Somerville Preservation Committee Seeks New Member

SOMERVILLE, MA – The City of Somerville is accepting applications for an opening on the Community Preservation Committee, to assist in approving a selection of projects to be funded by annual Community Preservation Act money.

The committee consists of nine volunteers -- four members of the public and a member from the Planning Board, Conservation Commission, Historical Preservation Commission, Parks and Open Space Department and the Housing Authority.

The city is seeking a resident to fill one of the general public positions, as a member is leaving.

The successor will serve the outgoing member's term, which ends at the end of 2017, and then have the option to continue for a second three-year term.

Mayor Curtatone has formed a review committee of city experts and community members to review applications, conduct interviews and consider public feedback to ensure the most qualified individuals are considered. From there, candidates will be submitted for the mayor to review, and finalists will be forwarded to the Board of Aldermen for approval.

"We are fortunate as a community to have so many passionate residents willing to share their expertise and time to continually make our city better. Over the last three years, the Community Preservation Committee has leveraged these strengths to guide CPA funds towards the best possible uses," Curtatone said in a statement. "The new member of the Community Preservation Committee will contribute to the valuable work of ensuring that CPA funds are allocated to uses that best serve the needs and priorities of our community."

The CPC meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Additional meetings are sometimes held.

Below are the requirements to join the committee:

• Familiarize yourself with Somerville’s affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space/outdoor recreation policies and needs
• Familiarize yourself with the law (Community Preservation Act, MGL Chapter 44B) that governs the committee
• Attend meetings regularly
• Foster good relations with other city departments, boards, and commissions
• Listen to and be responsive to community feedback
• Use fairness and objectivity when making decisions
• The review committee is seeking candidates who:
• Are supportive of all three programmatic areas of the CPA: affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space and outdoor recreation AND
• Have demonstrated a commitment to at least one of these areas.
• In addition, the goal of the review committee is to create a balanced committee that includes members who:
• Come from diverse demographic backgrounds
• Represent all geographic areas of the City
• Have financial expertise
• Have project management experience

Interested residents should complete the application available on the City’s website at:http://www.somervillema.gov/node/1013291 or outside the SomerStat Office at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. Completed applications should be sent to employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov by October 21, 2016. All residents are welcome to apply. No nomination is required to submit an application. This is a volunteer position.

Please note that if you apply, your name and a brief summary describing why you are a qualified candidate will be posted on the city website for public review between Oct. 31 and Nov. 11. Public feedback is encouraged during this time.

Image via Flickr user Eric Kilby, licensed under CC by-SA 2.0