Gloucester Community Preservation Committee, Oct. 19, 2026

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I call this meeting of the Gloucester Community Preservation Committee to order at 6.02 p.m. on Monday, October 19th, 2026. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In accordance with state open meeting law, this meeting is being held in person, also available online as a Zoom meeting. It is being video recorded. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If you are remote and using Zoom on a computer or device, there is a raise hand button that you can tap or press to request to speak. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): When you're calling in on a phone, you can press star 9 to request a speaker. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Good evening. Committee members in attendance tonight include Carrie McKenna, Jennifer Lee Levitz, Sean Henry?

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Maggie, Debbie? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Bill Cuff and myself, Matt Lundberg. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Harry Hoaglander has indicated that he would be joining remotely, but he's not on yet. If he does come on, we'll recognize him at that time. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): With that, we will proceed to the first item on tonight's agenda, which is to review and approve the minutes from our last meeting. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): which was on September 21st, I believe. Minutes were sent out on Friday, hopefully… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): many members have had a chance to review. I reviewed, and I found two minor items, Zoe, if I could throw them in.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On page 6, Saunders is misspelled. It says S-O-N-D-E-R. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, I'm sure. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That was really… the other one was a nitpick that doesn't detract factually at all. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anybody else got anything? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, I thought they were well done as usual. Great. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, I move that the September 21st meeting minutes be accepted as amended. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't think I was here. Thank you. She passes… 5, yes. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, tonight is our fourth meeting of hearing presentations from 2026 applicants for CPC grants. We're going to start tonight with a presentation from the Sore Free Library on the Saunders House Reading Room Accessibility Project. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we've got Jenny Benedict online. She's muted. Hello, Jenny! Good evening, members of the CBC Committee. I believe Jeff Bradford is also in the room, and he will be delivering tonight's presentation, and I would be happy to answer any questions.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The floor is yours. So, thank you. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): members of the Community Preservation Committee. I'm Jeff Bradford. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Chair of the Saunders House Stewardship Committee, and also the president of the Library Corporation at the moment. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If you can go next slide, thank you. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I think you're probably mostly all familiar with the Saunders House. A little background, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For the record, the Saunders House project is a historic preservation proposal. The Saunders House sits on the corner of Middle Street and Dale Avenue in Gloucester's Central Historic District, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It was built in 1764 as a residence, and is unique in its grandeur of its 18th century architectural features. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And the, historic murals that are inside. The residence became a public building in 1884, when Gloucester's benefactor, Samuel Sawyer, deeded the house to the library. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Locating it, locating the library in perpetuity in the heart of the town, in its social, political, and religious institutions, something that I know we're trying to call the, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the downtown cultural district these days, right? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In 2016, the Gloss Riseum and Soil-Free Library established the Saunders House Stewardship Committee with a vision for the house to be continued, to be joined with the rest of the library with its spaces used to support and enhance contemporary public library services. And the Library Board at that time commissioned

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): An existing conditions assessment, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): from Spencer Preservation and Sullivan and Voight. And we have been committed to bringing, Saunders House kind of up to current standards without compromising its historic, legacy. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): in the fabric of the building. You know, a lot of the… there's a 300-page document that was the result of this meeting that has Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you know, extensive coverage on this post is original, and, you know, these… this stairway and these balusters are… are from, you know, 1764, so it's really a jewel. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): of a building to be downtown, so… Sweet. Next one.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All right, the Saunders House Reading Room Accessibility Project builds on a foundation of responsible stewardship that the CPC has supported. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Over the last 5 years, we've undergone major improvements, including an initial fireplace stabilization project. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Mural restoration in 2021 and 2022, preserving the culturally vital WPA and Anderson Room murals, as well as the replacement of foundation bricks. In the east side, sill timber. In 2024, we replaced an unreliable oil-fired steam boiler. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That was basically not working half of the winter, every winter, for a couple of years, with an all-electric HVAC system, in zone temperature controls. Most recently, we have our current project, the structural reinforcement

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): From 2025 and 2026 that is just wrapping up now. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Those were all funded with CPA funds, and then we have a fire suppression Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Update that was funded through private funds, through a separate donation. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Now that the building is structurally sound, our next priority is to make it usable and inclusive, so… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Alright, the next one. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All right, so this is the Saunders House, Reading Room Accessibility Project. So this room is the room kind of in the back, right off of the gallery. I don't know if you're familiar with it. For a long time, it was staff offices.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But now that we have offices in the new building, we have a place to make some more stuff available. The main goal here is to add an accessible bathroom on the first floor, and create a barrier-free transition into the historic Saunders House from the main library. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And clear navigation paths to the reading room. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Quick question. Which one of these is the gallery, the match gallery? The… to the right. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): To the right. So it's kind of only half of it's there. Got it, thank you. Yeah, so, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): part of what this will entail is there's actually an old dumbwaiter there that is partially blocking that doorway, so there's gonna be a little bit of work involved in that. An accessible bathroom, you can see here, we've actually updated the drawing since we put this together, and the bathroom's actually moved, because to have it there.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): we were going to have to do extensive foundation work that would make the project substantially more expensive, so we're value engineering here to put things where they make more sense. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then the second phase of this, which is not part of what we're asking for funds for, but just so you're aware of it, is, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Can you go to the next slide? Sorry, the second phase of this is, to put in a limited use, limited application lift between the first and second floors. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And putting an additional accessible bathroom up here. And one of the ways we're seeking to fund that is we've already applied for a mass tourism grant, because we believe that this house and the murals are actually, like, would be a…

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): a unique draw for people into this type of thing. And when we did research into this, there are not many houses of this age that are accessible. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): and available. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Referred, like, public use, so… Alright, can we go to the next slide? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, the use of the reading room is currently curtailed due to its poor physical conditions and lack of accessibility. The project involves building an accessible bathroom in an underutilized corner, which actually, once again, this is a little out of date for putting it in a different corner. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But you can see here the state of the rooms, right?

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Reconstructing the subflooring to make a level to the Matts Gallery, and installing a durable flooring. Removing wood obstructions around the former dumbwaiter, which you can see the keep-out sign on the side there, leading into the nice new Matts Gallery. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And creating a wide, clear walking path with sight lines. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): To help the staff in the building. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then, can we go to the next one? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And while we're doing the work, we'll make upgrades to bring the room into better alignment with the historical context. The, current acoustic panels

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): will be removed, and replaced with historically appropriate plaster. We will remove the dated non-historic fluorescent light fixtures and replace them with Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): current, non-historic, LED light fixtures, but they'll be much more aesthetically pleasing. And finally, the worn historic, non-historic shelving will be cleared out, and the walls will be smooth and freshly painted to give the room the dignity it deserves. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next page. So we've… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): we've… we have a realistic timeline here, right? The work can be completed in about 15 months, with an estimated start date of July 1st of…

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 2027, and a completion date of October 15th in 2028. The project will start with planning to hire contractors and secure the building permit. Project milestones will be based on the percentage of completion of the construction and work, with a kickoff in October. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): first phase will focus on demo, structural reinforcement, and framing, and utility rough-ins. One thing we did find when we were doing the work with the dumbwaiter is that it is, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Pulling up floor joists for the floor above it, so we need to put in some additional structure there to take it out correctly. And having the ceiling open makes that

