The Norwood Conservation Commission asked the Community Preservation Committee for a $10,000 transfer into the commission’s conservation land fund to support land acquisition and due diligence costs such as surveys, title searches and legal fees.

The request was presented by Carly Rutland, identified by the committee as the conservation planner and liaison to the Conservation Commission, who said the fund provides flexibility for the town to acquire land, cover costs for investigating parcels and support maintenance, monitoring of conservation restrictions and geographic information system work.

Committee members generally expressed support for replenishing the fund but pressed for conditions. John Hall said he would be “more comfortable” if the commission recommended matching whatever the town puts in the operating budget “up to a maximum of $10,000” so the CPC funds would not replace municipal funding. Members raised a timing concern: votes by the committee could be made contingent on the outcome of Town Meeting and the town’s operating budget, which would require the CPC to wait until after the operating budget is adopted to finalize awards.

Committee members also asked staff to confirm whether a conditional recommendation (matching language) is allowable and to bring the Conservation Commission and town finance staff into earlier conversations with the Finance Committee so last‑minute operating‑budget changes do not unexpectedly eliminate the town match. Carly Rutland said she would check the town budget timing and follow up with the committee.

Members requested a clear accounting mechanism so expenditures charged against the conservation land fund can be tracked to their source (town operating appropriation versus CPC account). Rutland said the dedicated account currently shows $124,079 in the non‑CPA fund and about $20,000 in the CPC project account, and that the commission had previously allocated up to $5,000 to cover transfer expenses for a donation on St. Paul Street.

The committee took no final vote on the transfer at the hearing and indicated it will continue discussions with the town manager’s office and Finance Committee before placing a recommendation for Town Meeting.

The conservation land fund request will return to the committee with clarifications about the town’s proposed budget contribution, recommended conditional language (if permitted), and a plan for fund‑source tracking.