Council Seeks Applicants for Charter Review Committee, Housing Authority, ZBA, and Finance Committee

Council Seeks Applicants for Charter Review Committee and Housing Authority, ZBA, and Finance Committee

The Town Council is seeking applicants to fill vacancies on the Housing Authority (two vacancies), ZBA (one), and Finance Committee (one). The election of Bob Hegner to the Town Council has left an opening for a nonvoting member of the Finance Committee, and Sarah Marshall’s election to the School Committee has created a vacancy for an associate member on the Zoning Board of Appeals. In addition, the council is accepting applications for the entire nine-member Charter Review Commission.

Statements of Interest for Amherst Housing Authority Due January 23
The Amherst Housing Authority (AHA) is a public agency operated with state and federal funding dedicated to providing quality housing to eligible households. It is overseen by a five-member Board of Commissioners. One board member must be a tenant in an AHA building and one is appointed by the state. There are two vacancies for Amherst residents on the commission, which will be filled at a special Town Council meeting with the remaining three members of the AHA on February 6, 2024. 

Those interested in applying should send statements of interest of 700 words or less by email to okeeffea@amherstma.gov or hand deliver, or mail to: Amherst Town Hall, attention: Athena O’Keeffe, 4 Boltwood Ave, Amherst MA 01002 no later than 4:00 pm EDT, Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Email is the preferred submission method. Once submitted, the Town Clerk will confirm a candidate’s eligibility as a registered voter. The statements of interest will be included in the packet for the February 6 meeting and will also be available on the town website by February 5.

The goals of the AHA Board of Commissioners are: 

1. To preserve and to expand decent, safe and affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households, elders, and persons with disabilities.
2. To support programs, services and resources that promote economic self-sufficiency, and improve community quality of life, tenant empowerment and responsibility.
3. To maintain quality of service delivery and ensure equal opportunity in housing.
4. To operate programs and deliver services that maximize financial and human resources while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Council to Choose Charter Review Committee
The Town Charter requires that the charter be reviewed in every year ending in four. The Town Council will select nine residents for the 2024 Charter Review Committee by April 1, 2024. The committee should reflect the diversity of Amherst’s population. Interested residents should submit a Community Activity Form (CAF) and reach out to Council Clerk Athena O’Keeffe okeeffea@amherstma.gov with questions. 

The purpose of the committee is to:

• Develop an understanding of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Law and the existing Home Rule Charter that define the present form of government for the City known as the Town of Amherst as defined by Amherst Home Rule Charter, September 25, 2017.

• Raise public awareness of the Charter Review process through various community outreach efforts (i.e., town websites, request community organizations to include information in their newsletters, etc.). 

• Develop and deploy a variety of feedback mechanisms (i.e., surveys, invitations to testify, public meetings, focus groups, etc.) throughout the review process. 

• Analyze feedback from the community prior to initial, preliminary, and final reports • Hold a Public Forum on preliminary report.

• Review, propose, and report on process, deliberations, drafts, and recommendations in three stages: initial, preliminary, and final.

Applications Sought for Zoning Board of Appeals 
The Town Council is currently accepting applications from Amherst residents interested in serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals. There is a vacancy for a Full Member (term to expire June 30, 2025), and at least one vacancy for an Associate Member (term to expire June 30, 2024) on the ZBA. Terms would begin immediately upon appointment.

The Zoning Board is a quasi-judicial body that operates under the authority of Chapter 40A of the General Laws of the Commonwealth for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, convenience, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Town of Amherst. Section 10.38 of the Amherst Zoning Bylaw also outlines the process and specific findings that must be made for all ZBA Special Permit decisions. 

Applicants should have experience with aspects of planning, development, design, architecture, law, construction, zoning, and/or real estate. The Town Council is especially seeking individuals of diverse backgrounds, including those who have no prior municipal government experience. 

Interested applicants should fill out a Community Activity Form (CAF).

Those who have submitted a CAF expressing interest in serving within the past three years will be contacted regarding their prior submission regarding how to express continued interest.

If you have questions, please reach out to Pam Rooney, Vice Chair of the Community Resources Committee (CRC) of the Town Council, at rooneyp@amherstma.gov, or Mandi Jo Hanneke Chair of the CRC, at hannekem@amherstma.gov, or our Town Community Participation Officers at getinvolved@amherstma.gov 

Opening for Nonvoting Member of the Finance Committee
There is one opening for a nonvoting member of the Finance Committee of the Town Council. The Governance, Organization, and Legislation Committee of the council will be conducting interviews for that position, but details have not been posted. Interested residents can fill out a Community Activity Form .

According to the town website, the Finance Committee shall advise the Town Council on all Town financial matters, giving attention to meeting the Council’s Statement of Values, particularly those of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Environmental Sustainability, and Fiscal Responsibility, as well as ensuring that measures foster an unbiased and inclusive environment that is free of discrimination, harassment, and negative stereotyping toward any person or group. For more information about Finance Committee, see the committee charge.