By Meredith McCulloch
A recommended budget for Annual Town Meeting and a projected six-year plan were presented to the Selectmen by the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) on February 10. The CPC held a public hearing on both documents on the previous Thursday.
Among projects in the area of recreation is replacement of a footbridge on Washington Street. For $175,000 Cordes pointed out that the bridge was in critical condition and had in fact fallen into the water [Elm Brook]. The replacement bridge would be on Town land. Selectman Mark Siegenthaler emphasized that the CPC funds would provide a public bridge on public land for use by the public. The previous bridge was on private land and not under the jurisdiction of the town.
The estimated available funds for FY2016 are $1,816,601 based on a 29 percent distribution from the state. The CPC website describes the authorized uses of the funds: The money must be divided among projects having to do with open space, affordable housing and historic preservation. At least 10% of the money must be spent on each of those types of projects, and the balance is spent per the determination of the Community Preservation Committee. Open space includes recreational uses.
In the historic preservation area for FY2016, the bonding costs for upgrades to Town Center and Town Hall total $237,243 plus another $75,000 added to the Historic Properties Preservation Fund.
Other recommendations were for $1,100 for a bike repair station, $600,000 for athletic field development and $56,265 for resurfacing the Narrow Gauge Rail Trail.
Cathy Cordes. CPC Chair and Robin Steele, Vice Chair, noted that the six-year plan took considerable effort, but was made possible by the town’s new capital planning software. Six year planning parallels the capital planning time-line for town departments and the Capital Expenditures Committee. They commented that costs listed in the outlying years are estimates and likely to change.
For more information about CPC see the committee’s website: https://www.bedfordma.gov/community-preservation-committee
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