Community Preservation Committee

The Community Preservation Act (MGL Chapter 44B) allows any city or town in the Commonwealth Commonwealth of Massachusetts to adopt a property tax surcharge of up to 3%, the revenues from which are matched by State funds. This fund can only be used to: preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities

In 2008 Gloucester citizens voted to adopt the CPA with a 1% tax surcharge. As required by the CPA a local Community Preservation Committee was formed to make recommendations on CPA projects to the Mayor and the City Council.

Community Preservation Committee Responsibilities include,

Develop a Community Preservation Plan. To see Gloucester's plan visit: Gloucester's Community Preservation Plan
Solicit public input to maintain that Plan. The CPC must hold at least one public hearing annually to get input from the general public, and use that input to keep Gloucester's Community Preservation Plan up to date.
Review and Recommend CPA Projects. The CPC accepts project proposals from the community and reviews them with the aim of selecting the most compelling projects for recommendation to the Mayor and the City Council.
Keep records and report on the CPA Budget. The CPC is required to keep records of all CPC meetings, proposals, and recommendations, and to submit a CPA budget annually to the City Council.

Meetings

Community Preservation Committee meetings are typically held monthly on a Tuesday. Meeting details will be posted under Public Notices on the City's website.
Currently all meetings are being conducted virtually. Go to Virtual Meetings to find out more.
All virtual meetings are being recorded. Go to Past Remote Public Meetings on the City's website to view.

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to CPC meetings.
Most Recent Agenda | View All

Minutes are available upon approval of the CPC.
Most Recent Minutes | View All

Members

First Name	Last Name	Title	Address	Term Expiration
Matthew	Lundberg	Chair, At Large	21 Middle Street	February 14, 2024
Henry	McCarl	Planning Board	28 Old Nugent Farm Road	February 14, 2023
Mark	Poulin	Open Space & Recreational Committee	84 High Popples Road	February 14, 2025
Kerry	McKenna	At-Large	35 Nashua Avenue	February 14, 2024
Bill	Cuff	Vice-Chair, At-Large	169 Atlantic Avenue	February 14, 2025
Bob	Whitmarsh	Historical Commission	2 Blueberry Lane	February 14, 2023
Jennifer-Lee	Levitz Aronson	Housing Authority	259 Washington Street	February 14, 2024
Rob	Gulla	Conservation Commission	593 Essex Avenue	February 14, 2025
Harry	Hoglander	At-Large	5A Curlew Court	February 14, 2024* Fulfilling Pam Tobey's term.

Contacting the CPC

To reach the CPC please contact Gloucester's Grants Manager at Community Development or call (978) 325-5230.

Applying for CPA Funds

The 2022 CPA Funding Round will take place according to the following schedule:

Project Eligibility Forms due: Tuesday March 8, 2022
Completed Applications due: Tuesday May 3, 2022
Estimated Project Award: December 2022 / January 2023

CPC Eligibility Forms and Applications must be submitted by visiting Neighborly, a web-based grant management system. Please visit Neighborly to register and complete the required forms. For questions or assistance please contact Gloucester's Grant Manager at Community Development.

Helpful links for Potential CPA Project Applicants

CPA Overview
Is Our Project Allowable?
CPA Success Stories
Sample Application: Avis Murray Boulevard Tennis Courts
Many more helpful articles are available by visiting Community Preservation Coalition

CPA Projects Approved in 2021

All CPA Projects

The Community Preservation Coalition maintains a database of all projects funded by the CPA, in Gloucester and other towns and cities in the Commonwealth.