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the right time to do it, right? The ceiling open to paint. So, the second phase of construction will consist of the finishes, including the bathroom and lighting fixtures, flooring, ceiling, plastering, and painting. We anticipate completion of construction by the end of August and the 28th, and the final closeout to be in October of 28th. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): One more? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The project expenses are for services rendered by architects, engineers, project manager, contractors specialized in respective trades, contingency has been included to cover any unforeseen conditions that arise. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The total project budget is $275,000 and has been developed from cost estimates prepared by a contractor and through the Spencer Preservation Group.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They're also really thrilled, because this is the first time we're going to finish a room. A lot of the work we've done for them… a lot of the work we've done with them has been, like, okay, let's do something behind the scenes, right? Let's support the floors, the reinforcement project, all these things, and this will be, like, an end result where something is done, and it will be wonderful, so… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We are… the Gloucester Liseum and Surrey Free Library is requesting matching funds from a CPA grant in the amount of $125,000, which represents 45% of the budget. The remaining amount will be funded from trust funds and individual fundraising proceeds through the Library Corporation.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And if anyone would like to make an investment in the Saunders House Reading Room Accessibility Project, you may do so through our website, or reach out to me or Jenny. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The dollars requested from the CPA will go directly into eligible costs, including the architectural engineering fees. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Construction costs related to structural reinforcement and accessible bathroom framing, historically appropriate ceiling plastering, accessible bathroom roughing for plumbing, electrical and fire suppression, the ADA bathroom fixtures and finishes. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The next one?

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The CPC has been a huge partner to us in servicing as a stamp of approval. It has allowed us to successfully leverage public and private funding. To date, the library has realized over a million dollars in investments. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): for historic and environmental improvements. I'm very grateful for that support, and I think the last time I was here, I said I'd be back asking for more, and here I am. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We're very grateful for the past support of almost 300,000 of the CPA grants. CPA funding works as a powerful catalyst, and we have been successful in leveraging it with over half a million and other grants from… and $125,000 from our corporate funds, and $150,000 from individual donors, we hope.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And continue to partner with us. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next one… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): By integrating essential accessibility features with aesthetic upgrades, the project enhances the reading room's historic character. While meeting the diverse needs of the public, the restored and accessible Reading Room will serve as a welcoming entrance to the Saunders House, creating a barrier-free transition from the contemporary Matt's gallery into the historic building. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Expand public use with a flexible layout that will allow the room to accommodate a variety of community needs, from quiet individual reading to small group classes. Once we're accessible, I can see a CPA meeting being held upstairs in the Anderson room.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Transforming the reading room into a vibrant, functional extension of the library's public spaces, and to protect the historic and cultural value and character of the Saunders House. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Furthermore, the Saunders House Accessibility Project has community support from Wellspring House. The Reading Room is a central hub for their community-facing educational programming, and the space is used for their English language learning classes. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): digital literacy workshops and one-on-one student tutoring. The project ensures that the Saunders House remains a living, working asset for its most valuable residents.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sorry, Free Library is committed to preserving the Saunders House for the benefit of the people of Gloucester, and the Saunders House Reading Room Accessibility Project is a practical and feasible project that can be completed on time, in budget, leverages great funds with funding… grant funds with funding through the Library Corporation. And then we have one more. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, and I will leave you with this image of the doors looking into the reading room as it is today. With your help, we can make sure those doors are wide open, level, and welcoming to every member of the public. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): once they enter the Saunders House can enjoy seeing the historic murals and using the meeting rooms, while also knowing they have equal access to a modern restroom facility.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thank you for your consideration, if you have any questions. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thanks, Chef! Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anybody want to kick it off with questions? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If we go back to the map, can you show exactly where the bathroom will be? Yes, yep. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So the bathroom is… get this one here. So, it turns out that the, Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The foundation only goes to about here, and then this is more of, like, a porch. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So this was just a rough drawing. We said, can you give us a couple extra options? Originally, we had a bathroom here and a bathroom here, and it made this, like, tunnel effect.

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which we did not like, so we, you know, mapped it all out and said, before we go seeking funds, let's make sure this is what… what we want. So we're actually going to move the bathroom over here, and instead of opening into this way, it's going to open this way. That kind of center… we're also going to close this door off. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which kind of makes this the center of the room, right, instead of this, so the room kind of goes this way. Which also has… there's these, like, posts up here, too, and it's a very old building. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And you can kind of see, if you follow this line, there's a post, and there's a post, and that post is there, because if you follow this line, there's a post, because this is all an addition, right? So this is far less historical, which is why we can put the lift there, without really hurting the…

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, the historic nature of the building. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, yeah, so the bathroom will be shifted to this side. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): One bathroom. Just one bathroom on this floor, and then the next project is a second bathroom on the next floor. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thanks. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anybody else? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I just have some comments, and… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Clarifying question. Thank you, Jeff, for your presentation. Having been involved with the library, I think it's important that the committee knows that there are really two separate projects going on. Yeah. You had the Saunders House, which we've given money to, and you alluded to the $281,000, but that was a lot of work on.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): going into the sinus house, and it's still not accessible. Right. Until this project gets completed, it will not be accessible to the public. Yes. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And specifically for meetings and things. It's not even in, you know, and this makes the downstairs accessible. Yeah, not the second… the next project, the second floor, yes. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The library, which had all the money raised, you know, $30 million project, none of that money could be utilized in the Saunders house. Right, and we also… Two separate… two separate things. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We also have an agreement with the city that we can't actively fundraise or spend our corporate funds, or we can't… sorry, I don't want to say we can't spend corporate funds. We can't actively fundraise for… for the Saunders House until we've paid back the loan to the city. Correct. So…

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, so if we have people who come to us and say, I love historic preservation, what can I do for you? They can help us in that way, but we can't solicit. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Correct. And based on what I saw in the paper last week, it's about $12 million you have to raise to pay the interest and the loan off. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And the money that we gave you last… the CPA gave to the library corporation last year was for a project in the new library, not the Saunders house. It was for the public. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or is the Public Gardens Project, yes. Public Gardens, right. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which, you know, which you noted in your application, and Jenny, you do a great job on the application, as always.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know what you're doing there. It's noted in the application, but it was not noted in your, amounts. Right. Which is… yeah. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And, so specifically, the last funding we got for the Saunders house was for the reinforcement of the floor, and, I mean, it's amazing. And I'm… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): pulling these out of my memory, so I'm probably wrong in the exact numbers, but, like, the floor is supposed to be able to hold 160 pounds per square foot, and it was rated to hold 27. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So… so you can go walk around. You know, I'm not a small guy, and I feel comfortable walking around the first floor of that building now. So…

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so the committee's benefit, and for your benefit, have been associated with the library in some fundraising for the new building, and had abstained in prior Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): votes on the committee, so… but I'm no longer… no longer involved, so I don't have to abstain. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anybody else? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Are the constructions… I have… I have a quick… Are those constructions cost… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): stabilized? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, yeah, we don't see them going higher than this. We kind of, you know… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They're higher already? I think we shot so that we wouldn't be going over, right? We don't, you know… so our intention is not to need more money to do anything, but they're not, you know… they're realistic.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I do have one more question. In addition to the bathroom, what other elements of the project are for accessibility? Yeah, you said them, I'm just not… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So the main things are kind of, like, leveling the floor is a big deal. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And that's because it's not level going from the Matt's gallery into the… that… that floor, or is it just… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's the… it's a little bit of both, right? So there's actually a place where we had… where there's a… a giant hole that had been filled in, so, like, it's not level with the old… the actual floor floor, right? So the floor structure is just not… not…

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Solid, so we need to catch up for it. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Can we go back to the schedule? Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): we're looking at this in, like, a realistic way, based on how projects seem to… seem to go. The library does have a good record, but very specifically, thanks to Jenny with getting things done under budget, and… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): on time. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'll ask this, not because I'm against funding the project, but because… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): As everyone who applies for a grant will hear at this. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We are short on funds versus what?

