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News/Events - Meeting Minutes

A SCITUATE HOUSING AUTHORITY REGULAR MEETING WAS HELD ON
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011 AT 5:00 PM AT 791 COUNTRY WAY IN SCITUATE, MA.

Call to Order: 5:10 PM

Present: Michael Collins
Stephen Coulter
John Zigouras
Patricia Butler
Maryanne Lewis (5:25PM- 6:05PM)
Absent:
Also Present: Kathy DeMarsh, Executive Director and Secretary to the Board
Richard Conlon, Fee Accountant; Susan Connelly, MHP;
Brad McKenzie, McKenzie Engineering Group;
Attorney Walter Sullivan

Bills and Communications

Rich Conlon, Fee Accountant for the Scituate Housing Authority presented the Operating Budgets for FYE 9/30/12 for programs MA049, 400-1, 689-1 and MRVP to the Board of Commissioners. Mr. Conlon also presented a Letter stating the terms and objectives of services rendered by Mr. Conlon under the accounting contract. Receipt and approval of the letter was tabled to the next meeting.

On a motion by Maryanne Lewis, seconded by John Zigouras, it was unanimously
Voted: To acknowledge receipt and approve the Operating Budget for FYE 9/30/12 for Program MA049
Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0
On a motion by Maryanne Lewis, seconded by John Zigouras, it was unanimously
Voted: To acknowledge receipt and approve the Operating Budget for
FYE 9/30/12 for Program 400-1
Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0
On a motion by Maryanne Lewis, seconded by John Zigouras, it was unanimously
Voted: To acknowledge receipt and approve the Operating Budget for
FYE 9/30/12 for Program 689-1
Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0
On a motion by Maryanne Lewis, seconded by Michael Collins, it was unanimously
Voted: To acknowledge receipt and approve the Operating Budget for
FYE 9/30/12 for Program MRVP
Ayes: 5 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0

On a motion by Stephen Coulter, seconded by John Zigouras, it was unanimously
Voted: To approve the August 9, 2011 Meeting Minutes as amended
Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0

On a motion by John Zigouras, seconded by Stephen Coulter, it was unanimously
Voted: To approve the September 13, 2011 Meeting Minutes as written
Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0

Receipt of the Maintenance Report was tabled to the next meeting.

On a motion by John Zigouras, seconded by Stephen Coulter, it was unanimously
Voted: To acknowledge receipt of the Reconciliation Reports for
September 2011
Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0

On a motion by Michael Collins, seconded by Stephen Coulter, it was unanimously
Voted: To acknowledge receipt of the Monthly Financial Reports for
August 2011
Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0

Receipt of the Director’s Report was tabled to the next meeting.
Correspondence
A letter addressed to the Chairperson was distributed to each Board member for their review. The letter came from a tenant referencing the Power Outage at Central Park on August 28, 2011.
Discussion ensued with ways to improve the response of the
Scituate Housing Authority in an emergency situation. It was determined that the
Chairperson would send a response to the tenant.

Old Business
Driftway Property-
Susan Connelly, Director of Community Housing Initiatives for Massachusetts Housing Partnership was invited by the Board of Commissioners to share her expertise on development of affordable housing and to provide possible direction for the Housing Authority to take with this land. Ms. Connelly touched on many areas, including financing and feasibility. Some of the points covered were:
Needs of the community
Family rental housing-minimum number of units-30 LIHTC (Low income housing tax credits)
Elderly housing-tax credits; annual allocation plan; strong backup data; HOME Funds; Housing Stabilization Funds; Affordable Housing Trust Fund
Susan discussed several different scenarios and said she would put something together for the Board to review and to determine if the project is feasible.

Also invited to the meeting was Brad McKenzie of McKenzie Engineering Group. Brad advised the Board that development at this time is financially challenging. He suggested that there is more of a market for multi-unit apartment complexes. However, if interested in home ownership, development of smaller lots (5,000-10,000 sq. ft. lots) of detached single family houses ($250,000-300,000) would be another option.

Board members inquired about the following possibilities:
55+ Community for retirees - were steered away from this as a 55+ community has a limited market
689 Program- informed that there is no federal or state funding to support public housing

New Business
Harborside Village Condominium-91 Front Street, Unit 102
Walter Sullivan, Esq requested to be on the agenda to discuss Unit 102 as the affordable housing component of a project his client is pursuing. According to Attorney Sullivan, the zoning board requires that an affordable housing unit be given to the Town as part of the Townhouse project his client is proposing. He inquired about the possibility of his client purchasing Unit 102 and then deeding it to the Scituate Housing Authority to meet this requirement. Attorney Sullivan was meeting with the Town of Scituate Zoning Board on the 20th of October. He would be in touch with the Board after that meeting.

Scituate Housing Authority Emergency Plan
The Board instructed the Executive Director to organize a meeting with representatives from the Scituate Fire Department, Police Department, Council on Aging, Board of Health and State Representative James Cantwell to include their input in formulating an Emergency Plan for the residents of the Housing Authority.

On a motion by John Zigouras, seconded by Michael Collins, it was unanimously
Voted: To adjourn the meeting, the time being 7:25PM
Ayes: 4 Nays: 0 Abstained: 0

(Seal) ___________________________________
Kathy J. DeMarsh, Secretary