Present:

• Sally Underwood-Miller Chair
• Jay Bikofsky
• Linda Jackson
• Tom Stokes
• Carole Owens
• Patrick White
• Steve Knopf via Zoom
• Michael Canales, Town Administrator
• Roxanne McCaffrey, Select Board

Also present, applicants: Arthur Dutil (Gould Meadows), Jim Welch and Kevin Chittenden (Stockbridge Train Station), Bronly Boyd and Carl Bradford (Congregational Church), Shelby Marshall (Ag and Forestry Commission), Ellen Spear and Laurie Norton Moffett (Norman Rockwell Museum), Kate Fletcher (Cat and Dog Fountain), Pat Flinn (Laurel Hill Assoc), Shirley Blanchard, Karen Marshall, Andrea Lindsay (Stockbridge Housing Authority)

1. CPC reviews all applications and determines which should be referred to Town Meeting for approval.
2. Town Counsel (TC) reviews all submissions. TC determined three projects did not meet the criteria. They were the Town’s proposal for an Historical Education Plan, The Kampoosa Bog Hydrological Assessment, and the Kampoosa Bog document digitization.
3. Linda Jackson, Chair Historical Commission, reviewed the eight projects submitted under historic preservation and shared recommendations of the Town’s Historical Commission.
4. White moved that the NRM’s request for $4999 for an Historic Structure Report on Linwood (the Berkshire Cottage on the grounds) be awarded under Administration. Moved and passed
5. Committee requested more information regarding historic restoration of Glendale Fire Station.
6. Work to date on Cat and Dog Fountain and request for reconstruction of “bottom tier” and second tier as well as completing restoration of statue. White moved to award $40,000 requested. Passed.
7. Chittenden represented the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. The Committee questioned if space was being rented to a for-profit entity in which case CPC could not fund it. It is not. The Committee was assured that any profits would go to preserve the building and support the museum. The request was to repair and replace the concrete apron around the station.
8. First Congregational Church not fundable as a religious organization but the historic building, an important part of the history of the Town, does qualify. In order to retain the functionality of this part of the building, access must be rebuilt to conform with the American Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
9. Stockbridge Library has received a gift of a peace pipe from the Stockbridge Munsee tribe. To preserve it properly, an archival shadowbox needs to be created. White made a motion to approve $2712.62 to construct the shadowbox. Passed.
10. Laurel Hill Association would like to undertake signage and small parking lot at Upper Bowker’s Woods (Route 183). This property has been let go for some time. Unique with vernal pool and as habitat for endangered species.
11. The Town Parks and Recreation committee would like to remove some of the invasive phragmites and make room for an additional kayak launch at the Town Beach. This will require a filing with the Conservation Commission. Parks and Recreation is also requesting funding for a kayak access to the river at Park Street. Stones will be placed in the river that boaters can walk on. This will also require a filing with the Conservation Commission.
12. Ice Glen’s Old Growth Forest is being decimated by invasive insects — the Wooly Adelgid and the Emerald Ash Borer. The Town is proposing to use injectable insecticide to save the trees before all are lost. Many of the trees are already diseased and doing quite poorly. Biological remediation may be explored for future controls.
13. Bikofsky presented the Committee with the Declaration of Purpose for the Housing Trust. This project will allow for various methods of supporting moderate income housing for young families and working people by providing down payment assistance, among other kinds of financial assistance.
14. Friends of Gould Meadows requested funding under Recreation to continue the clearing of invasive speies, build a stone wall to better mark the perimeter of the parking lot, and finish up the restoration of the milk shed.
15. Pine Woods driveway is not functional, $70,000 to rebuild. Moved and passed.
16. Stockbridge Housing Authority (Heaton Court) requested $33,529 to complete the replacement of the siding. Moved and passed.
17. Will continue March 9.

Meeting adjourned

Editor’s Note: In order to qualify, applications to CPC must fit into one of three categories: Housing, Historic Preservation, or Open Space (which includes recreation). 2. There is an additional small category: Administration

March 9 meeting

1. With the exception of the three items that TC viewed as not qualifying and the signage for Ice Glen, all requests were recommended in full. They will be forwarded to SB for inclusion on Town Meeting Warrant for final approval by Town Meeting.
2. Due to the diligent efforts of our new Town Accountant, Town Administrator and Select Board Member Patrick White, literally tens of thousands of extra dollars were discovered. This is money that was allotted to CPC over many years and was not spent. It accumulated. This discovery allowed CPC to fund in full all requests made this year except for the three town counsel said did not qualify and the sign at Ice Glen.
3. Three matters were raised and discussed
   1. What is the job of CPC? Some members thought it was to gather the applications, determine which qualify, and recommend funding those at 100% of request if sufficient funds are available. [Part of application process is justifying the amount requested]. It is the taxpayer’s money meant to be used totally for the purpose intended.
   2. On the other hand, at least one member felt strongly that CPC had the additional task of judging the merit of the application and turning some applications down or granting a lesser amount based on that judgement.
   3. Out of that discussion, another issue arose. Should CPC recommend using all funds available each year or hold a reserve? Some felt our fiduciary responsibility was to give it all away to qualified applicants as stewards of the money directed to allocate it by the Town Meeting (TM). Others felt there should always be a reserve
   4. If there should be a reserve, should CPC place it in one or more of the three categories. In a way, determining before an application how it can be spent.
   5. This year, after all the funding recommendations, there was an excess because of the discovery of previously unspent funds. An argument was made to put it in Housing because there is a particular need for affordable housing. It was decided to hold the newly discovered money, almost $400,000, in an undesignated category for maximum flexibility.

Meeting adjourned