Preparing Project Recommendations

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Preparing Project Recommendations For Town
Meeting or City Council
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Preparing Project Recommendations

• Who writes the first draft?
• Municipal official, legal staff or CPC
• Reserve placeholders on warrant
• Finalize text of each warrant article/ordinance
  (devil is in the details!)
• 4. Prepare motion for each recommendation
• 5. CPC vote on each recommendation

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Recommend to Legislative Body (Once per fiscal
year)

• Required reserves
• 10 housing reserve
• 10 historic reserve
• 10 open space reserve
• Optional reserves
• Up to 5 for administrative expenses
• Budgeted reserve
• Specific projects (anytime throughout fiscal
  year)

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Sample Once-a-year Recommendation (Boxford
Housekeeping Article)
ARTICLE 18. To see if the Town will vote to
appropriate or reserve from the Community
Preservation Fund annual revenues in the amounts
recommended by the Community Preservation
Committee for committee administrative expenses,
debt service, community preservation projects and
other expenses in fiscal year 2008, with each
item to be considered a separate appropriation
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Appropriations From FY2008 estimated revenues
for Sawyer-Richardson Open Space Bond expense
260,156 From FY2008 estimated revenues
for Committee Administrative Expenses
45,000
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Reserves From FY 2008 estimated revenues for
Historic Resources Reserve 90,000 From FY
2008 estimated revenues for Community Housing
Reserve 90,000 From FY 2008 estimated
revenues for Open Space Reserve
90,000 Budgeted Reserve 450,000 or take any
other action thereon. Sponsored by the Community
Preservation Committee Finance Committee
recommends adoption of this article
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Boxford Project Article
ARTICLE 25. To see if the Town will vote to
appropriate 53,500 from the Historic Resources
Reserve of the Community Preservation Fund to
fund Phase I of the Boxford Town Clerks project
for preservation of historic town records by
restoring, preserving and microfilming said town
records, including a computerized document
management system said funds to be expended
under the direction of the Community Preservation
Committee or take any other action
thereon.   Sponsored by the Community
Preservation Committee Finance Committee
recommends adoption of this article Capital
Budgeting Committee Recommendation A
Essential
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Recommendation Style

• Multiple CPA warrant articles (each project has
  its own warrant article or ordinance)
• One CPA warrant article (all projects together
  in one warrant article or ordinance each is a
  separate appropriation)
• 3. Combination of both of above

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Source of Funds

• Dont forget to specify the SOURCE of funds
• 10 Reserve accounts (housing/historic/open
  space)
• Next years anticipated revenue
• Budgeted reserve
• Fund balance (left over from previous year)
• Any combination of above!

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Legislative Body Actions are limited!

• Approve recommendations of CPC
• Reject recommendations of CPC
• Reduce amount recommended by CPC
• Reserve amount recommended by CPC to
• applicable reserve account, rather than
• approving the project

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Administrative Account

• Up to 5 of estimated revenues
• (local surcharge plus state match)
• Good idea to reserve full amount
• For CPC expenses only, not other municipal
  departments
• Unspent balance returned to undesignated fund at
  end of FY

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Administrative AccountCommon Uses

• Hire minutes secretary
• Hire administrative help
• Professional help Appraisals, consultants,
  legal assistance, general studies (historic
  inventory, etc)
• Newspaper ads for public hearing
• Misc. expenses

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Funds AvailabilityPrior to tax rate being set

• Estimated annual fund revenues from current
  fiscal year (local surcharge and state match)
• Certified fund balance from end of prior fiscal
  year
• 10 reserve accounts (housing, open space and
  historic)
• Bonding against future revenue stream

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Funds AvailabilityAfter tax rate is set

• Same as before tax rate is set
• EXCEPT.
• Fund revenues from current fiscal year are
  available ONLY if placed in budgeted reserve
  prior to tax rate being set

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Determining Project Eligibility
Its all about the VERBS!