Housing Trust Appointment Sparks Disagreement

 HARWICH –  The affordable housing trust has been operating with only four members for the past three months after chair Larry Ballantine, who served as Town Administrator Joseph Powers’ designee, stepped down when Powers left the position at the end of June.

Trust members have been busy working with Pennrose, the developer under contract to build the 60-unit affordable housing complex on the former Marceline property at 456 Queen Anne Rd. They are hoping a new member can be appointed as quickly as possible.

While some select board members wanted Ballantine to continue, Acting Town Administrator Tony Schiavi said he wants the opportunity to vet his designee and this week issued a call for volunteers.

The absence of a member has also drawn focus on the language of the declaration of the trust, which calls for the town administrator to serve as a member and as chairperson. There have been several discussions between the select board and trust members over the involvement of the town administrator with the trust. One suggestion is to have the town administrator serve as a non-voting member.

“There should be no chair assigned by a legal document,” said Select Board Peter Piekarski last week.    

Select Board Chair Donald Howell has said the five members of the trust should be able to choose a chair, and there is discussion about changing language in the trust documents. The select board is the appointing authority for the five members, and would have to affirm a designee appointment made by Schiavi.

Piekarski said the select board has given Schiavi a lot to do and it would be a waste of his time to have him step in as chair of the trust. The town has also just lost its assistant town administrator with Meggan Eldredge taking a position in the town of Yarmouth, which could provide an additional work load for Schaivi, he added.

The easy fix, said Select Board member Jeffrey Handler, would be to appoint Ballantine. The trust could operate as it has been, he said. Handler praised Ballantine’s performance as chair of the trust. 

But Schiavi said he does not know Ballantine. 

“If I’m going to appoint somebody to carry my name forth on something as important as the affordable housing trust, it’s going to be someone I’m going to interview, talk to, get an understanding about how they view the affordable housing trust, and their background,” said Schiavi, “so that when I make that recommendation to the board, I am appointing somebody on my behalf. I’m presenting someone that has been fully vetted and [is] in communication with me during their duties. Again, they are operating as an extension of myself.”

He added, “No one is going to tell me who to appoint, who represents my name, or represents my office. Period, end of story. The day that happens is my last day.”

Select board member Michael MacAskill backed the appointment of Ballantine. 

“Mr. Schiavi has the ability to appoint a gentleman who has served with no controversy, no interruptions, or out-bursts as chair, who has moved the needle forward,” he said. “Larry Ballantine has served with dignity and done a great job.”

MacAskill and Howell haggled back and forth over what was termed the political nature of the appointment. MacAskill said the decision to not move forward with the appointment of Ballantine was an extension of Howell’s political agenda.  

 This week Schiavi put out an announcement seeking candidates for the position. It reads, “The acting town administrator is seeking a dedicated and experienced individual to serve as his designee on the Harwich Affordable Housing Trust, with the important responsibility to play a leadership role in advancing affordable housing initiatives that are vital to the future of our community.”

The ideal candidate will bring passion for housing equity, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to collaborative progress, the announcement reads. Candidates must be full-time town residents.

Interested candidates should fill out a citizen’s vacancy form and submit it to town hall by Oct. 15