The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) looks forward to working with members of the town and Island community in the development of projects - small and large - to enhance our town with CPA funds. If you have a project idea, be sure to inform yourself about the legal requirements and the legislation. The Massachusetts Community Preservation Coalition has all of this information, as well as inspiring project possibilities. By visiting the Community Preservation Coalition's website, you can create ideas that work for the Town of West Tisbury, using local CPA funding. On the State Coalition's website, the documents "Potential Uses of CPA Funds" and "Community Preservation Fund, Budgeting and Finance Issues" are especially useful. Printed information is also available in the CPC file at the Town Hall.

  1. Eligibility Application (PDF). This initial document will introduce your proposal to the Committee so that it can determine the project's eligibility and offer guidance. The CPC meets regularly on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Howes House. The Committee may request that you present your idea at a meeting. These deadlines may be waived if an unexpected opportunity arises with a narrow time window for closure. Deadline: Thursday, September 18, 2025, noon, for consideration at the April Town Meeting.
  2. Final Funding Application (PDF). If the Committee agrees that your proposal is eligible, complete the application for funding as soon as possible. The Committee will review both the application for eligibility and the application for funding according to these guidelines (PDF). Deadline: Thursday, October 16, 2025, noon, for consideration at the April Town Meeting.
  3. Review Process. The committee will review all applications and schedule a hearing in December to discuss each proposal publicly with applicants. This year's hearings are tentatively scheduled for December 10 and December 17, 2025. These discussions may lead to the need for proposal revisions. The CPC must vote to recommend proposals before they can be placed on the warrant. For the April Town Meeting, the CPC anticipates that the vote to recommend will be taken at the Committee's meeting on January 14, 2026.
  4. Town Meeting Approval. Each project must be approved at a Town Meeting. The Meeting can approve, reduce, or reject recommended amounts for a project by majority vote.
  5. Project Implementation. Funds for approved projects will be available following the Town Meeting, subject to the satisfaction of any conditions or procedures established by the Committee. Please note that it is Town policy that once a project is approved, there is a five-year limit to complete the project. If the project is not completed within that time frame, it risks being canceled and the CPA funds returned to the appropriate fund balance.
  6. Requesting Payment. Invoice for work completed or for funds allocated to grantees on approved projects should be submitted to the CPC together with a Project Status Report (PDF)prepared according to Request for Funds - Guidelines (PDF).

Application timeline for applicants seeking recommendation for the April 2025 Town Meeting warrant:

  • Application for Eligibility deadline: September 18, 2025, 12 - Noon
  • Application for Funding deadline: October 16, 2025, Noon
  • Hearings: December 10 and December 17, 2025
  • CPC vote on projects: January 14, 2026

Other timelines may be created to bring proposals to a Special Town Meeting. The Committee encourages the year-round submission of Applications for Eligibility.