It was the only comment provided by either the board or the public in a short public hearing on the Community Development Block Grant application Monday evening. Towns must apply for the grants on behalf of non-profit organizations and must hold the public hearings as part of the process. TCCAP is asking for $375,000 of the maximum $500,000 allowable for towns with less than 10,000 population and must submit the application by July 31. If successful, TCCAP will be close to achieving the required $900,000 to consummate its purchase and sales agreement with the Ashland School Board for the 19th century building. The school board had stipulated TCCAP must have 80 percent of the funds required to rehabilitate the building to complete the purchase.

  TCCAP's Community Development Director Phyllis Powell took the board through the series of steps leading up the final vote to submit the application. She asked for public comment on the application, noting the $400,000 Land and Community Heritage Investment Program grant awarded four years ago will provide matching funds for the CDBG award. No one commented. She asked for public comment on the stipulation the building's historic value meets the town's Housing and Community Development Plan's fourth goal to "encourage the protection, enhancement and renovation of significant historical and architectural resources in Ashland." No one commented. She also asked for public comment on the plan's first strategic short-term goal to preserve the building for non-profit programs including Head Start and programs for low or moderate-income residents, but again received none. Finally the program requires the board to re-authorize the town's Residential Anti-displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan to include an amendment limiting assistance to only native-born citizens and legal resident aliens. Again, her offer of comment was met with silence and the board approved the plan, the grant application and the grant submission unanimously in separate votes.