Essex Housing Commission elects new officers and moves regular meetings to evenings

The Town of Essex Housing Commission reorganized on July 7, electing Lois Witherman as chair and Lorraine Zulu as vice chair and agreeing to move regular meetings to the first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.

The reorganization began with nominations for chair. A nomination of Lois Witherman initially fell short when the first tally produced two yes votes and one abstention, short of the three votes required for a five-member commission. After discussion about whether nominees may vote for themselves under Robert’s Rules and state statute, one member changed their vote and Witherman was confirmed as chair; the newly elected chair then presided over the remainder of the meeting.

Why it matters: The new leadership and the move to an evening meeting time are intended to make it easier for residents to attend and to broaden participation in housing discussions that the commission advises on.

Details of officer elections and minutes The vice chair nomination followed. Lorraine Zulu was nominated and received support from multiple commissioners, who cited her long record of community involvement and focus on transparency and housing issues. “Lorraine’s fantastic,” one commissioner said. The commission confirmed Zulu as vice chair.

The clerk role—responsible for preparing minutes—was discussed at length. Commissioners noted the statutory requirement that minutes be turned in five days after a meeting. Caroline, who has served as clerk for two years, said she would be willing to relinquish the role if another member wanted it but agreed to continue for now.

The commission moved to approve the minutes of its June 2 meeting. A member moved to approve the minutes; the motion was seconded and recorded as approved unanimously.

Meeting schedule and next steps Commissioners debated changing the regular meeting time to improve public access, noting conflicts with other boards and individual evening commitments. After checking venue and hybrid-technology options and clarifying open-meeting constraints on collaborative tools, the commission agreed—without a formal roll-call vote—to adopt the first Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. as its regular meeting time, starting with the August meeting schedule planning. One commissioner noted that “people seem to be used to turning up at 06:30 for public meetings,” as the group weighed start times.

The commission also discussed coordinating with other local committees, including the Conservation and Trails Committee, and suggested creating a work plan that prioritizes a small number of issues (for example, derelict buildings and ADA concerns) and the possible use of short-term work groups or liaison arrangements to address overlapping matters.

What comes next: The commission agreed to prepare a wish list of priority topics for a future content-focused meeting (potentially a special meeting or the next regular meeting with full membership present) and to revisit officer roles if needed. The meeting adjourned after the business was completed.