Community Preservation Committee Reviews Annual Progress and Impact
Community Preservation Committee Re-Elects Current Officers for New Term
The Fall River Community Preservation Committee held its annual meeting on August 17, 2026. The meeting began with a roll call of the members present. The committee's financial report was postponed to a future date as the city's CFO was unable to attend. The Chair read a prepared statement reflecting on the committee's progress over the past year, thanking the committee members, applicants, residents, and the administrative aide, Sandy Dennis, for their contributions to preserving the city's historic assets, expanding recreation, and enhancing quality of life through the Community Preservation Act. The primary order of business was the nomination and election of officers. A motion was made to keep the current chair, vice-chair, and clerk in their positions for another term. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously following a roll call vote of 9-0. After the election, the committee voted to adjourn the annual meeting.
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Public / Other
Welcome to the Community Preservation meeting.
0:03It's at One Government Center.
0:04We're in the City Council hearing room.
0:06It's Monday, August 17th, 6 o'clock.
0:11Pursuant to the open meeting laws, any person may take an audio or video recording of this meeting and therefore be advised that such transactions or transmissions are being perceived there or before you otherwise notified.
0:24We'll start with roll call.
0:26To my left, Michael Ferraris, John Sobia, Joanne Bentley, Alexander Silva, Kristen Cantara Oliveira, John Brandt, James Horsby, Rick Mancini, Chris Benavides.
0:39And, uh, I don't think we have any citizen input.
0:43Um, we did have a financial report, but the city did not have— the CFO could not make tonight's meeting, so we'll have that at another date.
0:55I do have a— hmm?
0:59Yeah.
0:59He did.
0:59Sorry.
1:00Let's see.
1:04Dear members of the Community Preservation Committee, city officials, partners, and residents, as Chair of the Fall River City Community Preservation Committee, it is my privilege to welcome you to our annual meeting and reflect the meaningful progress we have achieved together over the past year.
1:19The Community Preservation Act continues to be one of the most impactful tools available to our city, strengthening our neighborhoods, protecting our historic and cultural assets, expanding outdoor recreation, and enhancing quality of life for all who call Fall River their home.
1:34This year we reviewed a diverse range of proposals and demonstrated both the creativity and commitment of our community.
1:41Each application reflects a shared belief in Fall River potential and desire to preserve what makes our city unique while investing in the future.
1:50Through thoughtful deliberation, public input, and collaboration with city departments, nonprofits, neighborhood advocates, we advance projects that honor our heritage, support our residents, and contribute to a more vibrant and resilient Fall River.
2:05I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the members of the committee for their dedication, professionalism, as well as applicants who worked diligently to prepare thoughtful submissions.
2:16I also thank the residents who participated in our public meetings and offered valuable insight.
2:22Your encouragement ensures that CPA funding remains transparent and aligned with community priorities.
2:28As we look forward, the committee remains committed to responsible stewardship of CPA funds resources and fostering partnerships with strengthening our city's historic preservation, open space, recreation, and affordable housing initiative.
2:42Together, we continue to build momentum the past year and support projects and enrich the lives of citizens and contribute to Fall River's long-term viability.
2:52Thank you for trusting collaboration.
2:54And I think I thanked everyone in there except my most important part, Sandy Dennis, our administrative aide who does a lot of our work and keeps us on track.
3:05And I thank the board for the hard work we did this year.
3:08And, welcome to this year's meeting.
3:11Next on the agenda is nomination of election of officers.
3:20We'll start with the chair.
3:23Do we have nominations, recommendations?
3:31I think you're doing an excellent job.
3:32I would like you to remain stable.
3:37Second.
3:38And it is a lot of work, but we do appreciate that.
3:41Do we just want to make a motion to keep, uh, officers stable?
3:46Yes.
3:47Okay, do I have that motion?
3:48I make a motion to keep the authorization of the chair and the vice chair in position as they currently are.
3:57And clerk.
4:00Second.
4:01Second.
4:01Okay, we'll do a roll call on this.
4:04Yes.
4:05John Sylvia.
4:06Yes.
4:07Joey Bentley.
4:07Yes.
4:08Alex Silva.
4:09Yes.
4:09Kristen Cantara-Olivera.
4:10Yes.
4:11John Brandt.
4:11Yes.
4:12James Hornsby.
4:13Yes.
4:13Rick Mancini.
4:14Yes.
4:15Chris Benavides.
4:16Yes.
4:17Okay, and that is it for our annual meeting.
4:19Can I have a motion to adjourn?
4:21We need advice.
4:23Oh, we did.
4:24We took everybody.
4:25I'll make a motion that we adjourn our annual meeting.
4:28Second.
4:30Okay, all in favor?
4:31Aye.
4:32All righty, we can go out and enjoy the rest of the night.