Planning

FY22 Plan Review hearing June 22, 2021 6pm

To ensure the Community Preservation Plan includes the most accurate representation of the city’s priorities, the CPC invites the public to attend the annual review hearing on June 22, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. which will take place remotely on Zoom.   This meeting will allow the public to review the draft FY22 CPA plan and provide input.  The plan helps guide the CPC in determining how funds should be utilized during the next application period.  Public comments are welcome. Please send all comments to CPA@NewBedford-MA.gov by July 9, 2021.

June 22, 2020  Virtual Meeting Invitation 

FY22 CPA Plan and FY21 Annual Report DRAFT

FY22 CPA Categories Goals and Priorities

FY22 CPA Plan Review PowerPoint Presentation

FY22 Plan Review meeting Flyer  English Portuguese Spanish

HAVE A CPA PROJECT IDEA?

The FY22 application cycle will begin in September 2021.  Organizations, city departments, and individuals interested in applying for funding in the next cycle are encouraged to review the FY21 APPLICATION TECHNICAL WORKSHOP POWERPOINT PRESENTATION and the FY21 CPA PLAN & FY20 ANNUAL REPORT to learn more about the process. The FY22 CPA Plan and FY21 Annual Report will be available in August 2021.

If you have any questions regarding CPA, your project’s eligibility, or wish to be included on our email list, please email Jessica Bailey, CPA Coordinator, at CPA@NewBedford-MA.gov.

FY21 CPA Application Cycle is complete

The CPA FY21 Application cycle began on September 3, 2020.  Step I – Eligibility Determination is complete. All Step I project applications determined to be eligible under CPA legislation were invited to submit a Step II – FY21 CPA Project Application.

The Community Preservation Committee received twenty-five applications seeking funding for CPA eligible projects.  The applications are available for review under FY21 Applications.

Each applicant was invited to present their project to the CPC at a virtual public meeting.  The CPC reviewed the applications at a series of meetings: January 26th, February 3rd, and February 11th.  Agendas and approved minutes are available here.

The FY21 CPA Funding Recommendations were submitted to the City Council for their consideration. On March 11, 2021, the City Council referred to the recommendations to the Committee on Finance. At the March 22, 2021 meeting, the Committee on Finance approved all 18 projects for FY21 funding and referred the recommendations back to City Council for the final vote. At the April 8, 2021 meeting, the City Council approved all FY21 recommendations.

What is CPA?

The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is a Massachusetts state law (MGL Ch. 44B) designed to help Massachusetts towns and cities plan for sustainable growth and provide funds to achieve their community preservation goals. CPA allows participating cities and towns to adopt a real estate tax surcharge of up to 3% to raise funds, creating a local, dedicated fund. CPA helps communities preserve open space and historic resources; create community housing; and develop outdoor recreational facilities.  CPA funds can be matched by other sources, leveraging additional funding for projects benefiting the city. To date, over $6.9 million in additional funding has been received by projects funded by New Bedford CPA.

New Bedford voters approved CPA in November 2014 and adopted a 1.5% surcharge.  These funds are matched annually by the state’s Community Preservation Trust Fund.

Community Preservation Committee

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) oversees the implementation of the CPA in New Bedford. It is responsible for assessing the community preservation needs of the city; developing and maintaining the community preservation plan which establishes the city’s preservation priorities; preparing an annual budget for City Council; and making project recommendations to City Council after an extensive application process.

Janine da Silva, Chair

Historical Commission

Melissa Chester-Letendre, Clerk

General Public

Christopher Amaral

General Public

CPA plan

The CPA Plan is a study of the needs, possibilities, and resources of New Bedford regarding community preservation and establishes the CPC’s annual priorities for funding projects.  The plan includes the application instructions and documents for applying for funding.  In addition, it contains the previous fiscal year’s Annual Report.

FY21 CPA PLAN & FY20 ANNUAL REPORT

FY20 CPA PLAN & FY19 ANNUAL REPORT

FY19 CPA PLAN & FY 18 ANNUAL REPORT

For CPA information or questions, email CPA@newbedford-ma.gov