[Note: What follows is a statement authored by Paul Cimino who is running for a seat on the Planning Board. No endorsement is implied. If you’re running for a town office this year and would like to post a statement on My Southborough, drop me a line. Town elections will be held on May 10. A list of candidates can be found here.]
Hello, my name is Paul Cimino, and I am honored and excited to be running for the Southborough Planning Board this year. Being mindful that there are many serious issues currently facing our Planning Board, I want to draw on my professional experience as an engineer, and as an attorney having worked directly on zoning and land use issues, in order to continue serving the town in which we all love to live. I ask for your consideration and vote on May 10, 2010.
By way of background, you may know me through my current and past service to the town. From the time I moved to Southborough ten years ago and acted as a vote teller at my first Town Meeting, I have continually looked for opportunities to participate. Currently I am in my 6th year as a member of the Southborough Personnel Board, and was also a member of the recent Town Governance Study Committee.
Professionally, I received my degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and my law degree from the University of Michigan. My legal career includes several years at a large Boston real estate firm working directly on zoning and land use issues in the development context.
I am a veteran of the United States Army, having served as an Officer in the Corps of Engineers, including during the first Gulf War in 1991. My family is active in St. Matthew Parish, and I enjoy coaching and mentoring my two children, Thomas and Emily, in sports, Scouts, and many other activities. My wife, Dani, has an active mobile veterinary practice based here in town.
I am especially inspired to serve on the Planning Board because I have come to appreciate that there is a tremendous duality of character in Southborough — not only in our town itself (historic buildings, great open spaces, New England charm, etc.), but also in our citizens. And I believe that this duality of great character each continually complements and reinforces the other. This is the heart of what distinguishes Southborough from other towns and makes it such a desirable place to live. As a Planning Board member, I would always be mindful of whether the current and future planning and development in Southborough supports that complementary relationship.
In short, we must strive to nurture and preserve the best of our town in order to nurture and preserve the best of ourselves (and vice versa). At the same time, regarding those development projects in town that do inevitably go forward from time to time, my direct skills and experience with the development process and its various players provide me with the perspective and savvy needed to strongly advocate for the best outcome of form and function for the residents of Southborough (even while always respecting the rights of the proponent). In all cases, as an experienced attorney I would bring that additional perspective to the Board’s understanding of complex legal issues and challenges.
Especially today, Southborough faces many complex and critical zoning and land use issues that my training and experience are well suited to address. These include the recent resignation of our Town Planner (and the selection of her replacement), the future of the town’s four Villages, the development of the Route 9 corridor, and the overall implementation of the vision contained in the 2008 Master Plan. Frankly, this is an extremely important time for the citizens of Southborough to insure that our Planning Board has strong leaders on it. Our great town can be even better!
Finally, I appreciate and embrace how outgoing Planning Board member Chuck Connors recently reiterated the time, energy and commitment necessary to do justice to this job. I pledge all of that and more if I am elected. In the process of completing my nomination papers, I have spoken to many Southborough residents who have expressed great enthusiasm for my candidacy, and I am grateful for their inspiration. I look forward to speaking to as many more of you as possible in the weeks, months and years to come.
Thank you very much for your consideration on Election Day, May 10th.
