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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing & Redevelopment Authority Minutes 04-25-2019APPROVED MINUTES PLYMOUTH HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY April 25, 2019 MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Michelle Soderberg, Commissioners Robert Huddleston, Jeff Kulaszewicz, and Matthew Plec ABSENT: Commissioner Marty McCarthy STAFF PRESENT: HRA Executive Director Steve Juetten, HRA Manager Jim Barnes, Community Development Coordinator Matt Lupini, and Office Support Representative Michelle Rumrey OTHERS PRESENT: Jody Boedigheimer of Grace Management, Megan Sand Carr from Sand Companies 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Soderberg called the Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. 2. PUBLIC FORUM Chair Soderberg opened and closed the Public Forum as there was no one present to speak. 3. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve HRA Meeting Minutes for February 28, 2019. B. Plymouth Towne Square. Accept Monthly Housing Reports. C. Vicksburg Crossing. Accept Monthly Housing/Marketing Reports. MOTION by Commissioner Kulaszewicz, seconded by Commissioner Huddleston, to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION passed unanimously. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. HRA Strategic Plan HRA Manager Barnes informed the Board that Jon Gutzmann expressed concerns if he would have sufficient time to commit to facilitating the update of the HRA Strategic Plan. After discussing the matter, Mr. Gutzmann declined the invitation to be the facilitator. He did provide names of others he would recommend. HRA Manager Barnes stated he has done some initial research on the suggested names and one, Rebecca Ryan, would most likely be too expensive. The other one is Kathy Bennet who has worked for the Urban Approved Minutes Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority April 25, 2019 Page 2 Land Institute (ULI). HRA Manager Barnes informed the Board he will contact Ms. Bennet and provide the board with additional information. HRA Manager Barnes reminded the Board about the previous discussion in January and asked if the Board would like to continue the discussion tonight. He stated a facilitator would help guide the Board through the planning process. HRA Manager Barnes suggested talking about community engagement, social media and flash votes. HRA Executive Director Juetten said the flash votes are aimed at people who have signed up to receive them. It is not as statistically valid as a survey because it is directed only at people on the list. Commissioner Kulaszewicz stated people who are not affected by the idea being presented would probably not respond. HRA Executive Director Juetten agreed and said inquires related to housing would be beneficial to all. Chairman Soderberg stated the flash vote would be one piece and an open house. HRA Executive Director Juetten informed the Board Mayor Wosje is thinking about conducting a city wide survey, as that has not been done in a few years, to determine how the residents feel about the City. There would be housing questions included in the survey. This data would be more statistically valid than the flash votes. HRA Manager Barnes expressed the significance of reaching a broad spectrum of residents to avoid a one sided response. Community engagement, open meetings, and focus groups will be essential to determine which direction the HRA should go with the Strategic Plan. He stated a facilitator will also assist in this process. Commissioner Kulaszewicz said the surveys may provide the necessary information. He said he is hesitant to spend money for a person to lead meetings and is struggling with what the benefit will be for the Strategic Plan. He said staff keeps the Board informed about what is happening related to housing in the community. HRA Manager Barnes responded the facilitator gives an opportunity to receive an outside perspective from someone who is not solely focused on Plymouth and its market. HRA Manager Barnes stated he does visit other agencies to look into their programs however he does not have the time available to properly evaluate all the areas in which those agencies have been successful. He reminded the Board of the market study that was conducted and validated the known needs of Plymouth’s multi-housing market. The market study also expanded that material into categories not yet explored. Approved Minutes Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority April 25, 2019 Page 3 Chairman Soderberg added the benefits to a facilitator leading the Strategic Planning are the art, science, and process. An effective facilitator sets the framework to think about ideas differently which will aid in obtaining a new product. An ineffective facilitator will just regurgitate the same ideas. Chairman Soderberg suggested analyzing qualifications and also to become comfortable with their process. HRA Manager Barnes asked the Board if they wanted to begin reviewing the current Strategic Plan or if it is premature to begin talking about it until we engage with a facilitator. Commissioner Plec said it is premature. He said the vision statement is good and hits all the points we want. He recommended shifting some of the goals and restated it is premature to be discussing each line item. HRA Executive Director Juetten agreed it is premature to discuss changing the Strategic Plan. He advocated waiting to gain an understanding of how the City Council will be formulating their methods as there is a new mayor and new leadership on the council. Mayor Wosje has expressed proactive ideas in developing the City. HRA Executive Director Juetten informed the Board the council has hired a consultant to assist with economic development planning. There are two upcoming meetings: April 30 and May 21 for these high level ideas to be presented. Housing may also benefit from this planning. HRA Executive Director recommended waiting to understand what the council is planning before the HRA Board