Community Preservation Act

[Tom]

Good idea for Walpole?

[Unregistered]

It sounds like just another tax increase to me.

[Unregistered]

It sounds like a great thing, but I'm not exactly sure what it means or entails.

[Unregistered]

The Community Partnership Act or "CPA", is awful similar to "CPV". This is just another way the power plant people are tryin to take over our town. Say NO!

[Unregistered]

CPA is agreat thing signed by Celluci when he was in office. I have been in favor for this for many many years. In the past the state matched dollar for dollar. Unfortunately, not enough funding is being added to this program so the amount set aside for this is low and depleting. Also too many affluent towns jumped on this early basically adding to their open space and historic preservation. Hardly anyone has used this for affordable housing, which it was really intended for. Now the payout is 60% I believe and dropping, still not a bad return for 1 year. This is a toss up for me. Unless money can be guaranteed by the State (basically a certain percentage of return), I would vote for this. Also, the towns that jumped on this early also had enough money to buy open space and plan for affordable housing basically avoiding unfriendly 40B's. If we had this in the beginning we could have bought Walpole Woodworkers site with no issue. Some towns have a great amount of money in thier CPA accounts as a result of the state match.

[Unregistered]

#4: are you crazy? CPV and CPA are the same thing? Maybe you should do some homework! They are not even remotely connecte, but it is uninformed statements like that which can shoot something good down before it has a chance. I am not sure if I am in favor of a CPA, but I am willing to listen. Maybe we should all do that and then make an informed decision.

[Unregistered]

Hey #6: I apologize. It was a joke! I just meant to goof on the total CPV hysteria that has gripped the town.

CPA is definitely worth our consideration, as it can be a valuable tool in municipal planning. Tom's article on the main page is an excellent summary.

However, the bottom line is you do pay a little more in property tax, and that will be a tough sell. CPA has been a very positive thing in some neighboring communities.

No more kidding around. . . .

[Unregistered]

This is actually a way for the town to get around not having the 2 1/2 over-ride passed. It's just another tax and once in place will NEVER go away.

Maybe if the town had jumped on this when it first came out, when fuel prices were much lower, when houses were selling for higher prices, it might have passed.

I for one can't afford another hit to my fixed income.

[Unregistered]

I would like to learn more about the Community Preservation Act. It seems like an interesting idea that could benefit the town in the long run.

My concern is that there are people in town who advocate that we should compromise the beauty and safety of Walpole and the health of our citizens just for the hope of a little bit of tax relief. The argument for CPA is to increase taxes in order to improve the town, and the argument for CPV is to degrade the town in order to reduce taxes.

These two projects, CPA and CPV are diametrically opposed to one another. I don't think the town should even consider adopting the CPA unless and until we give a resounding and final "no" to CPV.

[Unregistered]

You get what you pay for. I wouldn't mind paying a little more in my taxes for community preservation to keep Walpole clean.

[Unregistered]

4 additional towns passed this (stoughton being one of them). The total is now 133 towns/cities and growing.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/05/4_more_towns_back_cpa/

[Unregistered]

Please view this. Pretty funny and depressing at the same time. Basically most of the wealthy towns have adopted this. Walpole has contributed $700,000 to this fund based on fees collected by the State and since we have not adopted this we have received zero. Our money actually went to one of the towns on this list that voted for the override for the CPA fund. Boston did not pass the override for CPA in 2001 and has contribute 11 million dollars and has received zero. Where as Cambridge passed the CPA override and has contributed 1.7 million but with State match has received 27.7 million, difference of 26 million that they did not put in. I believe they went for the 3% match.

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/rappaport/downloads/cpa/cpa_final.pdf

[Unregistered]

the study you posted is very interesting...the state is now only matching 65% of the funds in towns that imposed a 3% surcharge on property taxes....also interesting that there isn't much accountability about how the funds will be spent.

[Unregistered]

Repeat after me... income redistribution in order to attain social engineering. Just leave our money alone. Please.

[Unregistered]

There is hardly any accountability which is great for towns that are on it now. I personally think they should just do away with this act. Towns that are benefiting are the ones that have money and are well educated and see this as a steal. Basically rich towns taking from the poor towns on this. I will give in on this one basically 2% of my taxes for a 65% return on the dollar and the first 100,000 is not counted. I will not let the rich towns get richer and better. Hey they already took $700,000 from us that we put in and if this does not pass they will be getting more of our money.

[Unregistered]

ain't giving this town one more cent of my hard earned money for farmland

[Unregistered]

I would have supported this had the town leaders and board members not been supporting a power plant in South Walpole. I am tired of the double standard. This money will be used to buy another farm in North Walpole while the citizens of S Walpole are left to fight off one disgusting land user after another. I voted for Adams Farm, across the street from Mr. Lorusso's home, and the return gift I received was a proposed power plant. NO SALE!

[Unregistered]

#17- I agree with you wholeheartedly. I also voted for Adams Farm and now I regret it. Why should we repeatedly be pressured to buy North Walpole farmland? The farms are long gone-sad but true. There are more pressing needs. And, unless the school crowd gets their rapacious demands under control no matter what the cost to the town, I will never vote for another school override again. I am also against this Community Preservation Act (and, no, I live nowhere near So. Walpole). I'm just sick of the different standards applied to various parts of town.

[Unregistered]

if i knew that Adams Farm was going to be the look but don't touch piece of property i wouldn't have voted for it...i would not support the community preservation act so we can can have another untouchable piece of land in the same general area...i'd rather throw my money out the window

[Unregistered]

I voted for Adam's Farm and all of the school overrides but the last one. (By the way, residents were obviously right. They are doing fine with no override, 2 budget cycles later.) I am not voting for anymore preservation in North Walpole or for a single penny for the schools ever again, until I see THE SAME STANDARDS APPLIED TO SOUTH WALPOLE as these folks apply to themselves.

