Arlington Housing Authority (AHA) Board Meeting
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Call to order: by Chairman Nick Mitropoulos on March 23, 2021 at 7:04
Roll call: Fiorella Badilla, Jo Anne Preston, Brian Connor, and Gaar Talanian
Appointments:
Local Tenant Organizations: Pam Hauser, President Winslow Towers
General Public:
John Ward (JW), Winslow Tower resident: Been in contact with Department of Housing and Community Development in regards to the tenant board member appointment that is to be conducted by the town select board (SB). The info that he got indicates that the AHA is to submit 3-5 candidates to the SB. It is still to be determined by the AHA how we conduct the selection of the candidates that the AHA presents to the SB.
Since we have 5 tenant associations (TA), it makes sense that there’s at least 1 individual from each one of those organizations that is presented to the SB. Ward recommends that the LWV to make sure that it is a democratic process as opposed to a strictly bureaucratic process. We have 14 weeks until that decision has to be presented.
Jackie Cooper from the MA Public Housing Tenant Association is a person who could certainly do a lot to help out Ms. Badilla and the AHA in furthering this process. Wants to know what the plan is.
AHA has updated the website including the names of all the TA which is a real plus, but there’s not contact information for any of those people. There’s no way for anybody to know how to get in touch with the members of the TA. That info needs to be updated and made current. Info on website is still incomplete.
John Griffin (JG): Ward is misreading or is slightly confused on the process of the TA board. It’s spelled out in detail on the DAC Public Housing notices. The way it reads is that the TA submit names to the SB – it has nothing to do with the housing authority. The only thing we’re supposed to do is notify the TA when a vacancy is going to come up so the TA can prepare the names for the SB. The AHA is not really in the process; it’s up to the TA to submit the names.
Emailed out the DAC regulations to all 4 TA the DAC regulations that defines the process. If they have questions, we can discuss at the presidents’ meeting.
Regarding the tenants’ emails and contact information is private information and shouldn’t be out on the website. The TA should post their president’s email in the lobby and it’s forwarded to all the residents when they become the president.
JW: I’ve been here 3.5 years and there’s been nothing. We cannot ignore Menotomy Manor (MM) in this process.
Jo Anne Preston (JP): It is true that the whole process isn’t being thought out. One of the problems is that there are 240 different housing authorities in MA, and they’re organized differently. And they have a completely different process for cities as for towns. I wrote to Ben Stone, at the state housing authority. They couldn’t figure out how to have all of the tenants vote for their representatives. Instead, they said that each TA could select 2-3 ppl to pass onto the SB. I asked them in the case of MM, and there are also ppl who live in condominiums who can individually send in their application or letter. This would not be decided by the SB until it became law which could be May 15. And after that they have 60 days to do it. So, this isn’t going to happen immediately. According to the regulations, that any member who is in place who’s not been replaced stays there. So Fiorella will stay in her position until May 15, or until they appoint somebody else – and she can also be appointed.
There doesn’t seem to be a process by which the individual TA democratically choose 2-3 ppl to pass onto the SB. Agrees that an issue to which the AHA should give more thought. We do have a lot of time to do that. She will go back to Ben Stone to point out that problem. She sent the letter she got to the town council and to Jack Cooper because I wanted them to agree. The problem that JW has pointed out has not yet been solved which is how to get each TA - anyone in MM can apply because it doesn’t have a TA – how do they select their 2-3 candidates? I think that’s something we’re going to have to take up at our next meeting in consult with the state, again.
Nick Mitropoulos (NM): We will follow up with the state regulations. I will ask John Greco to get an understanding and a reading on that from the state.
Resident Sheri Baron (SB): I’m hoping Fiorella will be reappointed, but I am wondering how you will get in touch with the MM residents. I do know that the manager there has the emails for a good amount of the residents. Otherwise, how would you democratically get to those ppl considering that a TA may not be formed by then. What is the plan to get in touch with them?
Fiorella Badilla (FB): Highrock Church normally sets up right next to the Life and Skills Ctr along with walking to each house and they have suggested that I join them during that time to educate ppl on the concept. I think that would be our best options as of right now.
Brian Connor (BC): Agrees.
SB: What was your plan, John? Or Nick?
JG: Usually we deliver flyers to all the houses. And reach out via emails, also.
JP: We got all the holiday meal cards to everybody - we used some of the maintenance ppl, the managers, and they all got delivered, so we know it’s possible. We just have to do it.
NM: We need John Greco to really get an understanding of what the regulations are and then how do we go about communicating it to the TA.
