this project. The applicant should also verify with his or her signature that the work has been done and sign the voucher. All original bills should be stapled to the voucher. The voucher and attached bills should be submitted to the CPC at the office of the Board of Selectmen. In most cases, the request is then considered at the next CPC meeting and at least five CPC members must sign the voucher authorizing the payment. Payment is then made within the next few weeks directly to the person/entity requesting payment. (Be sure you photocopy your paperwork.)
Can CPA funds be released in advance of work being done under the project?
Yes, in special cases the CPC has the right to release funds in advance for such reasons as acquiring matching funds. In such a case, a formal agreement needs to be drawn up, signed by the CPC and the Board of Selectmen. It should be noted that the funding for the project must have already been approved at Town meeting before any release of funds.
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