Mattapoisett’s Community Preservation Act Committee met on December 13 to begin the vetting process for grant applications received for the FY23 budget cycle. Grants passing muster will then go on to the Spring Town Meeting to determine the will of the people.
Five grants have been received, and preliminary discussion has begun to formulate questions to be answered by the applicants in advance of formal interviews and presentations to the committee.
One grant request garnering the most discussion was for $150,000 received from the Mattapoisett/Massachusetts Housing Authority for property located off Main Street. The subsidized housing, which is owned by the state, was built some 40 years ago and is managed primarily by the state.
The application is for the purchase and installation of new sliding-glass partitions along the front façade of the structure. “The locks don’t work so it’s a safety issue,” CPA Chairman Chuck McCullough stated.
As chair of the Mattapoisett Housing Authority, McCullough intends to recuse himself when the grant application comes up for a vote. He went on to further explain that the old glass does not shield the interior from harmful sunlight, “If it’s 110 outside, it’s 110 inside.”
McCullough then described the process for securing housing at this location. Units are not held aside for Mattapoisett residents, nor are residents more likely to be selected over someone applying from out of town. McCullough explained that the highest priority is given to homeless people, followed by veterans. Other criteria includes whether or not the applicant is disabled, either physically or mentally, and their age. However, he said that 10% of all units must be allocated to young, disabled applicants.
McCullough shared that in the past, he had believed the town’s money should not be spent on state-owned property but not this time. “We will get three dollars for every one dollar we contribute to the project,” he said, meaning the state will pick up the balance of the retrofit estimated at $700,000.
Other applications received include a request for $15,000 from the Mattapoisett Historical Commission for continued town survey of historical structures, a $38,000 request by the American Legion Hall for sanitary repairs and improvements and $47,648 from the Mattapoisett Historical Society, which owns the Mattapoisett Museum.
Committee members questioned if the CPA should be funding maintenance projects and if the society has sought other funding sources such as their endowment. Similar questions regarding funding were raised regarding the American Legion Post. Committee member Karen Field wondered if they have sought funding through the National Association of American Veterans, Inc.
A large request came from the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District in the amount of $85,000 for the purchase of more than 200 acres in cooperation with Rochester, Fairhaven and Marion. Questions as to whether the sale will rise or fail depending on all the member communities agreeing to pony up funding remained open, as did the question as to if all the towns will be expected to advance the same amount of money. The estimated price tag for the acreage is approximately $6,000,000.
These questions and others will be sent ahead to the applicants before formal interviews take place in January.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett CPA Committee is scheduled for Thursday, December 29, at 5:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Community Preservation Act
By Marilou Newell