The Town posted a call for volunteers to apply for a seat on the Recreation Commission. The committee’s call for help prompted me to check in on what other committees still need help. It turns out there are some other critical vacancies.
First here is the yesterday’s announcement:
Recreation Commission vacancy
Seeking resident with finance skill setThe Recreation Commission is seeking an additional member to fill one (1) position on the five (5) person committee. While all skill sets are appreciated and welcome, at this time the Commission has a particular need for someone with experience in Finance.
The Commission typically meets once a month to discuss recreation programs, facilities, and special events with the Recreation Director. Meetings may increase during times such as preparation for Town Meeting. Focus in recent years has been largely dedicated to the improvement of various recreation facilities; the Trottier track, Depietri soccer field, the Fayville basketball court, and most recently the installation of lights on Mooney Field and the Richardson Tennis Courts. Residents wishing to learn more are welcome to reach out to the Commission Chair, Jen Hansen, at jhansen@southboroughma.com or Commission Member, Kristin LaVault, at klavault@southboroughma.com.
A full description of the Commissions’ remit can be found here https://www.southboroughtown.com/recreation-commission. Past meeting agendas and minutes can be viewed here: https://www.southboroughtown.com/node/276/minutes-agendas
Any resident interested in seeking appointment will meet with the Recreation Commission and then be scheduled for an appointment with the Board of Selectmen. Residents looking to apply for the open position should submit the Citizen Activity Form here: http://southboroughmaboards.vt-s.net/newcaf.php
You can also find videos of the Commission’s recent meetings here.
There are a number of additional vacancies for which the appointing authority is the Board of Selectmen. Below, I’m highlighting the biggest needs, followed by other opportunities.
Lacking a quorum – Scholarship Advisory Committee & Golf Course Committee
The Scholarship Advisory Committee made a public plea for new members last February. It looks like they didn’t get the help they needed. (I’m sure the timing with growing concern over the pandemic didn’t help.) Currently, the committee is lacking a quorum, having only two members. You can read more from last year’s post.
The Golf Course Committee‘s revised charge was approved by the Board of Selectmen last summer. The charge reduced the size of the committee to five members. Currently, it only has one. The draft charge described a need for:
at-large representatives of the community, with professional backgrounds, qualifications, and/or interest consistent with those needed for design, maintenance, policies and operation of a municipal golf course facility in Massachusetts
The committee is responsible for helping to keep the Town’s golf course successful. You can read about their duties in the draft version of the charge (which was approved without changes) here.
Committees that just make quorum
The following committees have two vacancies. That means that they have a quorum, but meeting requires all current members to be available:
- Cable Committee – Members will need to work out a new license agreement with Comcast (for the Pine Hill Road area of town). The current agreement expires in September.
- Open Space Preservation Commission
Other Vacancies
The following committees don’t appear to be in dire need, but do have one or two vacancies listed:
- Board of Assessors
- Cultural Arts Council
- Historical Commission
- Metropolitan Area Planning Council
There are other committees that also list vacancies, but it appears they don’t need/want more members, are inactive, or vacant seats are intended for members of other specified committees. (The Housing Authority also has a vacancy – but it is an elected, not appointed, position.)
For more information on each board and its responsibilities, click here.
To apply for a seat on a committee (or indicate willingness to serve on one or more of multiple committees) fill out the Citizen’s Activity form here.
Updated (2/24/21 3:52 pm): I had posted that the Municipal Technology Committee had a vacancy. Resident Timothe Litt (who helped convince voters to form the standing committee) informed me that it is an ex-officio seat for the IT Manager who has yet to be replaced. It isn’t available to residents at large. (He also informed the Town Clerk’s office of the issue. I’m not sure if it was mis-listed and fixed by the time I read his email or if I missed seeing that detail.)
(raised hands cropped from public domain image by Karen Arnold)