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): been requested of us? Yeah. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, I guess my question for you is that given that you're hitting 50%. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): completion in… ring of… 2028. Would it be possible for you to, Split your… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): funding needs from CPC, so that you could… Thanks. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 50% for 2027 funding, and then come back and apply for 50% for 2028, work with that. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Grew up your construction. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. I mean. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think we would have to, like, look at the actual timelines of when things happen, so I'm not… Jenny might have a better answer for you for that. I'm not comfortable…

Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): taking a stand on it right now, but it's a possibility. I just… Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do you have anything… do you have a thought on that, Jenny? I mean, I think it is challenging. Just because the grant awards, the grant… CBC grant awards, they vary in their timing so much, or they have, in prior years. So for us, we would have to… like, I think we have to award the complete job to one construction manager. Cost-wise, it's not going to make, you know, to split it into two projects, don't think will serve us well in terms of

You know, the cost of the entire project. And we could get ourselves… because your… the CPC is set up… it's a reimbursement based on actual costs. So, we could get ourselves into a situation where we actually would have to pause construction pending the approval of the grant in 2028. So, I mean, I would say it's not optimum to do it that way. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Cute. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Great. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's nothing else. Jeff, Jenny, thank you for your time and your application. We really appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For carrying us out. Thanks. Thank you for your consideration. Speaker 4 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next up this evening is Action Incorporated's TBRA program. Karen Clifford is here with us. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Aaron, welcome, good to see you. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You have the floor. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thank you, and I do. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): have a slideshow, but I can get started. Thank you again for considering Action Inc. for rental and mortgage assistance. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We've been able to help so many people stay in their homes over the years, and this fund is a major reason why. We are always grateful to the CPC for their support. Preventing individuals and families from becoming homeless is a great asset to the community.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On the next slide, I'll begin with… Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I never imagined my life would turn out this way. We hear that from so many people. It's especially hard when it comes from seniors or people who are unable to work more hours to make more money. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Providing rentals… providing financial assistance to households can help relieve that burden. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): With the rental and mortgage assistance granted by the CPC, we have been able to help many people at a very rough spot in their lives. Helping financially helps reduce evictions, which is important to households on its own, but it also helps keep people out of poverty, especially when gas and groceries have gotten more expensive.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Some people are lucky enough to ask family for help. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But for most people that we assist, their family is in the same position, and they simply do not have the money. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Many people with medical issues have gone through their savings and retirement accounts, which sets them up for a struggle when they're seniors. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It helps children stay in their homes and community. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Many of our recipients are long-term residents of Gloucester, lifelong, actually, and keep these residents in town strengthens the community and traditions.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Law landlords who live in town also benefit when renters get help paying their rent. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We have many landlords that are really understanding of people's struggles, but they need to pay their mortgage, too. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If we lose those small landlords, outside investors are likely to buy the property, and rents will definitely go up. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): While we are addressing the immediate need for housing assistance, we also ask if they have food in the house at the moment. If they are receiving SNAP, do they need to apply for unemployment or disability? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We encourage them to apply for public housing. Maybe they need a housing lawyer or help finding a job. We remind everyone to apply for fuel assistance, which we do in-house.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We make use of every internal and external referral that can help this household succeed. If they are eligible for state rental assistance, called RAFT, we help them apply there first to conserve our funding for those who are not eligible. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's very hard to qualify for public housing eventually down the road, at the moment, or to find another apartment if you have an eviction on your record. So keeping people out of court is a goal. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On the next slide, I'll show you about our appointments and eligibility. I've told you about our process before, but as a refresher, those applying can call, stop in, or fill out an online form to request an appointment.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They have to prove where they live, their income for the last month, and or the period that they are behind, and what hardship caused them to fall behind. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Frequently, those hardships are caused by job loss, medical diagnoses, or a family breaking apart. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We have 4 navigators, and one speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Currently, we are able to meet folks within a week of them requesting help, which we're really proud of. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On the next slide, I'll talk about the income in the area. The area median income, or AMI, for Gloucester is $164,600 for a family of four.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): A majority of the households we are assisting earn less than 30% of the AMI, which is $36,000 for a single person, and $51,400 for the family of four. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): MIT's living wage calculation has determined that in Essex County, a single adult household must earn about $60,000 a year to cover the costs of the household's basic needs. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): As dependents are added, the living wage need increases. A single adult, two-child household needs to earn about $157,000 a year to meet their basic needs. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The gulf between actual income and living wage continues to widen. This has gone up every year that I've done this presentation. Rents have gone up, taxes have gone up, groceries, gas, utilities, heating fuel. For those on fixed incomes, their yearly COLAs do not keep pace with the economy.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm very concerned for people who have been struggling for years just to get by. They can't save money for retirement, for when their car breaks down, when you need to pay a fee so your kids can do school sports. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): When rent is a huge portion of your income, any savings that you may have scraped together are wiped out by one hardship, never mind one after another. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On the next slide, it shows income brackets for the people we've helped over the past few years. The first grouping is 2021, 2022, 23, 5 week 24. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What are the different… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Colors. What do the colors represent? So, the blue is…

