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Norwood committee to present budget materials to FinCom; discusses Washington Heights grant and local project updates
Summary
Committee members agreed to present materials to the Finance Committee on March 6, reviewed a draft grant agreement for the Washington Heights roof replacement, and received updates on Cooper Park, a historic-house grant, and the Caritas 20 Vernon housing project.
Members of a Town of Norwood committee agreed to present their project package to the town Finance Committee on Thursday, March 6, and reviewed a draft grant agreement for a Washington Heights roof-replacement project while receiving updates on several local projects, including Cooper Park and the Caritas “20 Vernon” housing proposal.
The committee scheduled the FinCom presentation for 6 p.m. in the FinCom meeting room; Joseph Sheehan agreed to present with staff member Kristen while the chair is on vacation. Kristen said she will cross-post the FinCom notice and distribute the materials in advance; FinCom customarily receives presentation materials the Thursday before a meeting.
The committee discussed a draft grant agreement for the Washington Heights roof-replacement proposal. The draft, which Kristen said was reviewed by town counsel and by the Housing Authority, describes the project and establishes a reimbursement process in which the Housing Authority pays its vendor and then submits documentation for reimbursement. Committee members said they will share the draft with FinCom because that committee may ask questions about the arrangement and the Housing Authority’s status as a non‑town entity.
Committee members also reported several project-status items. The Cooper Park ribbon-cutting is scheduled for May 9 at 4:30 p.m.; organizers are coordinating public details through the Community Development Office. On the historic-house project (the “Morse” listing), members said the state review (MHC) indicated the commission can accept background material on George Morrison instead of commissioning a new consultant now; grant-award notification is expected in May.
On the Caritas housing project at 20 Vernon, Greg Richin of Caritas called to confirm the organization has closed on the building. Committee members said Caritas committed to provide a written summary of the project’s status and that a grant agreement among the parties will need to be signed in the coming months; town staff said the agreement does not need immediate execution while state funding applications continue.
The committee also discussed communications with the Board of Selectmen. Bob Donnelly of the Board of Selectmen wrote that the board told the committee to “proceed as normal” on two projects the committee had asked about; members agreed it is prudent to follow up and share final applications with the selectmen as a courtesy. The committee discussed seeking a slot on the selectmen’s March 11 agenda to present project recommendations ahead of the warrant.
The committee’s next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, March 12; members said that meeting may be canceled if matters have already been advanced to FinCom and selectmen. The committee moved to adjourn at the end of the session; the roll-call vote recorded unanimous approval (see “Actions”).
Less-urgent follow-ups include: Kristen distributing the Washington Heights draft grant agreement to committee members and FinCom; staff obtaining a written status update from Caritas and circulating it to the committee; and routine project updates on 20 Vernon at future meetings whether or not there is immediate progress.
