Nantucket Historical Commission wins MHC preservation-plan grant; staff to begin procurement

Chair Rita Carr told commissioners that the Nantucket Historical Commission has been awarded a Massachusetts Historical Commission fiscal‑year '26 grant to develop a preservation plan.

"In the letter, which I will circulate to the commission...it came directly from the State Historic Preservation Office," Holly Backus said, and added that staff will be notified by the MHC project coordinators about a kickoff meeting with state coordinators and other communities. Backus described the award as a 40/60 grant and said the program is selective: only a small number of Certified Local Governments (CLGs) were accepted this round.

Why it matters: a funded preservation plan will guide long-range preservation priorities, inform future grant applications and shape local review practices. Backus said staff will prepare procurement materials (an RFQ or RFP) and keep commissioners updated as the state provides a formal timeline.

Next steps: staff to circulate the award letter to commissioners, schedule the state-coordinated kickoff, and begin preparing procurement documents for consultant selection under the grant terms.