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): is, 80% of the people we helped, the blue bar, with CPC money last year, earned under $30,000… 30% of the area median income. I don't know how they would have gotten by otherwise. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): With changes to MassHealth, SNAP, and health insurance kicking in now. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm concerned that we will see many more evictions and foreclosures in the next few years, resulting in more homeless families and individuals. So, the blue is 30%, the orange is 30 to 50%, and the gray is 50 to 80. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We help people up to the 80% area median income. And you can see, in the last year, that should actually be 2025.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's… and I just made this chart myself the other day. The difference between the blue and the gray is so wide. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I usually give you individual cases, but upon reviewing why people needed assistance, there were recurring scenarios. People lost their job, couples separated, people got sick and couldn't work because they were getting treatment for cancer or another serious illness. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For some, it was a combination. The husband got laid off, the wife had heart surgery. An expanding family, whether that's due to a birth or taking in grandkids, people are simply struggling. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In the next slide, I'll show you how last year's round of funding we started spending in June of 2025.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The average assistance to a household is just $16.13. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Remarkably, this amount has been pretty steady over the past few years. It's been about $1,600 and something, recently. This relatively small payment helped people stay in their homes. They did not have this average amount of money in savings in order to save their housing. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This included 9 mortgage holders. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For reference, a one-bedroom apartment in Gloucester is considered a fair price at $25.18 a month, while a two-bedroom is considered fair at $3,008 a month. Those are, Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): fair market rent, FMR determined by HUD. So, if somebody has a Section 8 voucher, they can spend up to $3,000, but when that goes up.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): private market rents go up as well. So, the average person just… That's been up. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So many people simply can't pay that, never mind afford it. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I thank you again for considering additional funding for our community. On behalf of all the families who have been able to stay in their homes, I offer another heartfelt thank you. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anyone questions? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Would you like the impressions for Karen? Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Comments? I do have Section 8 housing, can you explain that? Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, Section 8 housing is great for people. It's based on your income. However, if you, have had kids now, or you want to apply now, the wait is probably at least 10 years, maybe even longer.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So you are given that golden ticket. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And you have 3 months to find a department. They do not provide security deposit assistance, so we have other funding that we can usually help people with, for that. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So people are looking for apartments, and if you need a 3-bedroom, you know, you can spend up to $35.84, but that has to include utilities, or they have to add up to a certain amount. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, for people that don't have Section 8, don't have it yet, or maybe they don't qualify, when landlords can get Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): $3,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, they tend to charge that regardless. I mean, obviously, they have to charge it regardless if the person has Section 8 or not, because they can't charge more for a Section 8 apartment over, somebody that doesn't have Section 8.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But it really drives up the rents everywhere. But, you know, it's kind of twofold. They don't… HUD doesn't want to say, oh, well, we'll only pay $1,500 a month. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For a two-bedroom apartment, because then they can't find anything. So when rents go up in the area, they do studies every year, and they'll, they'll increase the amount that Section 8 will pay. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Senior housing can be really great for people, but that's also a really long wait. Everybody wants to stay in their home for as long as they can, and then when they can't anymore, whether that's because of cost. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Or because of your accessibility, or being able to, move around in your own home.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): it's still, like, a 7-year wait. Maybe it's not as long, maybe it's 3 years, maybe it's 2 years, but once they can't pay that rent anymore. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They just kind of struggle until they can get some assistance. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's a hold on Section 8. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's true, thank you for bringing that in. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): cannot… there are no new… in Gloucester, there are no new, new… people cannot join, cannot get on to Section 8. So, the waiting list is there. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And nobody from the waiting list can get in now.

Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And this has been going on for a couple of years. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. So in years past, if somebody either moved to a different area, or they were no longer eligible for Section 8, or if, you know, they started making more money, and they just Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): financially were out of the system, that would go to somebody else. But their budget is so far above… what they're paying for rents is so far above what they're budgeted, and usually maybe the federal government would up that budget. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But it hasn't been up lately, so if somebody moves out of a Section 8 apartment, or they… they hand their voucher back, it's not usually a physical voucher, but we call it that, that just… they absorb that money because they're so far over budget that they can't issue that to somebody else.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, we do assist people that are, on Section 8 or in public housing, because your rent has to be recalculated, so if you lose a job when you're on Section 8, but you don't get there in time. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you might only be making $200 that month, but your rent is still $1,500, whatever it is. So, you lost your job, or you're sick, or you have to go through some other kind of medical treatment, you're still responsible for that rent. They won't… Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): recalculate, backwards. So, sometimes we do help people in that way. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And the average assistance you gave out in 25 was 1,600? Correct.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Some people need it a lot more. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm surprised it was that long. Right? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): surprised. I'm like, oh. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's gonna go up this year, and it doesn't. Because some people just need $400, or some people, they're working, they're paying for their full rent, but they maybe missed a few shifts, or they got laid off at the end of the month, so they have most of it, but not all of it. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But, you know, sometimes it's that people, you know, they got sick, or their car broke down, they weren't able to go to work, so they don't have the full rent, even if it's subsidized. Now, if it is subsidized, and there's no hardship, and, you know, times are tough.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We don't necessarily help with that. People have to show a hardship. Do people have a limit to how much you'll give any individual. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): family or people. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We do, and that's sort of in my discretion. If people are coming back. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): year after year, with the same hardship, or something that doesn't quite add up, doesn't make sense, I might tell them, sorry, you've maxed out. Or it's a lot of money, they need to come up with another way to make their rent, or maybe move to a more affordable apartment. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If they've gotten what I consider a lot in one calendar year for something that I think they should manage something else, I'll say that they're no longer eligible for this year. So it depends on the circumstances.

Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If they're going to court, and our housing lawyer suggests that we do cover something, I weigh that a little bit more. But it's really hard, because you're like, well. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But we've… we've been giving you money. But sometimes just that amount of money is what comes in between them being homeless or not. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oops. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thank you for doing what you're doing. Aaron, thank you so much. Thank you. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, tonight. Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And if you have any questions later, just let me know. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Will do. Thanks. Thank you, thanks.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think with that, we come for our last applicant presentation for tonight. Before we move on, I should say we originally had 4 applicant presentations scheduled for tonight. Lost stage, couldn't make it for, medical reasons, and so we were putting them off to our November meeting. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So this is our last one of the evening, and it's the Gloucester Affordable Housing Trust. With us tonight, Deanna Fay, Barnaby Prendergast, and Bob Gillis. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I apologize. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Because, I told Deanna at my Harbor Light board meeting at 7 o'clock, which I was going to drive to Beverly.

Speaker 9 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): but now I'll do by Zoom, but I do have to leave in a few minutes, I apologize. this. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Bob, thanks for letting us know. Speaker 9 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): just fine without me. Very good. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you know, counting questions afterwards, because Bob will be here. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So good evening, everybody, and thank you for letting us present on behalf of the Gloucester Affordable Housing Trust. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We appreciate the CPC's continued support and shared commitment to expanding affordable housing opportunities. Luster? Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Tonight, we're going to address your, your questions about previous CPC funding, and highlight some of the trust activities and accomplishments over the past year.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Look ahead, excuse me. Priorities and funding needs moving forward. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You can go to the next slide, thanks. So, where has our CPC funding gone? Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We received funds in fiscal year 25 and fiscal year 26, $100,000 and $200,000. That is a total of $300,000, and all of that went to a project from Essex County Habitat for Humanity. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which I will talk about in a little bit. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Going forward, I'm just gonna interject here that, you know, the trust has worked a lot Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): has been around for a long time without any actual really secure funding. And because of that, there isn't a great deal of, sort of internal systems for us to follow, so we're developing a lot of that as we go.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, your questions were terrific around accountability, and moving forward, the Trust proposes to notify the CPC, when any CPC-derived funds are committed to a project, including who the recipient is. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What the amount is, what the intended use is, and any other information that you might require. Those funds are held separately. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And managed by the city. So we have CPC funds in one pool, and, and funds from other sources in another. All of our funds are required Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to be City Council approved. So, CBC, as well as, our other sources. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And that adds another layer of, sort of, accountability here within the board.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They are working on raising the additional money that they need for their rehabilitation, and, all the… whatever other expenses are going to occur. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And they will be closing… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This summer, and, and hope to have all of the work done, and completed by the end of the summer. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Hum… And the next slide. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, this is Four Partners, 1 shared goal, which is something… this was a really significant… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Significant project for us in this way. We have the CPC, who provides the local funding. The Affordable Housing Trust can direct that towards investing it in a housing opportunity. Action Inc. was terrific in making an existing, non-used

