Community Preservation Committee recommends three projects and reduced bids ahead of town meeting

John Campbell presented the Community Preservation Committee’s final recommendations for the upcoming town meeting and answered questions from Select Board members on March 9.

Campbell said the CPC received three primary applications that met CPA criteria: historic-society window repair, athletic-field restoration at Milliken Middle School, and Blake Street downtown improvements. He said subsequent bidding reduced costs substantially: the historical society’s request was revised to $212,000 (covering 23 double-hung windows, a $5,000 glass contingency and a 10% project contingency), Milliken’s ballfield and dugout work dropped to $227,100, and the Blake Street design was reduced from roughly $850,000 to $783,900 by substituting poured-concrete curbing for granite and simplifying fence design.

Campbell emphasized the CPC’s view that these are investments in town assets and downtown revitalization and explained funding sources, including $998,000 in unreserved CPA funds and projected FY27 new revenue estimated at $870,000. "If the residents approve them all, we would utilize $1,487,240 of our available resources of $1,872,008.38," Campbell said, noting a remaining balance projected at $385,005.98 in unreserved funds.

Select Board members questioned maintenance responsibilities, the extent of parking and paving that CPA funds could reasonably cover, and the timing relative to the unresolved 4 West Main RFP. Campbell and Public Works Director Scott Charpentier described which portions of parking and drainage are eligible and clarified that municipal parking-lot resurfacing outside the park scope would likely need to be addressed in the capital budget.

The Select Board did not take a final vote to amend the warrant but discussed how to present the articles at town meeting and asked staff to ensure clear voter materials explaining scope, costs and limits of CPA funding for each project.