MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING

OF THE

LAWRENCE-DOUGLAS COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

March 26, 2007                                                                                               Edgewood Homes

5:30 p.m.                                                                                                          Conference Room

1.         Call of Roll. 

              The meeting was called to order at 5:48 p.m. by Commissioner Gonzales.  Upon call of roll the following Commissioners answered present:

            Brenda O’Keefe

            Sonya Johnson  

            Mark Gonzales  

            Commissioner Gonzales declared a quorum.

            Also present were James Dunn, Landlords of Lawrence; Charlotte Knoche, Milton Scott, Vickie Butler and Barbara Huppee, LDCHA staff members. 

            Absent by prior arrangement, Chairman Smith and Vice chair Amison.    

2.         Approve Minutes of the February 26,  2007 Board of Commissioners Meeting.

            Commissioner O’Keefe moved to approve the February Board minutes as presented.  Commissioner Johnson seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

3.         Receive Comments from Tenants and Public.

            There were no comments made at this time.

4.         Financial Reports.  

            A.        Receive February Financial Reports.

            February brought the agency to 17% through the budget year.  Total rental income is on line. Interest income is running over budget projections at 44%.  Other income is under at 11%.  Total income is running 1% over at 18%.  Operating subsidy is running under at 16% due to the 80% prorated level of HUD approved subsidy at the time the budget was prepared.  Headquarters has since authorized funding at 82%, the final authorized proration for 2007.  The final subsidy will be $576,143.  Second quarter funding will include the increase due in first quarter and adjusted with the April subsidy draw.  Total operating receipts are on line at 17%.  Total administrative expenses and tenant services are running under at 11%.  Utility expenses are running under at 11%; maintenance and operations are under at 10%.  Protective service is on line at 17%. Total general expenses are running under at 14% and total routine expenses are under at 11%.  A total of $40,286 has been paid year-to-date and $81,727 contract-to-date under work in progress for the Edgewood Homes Maintenance Shop expansion project.

            As of this reporting period income over expenses is $112,847.  This number is skewed as part of January’s expenses was charged in December 2006 as an accrual.  January’s expenses were $114,804; the amount charged in December was $52,291. When deducting the year-to-date expenses related to the Maintenance Shop expansion the agency would show $72,561 in income over expenses. 

            Commissioner Johnson moved to approve the February financial reports.  Commissioner O’Keefe seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

5.         CONSENT AGENDA

            A.        Receive Executive Director’s Report.

            B.         Resolution 962:  Amend Chapter 10 of the Combined Administrative Plan for the Housing Choice Voucher and HOME Programs to Update  HUD Handbook 4350.3 Guidances as Policy where Public Housing  Policies are not Permitted.

            C.        Resolution 963:  Approve 2007 Federal Income Guidelines.

            D.        Receive Second Year Progress Report on the HOPE Building Program.

            Commissioner Johnson asked that the Executive Director’s Report be removed for discussion.  The item was moved to the Regular Agenda.  Mr. Dunn stated he was interested in hearing about the remaining items, B, C, and D.  Ms. Huppee replied that all items are available for review on the agency’s website the day the Board packets are delivered. Mr. Dunn stated he was most interested in item D. The HOPE Progress Report was then moved to the Regular Agenda.

            Commissioner O’Keefe moved to approve items B and C on the Consent Agenda as presented.  Commissioner Johnson seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

6.         REGULAR AGENDA

            5A.      Receive Executive Director’s Report.

            Commissioner Johnson questioned why the improvements to Clinton Place were moving more slowly than anticipated. Ms. Huppee stated that it is taking longer than originally thought. The agency is three months into ownership and is moving on the interior improvements first. The agency’s maintenance staff has torn out all carpets and is doing most of the turnover work.. The interior of the common areas should be done within 90 days. With regard to the exterior improvements, the outside changes to the building are still being finalized with the architect and getting preliminary pricing before going out to bid. What is important on the exterior now is waiting for it to dry out before the tear-off as that siding is so dilapidated it has taken on a lot of water.

            Ms. Johnson asked, when notices were sent out to the waiting list, what is the process now for those that are interested? Will they have an opportunity to come out and tour first, how does that work?  Ms. Huppee stated that the agency has a pre-application process, and a final application must be completed on people that have expressed an interest. Currently there are seven on that waiting list, as well as the other list.  Clinton Place will have its own waiting list. 

            Ms. Johnson then asked, do you think that you can get the waiting list down to a very few and as the openings become available at Clinton Place, do you think you could clear out that waiting list? Ms. Huppee replied that one hundred-five notices were sent out to our elderly on the waiting list and at least one individual expressed interest in Clinton but also wants to stay on the Babcock Place list. All of the LDCHA sites offer something different and when Clinton Place is finished it will be desirable and attract its own population.  It is imperative that the number of non-elderly disabled be reduced to the lowest number.  Commissioner Johnson inquired, how is that coming for those folks that are not in compliance, how is that working? Ms. Huppee replied that the agency is going on several different tracts, number one there are several people that will be evicted, but the evictions will not be a high as expected.  Lease enforcement has been tightened up. A number of people have applied for Prairie Ridge. Also, there have been negotiations with Bert Nash to move a couple of clients that would be better suited in one of their facilities.  The agency also has a transfer policy that could be offered to those residents that are in good standing.

