PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Community Preservation Committee expects a $420,000 budget for fiscal 2018.

 

The Community Preservation Act was accepted by voters last November and city officials have been establishing the process since then. The act calls for a surcharge on property tax bills of 1 percent, with the first $100,000 value being exempted. That money goes into a fund, which is controlled by a locally created Community Preservation Committee, to use on affordable housing, parks and open space, historic preservation.

 

Residents will see that surcharge in the final two quarterly bills this fiscal year, with the four annual bills being split into just two. Next year, the surcharge will be spread out over the entire year.

 

On Tuesday, the City Council's Finance Subcommittee approved the estimated $420,000 budget, though the timing of the income and application process means it is unlikely that much, if any, money gets dispersed before July.

 

"This is already a conservative amount based on fiscal '17 assessed values. We also rounded that number down," City Planner CJ Hoss said, later adding that when it comes to expenses, "In May, June, as the council is going through the budget process for FY19, you'll get something more definitive with collections and proposed projects."

 

Councilors pressed Hoss and Community Preservation Committee Chairman James Conant on how community groups and others apply to receiving funding for projects. While the process is open for any group to apply for funding, even the application has not been designed yet. Hoss plans to make it well known when the committee will begin accepting them.

 

"Civic groups will have to step up and actually apply for projects," Hoss said. 

 

The committee has already held one outreach session as it plans out its guiding principles for using the funds. Hoss said he plans to release a survey in the coming weeks and then hold more community meetings.

 

The funding can be used in a fairly broad set of ways, money can be saved up over years or can be spent at once. But a minimum of 10 percent is required to go into each of the categories. The group is looking for input on how the committee should prioritize the spending.

 

From there, an application and eventual review process will lead to the determination of which projects receiving money, and how much. That recommendation goes to the City Council for final approval.

 

"We don't foresee us doing large scale projects per se, but partner with projects," Conant said.

 

The state matches the city's contribution to those funds, but that won't happen until November 2018. The state's match has been coming from an annual allocation from a trust fund. As more and more cities and towns adopt the act, the money gets spread thinner. Just last summer those advocating for the act were expecting a 30 percent match but now the match is looking to be closer to 12 percent.