APPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDING ELIGIBILITY NOW AVAILABLE

APPLICATIONS FOR COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT FUNDING
ELIGIBILITY NOW AVAILABLE

Committee will review
submitted projects for affordable housing, open space, outdoor recreation and
historic preservation

SOMERVILLE –More
than $4.5 million is available for affordable housing, open space, outdoor
recreation and historic preservation projects in Somerville through the
Community Preservation Act (CPA), and Somerville residents, organizations and
businesses are invited to submit their project proposals to see if they are
eligible for funding. Details on what CPA funds
can be used for
are laid out in the Community
Preservation Plan
available at http://www.somervillema.gov/cpa.

Those interested
must fill out and submit a one-page eligibility
form
by Friday, Sept. 26, at 5 p.m. available online at http://www.somervillema.gov/cpa/apply. Completed
eligibility forms should be submitted to emonea@somervillema.gov. The Community
Preservation Committee will review each form and determine whether the proposed
project is eligible for CPA funds.

If you are
interested in applying but unsure if your proposal is eligible, City CPA
Manager Emily Monea will hold open office hours at City Hall each week on
Wednesdays from 12 to 1 p.m. and Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m. through Sept. 26.
She can also be reached at 617-625-6600 ext. 2118 or emonea@somervillema.gov with any
questions or for assistance in completing the eligibility form.

The Committee
will notify applicants by mid-October whether their proposal is eligible for
CPA funding and can enter the full application process. Applicants are
encouraged to submit their eligibility determination forms early. Those who
submit by Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. will likely have their proposal reviewed at the
committee’s Sept. 3 meeting, giving them additional time to complete their full
funding application if they are deemed eligible.

Applicants whose
proposals are deemed eligible must submit a full application by Dec. 1. The
Committee will evaluate the applications based on priorities in the Community
Preservation Plan, gather public feedback and ultimately present its funding
recommendations to Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone for submittal to the Board of
Aldermen. The Board of Aldermen will then vote on the Committee’s recommended
projects.

In November 2012, Somerville voters overwhelmingly approved a 1.5%
CPA surcharge on net property taxes. The City collected $1.3 million in CPA
revenue this past fiscal year and appropriated an additional $1.3 million in
free cash to the City’s CPA Fund, meaning the City will receive between
$650,000 and $1.25 million in matching funds from the state, depending on final
state CPA funding. An additional $1.3 million in surcharge revenue is projected
in fiscal 2015, resulting in between $4.5 million and $5.1 million being
available in the CPA Fund for projects.

In
November 2013, an unprecedented
open and transparent process yielded four appointees for the public
positions on the Community Preservation Committee, submitted by Mayor Joseph A.
Curtatone and approved by the Board of Aldermen. The Committee members are
public members Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello, Ezra Glenn, Courtney Koslow and Uma
Murugan; and ex officio members Michael A. Capuano of the Planning Board,
chairman; Dick Bauer of the Historic Preservation Commission, vice chairman;
Tanya Cafarella of the Somerville Housing Authority; Michael Fager of the
Conservation Commission; and City Parks and Open Space Director Arn Franzen.

For
more information on the CPA, signup for the
CPA Email Newsletter
by visiting the City’s website at www.somervillema.gov/CPA and clicking
“Sign Up Now for CPA News.” Please contact Emily Monea at 617-625-6600 x2118 or
emonea@somervillema.gov with comments
or questions.