Fitchburg Housing Authority

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Fitchburg Housing Authority Dec 23 2024 1:03 pm Minutes of FHA Special Board Meeting, October 16th, 2024 C.J. Durkin Community Room, 50 Day Street, Fitchburg, MA A Regular Meeting of the Fitchburg Housing Authority (FHA) was called to order by Chair, Linda Byrne at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, October 16th, 2024, in the C.J. Durkin Community Room at 50 Day Street in the City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Present: Absent: FHA Board Members: FHA Board Members: Linda Byrne, Chair N/A Adam Goodwin, Vice Chair David Basilio, Treasurer Janice M. Spellane, Assistant Treasurer-Tenant Representative Thomas Hughes, Member-State Appointee FHA Staff: FHA Staff: Douglas M. Bushman, Esq., Executive Director & CPO, FHA Board Secretary Andrew T. Skoog, Deputy Director Genesis Ruiz, Director of Public & Community Housing Alicia Santucci, Executive Finance Manager Cameron Davis, Executive Assistant Fitchburg City Hall: Samantha Squailia, Mayor Andrew Van Hazinga, Council Vice President & Ward 4 Councilor Public/FHA Tenants: Jacquelyn Wehtje Quorum: Yes (Quorum Requirement: Three FHA Board Members) 1. Motion to Open Meeting Chair, Linda Byrne opened the meeting at 8:34 am. Move: Adam Goodwin Second: David Basilio All in favor 2. Motion for Public Comment on Agenda Items, Maintenance, & Occupancy Issues Move: Adam Goodwin Second: David Basilio All in favor Jacquelyn Wehtje asked the board to vote no on item number four (4) as the state provides the regulations for how boards are made. She also commented on item number twelve (12), listing several instances in which the FHA did not act correctly and disagrees with the Housing Now vote. She also expressed her feeling of wanting the Executive Director to be replaced. The Chair brought up that she has heard from tenants that with the relocation at Wallace Tower they are feeling confused and unsure about where their residency is given the ongoing construction. The Deputy Director will reach out to the tenant she spoke to, to help answer any of their questions. The Executive Director stated that they have had meetings with the residents of Wallace Tower, and they have many options on how and where they would like to move with reimbursements, and nobody will not have a unit when the construction is done. Commissioner Hughes pointed out that the Executive Director should not have responded in the public comment period. 3. Motion to Accept Resignation of the Current FHA Chairperson from the FHA Board of Commissioners Move: Second: The Chair said she has not submitted her resignation and doesn’t understand what is happening here. And stated she has not submitted her resignation. Commissioner Goodwin said the board has asked her to resign and she stated she chose to officially resign on October 18th. Commissioner Hughes stated we need to refer to the executive session minutes to see what was stated. Motion tabled until executive session. Moved by Linda Byrne, seconded by Thomas Hughes. “Every Family Deserves a Home” 1 4. Motion to Elect Interim FHA Board Chair Move: Second: Motion tabled until executive session. 5. Motion to Create Emeritus Board Position Move: Second: Motion tabled until executive session. 6. Motion to Offer Emeritus Board Position to Linde E. Byrne Move: Second: Motion tabled until executive session. 7. Motion to Approve Minutes of the FHA Regular Board Meeting Held on September 30th, 2024 Move: Adam Goodwin Second: David Basilio All in favor The Chair pointed out that the minutes from last time had no mention of herself or Commissioner Spellane. So, a motion was made by the Chair, and seconded by Commissioner Hughes, to amend item thirteen (13) in the regular board meeting minutes from September 30th to name all the attendees at the MassNAHRO meeting. All were in favor for the motion to amend the prior minutes. 8. Motion to Approve Minutes of the FHA Executive Board Meeting Held on September 30th, 2024 Move: Second: Motion tabled until executive session. 9. September-October Payables and Payroll FY2024 The Executive Director clarified that due to the short period from the last meeting there are no payables to be approved. 10. FY 2024 January-October Financials/Budget Statements The Executive Director mentioned for similar reasoning of the payables that no motion has been made to approve the financials either and discussed that the reserve rate is still going up. He said that it is increasingly improving because we are submitting our construction projects’ invoices weekly instead of monthly 11. Tenant Account Receivable (TAR) Updates The Executive Director noted that there has been a slight increase in rent owed after three months of implementing the new rent collection policy. He explained that the TAR report would be updated following discussions with the external CPA. Commissioner Goodwin requested that both the current and updated reports be presented at the next meeting for comparison. 12. FHA Hires Two New Maintenance Employees The Executive Director discussed that FHA has hired two new maintenance employees that are working out very well. They were temporary maintenance workers and were chosen through a rigorous process. He mentioned that we have a lot of great temp employees to choose from for the last position, so it will be a tough choice. 13. Motion to Approve Modification to FHA Rent Collection Policy Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Dave Basillio All in favor Commissioner Hughes asked to see the policy, and the Deputy Director offered to retrieve it. Commissioner Goodwin inquired about the new modifications. The Executive Director explained that under the new terms, tenants entering a second or third payment agreement would be required to pay via direct deposit. Commissioner Goodwin asked Genesis Ruiz, FHA Director of Public Housing, for her opinion on whether this approach would work. She noted that some tenants do not have bank accounts, which could pose a challenge, but overall, she believed the approach would be effective. Commissioner Hughes expressed concern about whether this change might create additional work, such as tracking payments for tenants without bank accounts or addressing issues with banks. The Executive Director acknowledged that the eviction process incurs significant costs and emphasized that implementing direct deposit would be a step in the right direction. Commissioner Goodwin then asked if this change could be presented to the courts as a beneficial measure. The Deputy Director responded that having more payment options could be advantageous and added that incorporating direct deposit into the procedure would not be difficult. A broader discussion followed about the current overall rent collection process. “Every Family Deserves a Home” 2 14. HousingWorks Infrastructure Program The Executive Director thanked Mayor Squalia and the city departments for their help in acquiring this grant. The plan is to get EOHLC, not the city, to pay for the roads and eventually FHA taking control of the roads from the city to aid Fitchburg with road maintenance. 