Committee identifies funding priorities for approximately $2 million annually in affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space projects

Are you a Somerville resident with a passion for affordable housing, historic preservation, and parks and open space? Read on! Applications are now being accepted to serve on the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), which oversees the selection of projects to be recommended for funding by Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenues.

Applications must be submitted by November 6. A virtual information session will be held Monday, October 26, at 6 p.m. on the GoToMeeting platform. The meeting link is available online at somervillema.gov/cpa. A video recording of the information session will be posted on the CPA website after the meeting. 

Somerville voters overwhelmingly approved adoption of the CPA in November 2012. Since then, more than $26 million has been allocated for 79 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 Public Space and Urban Forestry Division, 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 and/or housing development. The successful candidate will have a three-year term running January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2023, and will have the option to renew for a second three-year term. 

To ensure the most qualified applicant is selected, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has formed a review committee of City experts and community members to review applications, conduct interviews, and consider public feedback on candidates. The review committee considers both professional and lived experience and seeks to nominate a candidate who has interest in all three CPA areas and contributes to the diversity of background and perspectives of the CPC. From the group of applicants, they will nominate candidates for appointment for the Mayor to review. The Mayor will then submit candidate finalists to the City Council for approval.

The CPC meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. When the CPC is considering applications for funding, it is possible that additional meetings will be held.

Being an effective committee member will require that you:

• Reside in Somerville
• 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
• Support CPA outreach and awareness-raising efforts
• 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
• Have demonstrated a commitment to at least one of these areas. For this search, preference will be given to candidates with professional experience in the construction industry and/or housing development.

In addition, the review committee seeks to create a balanced CPC that includes members who:

• Come from diverse demographic backgrounds
• Represent all geographic areas of the city
• Have financial expertise
• Have project management experience

HOW TO APPLY

Interested residents should complete the application available online at somervillema.gov/cpa. Completed applications should be sent to CPA Manager Judith Tumusiime at jtumusiime@somervillema.gov by November 6 at 4:30 p.m. All residents are welcome to apply. No nomination is required to submit an application. This is a volunteer position.

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 November 7 and November 20. 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 somervillema.gov/cpa or communitypreservation.org. 

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 Nency Salamoun at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.