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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing & Redevelopment Authority Minutes 01-22-2009APPROVED MINUTES PLYMOUTH HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY January 22, 2009 PRESENT: Chairman Steve Ludovissie, Commissioners Jeff Kulaszewicz, Paul Caryotakis and Penny Hatcher STAFF PRESENT: Housing Program Manager Jim Barnes, HRA Specialist Patty Schaffer and Office Support Representative Chele Kovacevick OTHERS PRESENT: Commissioner -elect David Miller, Grace Management Representative Jody Boedigheimer, Larry Greenbaum representing JVS, Lisa Stordahl representing Tree House, Mike Vraa representing HOME Line and Marcy Harris representing CAPSH 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Ludovissie called the Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting to order at 7:03 P.M. 2. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve HRA Meeting Minutes from December 18, 2008. B. Plymouth Towne Square. Accept monthly housing reports. C. Vicksburg Crossing. Accept monthly housing reports. MOTION by Commissioner Caryotakis, seconded by Commissioner Hatcher, to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously. 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) HRA Specialist Schaffer presented an overview of the January 9, 2009 Staff Report. Chairman Ludovissie asked if there are any organizations which submitted requests for funding last year who did not request funds for the 2009 program year. HRA Specialist Schaffer said there were none. HRA Specialist Schaffer also added that all of the agencies funded from program year 2008 have submitted invoices and payment will be made within the next couple of weeks. Commissioner Kulaszewicz remarked on the high quality of the informational packets which were prepared by Housing Program Manager Barnes and his staff. Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority January 22, 2009 Page 2 Chairman Ludovissie opened the Public Hearing. Larry Greenbaum from Jewish Vocational Services (JVS) said their organization is almost 110 years old and was founded in 1910 to help immigrants get established in America. JVS's concern is for immigrants who need help especially in these tough economic times. JVS does not provide housing but they help people get jobs, which allow them to remain in their homes. Commissioner Hatcher remarked that Hennepin County's child care assistance program is also administrated by JVS. She stated the importance of this aspect of their services as it helps people stay employed knowing their children are cared for. Commissioner Caryotakis asked if JVC actually operated child care facilities. Mr.Greenbaum responded no, they administer the funds to established child care providers. Housing Program Manager Barnes compared it to the Section 8 program. The Section 8 program does not actually house people but distributes funds to landlords who do provide housing. Commissioner Kulaszewicz asked if Plymouth residents would be assisted with the Plymouth funds. Mr. Greenbaum replied yes, if they qualify by income, they will be served. Lisa Stordahl from Tree House talked about the parcel of land located on the SE corner of County Road 101 and 42nd Avenue North which had been identified at one time as a prospective site for another Tree House location. Tree House personnel have since discovered that the youth who they serve really do not care about where their particular Tree House site is located; whether it's a free-standing site or housed within a school or church. They have since decided not to purchase the site from the City. Tree House has been serving youth since 1984 and is currently serving Plymouth youth operating out of three locations. Partnering with Interfaith Outreach they are looking into the possibility of utilizing an empty grocery store as a possible way to expand the program. Commissioner Hatcher asked how the youth are being transported to the three locations. Ms. Stordahl said they provide transportation. Commissioner Kulaszewicz asked if the economy has had an affect on their numbers. According to Ms. Stordahl, because parents are not always forthright about private income information, the staff at Tree House will often look to the data which discloses the number of students who qualify to receive free lunches as a signal that families are indeed struggling. Commissioner Hatcher asked if there is data on the demographics of the population that Tree House serves. Ms. Stordahl replied yes and that the services of the Wilder Foundation are used to accumulate that data. Mike Vraa from HOME Line explained they received 11,000 calls in 2008 of which 200 were from Plymouth residents regarding landlord/tenant issues. HOME Line's request of $8,000 from the CDBG Program is an important part of their $400,000 budget and is one of 25 funding sources they rely upon. The award from the CDBG Program also speaks to their organization's credibility in the community and the importance of their mission. Commissioner Hatcher asked how individuals learn about their service and their telephone number. Mr. Vraa responded that word of mouth, social services agencies, etc. are generally the methods. Approximately 1,000 calls last year were directly related to foreclosures issues in particular. Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority January 22, 2009 Page 3 Marcy Harris from Community Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin (CAPSH) updated the Board on the addition of two more staff members to CAPSH's Foreclosure Prevention Team (for a total of nine people). She noted that 75% of the prior year requests were for services related to foreclosure issues and they are on track for an increase in demand of 50%. Housing rehabilitation is another part of CAPSH services. As homes fail to sell because of needed repairs, CAPSH can help fill that gap with fix -up funds. Ms. Harris said that reverse mortgages are sometimes a valuable tool for seniors. Chairman Ludovissie asked if CAPSH operates as an intermediary between the lender and the property headed for foreclosure. Ms. Harris said CAPSH provides counseling to help homeowners understand the cause and affect of their financial decisions. Sometimes there are short term grant monies available to bridge a gap allowing time for a short sale preventing the stigma of a foreclosure. She also mentioned that her experience has been that some lenders are very reasonable to work with and others are not. Commissioner Caryotakis asked if the political developments in Washington, DC are being followed by the CAPSH staff. Ms. Harris responded yes. Chairman Ludovissie closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner Hatcher remarked that if $42,000 was going to be awarded rather than the full available amount of $44,000, she would like clarification as to where the balance of $2,000 would be applied. Housing Program Manager Barnes stated that the HRA has always funded fair housing but it is simply being viewed as a separate line item in the amount of $2,000. HRA Specialist Schaffer said she is guided by the priorities established by Hennepin County and mirrors those same priorities when allocating the CDBG funds each year. Commissioner Hatcher asked for clarification of the term "minimum amount accepted" as stated on the application. That term is a misnomer and more accurately reflects an organization's ideal grant goal although they are grateful for any and all funding received. Commissioner Caryotakis recognized that there is an allocation of time and money expended by organizations in order to seek grant funds. Housing Program Manager Barnes explained the origin of the "minimum amount accepted" language and that it will be revised or removed on next year's application. Chairman Ludovissie remarked that the presentations reflected great due diligence and effort, and made for a very thorough report by each organization Commissioner -elect Miller asked how the current foreclosure activity is affecting outstanding loans which were made prior to the time that a foreclosure clause was a part of the documentation. Chairman Ludovissie said there is a tough qualification process in place to ensure strong loans. Commissioner Kulaszewicz asked if there has been any communications between the HRA and the Kudlas who had previously applied for and been denied a waiver of the assumption clause in their FTHB loan. According to HRA Specialist Schaffer there has not been any further contact. Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority January 22, 2009 Page 4 MOTION by Commissioner Kulaszewicz, seconded by Commissioner Caryotakis recommending approval of the application and allocation of Fiscal Year 2009 Community Development Block Grant Funds. Vote. 4 Ayes MOTION approved unanimously. 4. NEW BUSINESS A. Vicksburg Crossing. Marketing Report Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer said there are no more one bedroom units remaining, with the final move in scheduled for the first of February. The model will have to be moved to a different unit as it is now rented. The furniture will be moved into a two bedroom unit with perhaps the addition of a daybed or desk to simulate an office. Chairman Ludovissie asked if the rental market has picked up. Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer responded no, they are just converting more visits into rentals. At the end of November the unit with the unique view was leased at a lower rental rate. The resident in the unit above has given their notice to vacate. B. Vicksburg Crossing and Plymouth Towne Square. Discuss Marketing Programs. The casino night on Valentine's Day has been publicized and they hope it builds traffic to the properties. The Senior Center in Hopkins is another venue tied to Valentine's Day, not on the same day, that should also build visibility. Chairman Ludovissie asked Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer if there was anything she needed from the Board to meet their marketing needs. She replied that at this point there was nothing additional needed. Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer asked if we could mention the senior buildings in the City of Plymouth Newsletter. Housing Program Manager Barnes remarked it is difficult to get coverage in the newsletter; perhaps once or twice a year at best. He suggested looking into the idea of a Housing Extra insertion in the City's newsletter that could be paid for by the HRA. Commission Hatcher suggested that perhaps housing should be adopted as a bigger priority by the City Council due to the housing crises. Housing Manager Barnes stated that the City has not had as many foreclosures as other communities and our values have not dropped as much either. Commissioner Hatcher stated that it should not have to be a crisis before we prioritize housing as a goal. Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer said that Vicksburg Crossing could be highlighted on the web site in order to generate a current and qualified waiting list. Chairman Ludovissie asked whether there have been any marketing efforts directed towards residents of adjacent cities. Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer responded that they have not specifically targeted other areas, but the Sun Sailor is distributed to all the surrounding communities so we know our name is getting out there. Chairman Ludovissie said he would welcome communication and any requests that are appropriate in order to support the marketing efforts of the properties. Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer sees the value of the leave -behinds in addition to the pamphlets which are distributed. All suggestions for ad Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority January 22, 2009 Page 5 specialty items that seem appropriate to the Board would be welcomed by Grace Management Representative Boedigheimer and Managing Director Sara Paquette. Commissioner Kulaszewicz mentioned that he senses the new energy in the marketing programs and appreciates all the efforts in maintaining interest in the property. He also sees the slow and steady approach to be the most productive. C. Plymouth Towne Square and Vicksburg Crossing. Review 2008 Resident Surveys. The rating scale for the surveys is based on a score of 1-4. Chairman Ludovissie asked if the survey information is passed on to the City Council. He said he thinks the Council should be made aware of the results and Housing Program Manager Barnes remarked that they will be included in the Council Information Memo (CIM) which is distributed weekly. Commissioner Hatcher noted that lighting seems to be an issue for some and recommended that a Lowes or Home Depot representative be invited to make a site visit to explain the multitude of available lighting products which can be purchased and installed very easily by the residents at their expense. Commissioner Kulaszewicz remarked that the absence of railing at changes in elevation still appears to be an issue with some residents. Housing Program Manager Barnes is working on obtaining bids for this work and he suggested a spring install would be more economical and with better results anticipated. 5. ADJOURNMENT MOTION by Chairman Ludovissie, seconded by Commissioner Hatcher, to adjourn. Vote. 4 Ayes. MOTION approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 8:33 p.m.