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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-06-09-HPB-min Meeting Minutes for June 9, 2022 Attendees: Harriet Cohen, Jeri Foutter, Mary Haskell, Charles Hornig, Wendy Manz, Bob Pressman, Melanie Thompson, Betsey Weiss Liaisons: Maureen Rynn Guests: Margaret Heitz Absent: Bob Burbidge, Paul Linton, Joe Pato, John Zhao The Housing Partnership Board (HPB) meeting was chaired by Jeri Foutter and minutes were taken by Harriet Cohen. 1. Call to Order: Housing Partnership Board Meeting Ms. Foutter called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. and the roll was called. 2. Review and Vote: Lexington Housing Authority request for HOME funds Ms. Rynn urged the HPB to support this important and necessary project. Ms. Manz moved support of this request. Ms. Haskell seconded the motion. Mr. Hornig abstain. The motion passed unanimously with 7 in favor, 1 abstention. 3. Land Acquisition Subcommittee Ms. Weiss reported that the Land Acquisition Subcommittee met on Tuesday night, June 7. The policy is being finalized. Ms. Weiss will solicit input from Carol Kowalski. 4. Affordable Housing Resources (formerly Community Housing Specialist) Subcommittee Ms. Heitz is planning to meet with Carol Kowalski and Jim Malloy (if possible) re the possibility of hiring a part-time housing specialist in the Planning Department. The Subcommittee will investigate the use of CPA funds to pay for the part-time housing specialist in this fiscal year. The goal would be approval at fall Town Meeting, with a person onboard in the fall. Ms. Weiss moved that the HPB send representatives to speak with Ms. Kowalski and Mr. Malloy regarding the creation of a part-time housing specialist position and the funding thereof. Mr. Pressman seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The number of HPB representatives will be less than a quorum of the HPB. 5. HPB Charge There were no updates from the HPB Charge Revision Subcommittee. 6. Email Information Campaign re Affordable Housing The HPB agreed to have a working group to develop communications regarding affordable housing. Ms. Cohen will chair the working group. Ms. Heitz and Ms. Thompson will participate in the working group. Ms. Foutter and Ms. Weiss are available to assist. 7. Board Member Updates Planning Board: Mr. Hornig reported that the Planning Board is starting public reviews of the draft Lexington Comprehensive Plan. The review of the housing section will be on July 13. Public input is welcome. The Planning Board submitted an action plan for the MBTA housing plan to the state; this information has been provided also to the HPB. Further work on the MBTA action plan is largely pending guidance from the state in the fall. SPRD: Ms. Weiss reported that the committee has not met since the last HPB meeting. Ms. Weiss is working on a community outreach initiative regarding the two SPRD proposals that are in a draft stage. LexHAB: at the May meeting, LexHAB discussed reconstituting the organization so they are not a town organization. COA: there were no updates from the COA. Affordable Housing Trust Study Committee (AHTSC): The AHTSC held a joint meeting with CEC and CPC. A quorum of all three bodies (CEC, CPC, AHTSC) was present. Additional information was requested. The AHTSC will be addressing those questions. 8. New Business Ms. Foutter discussed the memo from Ms. Severance regarding remote meeting. After July 15, 2022, a quorum of attendees, including the chairperson, must participate in person. Ms. Foutter announced that, if meetings will be held in person, she will, for health concerns related to COVID, step back from the role of the chair and potentially from the HPB entirely. Other members of the HPB indicated either reluctance to attend in-person meetings or would not be able to attend, again related to concerns regarding COVID. Ms. Cohen suggested that HPB members and guests attend the virtual Bill McKibben talk on June 28. 9. Approval of Minutes Ms. Weiss moved approval of the minutes of May 5, 2022; Ms. Cohen seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 10. Set Next Meeting The next meeting will be on July 14, 2022 at 7:00 pm. 11. Adjournment Ms. Weiss moved adjournment; Ms. Cohen seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.