Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cpc Leadership And Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Deborah Cholfi elected chair of Westport Community Preservation Committee; members authorize interim invoice approvals
Summary
The Westport Community Preservation Committee elected Deborah Cholfi as chair and named Betty Slade vice chair. The committee also authorized the chair and vice chair to approve invoices between meetings and set a hybrid public meeting schedule beginning Sept. 3.
Deborah Cholfi was elected chair of the Westport Community Preservation Committee at the committee’s remote meeting. Betty Slade, the long-serving outgoing chair, was nominated to serve as vice chair and was confirmed by roll call.
Cholfi, who accepted the appointment, read an endorsement excerpt from a colleague and thanked Slade for her mentorship, saying, “I accept your appointment of me as chair.” Slade nominated Cholfi before a roll-call vote that all present supported.
The committee also voted unanimously to authorize the chair and vice chair to approve payment of invoices that arrive between scheduled CPC meetings. David Ennis moved the motion and Slade seconded; members clarified these approvals would cover routine project invoices and monthly clerk pay and that all interim approvals will be reported at the next regular CPC meeting so they are on the record. David Ennis asked for clarification, saying, “I’m fine with that, but what kind of bills do you have?” Committee members replied that the authorization applies mainly to invoices for projects already approved and routine administrative payments.
Chair Cholfi outlined the committee’s meeting rhythm for the fall: the CPC will meet monthly from September through January, with the next meeting on Sept. 3 (skipping August). Maria, the committee clerk, said she will publish the public hearing notice in the Shorelines newspaper to solicit CPA funding applications. Maria apologized for earlier calendar emails tied to switching meeting dates and platforms: “I just want to apologize to everybody for all the crazy emails that everybody's been getting.”
Members discussed the typical application timeline: September is used to solicit ideas and hear informal presentations, formal applications are generally due by December, and the public hearing and final grant decisions occur in January. The committee noted the CPC’s grants are modest relative to housing needs and that the town’s housing trust manages larger housing allocations.
Before adjourning, members agreed to explore using Zoom or a hybrid setup at town hall for the September meeting and to post recordings on YouTube and the town website. A motion to adjourn passed by roll call, and the committee will reconvene in September.