Winslow TA President, Pam Hauser (PH): Regarding WT, there will be an independent community set up with tenants within the building so that they can go over the letters of intent to submit to the SB.
NM: Everyone has an interpretation of the regulations. I am going to defer to our attorney, John Greco. He has experience in all of this, has a relationship with the state. Defer to John Greco on how we go about doing this and what the process should be.
JW: Setting up a committee is a good idea. But how do we set up the committee? It’s process that is dynamic.
Resident Elizabeth Dray (ED): Two questions, one having to do with Community Preservation Act (CPA) money, and I’m looking for the January 2021 minutes. I didn’t find them on the website. It would be great if those would be posted. I remember at the January meeting that there was going to be a survey audit of the windows at MM, and I was wondering what the results were of that audit.
JG: Elizabeth, I think you misinterpreted. I don’t think it was called an audit, I think we were going to go down and look at Rachel Gruber’s windows. Our maintenance dept did.
ED: No. You were going to go down and do an audit because there were so many tenants who were talking about the same issue that there was a commitment to - I have this in quotes – “immediate survey audit of the windows at MM” for ppl who are complaining.
JG: I think what we talked about when you asked about how we would do the windows is that we would have to do a planning grant and a study of the windows. That would be the first thing we would have to do. A window project in MM would be in the millions of dollars. When you have a project that large, you start out with a study, and possibly some types of windows you would install down there, and then they would go ahead and get cost estimates. With the LEAN program, they might decide to include windows.
The process would be that when we do our capital improvement plans is to put some money aside to hire a consultant who would give us a study of what the windows are like now, and what it would cost to replace them. Then we can go from there. So that will be coming up in the next few months.
NM: Elizabeth, I did take a walk down there, and I did meet with Fiorella, and I looked at an apartment with the windows there, and I came back and made a recommendation to John that we will take a look at windows at MM as part of a high priority going forward. That we will try to get funding for.
ED: I’ll move onto my 2nd question which was about the CPA money. I attended a meeting in January, and I emailed Mr. Griffin twice about this, and I haven’t heard back, so I thought I would bring it up tonight. The CPA chair, Eric Helmuth presented the FY 22 budget to the SB, and there was a budget item for the housing authority for $252,000 to replace doors and update several cottages at Drake Village. And then Mr. Helmuth mentioned that every year the CPA anticipates $500,000 for grants to for the housing authority, but that last year there were no grant requests. So, $500,000 that went unused. And that this year, FY 22, there is approx. $300,000 that hasn’t been asked for.
I’ve been attending these meetings for 6 months, now, and I keep hearing ppl talk about the windows and the doors at MM, and that there’s no money. This money that you’re leaving on the table instead of using it to help the MM residents. If you could help educate me as to what I’m not understanding.
JG: I don’t believe Eric meant that because that would be illegal to do that. CPA projects are done on a year-by-year basis.
PH: Excuse me, John. Before you go further, you’re not recording the meeting (at 24-minute mark).
JG: Right now, I am afraid to hit a button on my phone. (Discussion that ACMi is recording.) On the CPA money, we have put in requests over the years for CPA money, and the town has been good to us. CPA money is limited to what they can do. If Eric did say the Housing Authority, that was probably spoken incorrectly. The Town, I believe, sets $500,000 aside probably for housing purposes, not the AHA. So far, we’ve received $200,000 CPA funds for the new windows we installed up at Drake Village, at the Hauser Bldg. The window project that we’re doing at Winslow Towers starting next week - the year prior to the one where you said they didn’t give us money – they gave us $500,000. Because there’s so many other projects in the pipeline, we may not be receiving funds the following year. So, we did not put any requests in for funding those CPA years since we were under the assumptions that was going to be some other big requests going on. So, $200,000 is already spent. We’re getting $500,000 for this window project here starting this week. We had put in a request for exterior work at Drake Village. Due to the timing of the CPA, and when the project starts, you can’t use CPA funds for projects that are already started for before – like the ones we just applied to – for FY 2020, which begins July 1, 2021. When we went back to the CPA committee, we told them that we understood that because the project was starting before July 1, we wouldn’t be eligible for CPA money for the exterior part of that project. So, I asked the town, the CPA committee, that we take – the Drake Village project is broken into 8 different components – the 3rd part of the project was all new doors. Due to the funding mechanisms, when we put the project up to bid, we only had enough money to do the exterior facia and soffits. We went back to the CPA, they granted us $251,000, which is basically the cost of the doors that are going to be replaced. So, we’re building a separate project for that. That’s what we’re using the $251,000 for.