15. Public Housing Inspections The Executive Director shared that the Deputy Director and Bruce Budrick, FHA Director of Maintenance and Facilities, had a meeting with the Board of Health to provide training, noting that this would be a significant benefit to the maintenance staff and allow for real-time feedback. The Chair asked if FHA would be responsible for covering any costs, and the Executive Director confirmed that while FHA had offered, the Board of Health declined payment. Commissioner Spellane asked if this inspection would be the same as those already conducted. The Deputy Director explained that Bruce Budrick trained the Board of Health staff on FHA’s inspection policy, and the procedure would remain consistent. Commissioner Spellane then inquired if tenants would be notified of this change. The Deputy Director assured her that a notification letter was already being prepared. 16. Wallace Tower Groundbreaking Ceremony The Wallace Tower Groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for October 18th at 11:00am. The Executive Director said that Reverand Laura Goodwin will give the benediction, and the list of speakers is still growing. He mentioned that this is the largest public housing project in Massachusetts and that it has been in the works for over five years so it’s nice to see it happen. 17. Motion to Accept Housing Now Grant Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Janice Spellane All in favor Commissioner Hughes asked for an overview of the program to refresh his understanding. The Executive Director provided a brief explanation, noting that this is the only shelter program in which at least 50% of the individuals in the shelters are local residents. He also shared details of his discussions with the Housing Now program's administrator and the agreement that was reached. The Deputy Director pointed out that the grant associated with the program would help fund 1.5 staff positions. Commissioner Hughes asked whether the CHAMP system was involved, expressing distrust in its ability to prioritize Fitchburg residents. The Deputy Director acknowledged that the system prioritizes families with emergency needs at the top of the list, who are then screened. Commissioner Hughes emphasized that he would support the program if FHA had a greater role in deciding who receives housing. The Executive Director clarified that while the CHAMP system itself is not used, its criteria are applied. Commissioner Goodwin noted that rejecting the motion would result in no changes but accepting it would increase the chances of FHA shelter residents being housed while also providing FHA with additional funding for staffing. Commissioner Hughes reiterated his concern about ensuring Fitchburg residents receive priority, emphasizing the importance of using the funding to benefit local families. The Executive Director assured him that he would include language in the agreement to reflect this priority. The Deputy Director added that the program is limited to eight units and explained that when families are selected for those units, Fitchburg families would be given priority. The Executive Director reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring this provision is included in the final agreement. 18. Motion to Open for public comment on FHA CIP and Annual Plan Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Thomas Hughes All in favor The Executive Director began by providing a brief overview of the plan, noting that FHA is projected to spend over $70 million over the next five years. He highlighted some of the larger projects planned for each site. Since there were no comments from the public in the meeting room, the Deputy Director confirmed nobody outside in the waiting area had any comment related to the annual plan either. The Deputy Director spoke about the tenant association meeting and the tenant association reviewed the plan and sent a letter in support of the plan. Commissioner Basilio stepped out to answer the phone at 9:36 and returned at 9:37. “Every Family Deserves a Home” 3 19. Motion to Approve FHA CIP and Annual Plan Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Thomas Hughes All in favor 20. Motion to Open FED HUD Public Housing Waitlist for Milk Street Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Janice Spellane All in favor The Executive Director said this is the third federal house FHA will be renting and that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has given FHA a lot of leeway on how the property can be used. Motion to invite Councilor Andrew Van Hazinga to the executive session Move: Thomas Hughes Second: Adam Goodwin All in favor 21. Motion to Enter to the Executive Session (at 9:43 am) Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Thomas Hughes All in favor 22. Motion to Adjourn the Executive Session (at 9:55 am) Move: Adam Goodwin Second: Dave Basilio All in favor Linda Byrne resigned from the FHA Board. She then left the room at 9:53am after resigning. The Board Secretary, Douglas Bushman, accepted her resignation and will submit it to the mayor’s office. The mayor has also accepted Ms. Byrne’s resignation. Commissioner Hughes is now the Interim FHA Chair per a motion made by Adam Goodwin, seconded by Dave Basilio and all members being in favor. 23. Motion to Adjourn Regular Session (at 9:55am) Move: Adam Goodwin Second: David Basilio All in favor “Every Family Deserves a Home” 4