Whitefish Housing Authority

WHA Board of Commissioner Meeting Minutes March 20, 2024 Call to order at 4:01pm Public Comment: None Approve Agenda Ben: Entertaining motion to add items to agenda: first, update from associate director, second to add approval of sign oE on Alpenglow II property title transfer Maggie: Move to approve agenda with both amendments. Thomas: seconded. Marnie, Thomas, Katie, Maggie, Ben vote in favor. Katie: Motion to hold approval of March 1 meeting minutes via email Maggie: seconds. All in favor, passes unanimously. 1. Associate Director Update Riss: Working with HUD – should be able to submit vouchers again. Establishing great proactive relationship with the Land Trust, learning from Trailview. Working to make sure there is good documentation of reporting & account systems. 2. Trailview Home Deed Restriction Update Riss: Making sure that we limit the deed restriction. Working on the deed restriction + making sure we have a strong and specific policy moving forward. Hope to bring stronger policy forward at next meeting. 3. Board Vacancies Riss: Rebecca has someone who may be interested. Ben has meeting with someone at Stockman bank. Thomas: What about a resident? Ben: Have had a hard time getting someone. Thomas: Don’t see much interest or engagement from folks at the manor. Riss: What about someone on a Housing Choice Voucher? Marnie: Mark Barry will be able to tell us if they count. Maggie: Has been about a year since we have spoken? Ben: Riss, please draft a letter to people who qualify once we get a sense for who qualifies. 4. Website + Design Riss: Working with Highline, working on functionality and ease of use for a variety of users. Meeting with them on Friday. Long term goal is to work with partner entities to have shared applications + waitlist.  5. Committee Updates Ben: Committee updates, strategic planning consultants, etc. Maggie: Board makeup has changed since we worked with past committees. Pam: Don’t we usually just appoint committees as things arise? Ben: Adhoc committees – depends on nature of conflict of interest, etc Maggie: Standing finance committee, have had governance in past and probably will need to again. Grievance committee that pops up as needed. Standing finance committee needs to be priority. Ben: been doing a lot of finance work lately. Would be happy to be on that committee. Rebecca: What do they do? Maggie: Checks in detail on finances, works with discretionary funds. Ben: Riss should be on that committee as staE member. Governance committee: Maggie and Mandy? Who wants to join? Thomas: I could be the new Mandy. Maggie: If we get another person we could have 3 on; 4 would be a quorum. Rebecca: what do they do? Maggie: Ben: Board policies, financial policies, some can be done at board level but a lot needs to be done at a staE level. Were hoping would be updated and created under latest staE leadership. Some were and many were not. Maggie: Board role should be to review and give feedback, not to create these policies. Riss: Policies and procedures can be copied from other groups. Which is fortunate. Has been great to have HUD clued into everything. Maggie: Motion to investigate whether or not we need to motion for committees. Thomas second All in favor. 6. 2024 Payment Standard Riss: This is the 110% payment standard calculated by HUD; we can’t apply for 120% waiver because we don’t have good data right now because of poor recordkeeping. We may still be able to ask for 120% later once we have the data put together. This Resolution also includes utility standards. We can hold current voucher holders harmless for that error while we are figuring out next steps. Ben: Would be nice to get 120% but makes sense that we need to adopt something for now. Maggie: Move to approve Resolution 280 Thomas seconds All in favor, passes unanimously. Ben signed resolution. 7. Appointment of WHA rep to Community Housing Committee Ben: entertain motion to support appointing Marnie: make a motion to appoint Riss to WCHC Katie: Seconds All in favor: motion passes unanimously  8. MOU with Housing Whitefish Riss: Daniel shared title transfer – deed transfer for Alpenglow property to Housing Whitefish. Need signed and notarized document. Marnie: Motion to approve Ben as assigning oEicial in deed transfer of property to Alpenglow WF Katie: Seconded All in favor, motion passes unanimously 9. MOU with City of Whitefish Marnie: Deed restrictions didn’t have a lot of teeth to them – have not been well managed. Riss: Make sure that management of deed restrictions go better with Depot Park Townhomes. Working to update scenario and get in front of city on April 1 work session. Have been able to value engineer $700k out of the project which is much better financials. Have been working closely with Dana to create an MOU that is palatable to council but also realistic. Also working with NWMTCLT to think through further strategy behind deepening aEordability. 10. Travel Policy Ben: do not currently have a travel policy / procedure Riss: Should I still go to NAHRO Conference – flight was cancelled, etc. Ben: Entertain a motion to reimburse Riss for travel expenses related to conferences Marnie: Make a motion to support Riss in re-registering for NAHRO conference & that we will utilize federal per diem as defined by federal travel guidelines Maggie: seconds All in favor – unanimous Riss: What about Montana Housing Partnership Conference? Marnie: falls within first motion Ben: Proposal to move discussion of strategic consultant into closed session. Maggie: Motion to move discussion of strategic consultant into closed session. Thomas: Seconded ENTERED CLOSED DOOR SESSION 5:16 PM MEETING ADJOURNED: 5:30PM