            There being no more discussion, Commissioner O’Keefe moved to approve item A, the Executive Director’s Report. Commissioner Johnson seconded.  The motion carried. 

            5D.      Receive Second Year Progress Report on the HOPE Building Program.

            Charlotte Knoche, Housing Assistance Director, explained that the Hope

Building is a supported housing program for chronically homeless persons with disabilities operated by the LDCHA.  The agency leases two residential properties for the program and places eligible homeless individuals in the single room occupancy units. Residents pay a minimum rent of $50 or 30% of their monthly income as rent.  The agency partners with Bert Nash and DCCCCA for mental health and substance abuse services. Hope Building houses 10 persons at any one time.  Currently there are nine residents under lease.  All nine have either Vocational Rehabilitation counselors through SRS or supported employment counselors at the Bert Nash Center.  Eight have employment goals and one is employed.  Fifteen people were in the Hope Building program during 2006.  Fourteen met at least two of their treatment plan goals.  Two qualified for other assisted housing programs and one recently moved from Hope Building into a subsidized apartment through the LDCHA Transitional Housing program. This is the second year of the three-year grant that funds the program. The program will end January 31, 2008. 

            During discussion Ms. Huppee reported that with the population being served, those that are dual-diagnosed with mental health and substance abuse, the hardest element of that population, is the substance abuse, and of that it is alcohol abuse.  Fighting alcohol is an extraordinary fight, most of the issues that the agency has had are a result of that abuse.  A lot of the people have left because of their inability to live with the restriction of no alcohol on the property and the requirement of alcohol counseling. 

            Ms. Huppee added that at the end of this three-year funding, the Continuum of Care Program becomes a one-year renewal. Staff is considering the mental health diagnosis as being primary and substance abuse diagnosis being considered only after completion of a 30-day in-patient  treatment program.  When the renewal application is completed it will be brought before the Board for review and approval.

            A.        Receive Report on Childcare RFP Outcomes.

             The Brookcreek Childcare Center will vacate units 159 and 160 effective May 25, 2007.  The Board had directed staff to prepare an RFP for licensed day care centers to operate a childcare center in the vacated spaced.  The deadline was March 12.  Although the Ballard Center and Head Start expressed interest neither submitted a proposal.  Ballard Center was pursuing the purchase of a building that took priority over development of a response to the RFP. Head Start indicated that because of their charter limitations, it was not financially feasible for them to operate an Edgewood center under the parameters established in the RFP.

            Ms. Huppee reported that Success-by-Six, an early childhood support service agency, has been working through the Kansas Health Foundation to establish a group to create an endowment or foundation to provide permanent funding to targeted centers that provide infant and toddler care and believes the Edgewood facility would fit into their plans.  The group is not at a point to become operational and asked if the LDCHA would leave the Edgewood facility available for some period of time in hopes they would be able to gain the necessary funding. 

            Ms. Huppee also reported since last communicating with the Board, the Ballard Center said if they did make the acquisition they were considering that opening a day care center in Edgewood would fit into their plans.

            During discussion Ms. Huppee stated that at this point, when Brookcreek does vacate, the agency will not be prepared to go in immediately to convert those units. 

            Commissioner Gonzales stated that day care is a service needed in public housing and if someone has an interest right now it is important to give them enough time for development. 

            Commissioner O’Keefe inquired if the housing authority would have an interest in taking over the operation of the day care center.  Ms. Huppee’s response was that in the past daycare was found to be very expensive and set up a competition for the existing funds for public housing. More money was being spent on day care than on extraordinary maintenance, competing with the agency’s main mission of providing housing. 

            Commissioner Gonzales stated he would like to hold the units for a while, set a deadline by a certain date, and make a decision after that.  He moved to hold unit 159 and 160  until the end of May to give Success-by-Six and the Ballard Center time to submit a proposal and at the June meeting, if there are no proposals,  make a decision or discuss converting back to dwelling units.  Commissioner Johnson seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  

            B.        Discuss Vacancy Created by the Expiring Term of Commissioner Gonzales.

            Commissioner’s Gonzales second term expires June 30.  He is not entitled to a third term.

            Ms. Huppee stated that this is a “heads-up” for the Board as it would want to make a recommendation for Mark’s replacement.  The housing commission has always been successful in having its recommendations appointed.  The Board wants to recommend a representative of the community who would, as a member, have the skill, knowledge and expertise needed to fulfill the requirements of agency leadership and be able to bring their point of view to the table.

             During discussion it was decided that recommendations should be brought to the April board meeting. The Executive Director would then contact those individuals and learn of their interest in serving and permission to forward their name to the appointing authority, in Commissioner Gonzales’s case it would be the City Commission.  At the May board meeting the recommendations would be discussed and a decision made to forward a name to the City for appointment in June.

7.         Calendar and Announcements.

            The Commissioners discussed the remaining schedule of Board meetings and made the following changes.  Because of the Memorial Day holiday, the May meeting was moved up one week to May 21^st.  The July meeting was tentatively moved to July 30 with the possibility of the meeting being cancelled due to summer schedules.  The fourth Monday in December fell on Christmas Day therefore the December Board meeting was scheduled one week earlier for December 17^th.

8.         Adjournment.

            There being no further items of business, Chairman Smith moved to adjourn.  Commissioner Amison seconded the motion.  The meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

________________________________                                _____________________________

Chairman                                                                                  Secretary                                  Attest