Introducing the Community Preservation Act (CPA) Workshop on CPA and Biomap2 for Worcester County Communities Leominster Library, October 9, 2013
About the Community Preservation Coalition
Acton Acushnet Agawam Amherst Aquinnah Ashland Ayer Barnstable Becket Bedford Belchertown Belmont Beverly Bourne Boxford Braintree Brewster Bridgewater Cambridge Canton Carlisle Carver Chatham Chelmsford Chilmark Cohasset Concord Conway Dartmouth Deerfield Dennis Dighton Dracut Dunstable East Longmeadow Eastham Easthampton Easton Edgartown Fairhaven Fall River Falmouth Georgetown Gloucester Goshen Grafton Granville Great Barrington Groton Groveland Hadley Hamilton Hampden Hanover Hanson Harvard Harwich Hatfield Hingham Holliston Hopkinton Hubbardston Hudson Kingston Lenox Leverett Lexington Lincoln Littleton Longmeadow Manchester Marion Marshfield Mashpee Mattapoisett Maynard Medway Mendon Middleborough Middleton Millis Monson Nahant Nantucket Needham Newburyport Newton Norfolk North Andover Northampton Northborough Northfield Norwell Oak Bluffs Orleans Pembroke Pelham Phillipston Plympton Provincetown Quincy Randolph Rehoboth Rockport Rowley Royalston Salem Sandwich Scituate Seekonk Sharon Shutesbury Somerset Somerville Southampton Southborough Southwick Stockbridge Stoughton Stow Sturbridge Sudbury Sunderland Swansea Templeton Truro Tyngsborough Upton Waltham Wareham Wayland Wellesley Wellfleet Wenham West Boylston West Bridgewater West Newbury West Springfield West Tisbury Westfield Westford Weston Westport Weymouth Whately Wilbraham Williamstown Yarmouth And Community Preservation Committees from
Coalition Services Technical assistance Website: www.communitypreservation.org CPA advocacy Email newsletter Regional CPA conferences and training Assistance with CPA education and adoption
What is CPA? The Community Preservation Act is state enabling legislation passed in 2000 Adopted by individual communities at a local ballot election
What is CPA?.enables Massachusetts cities and towns to create a local dedicated fund for. Open Space Outdoor Recreation Historic Preservation Community Housing
CPA in 2013: 155 communities 44% of the state
Recent CPA Ballot Activity (November 2012)
CPA Adopted by All Types of Communities
CPA Funds at Work
Text CPA - Many Types of Projects
CPA by the Numbers through 2013 HISTORIC PRESERVATION: 3,300 appropriations made OPEN SPACE: 19,700 acres preserved OUTDOOR RECREATION: 1,000 projects funded AFFORDABLE HOUSING: 7,800 units created or supported OVERALL: 6,600+ projects approved & $1.2 billion raised
Basics of CPA Adopting communities establish a dedicated local fund for: Historic Preservation Open Space & Recreation Community Housing
Basics of CPA CPA Revenue Sources Communities vote to establish a CPA surcharge of no higher than 3% on local property taxes and then receive annual matching funds from the state
Amending or Repealing the CPA Not necessarily a permanent commitment The CPA must remain in place for at least 5 years After 5 years, the Act can be repealed at any time Amendments to the CPA surcharge percentage or the exemptions can be made at any time
Community Preservation Committee (CPC) City Ordinance or Town Bylaw establishes a CPC Required representation from: Conservation Commission Historical Commission Planning Board Recreation Board Housing Authority Plus up to 4 additional members
CPC Functions Assess Needs Accept/Review Project Proposals Get Input from the Public and Boards/Committees Recommend Expenditures to City Council/Town Council Budgeting/Record Keeping, Annual Report NOTE: Legislative approval required on all CPA projects!
