1.22.2020 Community Preservation Committee

The Fall River Community Preservation Committee (CPC) met on January 22, 2020, to conduct regular business, address correspondence, and prepare for the FY 2021 funding cycle. The committee noted several vacancies, including the recent resignation of Charlie Moniz from the Planning Board, along with vacant mayoral and Housing Authority seats. The committee approved meeting minutes from October 22, 2019, and June 25, 2019, and reviewed updates regarding pending CPA projects involving City Planner Bill Roth, including the Kennedy Park Overlook, East Bay bike path, and Quequechan River Rail Trail.

The committee spent substantial time reviewing proposed edits by member Al Lima to the Community Preservation Plan, debating geographic equity of funding, affordable versus low-income housing classifications, and park project approvals. The committee voted to publicly advertise for a real estate attorney on a consulting basis at approximately $250 per project (estimated total under $5,000 from administrative funds) to clear a backlog of 18 past preservation restriction deeds. Members also voted to continue paying parking expenses for administrator Sandy Dennis through June 2020.

Finally, the committee acknowledged the withdrawal of an application by Michael Abbasi for the Quequechan River Rail Trail Rodman Street annex and reviewed a request from the Little Theatre of Fall River for $40,115 in additional funds. Because only $1,600 remained in available FY 2020 funds, the request could not be granted immediately, though members noted potential unspent funds could be reappropriated in FY 2021. The committee scheduled upcoming hearing dates in February 2020 to review 18 new FY 2021 project applications.

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