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): property available for redevelopment through, a sale to Essex County Habitat. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And Habitat for Humanity is going to develop 3 affordable housing units. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): two one-bedrooms, one four-bedroom, and all units will be at 60% AMI. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next slide, please. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, beyond CPC funding, we have additional sources of funding. Short-term rental fees, which is a 3% community, Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): put it in community impact, fee. And we get roughly $100,000 from that annually. Inclusionary zoning, when that happens, and a developer does not want to build a unit, then we can get a payment in loop.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that's something that, you know, is kind of random. And then interest earnings on our funds held. So currently, we have $885,000 Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): and 46. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): $6.33 on accounts. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next slide, please. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sorry, could you go back one… Sure. Yeah, that 885, is that mostly from the short-term rental fees, or a mix of that and inclusionary zoning? Speaker 9 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Mostly from the inclusionary zoning. Oh, okay. As a matter of fact, it was a big, big, development off of, Grapevine Road. Right. It was over $500,000, so…

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thanks. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): How often do you get that inclusionary zoning? How much… Speaker 9 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Development happens where the developer, is requesting that it's not built on site. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So does that happen very infrequently? Speaker 9 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There's no timetable, really. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to the most recent, the last one was 2008, I thought. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. So it's… I mean, up until recently, it's been very rare for the, for the person to… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The issue has been our, inclusionary Ordinance that… There, there were… In lieu of payments allowed.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And… The ordinances back. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But the calculation, was less than ideal in terms of what the calculation was, because it was really based more on Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Rental income versus, unit price. And so… Hopefully. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think… The city adopted a new ordinance that, Basically, mandated Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Building a unit, except for… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It was… it was a 9-unit property, right? It was originally. Yeah, it was… so, keyed in at 9 units to… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You had to build an inclusion area, but a 9-unit.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Project. Good. A. Pay out. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so no one built. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 9 unit. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): buildings. And then we changed that, 2. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Drop the inclusionary, Trigger down to 6 units. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we're requiring, and mandating that Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you build, except for that 6th unit, you have the option of… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Flying your way out of it, but the buyout was the cost of the unit. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And so, so projects were built at 5 units, typically, so it wouldn't trigger that. And so our current ordinance that was adopted.

18 months ago? Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Maybe, yeah, 18 months ago or so. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Again… Reconfigure that, maintained the trigger, but, did a, sliding scale on the, Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The payment in blue. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that it was… it's a smaller percentage for… Smaller developments. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Until you hit… again, I think it's 9… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 9 units is the trigger that you… you pay. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): full price if you want out, and then if it's 10 or above, that's my recollection. There's no buyout, so it's set. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Those smaller, smaller products, it's a sliding scale of Unit… per unit cost.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): to contribute, and I don't know that there's been one Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): From that, yeah, right, from the new… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We're kind of kicked in towards the end of last year. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And it starts at 4 units, if you say that as well. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think so. I think it starts at 4 percentage is small, and builds. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): See you, bye, Mike. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And just to piggyback on what Tom was just describing, too, the AMI for anything that's built from an inclusionary zoning is typically 80% AMI, which is really just out of reach for anybody. So, I think ordinarily, we would always encourage the building

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Of a unit, but… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): At 80% in this economy, it's just… it's just not practical anymore, so having the money go to the trust is… and then… and allowing us to accrue it and be ready, set for when, you know, a real project comes online, makes us better prepared. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): uniformally, to disperse those funds. And there is, you know, some stuff in the pipeline that's coming on, so we're really looking forward to Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): more robust. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The time for housing. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And to Deanna's point, the other thing the last couple of ordinances did was allow the option of…

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 80%, which is the state mandate, but also the option of… and that's 15% at 80% AMI. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But our local ordinance also offers the option of building, 10% of the units at 60% AMI, which is Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Much better match for what we need. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Locally, and we have been successful. The most recent one was, Oh. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Santander Project on Main Street, with… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 60% EMI units, they'll be building those, which… How many? …is, 40-unit building, so, 40, 4 units. Santander. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): interpret.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Too many? Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, just to get back to our slide… Oh, yeah, sorry. No, no, no, this is helpful. The, our non… our investments using non-CPA funding, for 2026, Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): was the Forbes Schoolhouse project. This was a really critical rehabilitation work that was needing to be done. We actually highlighted this in our last application presentation, but the monies weren't allocated until this year, so we added that. So that was $100,000. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And that, and that actually went to the city's how, Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, thank you.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Community Development Block Grant, the housing rehab program, for that. And then we also did a contribution, in connection to the Housing Compass work. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For the development of the housing production plan of $35,000. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So that was a total of 135 investments that we made this year. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thanks, and I, I, I just want to emphasize, I guess, at this point, too, that, Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): that the trust doesn't work in a silo, so we collaborate with city departments and other organizations to support housing initiatives that advance our shared goals, and that's kind of an example, too. And further, like, we, you know, with the newly adopted Housing Compass Plan.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This is gonna be… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Kind of a… like, we have an… we have a key role as the housing trust in this plan, so there's, you know. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): it's really going to be relying on the Housing Trust to protect and preserve and create new affordable housing opportunities. We're already currently exploring new tools, such as an ADU assistance program, buy-down and lease to locals programs. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I can't really get into a lot about what those details are, because we're in the middle of, you know, sort of researching it ourselves. Strengthening our partnerships with nonprofits and for-profits and individual developers who might be interested in creating something in the city.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Maintaining funding capacity. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): like, you know, as we're starting to build up our capacity to respond to emerging affordable housing opportunities. It seemed like, for the first few years that we've been approaching you, for funds, a lot of it was Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Sort of building our own capacity, but now we're, you know. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We've reached a certain level of funds that we can actually be a little bit more proactive and start reaching out to developers and say, hey, we have an application online. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Please come and check it out.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So it's a sort of a… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): a new role for us. Next slide, please. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, continued CPC investment really matters. Housing takes a long time. Opportunity requires action. I have… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): worked in affordable housing, and I always used to say, you know, like, the lifespan for housing… an affordable housing project, 100% affordable housing project, was at least, you know, 6 to 8 years. Now I'm hearing from people that are working in the sector that it's 10. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, these things take time. It takes time to raise money.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It takes time for the permitting and to get all the pieces in place, so it's really important that as, as the trust Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You know, that we're positioned to invest when those opportunities and needs arise. So our… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Fiscal year 2027 request is $300,000. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Really hoping that we can get that. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): After hearing you say that there's a shortage, I'm not sure now. But we appreciate, the… Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Support and, Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): partnership with, CPC. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Expand these.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Expand this work. That's… that's it. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Great. Thanks, Hannah. Okay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Questions, please? Questions, comments, etc. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So the $300,000 that you gave to Habitat for Humanity, that went… all of that went to a Gloucester property. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, that was all for acquisition. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Did you know that it was going to a Gloucester property before you gave the Essex County, habitat? Yes. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, we do, all about, the arrangement that they have with, Action. They… we… we allow for, acquisition, development, and, rehabilitation. I can't remember what the other categories are of our application, so… So, I guess,

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): more defined question that I have would be, if that were for an Essex property, would you have still given them the money, the $300,000? No. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): everything that. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): that we would do would be within the city's cluster. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That was, I guess, really my question. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Actually, just to clarify, in general, all of your projects are in the City of Gloucester, right? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I have a couple of questions. I would just like to… Go ahead.

Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We've been at Housing Authority, we have been trying to do the assisted elderly Prod… property. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which Habitat is… That's Harbor Lake. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On Main Street. On Main Street. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's Harbor Light. Harbor Light Homes. I'm sorry. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Harbor. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Bye. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just since we came to an agreement, it's been 3 years of Permitting. Yep. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Etcetera. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And MAYBE it'll start. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next year. I'm really looking forward to that.

Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Maybe it'll start next year. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): These projects take a long time, I mean, they're… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's the 6 years you were referring to. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): earlier. I just take 6 years. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, it was 6 to 8, now it's 10. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we invested in that project with some ARPA funds early on, which we highlighted in our previous application last year. So we're really looking forward to that project, guys. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): an incredible need.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): My understanding on that project. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Was that one of the… big… Hurdles was, Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): title issues. They had to clarify. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Title issues before they can move. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): work with. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Developing the project. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think they also had, some neighborhood Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Requests that they had to work out as well. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There was… there was that, too. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): but that came after the title… the title issues were… That was not.

Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Stupid as far as I'm. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Just in the interest of time, if I can keep our questions and comments to the Affordable Housing Trust application, because I have a couple. One is, at our last meeting, one of our topics was any projects that need agreement extensions. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we weren't sure about you, but I think you just answered it. You spent the $300,000. We did. Perfect. So no extension required. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I would like to… With respect to that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We need to make sure we have a way for CPC to know about, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): an expenditure of Affordable Housing Trust Funds before it happens, just to make sure that there's any…

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): CPA-related restrictions that may or may not be there. We don't want to slow anything down, but when it happens, we need to know. I just found out about it because I asked Kenny Costa a different question, technically, and he said, oh yeah, we just gave… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): 300,000 dogs through Essex County Habitat. So, I'm not sure what the right way is, but let's work together on it. Absolutely. If it's you telling us, or we put a circuit breaker in with the city somewhere, like Kenny or somebody, but I don't think that's Kenny's job to Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): be the communications director. So we'll… we'll figure that out. Right.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, we had talked about this with Larry up front years ago, and I thought that we'd agreed that it was going to be the same kind of situation as what everybody does reporting to Zoe. I mean, that they're sending invoices to Zoe, but it would be the same idea. Right, right. They're alerting Zoe to the fact. Yeah, but this was. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): this was handled differently, because the City of Gloucester kind of checked to Essex County Habitat directly. It didn't flow into… the Affordable Housing Trust has a Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): it has a fund, right? It has an account somewhere. And that's what we thought. We thought that it would flow from

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): a CPA fund. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the city into an AHT fund, but it didn't do that. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): still happen that if they are spending the money with Essex County Habitat for Humanity, they can just shoot an email to Zoe, as opposed to an invoice to Zoe. You're just alerting her. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, so you're right, the simplest way would be for… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If… if you agree to fund something, to let us know. Sure. Like, the day after you have that meeting where you made the agreement, so that we can… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): just look at it, make sure everything's fine.

Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): we… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think we sort of understood what the process was, but then as we went through the process, we learned more. For example, we thought that because Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): money that was awarded to the Affordable Housing Trust from CBC was already approved by. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): City Council, that we didn't need to go back. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): and get a second approval, but we do. So… so anything that we… anything that we award from the pool of funds from CPA money… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Generally speaking, you don't. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): pursue the city.

Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, no, I'm really… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Housing trust funds have to be approved by the City Council. Yes. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, but the City Council… in my view, the City Council is not Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): acting on behalf of the CPC, because they don't understand the regulations. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So if we wanted to say that that's all they gotta do, that's fine, but I don't think that's enough. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): clarify with legal, my assumption would be that Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): restrictions on the Affordable Housing Trust are as strict, or possibly more strict, than the restrictions on CPA funds from the state government, so that once

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): once the City Council approves the transfer of CPA funds to the Affordable Housing Trust. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And they also have the second approval for the actual project that nothing the City Council approves for the Affordable Housing Trust expenditure would violate any state restriction on Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): ZVA funds for affordable housing. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You can check with the attorney. That's my understanding. Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'll talk to Suzanne about it, and make sure that she's comfortable with that. And as far as I know. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's triggered through Kenny, you know, he's the one. So, you know, we would determine when we make the award which pool of funds it will come from, and if it's coming from CPC, we'll definitely, in the future, notify,

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Great, so that ball's in my court, I'll talk to Susanna, I'll let everybody know where… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. My other question, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): With normal CPA, projects, when the City Council approves, with most organizations, we go out and sign a grant agreement. The city signs a grant agreement with the grantee. I don't think we had to do that with you, or did we? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Think so? No, I… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It was, like, an MOU with Suzanne, I believe, or something like that, but we don't have to do, like, the normal.

Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): contracts for the entity. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then when we make the award, like, to Habitat, then the city will have the contract with the awardee, and they take care of that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Perfect. That's my questions. Anybody else? Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I have a question just for the affordable housing. I know you got that funding from the APA funding, you had, like, a million five, and last year you… all these projects you were working on. Did you run into any snags or obstacles or issues with any of the funding projects you've been doing? Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, we didn't. It was sort of a real experiment, too, because it was the first time that we had any significant amount of money, and we had to create an application process, or, you know, sort of a review selection process, so everything that we did was sort of a first.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think that maybe the bigger challenge is that we had more money than we had projects for, and one of our, one of our applicants backed out at the end, so… Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Which applicant was that? I think it was… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Was it an action project? Do you remember? I don't remember, actually. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I feel like it might have been an action project. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's where some of the 885 is still leftover opera funds, true? Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, and we were… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We were able to, we were able to work that out.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): outlook. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the… the CBD Jeep program. Right. You know, They were really… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Not getting a lot of applicants for home buyer. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): you know, relief, but they were getting a ton of applicants for home repair help, because, you know, there's nothing to buy that anybody can afford, so… and a lot of aging people in the community, and… Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Homes that needed some, you know, critical help. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We're applying for the home. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Home repair loans, so we were able to help offset their shortage.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Meaning, buddy? Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Actually, the output fund, didn't have to be spent by a certain time frame? Yeah, right, yeah, so that may be the 85 on any upper funds. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Another question to expand on what Deanna was saying, so… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): what came out of Housing Compass, which… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Planning Board and City Council adopted, 2 or 3 weeks ago. There's… A lot more emphasis on Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): projects, or, projects, but, Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): methodologies that the Affordable Housing Trust can pick up now, or is it being expected to take up?

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): She mentioned the, ADU assistance. We now have both our local ordinance and state law, allows for ADUs throughout the community. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Construction's very expensive, and so… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): a lot of folks who might want to build an ADU can't necessarily afford to build an ADU, so the hope is that Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Folks that would qualify for whatever program gets developed under that, Program. Good. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): get financial assistance from the Affordable Housing Trust to produce those units, and many more than that. There's a… if you look at the

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Housing Compass, document. There's a lot of reliance, Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On the portable housing costs to answer a lot of these needs. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Who else? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, I'm good. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Why don't we? Deanna, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Thanks for listening. We'll be in touch. Thank you. Bye-bye. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yep. She's not my chef. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All right, gang, we're into administrative updates now, of which I have three. Okay. Okay, number one, extension votes. If you might recall, last month we discussed all of the extension votes that might be required.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And I'm gonna share my screen and put it up here briefly. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): See if I have that model. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Second.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): have its contract expiration date extended from December 31st, 2026 to December 31st, 2028. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none and all in favor, say aye. Aye. And against, say nay. Motion passes unanimously. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Next up, I move that the City-Owned Artworks Preservation Project from the Gloucester Committee for the Arts Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Be extended from its current expiration of 12-31-26 to a new expiration date of 12-31-27. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'll second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Favor? Nay. Okay, all against, nay. None.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Motion passes unanimously. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, I move that the Historic Structures Report at the Babson-Alling House from the Cape Ann Museum be extended from its current agreement expiration date of 12-31-26 to a new expiration date of 12-31-27. Okay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): A motion passes unanimously. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And lastly, I move that the granite deck and stairway restoration project from Manship Artist Residences Studio be extended from its current expiration date of 12-31-26 to a new expiration date of 12-31-27.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Excellent. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): None, all in favor say aye. Aye. Passes unanimously. Thank you, everybody. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And Zoe, you will take care of doing whatever needs to do. Great. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Alright, next up. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): emailed all of you on Friday about a… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): proposal that I would like our committee to vote on to eliminate the term. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Before we get into that, can we, since we just talked… voted on Manship? Yeah. And I know they were supposed to present tonight, but they didn't present.