CPA Annual Fund Distribution Requirements
Potential Uses of CPA Funds
CPA and Historic Preservation PRESERVE RESTORE ACQUIRE REHABILITATE ADAPT FOR REUSE Buildings Structures Parks Vessels Landscapes Documents Artifacts
CPA and Historic Preservation Restoration of historic municipal buildings
CPA and Historic Preservation Adaptive Reuse of Buildings
CPA and Historic Preservation Grants to non-profit community groups (typically with a preservation easement)
CPA and Historic Preservation Historic City/Town Documents
CPA and Open Space PRESERVE CREATE (REHABILITATE) ACQUIRE Agricultural Land Vulnerable Land Drinking Water Supplies
CPA and Land Protection Protecting Agricultural Land
CPA and Land Protection Protecting Vulnerable Land
Protecting Drinking Water Supplies CPA and Land Protection
CPA and Recreation ACQUIRE PRESERVE CREATE REHABILITATE Playgrounds Athletic Fields Hiking and Biking Trails Parks Community Gardens Outdoor facilities only
CPA and Recreation Playgrounds
Athletic Fields CPA and Recreation
CPA and Recreation Hiking and Biking Trails
Parks CPA and Recreation
CPA and Recreation Community Gardens
CPA and Affordable Housing REHABILITATE ACQUIRE CREATE PRESERVE SUPPORT Housing for Veterans Conversion of Existing Buildings Meeting Specialized Needs Community Involvement & Nonprofit Partnership Sustainable Development
For families & individuals earning up to 100% of area median income: $48,510 for 1 person $55,440 for a couple $69,300 for a family of 4 (Leominster and Fitchburg) CPA and Affordable Housing Differs from 40B in that: All local zoning and bylaws apply City Council/Town Meeting approval required Permanently affordable
CPA and Affordable Housing Housing for Veterans
CPA and Affordable Housing Conversion of Existing Buildings
CPA and Affordable Housing Meeting Specialized Needs
CPA and Affordable Housing Community Involvement and Non-profit Partnerships
CPA and Affordable Housing LEED Certification and Sustainable Development
Costs and Benefits of CPA
What would CPA cost the average homeowner in this area? It depends partly upon the exemptions your city/town adopts. Communities can choose from a menu of CPA exemptions
Menu of CPA Exemptions First $100,000 of residential property value New: First $100,000 of commercial & industrial property value Low income families; low/moderate income seniors Full commercial and industrial exemption (with split tax rate only) *Note: Any existing property tax exemptions apply to the CPA surcharge
What about Residents with Low or Fixed Incomes? FY13 income limits to qualify for exemption to CPA surcharge in Leominster and Fitchburg
What would the average local homeowner pay with a 1% CPA surcharge? (Based on FY2013 tax data for Leominster) Avg Assessed Home Value With $100,000 exemption Net House Value Surcharged Municipal Tax Rate (per $1000) Amount Subject to Surcharge CPA Surcharge Rate Amount paid toward CPA Fund x x $209,968 $100,000 $109,968 $17.96 $1,975 1% $19 The average Leominster homeowner would pay $19 into the local Community Preservation fund annually.
The Statewide CPA Trust Fund Guaranteed annual disbursement from statewide CPA Trust Fund Administered by the Department of Revenue (DOR) Funds come from $10 and $20 fees charged at the Registries of Deeds New!! Additional $25 million from the state budget surplus for 2013 and beyond?
How Much Can Communities Expect to Receive from the State CPA Trust Fund? Annual match has ranged from 26%- 100% of local CPA revenues Communities with 3% CPA surcharges get more $$$ each year!! Another route to 3%: Blended CPA
Estimated Annual Leominster CPA Revenues (FY13) (Assumes Leominster adopts the exemption for the first $100,000 of residential property value)
Overall Benefits of CPA: Leveraging Town Project CPA $ Other $ Peabody Rail-trail $162,000 $1.36 million federal grant West Bridgewater Anderson Farm $400,000 $1.23 million state and federal grants Easthampton Restore Town Hall $50,000 $50,000 from MHC Newton Elderly housing $850,000 $3.167 million from HUD Grafton Hassanamesitt Village open space/historic preservation $250,000 $1.85 million from state, federal and private sources Hampden 166 acres open space $100,000 $400,000 from state and private sources
Overall Benefits of CPA Important community projects funded with state $$$ Steady source of funding for local CPA needs Leverages other funding Strengthens community s financial outlook New: Broadened allowable uses and increased funding Local economic activity and jobs
Questions? For more information: www.communitypreservation.org 617-367-8998