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Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Committee
Date: 2025-01-14
Building: Reading Town Hall
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: General Business
Attendees: Members - Present:
Ad Hoc Community Preservation Act Study
Time: 7:30 PM
Location:
Select Board Meeting Room
Session:
Open Session
Version:
Final
Chair Joe Carnahan, Margaret Donnelly -Moran (remote), Sandy Matathia,
Martha Moore
Members - Not Present:
Vice Chair Sarah Brukilacchio, Carlo Bacci, Eric Gaffen
Others Present:
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Jacquelyn LaVerde
Topics of Discussion:
This meeting was held in-person in the Town Hall Select Board Meeting Room and remotely
via Zoom.
Call to order and welcome
Following technical difficulties, Chair Joe Carnahan called the meeting to order at 7:46 pm
and reviewed the evening's agenda.
Roll call attendance: Margaret Donnelly -Moran (remote), Sandy Matathia, Martha Moore,
Joe Carnahan.
Discuss and vote on a timeline for CPA consideration
In past meetings, the Committee learned that the Community Preservation Act (CPA) must
be on a regular state or local election ballot, and cannot be on a special election ballot.
There is no state election in 2025, but there Is a state election in November 2026. Strongly
worded guidance indicated that state elections are preferable, as CPA has had a greater rate
of passage and a higher voter turnout.
The Committee reviewed the timelines of previous attempts, especially the attempt in 2001
which shared the ballot with the High School debt exclusion. The Committee wants to be
cautious to not overlap CPA with other capital projects that would need a debt exclusion
vote. The Killam project, and possibly the Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL) project,
are expected to go to a special election ballot in Spring 2025, though the ReCAL project has
a little more Flexibility In Its timeline than the Killam project's timeline, which is prescribed
by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The Committee agreed that with
the information currently available on other projects, there is a strong recommendation and
good reason, and the prospect of passing is greatest, if the CPA vote Is pushed out to
November 2026.
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Margaret Donnelly -Moran moved to recommend that the Town of Reading consider
adopting the Community Preservation Act at the November 2026 State election,
which was seconded by Martha Moore.
The Committee discussed whether to include a recommendation on when to bring the
proposal to Town Meeting, and how that might affect the timing and creation of a ballot
committee, and potential advisory committee, though clarification was needed on timing of
the vote following Town Meeting acceptance, so the motion was not amended.
Following discussion, the ad hoc Community Preservation Act Study Committee
voted 4-0-0 in favor of the motion.
Roll call vote: Margaret Donnelly -Moran — Yes, Sandy Matathia — Yes, Martha
Moore — Yes, Joe Carnahan — Yes.
Discuss the composition process and contents of a report on the merits of the CPA
and methods of adoption
Reports for past attempts, and from other communities, typically consist of things that could
be done if CPA is adopted, and estimates of the financial impact. The Committee discussed
what to include in their report Including: lists of possible projects, lists of past projects that
could have been funded using CPA that came out of the Town Budget (e.g. Birch Meadow,
pickleball courts, purchase of Mattera Cabin, purchase of Grove Street Lot 5, and possibly
the thinning of the Town Forest), up to what amount of revenue could have been generated
and match funds received if CPA had previously been adopted, and projects that could have
been done but did not have funding.
The Committee agreed that it would be beneficial to hear from Natick and Winchester in
order to help shape the report, and plan out future "topic of the month" meetings. Mr.
Carnahan will follow up with Sarah Brukilacchio and Eric Gaffen to find out if either of them
have had any further luck connecting with CPA representatives In Natick or Winchester. If
not, Sandy Matathia volunteered to take over the communications with either or both
communities.
Martha Moore stated that she will contact Kim Honetschlager, the Chair of the 2001 CPA
Study Committee, and invite her to share her insights with the Study Committee.
Also In the future, the Committee will plan to host a public forum for public feedback and to
help shape the report.
The Committee agreed to keep the meeting on January 2P as scheduled to follow up, then
meet monthly going forward. Future meetings were scheduled for Tuesday, February 2V,
Tuesday, March 251h, and Tuesday, April 29".
The Committee discussed questions they would like to ask Natick and Winchester in
advance Including:
• What contributed to successful CPA adoption in your community?
• How did you coordinate and bring together the many different CPA stakeholders,
including the Select Board, various boards and committees, and other interested
residents?
• What was the relationship between the study committee, the ballot question
committee, and the eventual Community Preservation Committee?
• Why did Winchester form a temporary advisory committee between the Town
Meeting vote and the ballot question?
• How did you come to recommend the percentage and exclusions that you
recommended?
• How did you deal with other outstanding projects that would lead to debt exclusions?
• What was the opposition to CPA adoption like in your community and how did you
deal with it?
• What are/were the first projects you were going to spend CPA money on?
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Discuss and approve meetina minutes from October 22, 2024
The Committee reviewed the minutes of October 22, 2024, and made clarifications to the
"Review Previous Consideration of CPA in Reading" and "Discuss Future Meetings and
agendas" sections.
On a motion by Martha Moore, seconded by Margaret Donnelly -Moran, the Ad Hoc
Community Preservation Act Study Committee voted 4-0-0 to accept the meeting
minutes of October 22, 2024 as revised.
Roll call vote: Margaret Donnelly -Moran - Yes, Sandy Matathia - Yes, Martha
Moore - Yes, Joe Carnahan - Yes.
On a motion by Martha Moore, seconded by Sandy Matathia, the Ad Hoc
Community Preservation Act Study Committee voted 4-0-0 to adjourn at 9:22 pm.
Roll call vote: Margaret Donnelly -Moran - Yes, Sandy Matathia - Yes, Martha
Moore - Yes, Joe Carnahan - Yes.
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