BC: I think Elizabeth’s point was that she is under the impression that the town, the CPA has designated $500,000 every year for the AHA for housing purposes.
JG: That would be illegal.
BC: It would be illegal. They have continually given funds to the Housing Corporation Authority (HCA). We have received some funds; they’ve received some funds. But it’s not like we’ve been negligent in not applying for this $500,000 every year. We’ve received a lot of funds over the years. But it’s important to understand that that $500 grand is not designated for the AHA every year.
JG: At times, based on the certain percentages that they provide CPA funding for, at times it can be up to $1,000,000.
BC: We’re grateful that they’ve given us money when you’ve requested it.
ED: I appreciate the context. I’m going to look for the budget that Eric put up because I remember him talking about in the January SB meeting at the presentation at how surprised he was that last year – it’s not like designated for – it’s just like set aside for AHA very informally so that it doesn’t violate the rules. On the budget request, there was AHA “zero.” I know that the CPA money is limited to its uses to the exterior, but that does include the doors that would include the doors at MM. And I guess the windows which are exterior which would really help the tenants who are having such an issue with the drafts and their heating bills that they have to pay.
NM: I’m the designate on the CPA committee.
ED: In FY 2021 did you guys ask – put any grants in? In the last cycle?
JG: No, because – that was the year we’re talking about that we didn’t put grants in.
ED: Why?
JG: I think I kind of explained it a little bit. When we – the year before that we did receive $500,000 – well, we haven’t received it, yet – we were awarded $500,000. And when they did that, they said they probably wouldn’t be any funding next year because there are some other big projects also coming along in the pipeline. And you know, we’re working in a community, here, where’s there’s tons of different, excellent organizations that are – need access or would like access to that funding also. And you try and work with – I’m sure that they have a minimum amount of money that they can give out to all the different projects that they want to do. Some years they hold off on some things, other years they have a little extra money. Nick’s on that committee. Everyone – he’s - of the same understanding, that it’s kind of mentioned to us that there’s other projects and we wouldn’t be applying that year. After receiving $500,000, you want to be a good community member and not complain every time you don’t get a nickel.
ED: I was under the impression that they are still holding that money for you. I would encourage you to follow up. I was under the impression that they were still holding onto the $500,000 and whatever the $300,000 from this year. So, I would encourage you guys to follow up on this.
NM: Elizabeth, I promise you that I will call Eric tomorrow.
JG: We did ask for this year anywhere between $281,000 and a million dollars. To complete that project that we wanted to do up at Drake Village, would have been $1,000,000. A lot of times a lot of the components, unless it’s exterior, or unless it’s for specifically preservation, they cannot fund it. A good example is the $251,000 that we got this year. We wanted the doors replaced and all electronic strike and fobs systems put into the doors when they were installed. And the response came back that they can fund the doors but since the electronic strikes aren’t considered preservation, they couldn’t fund it. I’m happy with the 251,000.
NM: Elizabeth, if I can get the $500,000, I will get the $500,000.
JP: It’s not like you can go home tonight and write out a request for this money and hand it to the committee. You have to have a study done, first. All this other stuff is in the past, but you have to have a study in order to document what your needs are. Am I right, John?
JG: Yes.
JP: It’s not like we can swoop in and get this money. We have to do the study, first. There’s a process, and there’s a timeline in which this has to be done. They do have very strict guidelines like does it have to do with preservation, they can’t do anything with the landscaping – it’s a little bit more complicated than just going in to get the money. I suggest we now just move forward – if we can find the funds to do the study of the doors and windows at MM because we need the study before we can even apply for the money. Do I have that right, John?
JG: Yes. Part of the study, what they’ll do, they’ll look at our capital planning system. In our capital planning system is every component and every building of the AHA – doors, number of locks on the doors, number of windows – and they have dollar values set for that. And they have what’s called a facility condition index that they run programs against based on the age and condition of each component. And that’s how they set aside the formula funding for all these housing authorities. We devote $900,000 in formula funding from the state that’s based on what they look at in our computer system as far as the windows go. And they set a functional obsolescence on the windows – or on any component – that will tell you when that component is due to expire which would move up – if the windows are older – the facility index for that building or development would be increased. (My note to follow up: where is this “functional obsolescence” report?)
