WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A divided Planning Board on Tuesday night decided to keep its current representative on the Community Preservation Committee in that seat.

 

Last month, a benign request from Planner Ann McCallum to take on the task led to an emotional exchange when she learned that Chris Winters did not want to give up the post.

 

Rather than continue that debate, Chairwoman Amy Jeschawitz suggested the board resume the discussion at a later date.

 

On Tuesday, McCallum asked Winters to explain what he meant when he said his voice is unique on the CPC.

 

"I believe I serve as a [check] on people's natural inclination to give away money that's not theirs," Winters said.

 

The CPC does not "give away" money. It reviews proposals and makes recommendations to the annual town meeting, which decides whether to allot funds raised under the Community Preservation Act property tax surcharge to support projects in one of three categories: historic preservation, open space and recreation and affordable housing.

 

"What you didn't mention there is a fourth possibility: saving," Winters said when McCallum alluded to the three statutory uses for CPA funds. "That is what the CPA Committee has never been good at. That is the thing I've been advocating for many years. It's easy to give away $250,000 a year when people come with great projects. It's easy to satisfy those needs. It's very hard to say no.

 

"But the only way we're going to make a huge difference — that we're going to be able to acquire that valuable piece of open space or fund the million-dollar piece of affordable housing is if we … choose the fourth option, occasionally, which is saving."

 

McCallum said part of the reason she wanted to take the Planning Board's seat on the CPC is that she understood Winters and newly-elected Selectmen Jeffrey Thomas were advocating for a townwide reconsideration of whether it wanted to continue in the CPA program.

 

"As I'm a great proponent of the CPA, I thought it would be good to have someone who thought it was a great program on [the committee] rather than someone who questioned the existence of it," she said.

 

Winters said he and Thomas were proposing that voters have a chance to reconsider the town’s level of participation in the CPA, which could include choices ranging from removing the surcharge to increasing it.

 

"The idea was we wanted to give the town the opportunity to say, 'Yes, we want to be a part of this and more,' " Winters said. "We could tax ourselves more. We could make more money off the CPA tax than we do currently."

 

He said he personally did not have a preference to remove the surcharge but tacitly acknowledged that would be an option.

 

"What Jeff Thomas and I discussed with the committee was giving the option, giving the town, essentially, a review," Winters said. "We've been part of this program for a decade now. We voted to enter it. We've had experience with it. Economic conditions change and have changed."

 

That echoed Thomas’ comments at a March Board of Selectmen meeting.

 

"The town faces significant needs in the community that need to be funded by taxes," said Thomas, then serving as the citizen representative on the CPC. "It seems a certainty our tax rate will go up to fund important school projects ... the police station, the fire station, we may need to invest in broadband.

 

"There are other priorities that have emerged. Given all that, I hope you all will ask the town if it wishes to continue to participate."

 

Jeschawitz moved that Winters continue to serve as the Planning Board’s representative on the CPC, and the motion passed, 4-0-1, with McCallum abstaining.

 

After the meeting, McCallum declined to comment on the vote.