To the Editor:

I am writing to clarify information in an article printed in the March 2, 2017 edition of Wareham Week and in online editions relative to the Town of Wareham's CDBG grant funds.

The Community and Economic Development Authority (CEDA) plans to sell 7.49 acres that it owns at the Bay Pointe Country Club. These funds will not be used to offset a decrease in the Town's 2017 grant application for the Community Development Block Grant. The reduction in grant funding and the offering of the Bay Pointe property for sale are unrelated.

The Board of Selectmen is the official applicant for CDBG funds and has ultimate control over them. CEDA advises the Selectmen on their use and administers them on the Town's behalf.

CEDA's predecessor, the Economic Development Industrial Corporation (EDIC), purchased the Bay Pointe property in 1993. CEDA was formed in 2004 and the assets of the EDIC transferred to CEDA at that time. The CEDA Board started discussing the possibility of selling the Bay Pointe property in mid-2016; the Town was informed of the decreased CDBG grant funds in early February 2017.

Residents should know that before issuing an Invitation for Bids (IFB) in February offering the 7.49 acres, the CEDA Board voted a stipulation that proceeds from a sale must be utilized specifically for economic and/or redevelopment projects in the town. Using the funds for these purposes would be consistent with the reason for purchasing the Bay Pointe property nearly 25 years ago.

The deadline for submitting bids for the Bay Pointe property is late March. The CEDA Board is hopeful that it will receive bids in excess of the minimum price of $600,000 that it has set as a condition for a sale. A successful sale will provide the means for CEDA to invest in a stronger future for the town.

Jean Connaughton, Chair

Community and Economic Development Authority

Wareham