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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-04-16-LHA-min (Regular) LEXINGTON HOUSING AUTHORITY REGULAR MEETING—APRIL 16, 2019 MINUTES 1. ROLL CALL The meeting was called to order by Chairman Melinda Walker at 7:36 A.M. MEMBERS PRESENT MEMBERS ABSENT OTHERS PRESENT Melinda Walker NONE Caileen Foley Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang 2. MINUTES Approval of Minutes of Regular Meeting of March 12, 2019 Upon a motion by Richard F. Perry and seconded by Robert D. Peters,the Board voted to approve the corrected Minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 12, 2019, all members having received copies. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang 3. PUBLIC COMMENT 4. BILLS & CHECKS Approval of Bills and Checks paid in March 2019 March 2019 REVOLVING FUND Check Numbers 16514 through 16595 689-C MANAGEMENT Check Number 2255 PARKER MANOR Check Number 2050 BEDFORD STREET Check Number 1241 MRVP VOUCHER Check Numbers 4102 through 4104 SECTION 8 Check Numbers 18435 through 18458 Upon a motion by Weidong Wang and seconded by Richard F. Perry, the Board voted to accept the Bills and Checks as presented for March 2019. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang 5. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT A. Public Hearin for or Agency Plan The Executive Director requested that the Board adjourn from the Regular meeting to the Public Hearing for the Agency Plan. Upon a motion by Weidong Wang and seconded by Robert D. Peters, the Board voted to adjourn to the Public Hearing for the Agency Plan. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang a. Agency Plan Today is the Public Hearing for the Agency Plan. We submitted a 5 Year Plan last year. Congress passed a paperwork reduction act which reduced our requirements for submission. Caileen met with the residents on 2/4/19 and due to low turnout, all residents were sent surveys for feedback. Our plan and public meeting were advertised in the Minuteman on 2/14/19. Responses received from the survey included, new windows and carpet at Countryside and landscaping (loam and seed), roofing, windows and walkway repairs at the Scattered Sites. We also received positive feedback from residents regarding the office staff and maintenance response time for work orders. Our mission continues to be to provide low income housing to those in Lexington, working with our housing partners to find new and innovative ways to add to our portfolio. Upon a motion by Richard F. Perry and seconded by Robert D. Peters,the Board voted to approve the Annual Plan for FY2020. The roll call vote was as follows: 2 YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang b. 5 Year Capital Fund Plan: 2019-2023 Capital Fund information for FY20 were released on April 11 —forms are being made available now. The LHA will receive $169.921.00. In order to access those funds, housing authorities must submit their 5-year action plan. Last year, we decided to do a `rolling plan' which allows us to change the way we use our capital funds for work. Caileen worked with a consultant to clean up and streamline our rolling plan for the next 5 years. Our plan for the next year is to do new roofs at the Scattered Sites. Caileen has contracted with an architect who will complete the design by June. This project will use FY19 and FY20 CFP funds. Following work includes window replacement, landings and railings at Scattered Sites, and handicap bathrooms at Countryside Village. Upon a motion by Robert D. Peters and seconded by Nicholas Santosuosso, the Board voted to approve the Rolling Five Year Action Plan for the Capital Fund Program. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang c. Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policy A large undertaking that affects our agency plan is the revised Admissions and Continued Occupancy Plan. We purchased a standard form document from Nan McKay & Associates, Inc., which clearly outlines all the regulations and obligations mandated from HUD. It allowed the LHA to outline its own policies per section. The proposed document will allow the staff to make decisions that are uniform across the board. Upon a motion by Robert D. Peters and seconded by Weidong Wang, the Board voted to approve the Admissions and Continued Occupancy Plan for the Federal program. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang 3 Upon a motion by Richard F Perry and seconded by Robert D. Peters,the Board voted to adjourn the Public Hearing and reconvene to the Regular Meeting. