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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing & Redevelopment Authority Minutes 03-27-2014APPROVED MINUTES PLYMOUTH HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MARCH 27, 2014 PRESENT: Chairman Jeff Kulaszewicz, Commissioner Jim Willis, Commissioner Toni Jelinek, Commissioner Paul Caryotakis, and Commissioner Adam Schmitt ABSENT: none STAFF PRESENT: Housing Program Manager Jim Barnes and Office Support Representative Tina Beckfeld OTHER: Grace Management Representative Jody Boedigheimer 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Kulaszewicz called the Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 2. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approve HRA Meeting Minutes for February 27, 2014. B. Plymouth Towne Square. Accept Monthly Housing Reports C. Vicksburg Crossing. Accept Monthly Housing/Marketing Reports MOTION by Commissioner Jelinek, seconded by Commissioner Willis to approve the consent agenda. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION passed unanimously. 3. NEW BUSINESS A. Home Line. High school tenant education program. Housing Manager Barnes gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Schmitt asked why the schools do not fund this program or include it in their curriculum. Housing Manager Barnes responded the schools are working with limited funds and this is considered an extra program. In the past this program has been implemented in two different ways; either working with a specific class or presenting to a larger group in an auditorium. Staff sees value in this program. Commissioner Jelinek asked what the funding pays for. Housing Manager Barnes answered it pays for Home Line's staff to present the program and all associated costs. Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority March 27, 2014 Page 2 Commissioner Schmitt stated he had been a member of a student organization, Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) now Enactus, at St Cloud State that provided this service for free and suggested staff to contact Enactus at the University of Minnesota to see if they could provide this service to Plymouth high schools. Commissioner Willis asked why some communities got this service for free. Housing Manager Barnes responded those communities are receiving this program funded through different sources paid directly to Home Line. Commissioner Willis stated the he was in favor of accepting the program funding this year noting in future years he would like to see the schools also be invested by contributing half. Commissioner Jelinek asked how much time was needed to approve this funding and wondered if that was enough time to get Enactus from University of Minnesota involved. Housing Manager Barnes stated if it were approved today the program would start the fall of 2014. He asked Commissioner Schmitt to get him information about Enactus and how to contact them. Commissioner Schmitt stated $250 for one hour of instruction from a non-profit organization was high and the same information could be taught in the home or included in the school's curriculum. Housing Manager Barnes stated the students in Family & Consumer Science classes are typically non-traditional students who struggle through the normal path to graduate high school. They may not have the same experience or access to individuals that would teach them this information. This program would give them basic information on renting and renter's rights. Commissioner Schmitt stated he was not in favor of subsidizing this program and felt the tax payers of Plymouth would not want to either. Commissioner Jelinek suggested by providing this program tax payer dollars could be saved by avoiding legal fees that may result from rental disputes. She is in favor of funding this program and feels it is worth the $1,000.00. Commissioner Caryotakis wants staff to determine what form the program would take, who the sponsor of the school would be, and whether the school already provides this information. Housing Manager Barnes stated staff has reached out to Wayzata High School and Armstrong High School, of which most of Plymouth's residents attend, and they are not providing this information in their core curriculums. Wayzata was very interested. Nothing has been finalized Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority March 27, 2014 Page 3 as to whether the program would be presented in a classroom or to a larger audience in an auditorium. Commissioner Willis asked who the funds would be paid to. Housing Manager Barnes answered the funds would be paid directly to Home Line. Commissioner Willis asked if the HRA is already providing funding to Wayzata High School and Armstrong High School through CDBG funds for other programs. Housing Manager Barnes responded funds serving the high schools do not come directly though the CDBG funds, rather indirectly through Tree House which the HRA funds through the CDBG funds. Use of CDBG funds must be income qualified. Commissioner Caryotakis stated the first year would provide exposure to the program; going forward the schools could be asked to contribute. Commissioner Jelinek asked if Home Line could present to the HRA and answer questions the committee may have. She also suggested committee members come up with a list of question to ask Home Line. Housing Manager Barnes will ask Home Line to come to a meeting. MOTION by Commissioner Schmitt, seconded by Chairman Kulaszewicz, to postpone the decision for further information. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION passed unanimously. B. Social Service Funding Policy. Consider adopting a policy related to assisting social service agencies with HRA General Funds. Housing Manager Barnes gave an overview of the staff report. Commissioner Schmitt commented this draft was a good start to the discussion. Commissioner Caryotakis stated he approved narrowing of the criteria and limiting the funding. Chairman Kulaszewicz stated $5,000 per organization may be high and there was no overall limit. Housing Manager Barnes stated maximum spending limits would be determined by the committee during the budgeting process. The suggested maximum funding of $5,000.00 was based on input from various organizations; that smaller funding amounts sometimes was not worth staff and reporting time. The limit is open for discussion. Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority March 27, 2014 Page 4 Commissioner Jelinek stated the policy gives staff guidelines to use in discussion with social services that might want to request this type of funding. She asked if the committee has final approval. Housing Manager Barnes answered yes; the HRA would approve the funding as part of the budgeting process. The guidelines give staff the ability to tell applicants they either do or do not qualify within the guidelines. Applicants will be review and ranked, but all request will be presented to the commission. Housing Manager Barnes stated applications would go out in June with a due date, staff would review, and they would be brought to the board in September. This would put applicants on a level playing field. Commissioner Caryotakis felt this process was taking a different direction. Instead of funding a know program we are now inviting social services to apply. Housing Manager Barnes stated the HRA committee has total control of utilizing the line item out of the general fund. The HRA does not have to spend any. Staff will not advertise or send out applications to social services if that is what the committee wants. This line item would be to fund programs that do not meet the CDBG regulations. Commissioner Jelinek is concerned about the timing of approval at budget time; funds appropriated may be needed elsewhere. Housing Manager Barnes stated the budget process starts in June or July at the staff level. The council formally adopts the budget in December. All funds appropriated are contingent on final adoption of the council. Commissioner Caryotakis is in favor of having funds available to worthy programs that fall outside of the CDBG funding criteria. Housing Manager Barnes asked the commission if they would rather not go with the policy and deal with the line item at budget time or keep some type of criteria in place and modify the policy. Commissioner Willis suggested postponing the decision until staff brings back specific information on the Home Line program. Commissioner Jelinek stated the criteria of "Limited to programs that assist youth under the age of 18" be struck from the policy. Commissioner Willis also had other modifications to the wording of the criteria that he will give to Housing Manager Barnes. Approved Plymouth Housing and Redevelopment Authority March 27, 2014 Page 5 MOTION by Commissioner Willis, seconded by Commissioner Schmitt, to postpone the decision until such time the HRA has dealt with 3.A. Vote. 5 Ayes. MOTION passed unanimously. 1101" 10- ICU 1010 MOTION by Chairman Kulaszewicz, seconded by Commissioner Willis, to adjourn the meeting at 7:37 p.m.