Somerville Seeking Applicants for Community Preservation Committee

Please note that due to the Yom Kippur holiday, the information session originally scheduled for October 9 has been rescheduled for Monday, October 7.

Are you a resident of Somerville with a passion for affordable housing, historic preservation, and parks and open space? The City of Somerville wants your help and is now accepting applications for one public position on the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), which oversees the selection of projects to be recommended for funding by an estimated $2 million in annual Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenues. Applications must be submitted by noon on October 25, 2019. An information session will be held Wednesday, October 7 at 6 p.m. in the Visiting Nurse Association third floor conference room, 259 Lowell St.
 
Somerville voters overwhelmingly approved adoption of the CPA in November 2012. Since then, $23.8 million has been allocated for 66 projects across the three areas that CPA can fund: open space and outdoor recreation, affordable housing, and historic preservation. The CPC, required by the CPA, is tasked with evaluating Somerville’s needs in those three specific areas and making recommendations to the City Council on how CPA funding should be spent.
 
The committee consists of nine volunteers, including four members from the general public and a member from each of the following bodies: the Planning Board, the Conservation Commission, the Historical Preservation Commission, the Parks and Open Space Department, and the Housing Authority. The City is currently looking to fill one general public position. Preference will be given to candidates with professional experience in the construction industry, building renovation and/or rehabilitation. The successful candidate will have a three year term running January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022, and will have the option to renew for a second three-year term.
 
The CPC meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. When the CPC is considering applications for funding, it is possible that additional meetings will be held.

How to Apply

Interested residents should complete the application available on the City’s CPA website at http://www.somervillema.gov/cpa or outside the SomerStat Office at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. Completed applications should be sent to employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov by October 25, 2019.
 
Please note that if you choose to apply for the Community Preservation Committee, your name and a portion of your application (a brief summary describing why you are a qualified candidate) will be posted on the city website for public review between October 28 and November 11, 2019. All community members are invited to provide feedback on candidates during this time. 
 
To find out more about serving as a CPC member, please visit www.somervillema.gov/cpa or www.communitypreservation.org.

The City of Somerville does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at the address noted below:

Nency Salamoun, JD
NSalamoun@somervillema.gov
(617) 625-6600, Ext. 2323 (Voice)  
(617) 808-4851 (TTY)