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang B. LHA Financials We continue to be in good standing with healthy reserves. The extraordinary maintenance in the Federal program is high due to tree work from last summer. The extraordinary maintenance for the 400-1 program includes a large bathroom modernization project for a resident that requested a roll in shower. This will be reflected under betterments and additions as it was expensive and needs to be depreciated. C. DHCD Budget Revision-$10,125.00 MEMA repayment DHCD has agreed to give us back $5,215.00 subsidy reimbursement through a budget revision. Also included in this budget revision is the bathroom renovation project as a depreciated asset. Upon a motion by Robert D. Peters and seconded by Richard Perry, the Board voted to approve the budget revision. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang D. CFA 45001 Amendment 412 for $437,001.92 (Contract for Assistance-DHCD Formula Funding award) DHCD has approved Formula Funding in the amount of$437,001.92 in the form of a Contract for Financial Assistance (CFA) Amendment 412 which extends the contract dates of service from June 30, 2020 to June 30, 2022. Upon a motion by Robert D. Peters and seconded by Weidong Wang, the Board voted to accept the CFA Amendment 412 in the amount of$437,001.92 The roll call vote was as follows: 4 YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang E. FYI FMR update and approval In Oct of 2018, HUD released the FY19 Payment Standards. However, the Boston HA, along with assistance from Cambridge HA and DHCD, asked HUD to hold the FMRs while they conducted a rent survey of the FMR to show that the figures they released were a lot lower than what the market reflects. In Dec 2018, Boston sent their findings to HUD for review. The Govt shut down for January and February delayed the decision. In late March HUD sent out a notice approving the rent study results with new updated FMRs. These FMRs are substantially higher than what has previously proposed and are a better reflection of the rental market. Along with this increase, our inflation rate for our subsidy amount is also increased meaning we will get more money for HAP payments to coincide with the higher rents. A housing authority has the power to set the Payment Standards between 90-110% of the FMRs. In previous years, we have gone to 110%because the rental market reflected higher rates. However, with these new FMRs, we can approve 100% and still allow landlords higher rent amounts and remove some of the burden that a few of our residents are experiencing. They will also allow for our voucher holders to be competitive in the market and find decent housing within our jurisdiction. These will be effective May 1. We are approving 100% of the FMR for the following jurisdictions: Boston-Cambridge- Quincy, Lawrence, and Lowell. Upon a motion by Weidong Wang and seconded by Robert D. Peters,the Board voted to approve the FYI Payment Standards at 100% of the FMR for the Boston-Cambridge Quincy, Lawrence and Lowell regions, effective May 1, 2019. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang F. Procurement Policy-Micro-purchase threshold update We received a letter from HUD on 3/12/19 notifying us that the micro purchase threshold was increased from $3,500 to $10,000. The higher threshold will allow us to procure goods and services without having to get three quotes —this also coincides with the State threshold amount of$10,000. The procurement policy has been updated to reflect this change. 5 Upon a motion by Robert D. Peters and seconded by Nicholas Santosuosso, the Board voted to approve the amendment to the LHA Procurement Policy to reflect the updated micro purchasing threshold to $10,000. The roll call vote was as follows: G. Write off 667-1 TAR (Tenant Accounts Receivable) In December 2018, an elderly tenant at Greeley Village stopped paying her rent when she entered the hospital and subsequent long-term nursing care. Attempts to contact family were unsuccessful. After her 30-day notice expired, the LHA considered this an abandoned unit, took possession and had it cleaned out. The amount of rent owed is $1,270.00. Upon a motion by Nicholas Santosuosso and seconded by Robert D. Peters,the Board voted to approve the write off for the 667-1 Tenants Accounts Receivable in the amount of$1,270.00. The roll call vote was as follows: YEAS NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT Melinda Walker NONE NONE NONE Nicholas Santosuosso Robert D. Peters Richard F. Perry Weidong Wang H. NAHRO Washington DC Conference update Caileen attended many HUD sessions with updates on a variety of topics, including: Repositioning, Capital Fund and new REAC/USPC inspection. She discussed these updates with the Board. L Personnel update One of our maintenance men, Sal Crimaldi, gave his notice on March 27 that he was resigning. March 29 was his last day. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7. NEW BUSINESS 8. ADJOURNMENT 8:20 A.M. A true copy attest........................... CAILEEN FOLEY, SECRETARY 6 8