Civic Association Board Votes to Form Joint Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion

The Beacon Hill Civic Association board of directors voted unanimously during its monthly meeting, which was held virtually on Monday, Sept. 14, to create a new task force to ensure diversity and inclusivity within the organization itself.

Russ Gaudreau, co-chair of the Governance Committee, said the Joint Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, would fall under the auspices of both that committee and the Executive Committee, and that its first order of business would be to reevaluate the Civic Association’s “Plan for the Neighborhood,” which now dates back a decade, with a new eye on equity.

The Joint Committee will then be charged with looking at the charters and statements of each BHCA committee, Gaudrea said, and then deliver a report detailing what, if any, changes need to made to the documents, including the “Plan for the Neighborhood,” at the December board meeting.

In another matter, the board voted unanimously to send a “position statement” to the city voicing its strong opposition to a highly contentious proposal to build a one-story addition and a rooftop over an existing rooftop on an existing two and one-half story house at 7 Smith Court.

Although the project entails making a major alteration to a historic structure, it doesn’t fall under the purview of the Beacon Hill Architectural Commission, said Tom Clemens, co-chair of the Civic Association’s Zoning and Licensing Committee, since it wouldn’t be visible from a public way.

“Here we have a very unique house,” added Rob Whitney, board chair. “It’s a very special to the Hill and the African American community who used to live there. This might be the only time we have to save this little piece of property.”

The application is scheduled to go before the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals Sept. 29, Clemens said.

Moreover, the board voted unanimously to ratify two new committee appointments – Eve Waterfall as co-chair of the Governance Committee, and Rachel Thurlow as co-chair of the Safety Committee.

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