The committee develops strategies for spending $1 million in block grant money.
AMHERST - The committee that makes recommendations on how to spend $1 million in Community Development Block Grant money is seeking new help.
Down from seven to four members, the committee is looking for residents with experience in human services, housing and other related areas, said Mary Jane Laus, chairwoman of the committee. Anyone interested needs to fill out a citizen activity form.
The seeking of new membership had been on hold as the Community Development Block Committee was creating a new charge that in part governed membership. The Select Board recently endorsed the changes but will vote on a more detailed charge at a later meeting.
In the past, the committee had stipulations for membership requiring that one member represent the Public Transportation and Bicycle Committee and that at least two be of low or moderate income as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The new does not require membership from certain committees or groups, but states that the board represent “a diversity of experience and a range of professional expertise including but limited to housing, human and social services...”
“We wanted a broad conversation,” Laus said. “More discussion.” Having too many representatives from one committee can alter that discussion.
But not everyone in town supports the changes. Hwei-Ling Greeney, the chairwoman of the Committee on Homelessness, wants the charge to continue to include the requirement that two of the seven members need to be low or moderate income.
The committee is an incarnation of the Human Services Funding Committee when that committee make recommendations on how town funds would be sent on human service programs. But as human service money was no longer available that committee became the Community Development Committee.
The new charge also specifies that committee will make recommendations to the town manger who decides what programs to seek funding for. In the past, the committee made recommendations to the Select Board, manager and Finance Committee.
Greeney and others want the Select Board more involved. Greeney asked that the Select Board not the town manager to decide why to apply for.
Select Board Chairwoman Stephanie J. O’Keeffe said that Town Government Act specifies that the Town Manager has the authority when it comes to the grants. The Select Board will, however, review the recommendations before Town Manager John P. Musante files the application for the town.
Laus said the block grant committee will collaborate with the Planning Board to develop the block grant strategy.