November 2, 2023 Information Box

Hull Redevelopment Authority Information Box as published in The Hull Times on 11/2/23

The HRA has recently welcomed a new member and this seems like a good time to talk about what exactly the HRA is, and how its members are appointed.

 Redevelopment Authorities are governed by Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 121B. This law states that as an independent body, a redevelopment authority “is not an agency of a municipality and therefore, does not answer directly to the chief executive. This affords the Redevelopment Authority more autonomy in planning and implementing revitalization and redevelopment projects.”

 The HRA, as dictated by this law, is composed of a five-member board. Four of these members are elected by the citizens of Hull in the town’s annual election. The HRA’s four elected members, and their current roles, are Dennis Zaia, Chair; Dan Kernan, Vice-Chair; Bartley Kelly, Treasurer; and Adrienne Paquin, Clerk.

The fifth member of the HRA is appointed by the state, through the Department of Housing and Community Development. Although appointed by the state, this member serves in the same manner as all HRA members.

Recently, the state appointed Joan Senatore to fill the seat left vacant with the passing of long-time member James Tobin. Senatore, like all HRA members, is a resident of Hull. She holds BS and MBA degrees and is a certified fraud examiner and certified in health care compliance. In addition, she is a licensed attorney. She works for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

All members serve five-year terms, or the remainder of a five-year term that has been left vacant by the departure or resignation of another member.