Great towns and property values are created by having the entire town be at top standards. Not by trying to turn one side of town into a dump! I have supported schools that I no longer use, and a farm I do not live near. I have done so in the spirit of the greater good. Unfortunately, those recipients of my good will could care less about giving anything back. North Walpole and the school crowd must be related to Manny.

As a resident of South Walpole I AM AT MY WITS END AFTER YEARS OF FIGHTING CRAP BUSINESS THAT BENEFITS LANDOWNERS AT THE EXPENSE OF RESIDENTS! The school crowd has been willing to sacrifice an entire segment of the community for their truly short-sighted and temporary gain. The commercial landowners seem to think birth right entitles them to more than 1 vote. I am done! The only way some of these people are going to learn the trutrh is the hard way. Give back what you get! Turn-about play is a sad state of affairs, but the double standard supported by a select few in this town is just OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!

There are many in North Walpole who understand the concept of the whole community! Stand up and tell your neighbors and representatives to get on board and support the entire community. Most school parents would never support a power plant, don't let your children's education be high-jacked and used to divide the community. If we don't all start demanding equity, common sense, and unity, we will truely fall as a divided group. No longer a community.

[Unregistered]

I also agree with you all. I also voted for Adams Farm, but why should a few families get the view while they think the rest of us should fight the battles for preserving the town's character. I've known of only one North resident who has been fighting the CPV. Where are the rest of you? Where is your town loyalty? You seem to think the rest of Walpole is suppose to do whatever you demand.

Do you think that a few million dollars from CPV (if they even get the permits and sell to a company that will actually build) is going to make the school system any better? Dream on. Wapole would use this money to pay for retired workers pensions, fuel costs, health benefits for current workers, payroll, then maybe teachers and plant maintenance for the schools and town buildings, in that order. Your kids will see very little, if any of this money. Wake up.

The whole CPA idea is great but not for Walpole. We already have the Town Forest and Adams Farm. We don't need any more revenue land taken out of circulation.

Even if the land is built up I'm sure the "North Walpole" residents will insist on single homes not the 40B or 40R the rest of town is dealing with.

[Unregistered]

It will take another election cycle to change the direction or more specifically the lack of direction in town

[Unregistered]

Who is pushing the community preservation act and why now? What is the real agenda? The town got $1 million for fields so it doesn't need the money for those and 40Bs aren't exactly popular. Is this an attempt to buy Sunny Rock Farm (which is on the market) because the neighbors don"t even want houses built there? Million dollar houses can be such an eyesore and the traffic would just be unbearable. What about the noise from those lawn mowers, dogs barking, or kids splashing in pools? It would just be intolerable. No one should have to live with those conditions.

[Unregistered]

One of our town representatives is pushing for the act. It is a good thing for the town which is matched by 65% from the state on what we collect. It is to be used on preserving open space, recreation fields , historic preservation and creating affordable housing. The 1 million dollars we are hopefully receiving, I thought was not approved yet for the fields. If we do receive it does it have to be used for the fields and if so which one. In any case we already put money into the CPA fund every year and total amount so far has been 700,000 dollars that other towns have collected on and we collected zero. My decision this fall will be either to fund this or the library which was a tough call. I would rather see the Library approved. I use the Library and I think it is in poor. I think it was basically a bandaid that someone put on to avoid the actual issue.

[Unregistered]

#24- I previously posted here as #18. Did you mean RTM or state rep? I respectfully disagree with CPA. It will only be used here for preserving open space which means North Walpole. I believe someone has the agenda of buying Sunnyrock Farm by pushing this. Sorry, I am not on board. The police station is in dire straits and nobody cares. I'll vote for the library but I am not voting in favor of any more open space. North Walpole can live with another street of very beautiful houses. That is not a tragedy.

[Unregistered]

We do already pay a small amount into the CPA, but we will pay a great deal more if we vote it in. Preserving the town would be nice, if we were actually going to help areas in need of preservation. Another farm for N Walpole is not on the docket for me. Those that support the CPA also seem to favor nasty developement in other areas of town. NO thanks. Those that support the Library understand the concept of supporting and improving the WHOLE town. Hello library. Bye-Bye CPA and its few supporters. They are self serving, so I will not help them to help themselves.

[Unregistered]

The CPA allows the town to adopt a real esate tax surcharge of up to 3%. My money is with the library. At least the voters will have a say on whether or not they want it and then we can all use it. Who is the town representative? That person should come forward and explain the act and ALLl of its ramifications.

The act also requires the creation of another committee. We have enough committees with their own agenda. I can see a whole group put together who want to buy Sunny Rock Farm. This is a sample bylaw to create the committee.

The bylaw relates only to the composition and appointment of the local Community Preservation Committee. The bylaw or ordinance must spell out the following information:

-The number of members on the committee (between 5 and 9 members)
-The officeholders designated as part of the committee
-The length of the term
-The method for selecting committee members, whether by election or appointment or both

The Community Preservation Committee must include one member each from the local conservation commission, board of park commissioners, historical commission, planning board, and housing authority. If a municipality has not established one or more of these boards or commissions, a representative serving in a similar capacity can be appointed to the committee

Beyond these requirements, the specific construction of the bylaw or ordinance should be crafted with local counsel to ensure that it conforms with local legislative practice.

[Unregistered]

If you go to the library, you can choose what book you want to read. If you vote for the CPA, you don't get to choose who is on the committee and what their plan is. My money will not fund a project that I have no control of. Thanks, but no thanks.