The Community Preservation Committee reviewed multiple FY2026 warrant articles and voted to approve the committee’s recommended articles after detailed discussion, including changes suggested by town counsel and the Department of Revenue guidance.

Committee members discussed terminology changes requested by counsel and state guidance, agreeing to use the term “trust fund distribution” instead of the older phrase “state match” to avoid confusion about the timing and basis of the distribution. The committee also reviewed and preserved a budgeted reserve (the set-aside) that will appear in the warrant as $176,291; members said that reserving funds makes them available for projects that may come forward after annual town meeting and before the next tax-rate setting.

The group considered whether to include bond-debt-service line items in the article and kept them for transparency; town counsel will meet with the committee in the summer to provide further explanation. Members also discussed market risk for invested CPC funds and were briefed that the Town Treasurer controls investment decisions; because some members were concerned about principal volatility, the committee chose funding sources for specific articles accordingly.

Committee members debated language that would have required unspent funds transferred to the Affordable Housing Trust to revert to the CPC after a set period (a “sunset clause”). Town counsel advised that the CPC may lack authority to require such reversion once funds are properly transferred to a statutory housing trust; after discussion the committee accepted counsel’s recommendation and removed a forced sunset provision while noting concerns about long-term fund use and requesting closer communication with the Affordable Housing Trust.

Votes at a glance
- Article 1 (FY2026 reservation & distribution language including set-asides and debt-service reporting): approved (roll-call vote recorded as yes by Kristen LaVault, Grant, Brett, Claire and Lisa Braccio; tally 5–0).
- Article 2 (adjustments / trust fund distribution adjustments): approved (roll-call vote recorded; tally 5–0).
- Article 3 (historic downtown railing funding): approved with one abstention (Claire abstained; other members recorded yes).
- Article 4 (transfer to Affordable Housing Trust and conditions): approved (roll-call vote recorded as yes by Kristen LaVault, Grant, Brett, Claire and Lisa Braccio; tally 5–0).

Members asked staff to produce a clean warrant draft incorporating the committee’s edits (capitalization, punctuation, consistent statutory citations such as MGL Chapter 44B and references to the Department of Revenue’s IGR) and to circulate the final text to the committee and to town staff prior to printing. The committee agreed to host a pre–town-meeting review session and to coordinate presentations for town meeting, noting that project proponents (for example, the Select Board for the railing project) should be prepared to present and answer questions on the floor.