Human services board looks to expand
GREENWICH — The town’s Board of Human Services is looking to grow in size to add diversity to the panel and expand its reach into the community.
“We have a smaller board in comparison to some of the others in town,” Board of Human Services Chair Alan Gunzburg said. “We believe with a larger group of people ... we can get a lot more information on how things are in town. A bigger board that is still manageable is always better.”
The board has been busier than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic as it works to make sure Greenwich residents have access to food and shelter as well as help with finding jobs, he said.
“This is absolutely necessary, especially
now,” Gunzburg said. “We’re going to have to be the stopgap.”
The Board of Selectmen approved a charter change last week that would add two new members to the board, increasing it from seven members to nine. The change was endorsed by the Department of Human Services and the Board of Human Services, which said the expansion is necessary to handle its busy workload.
The Representative Town Meeting now must approve the change for it to become official. The RTM is likely to take up the matter in September.
The change had been considered “for some time now,” Assistant Town Attorney Aamina Ahmad said.
“Each board member is required to serve on at least one committee,” Amad said. “This is a very active board with quite a bit of work that it does on a regular basis. The volunteer members’ time is pretty stretched . ... If the number went up to nine, perhaps the work would be spread out and it would be a more efficient operation.”
Two more members of the community on the board could make a difference, Commissioner of Human Services Alan Barry said.
“The board is a very active, working group and its effectiveness is dependent on the work of its committees and work groups,” Barry said. “It is very challenging to maintain representation on the committees with the current number of board members.”
Increasing the board’s diversity and adding residents with different backgrounds would also improve the board’s perspective about the community, Gunzburg said.
The proposed change had the full support of the Board of Selectmen on Thursday.
“I can attest to the workload,” said Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, a former member of the Board of Human Services. “I agree with the reasons. I believe this board is (already) our most diverse but I understand what you mean about diversity.”
If the change is approved, the two new members would be nominated by the Board of Selectmen and approved by the RTM.
To serve on a town board, a person must be a resident and a registered voter. RTM member John Eddy, a former chair of the body’s Appointments Committee, has proposed that the term for one of the new board members would expire June 30, 2022, and the other on June 30, 2023.
Terms for board members are staggered so not all board members come up for a new term at the same time.
Gunzburg said he expects the RTM to support the change, just as the Board of Selectmen did.
“I don’t think we’re asking for more of anything except volunteers,” he said. “I can’t see any reason why anybody would question this.”