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FRAMINGHAM – The City of Framingham is advertising for two openings on the 5-member Framingham Housing Authority.
One seat is a resident seat and one is a specific union representative seat.
Mayor Charlie Sisitsky’s office plans to appoint two interviews to begin sometime in April 2022. Both nominations would need legislative approval, by the 11-member Framingham City Council.
Current Chair Stephen Starr’s term expires in April 2022.
Starr has told the Sisitsky administration he is not interested in being re-appointed.
Robert Merusi’s term ended in April 2021.
Former mayor Yvonne Spicer and her administration never filled the position. State law requires that position be held by a “labor representative.”
Merusi continues to serve as Commissioners may continue to serve after their seat ends, unless they are removed, reappointed or another person is appointed or elected to their seat. If a Commissioner chooses to remain on the Authority after their term expired, and before the seat is filled, they continue to hold all the rights and responsibilities as member on a seat that has not expired
Formed in 1946, the Framingham Housing Authority maintains more than 1,000 units of public housing and more than 900 units of rental assistance units in the private market in cooperation with federal, state, and local authorities, under Executive Director Paul Landers and the 5-member member Framingham Housing Authority.
The Authority Board is comprised of five appointed, including one member appointed by the Governor. The other four seats are appointed by the City of Framingham Mayor, of which one seat is held by a labor representative Another seat is a Framingham Housing Authority resident. All members must be a residents of the City of Framingham.
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Janet Leombruno is the Governor’s appointee. Her 5-year term ends in April 2024.
Phyllis A. May is the resident member. Her 5-year term ends June 30, 2023.
Attorney Janice Rogers’s 5-year term ends June 30, 2024.
The City of Framingham is seeking a “a board member who is of union labor, which would be a four-year term (this seat was open for a year) applicants must be a resident of the city of Framingham. This board member term would start approximately April 1, 2022.”
The Mayor’s office posted the resident position today and it will be posted for 3 weeks. Mayor will then review applicants and nominate one to the Authority, who would start around April 1. The nominee will need to be approved by the 11-member City Council.
Framingham Housing Authority Board members are paid a stipend of $4,600 annually.
The Executive Director is responsible for managing day to day operations at the housing authority.
The board is responsible for establishing the authority’s goals and policy directions, hiring the executive director, and evaluation the executive director’s performance in terms of executing the board’s adopted goals and policies.
Effective board oversight is to ensure that the housing authority operates in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws.
Board members are expected to attend monthly board meetings on the second Monday of each month. To serve effectively at those meetings, it is essential for board members to be present, engaged, and knowledgeable. During those meetings, board members engage in ongoing budget reviews; state and federal annual and long-range plan reviews; operating and modernization update review; contract reviews; and reviews of the Executive Director’s monthly reports.
Board members from time to time: visit project sites, attend resident functions within the FHA community, receive tenant and public comments and communications.
Board members are also required to take a yearly online training program and we highly recommend an informative certification program for both new and veteran housing authority board members.
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How is the union representative selected?
The Mayor’s office will send the notice of the board vacancy to Framingham-based unions of Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America.
Each union has 60 days to submit names (five maximum) representing their own membership Mayor reviews the list.
If the Mayor does not receive lists from the union, the Mayor can then appoint any representative of any organized labor group.
The Mayor advances a successful candidate to the Framingham City Council for a vote to approve candidacy.
The Term of each board member seat is five (5) years, each of the seats are staggered, so that only one seat opens each year. Cycle of the 5-year term is on the seat, NOT the person filling it. In some instances, a board member may be appointed to fulfill the remainder of a term of his/her predecessor.
Interested candidates for the open seats should submit a letter of interest and resume to the City’s Citizen Participation Officer Keziah Franca at kfranca@framinghamma.gov
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