does something. He stated he does not want to delay the Strategic Plan, however a pause could be helpful considering there is a new council in place. Chairman Soderberg said that in the meantime we can talk to a facilitator. Chairman Soderberg inquired as to everyone’s position on hiring a facilitator. Commissioner Plec answered this is a good idea to revisit and he likes the idea of a facilitator. He said he understands the trepidation of spending money; he does think it is better to take a chance on an outside view. Commissioner Kulaszewicz stated he could support hiring a facilitator after hearing the other commissioners’ points of view. HRA Manager Barnes said the Board will have a chance to meet the persons being considered. Commissioner Huddleston said it is nice to have another set of eyes other than what the council sees and that he would want that person to have transferable knowledge. Approved Minutes Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority April 25, 2019 Page 4 Community Development Coordinator Lupini stated a facilitator is a valuable asset and this is a good process which is worth exploring. B. Sand Companies. Request for financial assistance to cover a portion of City imposed fees. HRA Manager Barnes gave an overview of the staff report. Chairman Soderberg asked if the $241,000 will come out of the current reserves and is staff comfortable with that amount. She also asked what month do we balance reserves. HRA Manager Barnes said the reserve analysis occurs in September. The senior building reserves are separate and are completed in October. Commissioner Kulaszewicz said he thought this area was already a TIF district and asked why a new one is necessary. HRA Manager Barnes said the entire site is in a TIF district at this point. It is a redevelopment district that was created to assist with the demolition of a building, road improvements, and soil corrections. All of the increment that could be generated is committed. The proposal will be to remove the Sand parcel from the current TIF district and create a new Housing TIF district to assist the development. Commissioner Plec asked what is on the horizon besides Beacon and Sand for affordable housing. He expressed concerns about having enough funding if there is another project. HRA Manager Barnes replied the reserves are not the only tools we have. The other tools include TIF, tax abatement and revenue bonds. At this point staff believes the $500,000 currently in the reserves is sufficient. Megan Sand Carr from Sand Companies requested a wording change in the resolution from Sand Companies to Plymouth Element LLC because they are the owners of the housing project which is a different from Sand Companies. HRA Executive Director Juetten asked if Sand Companies will still be the management company. Ms. Sand Carr affirmed Sand Companies will still be the general contractor and the property management company. MOTION by Commissioner Plec, seconded by Commissioner Kulaszewicz, to adopt Resolution 2019-03 as amended. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION passed unanimously. C. HRA Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Loan Program Guideline changes. Approved Minutes Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority April 25, 2019 Page 5 Community Development Coordinator Lupini gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Kulaszewicz inquired if there are statistics related to how many of the loans have actually accrued to zero, how many are on the books for a while and how many loans are repaid. HRA Manager Barnes answered there is no statistical analysis at this time. He said it is possible to determine how many loans have gone through the full 20 years and been forgiven. Generally speaking, there have been about 200 loans issued since the program began and less than 10 percent have fulfilled the full 20 year term. Commissioner Kulaszewicz asked if the money is returned. HRA Manager Barnes said the money is returned as repaid loans. Commissioner Kulaszewicz asked if the money was occasionally siphoned out for other projects. HRA Manager Barnes replied the money usually stays in the First Time Home Buyer and Rehabilitation Loan programs. Commissioner Kulaszewicz stated it is an elaborate process to figure out who will get a loan and what it will be used for. He asked if there is someone to assist with this process. HRA Manager Barnes answered Community Development Coordinator Lupini and our Housing Inspector assist the clients with the paperwork process and determining what improvements qualify. Commissioner Kulaszewicz asked if there is a list of contractors provided. Community Development Coordinator Lupini said we do maintain a list of contractors who have worked on previous projects, but we do not make any recommendations. Chairman Soderberg asked how the clients find out about the program. HRA Manager Barnes replied mostly by word of mouth and publicizing in Plymouth News. There may be advertising on social media in the future. MOTION by Commissioner Kulaszewicz, seconded by Chair Plec, to adopt HRA Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Loan Program Guideline changes. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION passed unanimously. D. Election of Officers. Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary. Approved Minutes Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority April 25, 2019 Page 6 MOTION by Chairman Kulaszewicz, seconded by Commissioner Huddleston nominating Chair Soderberg as HRA Chair. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously. MOTION by Chairman Kulaszewicz, seconded by Chairman Soderberg nominating Commissioner Plec as HRA Vice-chair. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously. MOTION by Chairman Soderberg, seconded by Commissioner Kulaszewicz nominating Commissioner McCarthy as HRA Secretary. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously. 5. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Chair Soderberg, with no objection, to adjourn the meeting at 7:54 p.m.