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I just want to know what is… was the mansion system? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): presented last week, last month. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh, lost the stage, okay. Yes. All right. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It's okay. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It was in the last month, yeah. Yeah, but he just… okay. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Has anyone gone out and taken a look at the Yavaway? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I have not. Yes, I have. Wasn't there somebody at the meeting last week who said they'd missed a site visit and they wanted to go out? Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Jennifer? Jennifer. Yeah, I think so, and I know I said I'd like to go there as well.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): get out there. Did you go? Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm going to miss if I'll. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the other day to see the, you know, the exhibit, and looked at the arbor. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I know you, Carrie, I was gonna call and make a site visit, but I had to be over in Lanesville for something, and I said, let me swing by there, just to see if I could check it out. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And, seems like there's a lot of work, and nothing's been done on those cottages, and we just gave them an extension on, Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): This latest project. I'm just wondering… I'm just throwing that out there, that I think they have a lot on their plate right now.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We'll have that discussion for our. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): November meeting. Yes, yeah, no, no, save that to discussion. I was confused with who was, sure, yeah. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And by the way, on that, so my feeling on Gloucester Stage was that Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We always promise Kenny Costa that he goes on first, so we'll still have our Kenny discussion, we'll do Gloucester Stage right after that, and then… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We will do our first cut deliberations on our recommendations for this year. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, back to ordinance change.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, we've discussed many times, and we've had other people chime in, that nobody quite understands why we have a term limit in the CPC, and just so that we're all talking about the same thing, in the Gloucester Code of Ordinance, which is the one I'm looking at right now. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Section 2-534, paragraph A, says terms. The term of office for each member of the committee shall be 3 years. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No member shall serve more than two terms. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): goes on to talk about staggered terms and partial terms later, which also says that a partial term doesn't count as a full term for the purpose of determining term limits, but that's the key point.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The term is 3 years, no member shall serve more than 2 terms. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I wanted to tell you all what I've done for, research on this, because it's come up so many times. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I first… spoke to, people in two other towns that I know have, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): CPCs. One is Acton, where I served. They don't have term limits. And one is Newton, who I spoke with, 3 years ago when we were first talking about funding our affordable housing trust, because Newton does. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Newton does have term limits, in their, in their ordinance. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In Acton, I spoke with a fellow named Walter Foster, who served on the CPC for many years there before I joined and was the chair there in the early 2000s, and then after as well.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And, he said they never had term limits, they considered it when they founded it, and they founded it in year one. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The CP Coalition, the organization that is our clearinghouse of information for CPC, has never recommended term limits, because it's restrictive in terms of retaining good, qualified members. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And Walter said, we took that to heart and didn't put in term limits. I said, how do you take care of it if somebody's on the CPC for too long? And he said. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): They have a… it's a town, they have a select board. He says the select board has a standing, policy that if somebody comes up for renewal for a third time.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): we pay attention. And if somebody's coming up for the third or the fourth, we might call the chair and say, are you sure? Are you looking for anybody new? Do you want anybody new? But he said, that's all we do. And if somebody's good, they can be good for a long time. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I said to him, I said, so are you kind of congratulating yourself for serving on that movie so long? And he laughed. But he said, no, no, he said, obviously not. But, anyway, that's what they do in Acton. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In Newton, I didn't speak to the chair, but I did speak to a member there who's also involved in affordable housing development, and she said, yeah, she had termed out, she wasn't quite sure why, but doesn't know why Newton has, so I don't know why Newton has term limits.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I then spoke to, JJ Bell, who was on the original founding group that got the CPA passed in Gloucester, and was the original chair of the CPC, I believe. And I spoke to John Bell, who was the mayor at the time. Neither one of them could recall why we have term limits in Gloucester. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then finally, I exchanged notes with Stuart Saginore, the CP Coalition, which is the source of most of our detailed opinions and data about the CPA in Massachusetts. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And he said they have always strongly discouraged term limits for the very reason that we've all discussed here. It is… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): A challenge to attract and retain

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): qualified, committed committee members, and so, as a general rule, they discourage it. However, there are some municipalities in the state who do have term limits. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And he said in a few cases he knows of, it's because they have term limits on a lot of their committees. But he said, there's really no Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No precedent and no exact reason that fits all for why they do it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So I took all that, and I came to the conclusion that now's as good a time as any. I would like to propose that we eliminate the term limit from the CPC. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Here's how that will work.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm going to make a motion for the CPC to make a resolution. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That we eliminate the term limit specification in the ordinance. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): If we vote to approve that, I will then write a memo to the mayor and copy the City Council to say, we would like to see the following change made to the city ordinance, and I'll give them some of the background that I just gave you. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And then it'll go before O&A, and they'll vote on it, and it'll go to the City Council, and if they approve it, the term limit will be gone. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): How long that takes? Hard to say. It depends on what else is on their agenda.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think I was gonna say about that. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But that's basically… The process that is in front of us. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Any questions? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Would it be in time for us to stay on? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know. It depends on when the City Council gets through it. In your particular case. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's a decision for the Housing Authority to make. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Lynette already… Lynn already… we already went through that process. She's planning to join. If this passes, you can certainly go back to the GHA and say.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'd like to be considered to continue to be, and so it's really up to you guys. We don't have a say on that. Sure. It's just like the Recreation Commission or the CONCOM. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Whoever they appoint serves. It was really only there. Yeah, but if it passes in time, no, then you are eligible. Okay, that sounds. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's what I meant. Chances are, they'll… if I say I want to do it, they'll let me. So it… for the… for this… Speaker 12 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): For the specific ones, like the planning board or housing, they can decide whether or not the person's. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, and that has nothing… that's independent of term limits. Right, right. We take their recommendation.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the actual process is they nominate somebody to be on the CPI, and then the mayor and city council have to approve them. So, but they still are part of the term limit, so… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes, yeah, we actually follow the term limits with, Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Exactly. And, termed out. Right. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): was replaced. Yep. So… So, if this were to change… were to change. Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): There are no term limits, and everybody would have the same… again, it would be equal across all members, both from committees and at large. Correct. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yep. That's the way it is now, too. Right. With determinants.

Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And just to make a point, Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): PPC is, my knowledge, the only committee that has Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Term limits, and this is true. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It was my understanding, and I think this was from Jan Bell, that the reason that they had the term limits was because we're dealing with Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So much money, and we're dealing oftentimes with same organizations, and that… just in an effort to keep Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): any camaraderie that might be happening, at a minimum, to just limit it to 6 years each, so that you're not, advocating, you know. If I become very friendly with Linda Harvey at Hammond Castle, I might be erroneously advocating

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): On behalf of Hammond Castle time and time and time again. But that could be addressed by the important. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): authority, not permanent. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right. But I think that was the thinking of why, I mean, we're asking why did they do it. I'm pretty sure that Jan and I had a conversation a couple of years ago. Interesting. That was what they were concerned about, is they're trying to keep the idea of, you know, any kind of… recognization. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Veteranization. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yes. I'm not doing it. Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): No, exactly, because I think that is the downside of not having it. There's a risk of that, but again, if you have everybody untuned into it and has a chance to still say, well, maybe not.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I do think that there are ways around it. I mean, what you're saying, Sean, but just the group as a whole. I think if one of us saw somebody else kind of, out of… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): character… not non-characteristically advocating for somebody who's gonna say, all right, wait a minute, she's been doing this for too long, and likes these people, or whatever. I think that's… Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That would be the case with… with… any board or committee, actually. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): You've kind of… Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I don't know if it's because it's grant money, and it's, you know, just, it's a lot of money each year, and it's often, it was the same people applying. Again, that was a conversation I had with Jan, that that was her understanding as to why they had… and she was part of the initial one as well. Jan Bell.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I figured she would remember and show it. Exactly, right. Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Great. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Very good. Okay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Unless anybody would like to discuss it further, and we will have one more thing, because it's a standard motion within room for discussion. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I was going to say just one thing that, go ahead, Bill. Glad, Sean, I was gonna ask you about your situation with… Planning board have term limits? No, and you're not aware of any other committee? I mean, I'm a… I like the idea of term limits, however…

Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think of one of my favorite quotes in the Bible, which said, the harvest is ready, but the work is a few. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And, experience matters, so I think that the opportunity to be able to have people who have, you know, committed to being involved in this committee with experience should be able to stay on. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Quick. I think… I wasn't saying that you would agree with it, with that thinking that there would be, fragrinization. Yeah. But it seems to me that having people who have longevity with it Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But have a better overview of who is asking over and over again, and the intricacies of what they've gotten before.

Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And… I just think… Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): there's a real benefit to having the longevity on this committee. It was hard… you said it in your letter, it was very… it was challenging to get to the point where we can do this with some authority and some confidence. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And… and to throw that out… No, it's crazy. Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's true. No, I think it is a complicated system, and it takes a while to get the speed, obviously, on it. I think there's just that one piece I keep thinking about, well, then they can't have the same 7 or 9 people, whatever it is, you know, 9 years in a row. It feels like people don't have a chance to come in either and learn.

Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Put a view. Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): train new people here, so that's just the other slightly sticky piece, but I don't have an answer for it, but that's the other piece. You want to kind of change, somehow, get people to come in and be trained, so you have new people. At some point, someone can't keep doing it, they move, what happens? Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And just need to have a little bit of space for some. Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I can see that. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): What would the solution for that be? Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I plan on getting another planning board member to sign up.

Speaker 2 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I think what Matt said, though, that the city council, I guess, would be the people who would call you and say, hey, what do you think this person? Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, okay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And it's actually more the mayor's office. All committee members serve at the discretion of the mayor. Okay. Speaker 6 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, yeah, yeah. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's worth… So there's the… there's the solution. Speaker 13 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Right, exactly, so people can be aware of it from that side, too. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, so this is the, the Gloucester Code of Ordinances, and this is the section we're talking about.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Oh… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I'm going to read a resolution that we will vote on, but it basically says, take that sentence out, one that I've highlighted. That's all it'll do. Everything else stays the same. So it's pretty easy. And when the mayor gets it, they'll forward it to, city council, Suzanne Egan, and they'll… then they'll decide Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Whether that's what they do or something else. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Alright, so… I move the adoption of the following resolution. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Whereas it is in the best interest of the Community Preservation Committee to encourage qualified citizens to serve on the committee.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And whereas the existing limit of a maximum of two terms of office for each committee member is a deterrent to keeping qualified members on the committee. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And whereas the large majority of municipalities in the state of Massachusetts do not impose term limits on their CBC members. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And whereas the Community Preservation Coalition strongly recommends communities do not include term limits. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Therefore, be it resolved that the Community Preservation Committee recommends to the City of Gloucester that the two-term limit for committee members be removed from the City of Gloucester Code of Ordinances, Section 2-534, Paragraph A.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And I so move. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All in favor say aye. Aye. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Motion passes unanimously. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I will write a note to the mayor and, to the CAO, tomorrow, an email, and I'll CC all of you on it as well. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And, we'll see where that goes. Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): All right, let me unshare this.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Back to… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, let's see… there we go. Okay, last admin update I have. We have, over the last few months, been churning towards Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Slight signage thing. A non-standard sign for a couple of grant recipients. Instead of our big blue signs… Oh, yes. We had agreed to, get a plaque, a bronze plaque, put on the adventure. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And, the library was also in the process of doing one for the CPA for the, fountain garden. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, that's all churned through. Finally, I think we've got it actually rolling along. Zoe, can you give us an update? Yeah, I'm just waiting for.

Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the quotes from Mount Pleasant Memorial, so… Speaker 7 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But once she does send them over. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): We can get. Speaker 10 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): get going with. Speaker 11 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): purchasing. Right. But, so I think she will do it soon. I'll follow up again, but yeah, just talked to her last week. The, Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Steve, and the reason this is relevant is, We… when we… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): the library was steaming along, gonna do their own. It's just a little… it's 10x6, it's small, and there's an existing 10x6 on the wall next to it that if you're by sometime, take a look. It'll sit right next to it. So it's pretty modest, it's gonna be pretty inexpensive.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): But, because we were already talking with the adventurer about doing a plaque on the, on the wheelhouse there, these to me feel like ones that the city, specifically we, the CPC, should pay for. It's signage. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): designed to promote and to let citizens of Gloucester know where their money's going. So, it's going through the city purchasing process, through Mount Pleasant Memorials, who do most of the city's plaques, and hopefully they'll be done this fall. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Excellent. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Is that something we have to vote on, or are we just doing… you're just doing…

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Okay, great. Yeah, so, so, oh, I should say, let me back up, too. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): In the, in the CPA, it calls for up to 5% of the grant money we get each year can be used for administrative costs. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): which usually go mostly to fund, you know, Zoe's activities. But, we can, you know, take some of that, or whatever the… however the city wants to handle it from an accounting standpoint, Kenny will take care of that. But we're talking about a few hundred dollars, it's not a big enough money. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anybody else have any administrative updates? Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): So, our next meeting is… Monday, November 16.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): And we'll be back in the Harbormaster's office? Yes, we're back there. Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Kind of like this rub he has, it's a nice rub. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I feel like I'm really far away from you, though, Bill. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Well, we could configure it differently. I know, I know. Well… Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Food for thought, I mean, I guess we could consider it Zoe, but… Speaker 5 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): It doesn't seem as crowded. The other one seems so crowded. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): The other one is kind of tight… well, it's tight when we have presentations. Yeah. But we'll only have one next week, or next month. Kenny's always remote. Right. So I think we're going to be okay there.

Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Anyway, Harvard Masters next month. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): That's it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Do I hear a motion to adjourn? I'll make a motion to adjourn. Second. Motion made and seconded. Everybody in favor say… everybody in favor say aye. Aye. Anything is adjourned. Speaker 8 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): I got it. Speaker 3 (RBSC - Upstairs Conference): Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you, Zoe. One.