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3 <br />- Ms. Walker reemphasized that the AHT would be a strictly financing organization, not a <br />builder, so public bidding laws would not be applicable (although she noted that other <br />towns do have development powers in their AHT bylaws). She then stated that an <br />affordable housing development corporation (AHDC) model need not be limited to <br />single family homes- that an AHDC can build multi-family housing, acquiring land, <br />building homes and seeking financing from sources other than the related AHT. <br /> <br />- Mr. Pressman asked if the AHTSC was setting aside plans for establishment of an HDC, <br />and was assured that it was not. He also noted that in towns where the AHT has <br />development powers, the AHT is subject to public bidding laws. He suggested that in <br />comparing any proposed AHT for Lexington with those in other towns, the AHTSC <br />should recognize that very little developable land exists in Lexington; that developers <br />are willing to pay very high prices when properties come on the market because of the <br />expected earnings from the sale of new housing developed on the site; and that many <br />town bylaws have exempted funding requests from Select Board review if below a <br />certain threshold. Finally, he stated that if the town chooses to impose a project - <br />oriented approach, it will lose out to developers. <br /> <br />- Mr. Horton requested that examples be given of how the AHTs have been successful in <br />other towns, as well as examples of what problems have arisen. He expressed some <br />confusion about the application of prevailing wage laws, which was later clarified by Ms. <br />Walker, and finally, thanked the AHTSC for their hard work. <br /> <br />- Mr. Creech commented that Slide 3 would be more effective if additional details could <br />be provided about the advantages of an AHT over the existing framework with LexHAB <br />and CPA funding. The current Town Meeting process is not a competitive process. It <br />would be more effective to add a slide after Slide 3 in order to visually contrast the <br />processes of those competing for properties. He suggested using process flowcharts. <br />The process charts should show roughly the number of steps in each competing process <br />and the elapsed time associated with each process. <br /> <br />Competing Processes: <br />• the Builder/Investor/Venture Capital Process, <br />• the Affordable Housing Trust Process, <br />• the Town Meeting Process <br /> <br />Ms. Roy then asked for a straw poll of the CEC and CPC as to their support of the concept. <br /> <br />The CEC was unanimously in favor, but still had questions about integration with any AHDC, <br />issues regarding debt financing, the use of mitigation funds from developers for financing <br />projects, and the exclusion of projects from Town Meeting review. <br /> <br />The CPC was then polled, as follows: <br />