PHILLIPSTON – The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) will hold an informational meeting for residents interested in securing funding for projects in fiscal year 2026.

The meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Phillipston Memorial Building. The CPC has just over $1.4 million in its account.

“Basically, we’ll be talking about what the CPC does, discuss what we did last year, provide information on how to apply for grants for the coming year,” said committee Chair Peter Travisano.

Travisano said the committee wants to give those interested in applying for grant monies plenty of time put their proposals together in order to meet the Dec. 31 deadline. There are three criteria for being eligible for CPC monies – historic preservation, open space and community housing.

“Typically, the applications we’ve received have been centered around historic preservation and open space,” he said. “But those three criteria are what we’re really limited to.”

Funding for CPC projects comes through the Community Preservation Act, passed in 2000 by then-Gov. Paul Cellucci, as a smart growth tool to help cities and towns preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. This is paid for through a surcharge of not more than 3% of property taxes, which the state matches, up to 100%.

Among the rules of the CPA is that 30% of the money collected be allocated for open space/historic preservation, affordable housing and recreational, at 10% each. This money can be spent the year it is set aside or later. An additional 5% can be set aside for administrative purposes, with the rest going to a general fund. Applications can be made for CPA funds, which is decided on by a local governing body and approved at Town Meeting or another similar procedure.

Applying for funds, Travisano said, is pretty straightforward and the forms can be filled out online or manually. The committee will then meet in early 2025 to consider the applications. Any project endorsed by the CPC must be approved by a vote of the Annual Town Meeting next April.

“We would make a decision by March of next year,” said Travisano. “That way, the Selectboard and Town Counsel can review those projects. They then make recommendations on which projects can move forward at the Annual Town Meeting.”

Last year, said Travisano, the CPC recommended – and the Town Meeting approved – $30,000 for window restoration at Phillipston Congregational Church, $47,900 for renovation work at the Phillips Free Public Library, $30,000 to conduct a study on improvements to the town common, and $5,000 for the Agricultural Commission to construct a shed at the public garden.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.