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News/Events - Meeting Minutes

MINUTES OF MEETING:

Call to Order Chairman Patricia Butler called the meeting to order at 4:36 PM.

Present:
Patricia Butler
Mary Dean, (until 5:40 PM)
Edward McCann

Susan Blair (arrived at 5:15 PM)

Absent: Ethel Wheatley

Also Present: Alma Morrison, Scituate citizen

Stephen Dubuque and John Hixson of South Shore Housing Development Corp.

NEW BUSINESS:

Mr. Dubuque asked Chairman Butler for time to present a program from South Shore Housing. Pat advised him that we had not scheduled any time for a presentation and had a very busy agenda. Steve Dubuque advised her that he would take only five minutes.

Mary Dean stated that the board was not entertaining any alternative ideas, after voting at the April 2006 meeting to concentrate housing efforts to homeownership.

Mr. Dubuque asked for time to speak since “South Shore Housing had spent quite a bit of time and money on development plans for the New Abbey Park housing”.

Mr. McCann stated that we were not shutting the door on any idea that might make the board’s approach to housing a better one.

Chairman Butler at this point gave Mr. Dubuque a short period of time to present.

Mr. Dubuque presented the following information:
1. Definition of cooperative housing
2. How cooperative housing financing works
3. Home ownership within cooperative housing plan
4. 9% tax credit
5. Sliding scale of subsidies, with a higher percent for some applicants
6. Limited partnership of the National Equity Fund
7. Local preference
8. Development must be 28 units
9. This cooperative housing must be managed by a hired property manager.
10. There is somewhat of a self-managed atmosphere to keep property in good condition.

Mr. Dubuque provided commissioners with a handout describing Cooperative Housing in detail and reiterated South Shore Housing was looking for a compromised because they would not give up on this endeavor.

Mary Dean questioned Mr. Dubuque about other towns with cooperative housing and he named the following towns: Cambridge, Brookline and Salem, although he was not entirely sure that was correct.

Mr. McCann commented on the possibility of some rental and some ownership.

Mr. McCann reiterated that we had voted for the home ownership concept, although we should review the handout information.

Mary Dean stated that the board was totally committed to home ownership, to which Mr. Dubuque responded: Home ownership is not the charge, not the responsibility of a housing authority.

Mr. Dubuque wrapped up his presentation at 5:07 pm.

After Mr. Dubuque and Mr. Hixson left, Chairman Butler asked if the board wanted to explore or revote the April 2006 decision to stay with the home ownership concept.

Member Susan Blair arrived at 5:15 pm and asked for a recap of the presentation given by Mr. Dubuque.

Subsequent discussion was primarily what had occurred with Mr. Dubuque’s presentation and the fact that he was not on the agenda and the board of commissioners had voted at previous meetings not to entertain any developers pitching their development plans.

All commissioners agreed there was no need to revote, nor reconsider the April 2006 vote concerning home ownership.

Discussion was then directed to plans for presentation at the selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday, September 4 and the CPC meeting on Monday, September 11.

Mary Dean left the meeting at 5:40 pm.

Chairman Butler subsequently led the discussion on how to best present to the Board of Selectmen the Housing Authority’s approach for developing the Driftway site i.e. by accumulating the required pre-construction information; composing two architectural renditions of the development; and making a widely publicized Request for Proposals from developers. The Commissioners decided on the following outline for their presentation:

1. The Housing Authority plans to build twenty condominiums, ten of which would be sold at the prevailing market value, and ten at affordable prices.

2. The Housing Authority has already met with the neighbors, having notified all abutters by Registered Mail.

3. The homeownership option was more politically and economically feasible, and, due to the historical acceptance and appeal of the concept, could be effected in a reasonable time.

4. The Housing Authority seeks the support-in-principle of the Selectmen for this concept before the Housing Authority continues work on it.

5. The Housing Authority plans to continue its affordable housing development initiatives by seeking other town owned or tax-liened properties on which SHA could build scattered site affordable housing for either rental or homeownership.

The meeting adjourned at 6:15 PM.