FB: How fast could this study happen and if I could be involved in it, too. I just had an emergency last week where the toilet just water went everywhere. The technician was explaining to me how this happened last year and now maybe there’s a concern that it’s going to continue to happen - as these toilets were put in at the same time – and it’s about this plastic belt. It was terrible. There was 3 inches of water coming into my kitchen, my room was all wrinkled, patched up. I think if a study were to be done and everyone could see the space between the floor and there’s a huge crack and then the door. And the windows, there are full-on spaces that are just opened up. A study in MM where other residences have already received updates and such it should be taken into consideration. I feel like MM has been forgotten in a sense.
JG: I going to have to disagree with that statement 100%. MM actually has probably had the most money spent on it over the past 10 years than any other building in our property by a long shot. We’ve replaced the sidewalks, the exterior lighting. (My note: breakdown on how many residents per MM vs senior housing. Also, need an accurate tenant pop count)
FB: But since there was no TA, I feel like that was maybe more fixed out of what the commissioners could see from the outside rather than tenants themselves from the inside. I think that’s a little unfair, in a sense. Because, again, we didn’t have a TA. And although I realize it wasn’t encouraged or discourage, the law does say that the commissioners should be encouraging for a TA. MM doesn’t have one.
JG: We would love to have a TA down there. I don’t there’s every been a time that we didn’t want a TA down there. A lot of the ppl down there, as you know, are working 2-3 jobs, they don’t have time for it with their kids.
FB: I don’t want to say that everyone’s like that. I’ve already met some ppl who would be more than happy to be part of it. I definitely want to work on having a study done on MM for us to really just see – we don’t have to be architects or professional construction ppl to be aware of the faults that are here that cold be fixed and are not sustainable.
NM: It’s a fair point. We’re trying to get to a TA down there and we should do an audit. I came to our house, I saw it.
FB: Would that be the same thing as a study?
NM: Sure. We can take a look at the building. See what we can do. And we have to go and fund it – with CPA funding or somehow. John is very good at going to get money. He’s raised $30 million dollars for us over the past 10-15 years. We’ll figure it out.
Kelda Fontenot (KF): I have three questions. A lot of these questions about funding would be totally easily answered by residents who have them if the budget were available publicly. Where can we find the budget? Then there wouldn’t be confusion or like “he said, she said,” about how much CPA money was granted, what it was spent on. We could just look it up. Where could we find this?
JG: Right on the front page of the website. The thing that’s called the annual planning.
KF: That’s not the full budget. No. The actual budget. Where’s the operating budget?
JG: The operating budget we presented it at the November meeting.
KF: So, is it publicly available online to everyone who wants to see what goes in, what comes out? Where the funding comes from? State vs. federal vs community block grants? So, to see where they received so much money from CPA this year. Where is all that? So, we can look at it black and white.
JG: Black and white? Every month, I give it to each one of the board members. Do you want to see what we spent monthly?
KF: The operating budget is usually yearly. It’s supposed to be publicly available, and I’m wondering where the public can find it.
JG: I believe the annual plan is what you’re looking at.
KF: No. No., I’ve checked that out. That’s definitely not it. I’m looking for the operational budget.
NM: We review it every month. So, John, if we have to post it (the operating budget), just post it.
KF: So, it’s not publicly available right now?
NM: I don’t think so, but you can tell me now, John. Is it on the website? And John Greco, should it be on the website?
John Greco: Nothing prevents it from being on the website. It’s public information, essentially, and ppl have a right to see it. The question is as long as we update it and make sure that it’s current – or reasonably current – so ppl don’t get misled, there’s nothing wrong with putting it on the website.
KF: I have two other questions. How many application cycles has the AHA applied for the CPA money? There have been 6 cycles altogether. How many of them has the AHA submitted an application for any kind of funding?
JG: I can’t tell you off the top of my head, but I can tell you that we got $200,000 one year, $500,000 the next, $251,000 the next. So, 3 out of the 6 we’ve received funding for. I don’t know if we can apply for the funding. It’s different when you’re applying for the CPA funding. You have to have a project that’s not going to be starting until a later in the fiscal year like in July. We don’t always have something to apply to CPA for.
KF: How come HCA, the Housing Corporation can use the money for renter assistance. It’s my understanding that although there are legal limitations as to what it can be used on and a proposal absolutely has to be submitted and voted on to get this money, there are a variety of things – it’s not limited to exterior things. For instance, HCA helps ppl with low-income housing and acquiring more low-income housing.
