Apply for Funding / Timeline

Step 1: Pre-Application

All applicants are encouraged to be in contact with the CPA Manager early in the process, prior to submitting Project Eligibility forms.

 

Off-Cycle Applications
Under extraordinary circumstances, the CPC may vote to accept applications that require consideration outside of the normal funding cycle. To be considered as an off-cycle application, projects must be considered “high priority” and must be driven by an external deadline such as real estate transaction or matching grant opportunity. Applicants who believe their circumstances call for such unusual action may contact the Community Preservation Manager to discuss the possible submission of an off-cycle application.

 

Applicants seeking grants of up to $5,000 for projects with a total cost of up to $10,000 should use the Small Grants Application form. For Small Grants, an Eligibility Determination Form (EDF) is NOT required. A total of $25,000 will be made available for small grants. Applications for small grants are accepted on a rolling basis. In order to ensure that small grant funds are available to diverse applicants, the CPC will accept up to four small grants per year from a single applicant, and no more than one application per Quarter.

 

While Off-Cycle Applications and Small Grant Applications may be submitted throughout the year, funding requests may not be approved by City Council between July 1 and September 30. Exceptions may be made in extraordinary cases if suffcient funds are available from prior years' reserves.

 

Step 2: Determine Project Eligibility

The CPC requires all applicants to submit a Project Eligibility Determination Form (EDF) as the first step in the application process. Projects involving City-owned property require coordination with the Mayor’s Office and her designated liaison; for City-related EDFs, communication with the Mayor’s Office is strongly recommended by Friday, July 26. This requirement do not apply to projects occuring on non-City owned properties. 

EDFs will be reviewed by staff to determine project eligibility. Applicants are also encouraged to bring questions about their project conception to the Committee or the Community Preservation Manager at any time, to obtain input on the concept or design of the project and the information that the Committee will look for in their application.

Step 3: Submit Funding Application

Applicants whose projects are deemed eligible for CPA funding will be invited to submit a full application electronically. 

In preparing a Scope and Budget for the full application, provide a detailed list of the tasks that will be completed as part of the project and description of how the cost estimate was obtained. Please ensure that the cost estimate is thorough and includes sufficient contingency to cover unexpected expenses, as additional requests for funds cannot be guaranteed approval. Costs such as multilingual communication for public outreach or staffing for grant management may be included in project budgets, as long as CPA funds are used to supplement and not supplant existing staffing.

Step 4: CPC Evaluation of Applications & Public Comment

1. Application review. The CPC will review project applications for completeness. The CPC may request additional information from the applicant prior to the public presentation session.
2. Public presentation session. The CPC will also hold at least one session to gather public feedback on proposed projects. Applicants will be required to give a brief presentation on their proposed project and to respond to questions from the CPC and members of the public in attendance.
3. Deliberation. After reviewing the applications and receiving input via the public comment session, technical assistance, or other written comments, the CPC will deliberate in an open meeting to determine whether to recommend each project for funding. Deliberation will take into consideration the evaluation criteria and priorities expressed in the Community Preservation Plan and most recent Annual Update. The CPC may recommend:

• A project as proposed by the applicant
• A modified version of the project
• Partial funding or funding for only a portion of phase of the proposed project

The Committee may recommend to commit funding on condition that projects receive necessary permits and approvals and funds anticipated from other sources. The CPC also reserves the right to attach conditions to its recommendations, such as conservation or preservation restrictions or public access agreements, and to include any specifications the CPC deems appropriate to ensure CPA compliance and project performance. All land acquired with CPA funds must be perpetually preserved for the purpose for which it was acquired. Historic preservation projects must be in compliance with the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation, where applicable. Applicants should coordinate with the CPA Manager to be aware of conditions that may be applicable to their projects.

If the applicant wishes to request substantial changes to the conditions placed on the funding recommendation, this will need to be reviewed and approved by the CPC prior to submission to City Council.

 

Step 5: Mayoral Submission and City Council Vote

The CPC’s recommendations will be submitted to the City Council via Communications from the Mayor. Projects must be approved by City Council to receive funding from Medford’s Community Preservation Act Fund. The Council has the authority to approve a CPC-recommended project, approve the project at a reduced funding level, or reject the project. Should the Council vote to reduce funding for or reject a recommended project, the CPC will have an opportunity to respond and/or to adjust the scope or terms of the project prior to afinal decision by the Council, as established in the Medford Community Preservation Committee Ordinance.

 

Step 6: Grant Agreement, Disbursement and Monitoring of Funds

The CPA Manager will notify grantees of their award and will oversee implementation of the conditions and requirements for the disbursement of funds.

Non-City Organizations
The CPC, acting through the City, will execute a grant agreement with each non-City organization that is awarded CPA funds (“Grantee”). The grant agreement will govern the use and disbursement of the funds. It will be tailored to each project but will include the Standard CPA Grant Agreement General Conditions. The City’s Community Preservation Manager will monitor project progress and compliance and will coordinate disbursement of CPA Funds. The City can establish disbursement guidelines and a phased disbursement system with the Grantee to forward fund project phases with the exception of the final 10% of the project funds, which will be released upon completion of the project.

City Departments
The CPC will execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with each City department that is awarded CPA funds. The MOA will govern Departments’ use of the funds.

 

Step 7: Annual Review

After the completion of each funding round, the CPC will review the community needs, goals, and priorities, to update the Community Preservation Plan as needed. The Committee will also review the application process, application materials, and the evaluation criteria to determine if the process can be improved. The CPC will invite input from other boards and committees and City staff, and may hold a public meeting as part of the review.