Texas Historical Commission outlines CLG duties as Weatherford begins program

The Weatherford Historic Preservation Commission invited Kelly Little of the Texas Historical Commission to brief members on the Certified Local Government (CLG) program and Weatherford’s obligations as a participating community. Little said the CLG partnership connects local, state and federal preservation work and “empowers local communities to better protect their historic resources.”

Little reviewed the program’s baseline requirements: a local preservation ordinance, an appointed preservation commission, and a historic preservation officer. She stressed that the city ordinance is the legal framework for the commission’s work — it defines powers, duties, designation criteria and review procedures for certificates of appropriateness. Little urged commissioners to become familiar with Weatherford’s ordinance because “that really is the local law that enables the work that you’re doing and it spells out what you are allowed to do and how you can do it.”

The presentation covered the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which Little described as the guidance CLG commissions should use when reviewing proposed changes to historically designated properties. She told commissioners that CLG status also carries training and technical-assistance benefits: the state program provides guidance, listserv connections to other CLGs and regional or national training opportunities.