JG: Over the years, if you look back on not just the CPA, but if you look back on the Community Development Block Grant Fund (CDBG), which we have requested over the years, I think you’ll see both with the CDBG funding and with the CPA funding is that the majority of that money has gone into affordable housing, it’s not coming in the direction of the AHA.
We met with the redevelopment board a number of years ago, we used the CDBG funds to purchase one-bedroom condos. We did end up buying new one-bedroom condos with the help from CDBG funding, and we did purchase a single-family on Summer St. with CDGB funding. We have received some CDGB funding over the years. If you look at a comparison at what our requests have been of CDGB funding, you’ll find that we’ll request $200,000 some years and not get funded at all. It’s gone in a large, large part toward the HCA and not the AHA. In many, many years – either CPA or CDBG – we’ve requested funding and not received funding. For years, of you look at the minutes, you’ll see Kevin Greely saying that “I don’t believe the AHA should be receiving CDGB funds.”
BC: John, could you explain the difference between AHA and HCA.
JG: Sure. The HCA gets all the funding. (Laughter)
BC: We know that. We’re essentially a state organization; they’re a nonprofit corporation.
JG: The Housing Authority was voted on by Town Meeting. State Law 121b was formed back in the 1940s. And in 1948 TM voted to create the AHA as a quasi-municipality. It’s totally separate from the town. The HCA was formed by 3 ppl – Bob Murray, Alan McClennan, and Charlie Lyons. When they created the HCA, I actually had a meeting with Alan and Charlie to talk to them about why don’t you do the development work through the AHA? They said they don’t have an interest because of all the regulations the AHA has to go through. So, they created the nonprofit HCA specifically to develop new, affordable housing – not low-income public housing – but affordable housing. Over the years, the AHA policy changed in 2004, where it changed laws and regulations – oversight has changed greatly. A lot of times, now, we handle low-income elderly, disabled residents. Ae haven’t been affordable housing developers, although some housing authorities are switching their model to affordable housing and mixed-income development. Most of the time, it’s pretty much dissolving the housing authority as a public agency and making it straight out affordable housing.
I’ll give you a good example. When they build a new development, they can project base Section 8 vouchers into those developments. So, when they go for funding, they already have that project-based income stream already built into that project that will be guaranteed by the federal government. AHA right now, as we stand, we can not use a voucher in our buildings - in any public housing authority. We’re not allowed to fund a voucher within our housing authority buildings. Because each program in our buildings is Chapter 200 – that’s the family development – it’s operated a little different than the elderly buildings which is a 667 building which is operated differently than the 689. And each one of these programs have different funding mechanisms, and different rules and regulations, how they get funded. We’re very restricted on that.
As far as developing goes, whenever, the housing authority does a development, they still have to go out and go through the public bidding process, and that’s something the nonprofits don’t have to do. The public bidding process actually increases the cost quite a bit. I know the concept is to get a fair and better value for your dollar, but sometimes all the developers would rather go with a nonprofit route where they have project-based Section 8 vouchers, buying them some continued resources, and that’s all the difference.
BC: The AHA in essence is a state agency. Our rent is based on the tenant’s income – roughly a third. Roughly a third of your income is paid for your housing. In HCA, it buys houses and makes them into multifamily and stuff, their rent is not based on your income.
JG: In an elderly building in AHA, the rent might be $500 a month – in that range. When you go to an affordable housing development, those units are usually set based on the average median income. Their rents might be different building to building, development to development, unit to unit. Our rents are all based off the income. The family development pays 27% of their income toward rent. We also give them a $500 heat allowance.
NM: Elizabeth, I got an answer back from Eric Helmuth. I asked him, the question was, “Was $500,000 allocated to AHA that we did not use?” He said, “It would not be accurate to say that there is annual funding that the CPA reserves specifically for AHA. We have to spend at least 10% of CPA revenues each year on the housing category. While we can instead reserve that 10% for future housing projects, while we can reserve that 10% for future housing projects. But we can award that funding to any eligible organization. CPA has funded both the AHA and HCA for housing projects. The 10% minimum varies from year-to-year, but in recent years this has been roughly $200k. However, the CPA committee has made an informal practice of spending or reserving a minimum of $500k per year for housing. But that is informal and up to our discretion. One restriction to be aware of is that state law prohibits CPA funding from being used for capital improvements to an affordable housing property unless that property was acquired or created with CPA funds. This means, we usually can’t use CPA for many things that would benefit residents. For AHA we have limited funding projects to preserve the building itself such as windows, roof or other building envelope repair.” (Text entered into the record?)
Did that answer your question, Elizabeth? Did that tell you that we’re not leaving money on the table?
