Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-01-08 Reading Housing Authority MinutesREADING HOUSING AUTHORITY MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING, January 8, 2007 A regular business meeting of the Reading Housing Authority was held on Monday, January 8, 2007 at 7:00 P.M at the office of the Reading Housing Authority the town of Reading, Mass. The meeting as called to order at 7:05 P.M. with the Chair, Diane Cohen, presiding. Those members present and forming a quorum were John Coote, Mary Connors and Karen L. Flammia as well as the Secretary/Executive Director, Lyn Whyte. Minutes Move Karen Second Mary Vote 4 -0 02 -343 VOTED: To accept for the record the Minutes of the Regular Business Meeting of December 4, 2006, as presented. Finances Move Karen Second Mary Vote 4 -0 02 -344 VOTED: To approve and sign the checkroll/billroll for the period for Accounts Payable Check fl668- 736 Payroll Summary as presented for December, 2006. Section 8 Voucher Program, #1020-1117 as presented. Finances Move Mary Second Karen Vote 4 -0 02 -345 VOTED: To certify receipt of monthly operating statements for all RHA programs for the month end November, 2006 of the current fiscal year. Request Wait List Waiver Move Mary Second John Vote 4 -0 02 -346 VOTED: To authorize Executive Director to submit a request to DHCD for approval of an administrative policy change to place eligible emergency applicants in every fourth position on o 705 state family wait list. Personnel Matters: - None Report of Programs: - Vacancy Report- Vacancy report was presented for review by Mitch Hudzik, Program Coordinator. All elderly units are leased. We have a continued 2 -BR vacancy in our 705 family program. Offers have been made and refused by three wait list applicants. We will move to the next person on wait list. Sec 8 Report- No official report was presented, however, the HA is fully leased at this time. - FSS Report — A report was presented by Program Coordinator, Karin Keyser. Based on her r port, questions were posed as to the process for assisting participants in the program. The ED will re uest an update report from the program coordinator on R14A approach to providing help to our participants. - Resident Service Coordinator- Current Tannerville Newsletter provided. New Business: - The current approved Procurement Policy was provided to Board for their review. At the present time, the Executive Director is the Contracting Officer for expenditures under $10,000 and follow state procurement regulations as necessary. Although no formal changes were made to the policy at this time, all parties were made aware that every effort would be made to keep an eye on larger expense ite s and take the time to discuss them prior to authorizing payment. - A request to DHCD for wait list waiver on 705 developments to place emergency applicants every fourth place was approved. A motion for Board approval was made and a copy of Board approval will be forwarded to DHCD to support our request. The R14A will work with the Town of Reading to develop a web site for the Authority. The ED ;spoke with Town personnel, Bill Connors in regard to this matter and they will work with us. It will be four to six weeks before upgrades are made to the internet service for Town offices and they have included the Housing Authority in the upgrade process. Once that is completed and up and running, we will begin the process of being linked through the Town of Reading existing website. The Executive Director will keep the Board updated. The Executive Director presented an option to the Board to purchase an affordable unit at 310 ebo Circle for $205,000 if all other efforts to find an eligible family applicant that can qualify fail. It was agreed that the Housing Authority would indeed step in and purchase this property if nec 'ssary. Reading Cooperative Bank is willing to finance the property if we proceed. The Director will ke p the Board updated on this process and if we indeed opt to purchase, a motion will be presented t our February 12th meeting to approve such an action. The Housing Authority discussed the Reading Cooperative Bank's request to support them in their efforts to expand their parking lot. Upon discussion, it was decided that a municipal agency should not be involved in local initiatives of this kind. The Executive Director requested a February 12`h date for its next Regular Board Meeting due to her attendance at the Nerc -Nahro winter conference, February 5 -7`n Real Estate Matter: - Update 75 Pleasant Street: A request was made by the Executive Director for authorization to submit a signed commitment proposal to the Reading Cooperative Bank for financing on its Pleasant Street project. A subsequent request was made to forward a signed site approval letter back to DHCD so that we may continue with our endeavors to get a bid out on the prop sed project. I advised them that the legal counsel had suggested some changes to the language used in the site approval letter but all Board members felt that we could proceed as is. The Director was given approval to proceed with the process by signing all necessary documents and submit them as presented. All parties (DHCD, architect, and legal counsel) will be informed to proceed t the next level, which is ZBA approval process. Board Schedule February, 2007 BOARD MEETING: 02/12/2007 @ 7 PM 02 -347 TO ADJOURN: 8:35 PM. Move Mary Respectfmily submitted, Lyn E. Whyte, Secretary f Executive Director Karen Vote 4 -0