NAHANT — With roughly 12 vacant positions across eight different municipal boards and committees, the town is searching for community volunteers to take an active role in their local government.
Despite empty chairs on the Advisory and Finance Committee, Board of Assessors, Cemetery Advisory Committee, Conservation Commission, Cultural Council, Historical Commission, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals, Town Administrator Tony Barletta said the boards and committees currently comprise enough members to meet quorum requirements for meetings.
Still, Barletta said fully-occupied boards and committees will help each group maintain a quorum in the event of absences.
“You want to make sure that you always have enough for quorum so that meetings can be conducted in accordance with the Open Meeting Law, and so they can conduct their business normally,” Barletta said.
Since Nahant’s committees and boards are entirely volunteer-based, Barletta said the town tries to fill vacancies once or twice each year. Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman Joshua Antrim said that although vacancies are not uncommon, the town’s volunteer force stands as the municipal system’s backbone.
“It’s not unusual to have vacancies at all because people do have other things in life besides volunteering for the town… but the town really relies on these volunteer committees to make things work. We really appreciate people volunteering to help out on these various committees,” Antrim said.
Those interested in serving on a town board or committee can email their letters of interest to [email protected] to begin an application process involving review from an appointing authority — Barletta, Town Moderator Dave Conlin, or the Board of Selectmen depending on the position — along with in-person meetings with Barletta and other committee or board members.
“A lot of the folks on these committees have been on it for a while and have a wealth of experience. It’s really rewarding to be involved because you’re working on important items for the future of the town,” Barletta said. “In Nahant, it’s almost natural for people to be dedicated to the community. It’s such a small town that people really care about it.”
