Needham Housing Authority board member Penny Kirk has decided to step away from the board midway through her current five-year term.
Kirk said her reasons are solely personal. “I’m going be 85 in a month, so I figure it’s time to slow down a bit.”
The five-member NHA board consists of three members elected by the town’s voters, an NHA resident chosen by the Select Board, and an appointee of the governor. Kirk held one of the three elected seats, having run unopposed for reelection to her second five-year term in 2023.
The town is expected to make an announcement soon detailing the process for seeking registered voters interested in filling Kirk’s position between now and next April’s annual town election. Whoever is chosen will have the option of running in 2026 to fill the remaining two years on the term.
According to Town Counsel Chris Heep, the town will soon begin an outreach campaign to inform residents of the opening. In an email, Heep said the town will list the information on the town website, post to social media and include it in its weekly News You Need(ham) email newsletter. Interested residents will be directed to the volunteer application form on the town website.
Heep noted that “qualified applicants will be interviewed,” with the eventual selection to be voted on by a joint vote of the four remaining NHA members and the five Select Board members.
The final vote will be held in open session at a joint meeting of the Select Board and the NHA, which could happen as soon as the Select Board’s June 10 meeting.
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