HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-03-11-AHTBT-min (2)
1
Affordable Housing Trust
Executive Session - Meeting Minutes of March 11, 2024 10:00 am
Hybrid meeting on Zoom and attended in-person in Parker room, Town Office
Building
Affordable Housing Trust Board Members present: Elaine Tung, Chair; Mark Sandeen, Tiffany
Payne, Linda Prosnitz, William Erickson
Staff present: Ragi Ramachandran, Administrative Assistant
Other attendees: Lester Savage
Ms. Tung chaired the hybrid meeting and called the meeting to order at 10:01 am.
1. Executive Session
Exemption 6: To consider the potential purchase of real property.
Mr. Erickson moved for the Affordable Housing Trust to go into Executive session under
Exemption 6 to discuss the potential purchase of real property. Ms. Prosnitz seconded. The
Trustees voted in favor of the motion 5-0-0, by a roll call vote (Payne – yes, Sandeen – yes,
Prosnitz – yes, Tung – yes, Erickson – yes).
50 Valleyfield Street Lexington
The Trustees reviewed their questions with Mr. Savage about the property. There was discussion
on potential income from the property based on the pro forma, handling situations when tenant
cannot pay their rent, the lottery application process, income verification process and AMI
calculations. To a question on whether there will be an inspection contingency in the purchase
and sale agreement, Mr. Savage responded that LexHAB have done the inspections.
Mr. Savage explained the rehab estimates were for changing the oil heat to electric heat pumps,
removal of asbestos, creating a full bath on the second floor, sanding the floors, removing all the
wallpaper, full painting inside, and for de-leading if that is necessary. The closing is planned for
May 15 2024. LexHAB has signed the offer, and they will be signing the purchase and sale that
week. LexHAB will be using their own funds for the deposit.
The Trustees discussed the proposed easement through the property for drainage purposes.
Conservation had requested an easement be placed for the culvert that runs through the middle
of the property diagonally. The Trustees reviewed the funding request in detail. The consensus
was to support the funding to purchase th e property but everyone expressed strongly that it is
preferable for the Trust to use its funds to leverage the creation of affordable housing rather than
rely on what had been done in the past.
The Trust stated their support for LexHAB, and recognized that it’s a unique and exceptional
opportunity for a 4-bedroom house in an off-market deal. The Trustees decided not to ask
LexHAB to split the savings on the broker’s commission.
Ms. Tung requested a motion that the Affordable Housing Trust fund LexHAB for the purchase
of 50 Valleyfield Street Lexington in the amount of $600,000, and that Ms. Tung will send
LexHAB a letter approving the funding, contingent upon Select Board approval. Mr. Sandeen
2
moved. Ms. Prosnitz seconded. The Trustees voted in favor of the motion 5-0-0, by a roll call
vote (Payne – yes, Sandeen – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Tung – yes, Erickson – yes).
Mr. Sandeen moved to adjourn, which was seconded by Ms. Prosnitz, and on a 5-0 roll call vote:
(Erickson – yes, Prosnitz – yes, Sandeen – yes, Tung – yes, Payne – yes), the executive session
adjourned at 10:44am.
The Affordable Housing Trust reconvened in the open session at the conclusion of the Executive
session.