City of
Somerville holds unprecedented open and transparent process to select
four public members for the committee that guides Community Preservation
Act
An unprecedented open and transparent process has yielded four
appointees for the public positions on the newly formed Community Preservation Committee, and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has submitted all four appointments to the Board of Aldermen for final approval.
The typical process used in other Massachusetts towns and cities that have adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA)
has the executive or legislative body unilaterally nominate the
public-member appointees for their Community Preservation Committee,
which is tasked with evaluating needs in open space and outdoor
recreation, affordable housing, and historic preservation, and making
recommendations on how CPA revenues should be spent. The act, which
Somerville voters overwhelmingly approved adopting in November 2012,
will raise an estimated $1.5 million in funding annually via a property
tax surcharge and state matching funds.
The
City of Somerville instead held an open process led by a Planning Team
consisting of three members of the Committee for a Stronger Somerville,
the grassroots coalition that campaigned for
passage of the CPA, and three City employees with area expertise. Each
candidate submitted along with their application a cover letter
answering three questions, a resume, two references and a 150-word
summary of their qualifications, which was posted to the City’s website
for public review and comment.
Incorporating
public feedback into its review, the Planning Team narrowed down the
initial tremendous response of 35 applicants to 11 finalists. Following
an interview with each finalist, the Team checked the references of
their preferred candidates before selecting four finalists that together
represent a depth and breadth of knowledge in the areas covered by the
CPA. The names of the selected members were then provided to Mayor
Joseph A. Curtatone, who will submit them to the Board of Aldermen on
Thursday, Nov. 14 where they will be referred to the Confirmation of
Appointments Committee (meeting not yet scheduled). If moved forward by
that committee, the appointments will go before the full Board for final
approval at its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
The four appointees are (in order of length of term):
· Uma Murugan
(3-year term): Director of Projects and Fund Development for Urban
Strategies, Inc., developing plans integrating human services with
mixed-income housing, schools, community improvements and neighborhood
services. Previously Chief Program Officer at Employment Connection,
Inc. and Architect with Proencon Engineering Services in Chennai, India.
Masters degree in social and economic development. Participant in the
Somerville Academy for Innovative Leadership (SAIL), member of SAIL
Education subcommittee.
· Elizabeth Duclos-Orsello
(2-year term): Director of American Studies program at Salem State
University and scholar of American history and culture. Board member of
the North Shore Community Development Coalition, Trustee at the House of
the Seven Gables and Beverly Historical Society. Worked as Consulting
Scholar for Old State House Museum and Nichols House Museum in Boston.
Previously affiliated faculty at Center for Economic Development and
Sustainability, Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Lecturer at L’Université
du Luxembourg, Lecturer and Thesis Director at Harvard University
Program in History and Literature, adjunct faculty at Boston University
American and New England Studies Program.
· Ezra Glen
(1-year term): Lecturer in MIT's Department of Urban Studies &
Planning. Served in City’s community development office under Mayors
Mike Capuano, Dorothy Kelly-Gay and Curtatone, and as Director of
Community Development for the City of Lawrence. Has worked as a
consultant in over 25 cities and towns on land use, open space,
affordable housing, and infrastructure planning (including drafting
Somerville's 2005 Open Space & Recreation Plan). Current board
president of Somerville Community Corporation, former board member of
Mystic River Watershed Association, Agassiz Cooperative Preschool, and
Massachusetts Chapter of the American Planning Association.
· Courtney Koslow
(1-year term): Development director at Beacon Communities, developing
affordable housing. Previously worked for six years for the Somerville
Community Corporation as Senior Project Manager and as Special Assistant
for Policy at Massachusetts Housing Partnership. Served as member of
Somerville Climate Action, City of Somerville Zoning Advisory Committee,
City of Somerville Transportation Research Innovation and Policy Task
Force, MassDOT Green Line Extension Design Working Group and City of
Somerville Parking Solutions Task Force. Founder of Somerville Parking
Advocacy and Reform Coalition.
“I
am thrilled that this rigorous and thorough process that included
public review and feedback has resulted in four outstanding candidates
for the Committee Preservation Committee, and I’m pleased to present
them to the Board of Aldermen for further review and approval,” said
Mayor Curtatone. “We have such a great diversity of expertise among our
residents and we’re using that strength to guide CPA funds toward the
best possible uses, making our city more affordable, expanding our open
space and outdoor recreation, and preserving the deep history of our
community.”
The
four appointees, if approved by the Board of Aldermen, will join the
committee that also includes ex officio members Michael Capuano of the
Planning Board; Michael Fager of the Conservation Commission; Dick Bauer
of the Historic Preservation Commission; City Parks and Open Space
Director Arn Franzen; and Paul Mackey of the Somerville Housing
Authority. Committee members serve three-year terms, but initial
appointments to the committee have been staggered.
The
Planning Team that reviewed the applications for the committee
consisted of: Meridith Levy, Deputy Director, Somerville Community
Corporation; Chris Mancini, Executive Director, Groundworks Somerville;
Ellen Shachter, Senior Attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services; Candace
Cooper, Assistant Director of Personnel, City of Somerville; Dana
LeWinter, Director of Housing, City of Somerville; and Hayes Morrison,
Director of Transportation & Infrastructure, City of Somerville.
To find out more about the CPA and Community Preservation Committee, please visit the following websites:
http://www.communitypreservation.org/
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