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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-10-LEXHAB-min Lexington Housing Assistance Board Monthly Meeting Meeting Minutes May 10, 2023– 4:30- 6pm Hudson Room, Cary Hall Call to Order A meeting of the Lexington Housing Assistance Board (LexHAB) was called to order at 4:30 pm. LexHAB members present were Bob Burbidge, Bob Phelan, Les Savage, Tara Mizrahi, Gerry Howell, Sarah Morrison (LexHAB Executive Director), Pearlene Varjabedian and Regina Brown (LexHAB Financial Administrator). Jonathan Silverstein joined at 4:46pm. Guests: Bill Erickson, Elaine Tung Minutes review of April 2023 Meeting A motion was made and seconded to approve April 5th 2023 meeting minutes. All approved. Executive Director Report: • Dana Home Request – $25,000 awarded which is less than in the past (Last year was $60,000 and covered making three bathrooms more HC accessible). They had a lot more requests this year and less money to give out. • Community Endowment grant –Sarah suggesting that we ask for Fall request of larger amount ($10,000) and to go towards capacity building and we can use towards transition. She is meeting with the group next week. • ARPA request for purchase of property submitted to the Town • CEC- $25,000 request for a strategic decarbonization plan- submitted • Fall Home/Art exhibition with LexArt and a Housing Roundtable as well- in November. • Legacy Initiative- potential interest/schedule time to look at some properties • Energy Audit and weatherization- single family audits started (no cost)- more later in the meeting • Human Services—working with the Town about how to match tenants with more intensive service provision. • CNA plan- still working on- close but not there yet • Staff annual reviews scheduling for end of May Housing Director Report • Sustainability—33 ABCDC agreements in place- all assessments are ongoing- about halfway through. Temp feedback. Some units seem to need new boilers- will get a full report in a few weeks • Partnering with a bunch of town groups to hold a housing fair/roundtable- target date for event Late Fall. Focused on accessibility for housing in Lexington for disabled and METCO families • Pearlene- going on all inspections; recommending annual landscaping should be part of LexHAB responsibility not tenant; noticing fire pits, trampolines, gym sets • 2 2-bedroom units are becoming available. Locke and Garfield. LexHAB units – will first start with Town employees. Treasurer Report • P&L to Budget- things are pretty close to where they should be. Repairs and Maintenance a bit higher. Pearlene feels that next year should look better • Balance Sheet now has comparison to year end but will try to pull it straight from Quick Books. • Separate financial summary was sent prior to the meeting Property Search and Development: • $625,000 offer agreed to last week: 890SF-2 bedrooms, small unit; 1.5 bath, doesn’t need much work. We received approval from Board of Selectmen in executive session. Looking into ARPA funds to pay for it (maybe $200,000-$400,000). We have $400,000 of CPA funds—might want to split this with this property and another. Would like to avoid financing this. Great location. • 9 Kimball Rd—have energy assessment- prelim results- weatherization and insulation. We are asking why there is nothing on the heating. Town inspector came in to look at ceiling height on the second floor. Les thinks we can fit another bathroom on the 2 nd floor. Minutemen would like to get things roughed before the summer. Bob P helping with the landscaping and working with the neighbors. Legacy Initiative • Received more inquiries- 4 inquiries. One property that we would want to go visit. Some just want more info on the process. • Working on a FAQs based on questions that are coming in /Working on a process • Example: Questions about capital gains—What effect does it have on capital gains when they sell below market? Bob B is working on this. Sustainability- Regina • ABCD month meeting- Single family unit assessments underway as mentioned earlier- will have proposals in a few weeks. • Emerson- don’t have anything concrete yet b/c of the condo association- $196,000 for heat pumps and air handlers. Need to get condo approval. Town is still trying to work with them to move this along with the whole condo association. Emerson (13 units LexHAB) • Material sustainability- Putting marmoleum in a couple of units for a trial. Human Resources- Bob B • Ann Silverman’s report is done- helping with salaries/benefits/structures. Will be talking about it in executive session. Estimated cost was about $6,000. Final bill came in $8,400- which also covered adding in the financial management position. Vote taken to approve larger bill. Unanimous approval. LexHAB Transition • Our bill had been referred to the Secretary of State and not a committee. We did get it re-assigned and was assigned to the Housing Committee. Mike Barrett is on the committee- Bob reached out to him. He will follow up with him. • Meeting with the Town on parameters on the MOU—Tara, Russ, Sarah and Jonathan met to have a kick off meeting. There is a lot to do about the history of each unit and any restrictions associated with the units. Gretchen Reisig going through and rebuilding files. Will help us analyze. Looking to meet again in June. Through this analysis we have discovered some of items related to Interfaith including that there should be two with MRVP units. New Business • Discovery Day- Memorial Day Weekend—can do something simple like we did last time. • June 13th- LexHAB summer gathering 5-7:30 • Affordable Housing Trust- update- their first meeting is this week. They will first be working on priorities and goals The next meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 14, 2023 @ 4:00pm in person at the Hudson Room in the Cary Memorial Building. Motion to Adjourn Open Session at 5:38 pm The Chair moved to adjourn the Open Session and go into Executive Session to discuss strategy strategies in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel and with respect to discuss lease or value of real property that to discuss in an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the public body. The motion was seconded. The motion was approved by roll call vote.