ED: Thank you. That’s very helpful. It tells me that there is 10% money that they set aside for housing in general. So that is a bucket that can be used for doors and windows. I would love to put that together with complaints with MM residents and see if there can be this union things.
NM: It makes absolute sense, Elizabeth. But again, $500K was not allocated to the AHA. I just want to clarify.
JP: I really would rather move forward. I think John Griffin is looking now to get the money to do the study. Once the study is done, a grant application can be made. Is that correct, John?
JG: Yes.
JP: So, we want to move forward. Don’t want to keep talking about what happened last year, and the year before.
BC: Let’s move on. We can talk about this all night. We very rarely leave money on the table. And if there’s a project we identify, we find the money to do it.
Project Updates:
JG: Everyone in all our elderly buildings have received their first shot. Our staff was working with Arlington HHS, the DOA. Approximately 300 ppl were vaccinated with the first dose. All tenants were notified door-to-door with flyers and by email. Translators in Creole, Spanish, Chinese and Russian. Second round is next week or the week after. How great the staff has been doing this COVID thing.
SB: Why hasn’t the ability for low-income ppl to get vaccines is on your website? I believe the link was sent to you. That should be on your website. Why isn’t it?
JG: What should be on our website?
SB: Nick, you know about this. Didn’t you tell John?
JG: What are you asking?
SB: There was a link sent to you, or at least a statement that a link was available for ppl who are of low income to get their vaccine. Maybe it’s not immediate, but there is information about it. Why isn’t it on your website? This was sent to Nick. This is really something that needed to be on your website. Why would you not put this on a website?
JG: First of all, Sheri, most of our tenants don’t go to our website for their information
SB: Do you know that, John? Have you surveyed them?
JG: Yes, we have.
SB: Well, I think that’s really outrageous. You should put it up on your website tomorrow.
JG: No, I’m not putting it on the website tomorrow. Listen, when we get notice from the state that ppl were available for vaccinations, the first thing we do we sent out a nice form letter name and address to every single person showing them directions as far as the vaccination.
SB: That went out to MM?
JG: They were not eligible.
SB: They are now. They have been for a month – for weeks.
JG: We are not required to provide shots to MM, Sheri.
SB: You don’t have to provide them. This gives ppl info on where they can get information about it. Did you get this email or not, Nick?
NM: I believe I got it. I know I got it. I will take care of it. Everything you’ve asked me to do, Sheri, I’ve probably done it.
SB: Nick, this is a matter of life and death. come through for you.
NM: I understand that Sheri, and I will get it done.
SB: You should have had it done four weeks ago.
NM: I’m not sure I had it four weeks ago, but I’ll take full responsibility. Whatever you’d like me to do, Sheri.
SB: It’s not what I’d like you to do, it’s what you’re responsible for.
Gaar Talanian (GT): Can we move on. I spoke with Christine Borgionio last night. And unsolicited, she told me how good a job John did with the vaccinations and keeping the tenants aware of what was going on.
SB: Did she tell you that the low-income residents have a right to get shots, as well, Gaar?
GT: Yes, she did. Why don’t you call her?
SB: I don’t have to. That’s your job.
GT: Ask her. Sheri, this is the head of the board of health saying that John did a great job.
SB: The head of the board of health never cheeked up on the mice there so don’t tell me about the board of health.
CPA Award
JG: We requested between $381,000 and 1 million this time around and we are receiving $251,000 that will go toward new doors at Drake.
Capital Improvement Plan
Vote to approve a capital improvement plan revise to add air source heat pumps and air conditioning for the Winslow towers office and lobby and doors at Drake Village. Separate motions. Both passed
Joseph S. Daly Memorial
Voted to rename Life and Skills Building in MM to Joseph S. Daly Life and Skills Center.
JP: I was just hoping we could have a shorter name like the Daly Community Center. It’s going to be more than a life and skills center. We’re going to have the tenants’ organization. Hopefully, we’re going to have the karate classes there.
JG: Whatever you want to call that building, you may call it.
FB: I think the Community Center would be ideal. Hopefully, it will become a life and skills center, but as of right now, it is a community center.
Motion to call it the Joseph S. Daly Community Center passes.
NM: Great tribute to a great man.
BC: I recommend that we wait until this crazy virus is over and then hopefully by September, we can have a ceremony and invite the Governor and all the Arlingtonians and Joe’s family
NM: We should have dedication day. I agree.
JP: I have a short report on the karate class and the tree committee. I’ve been attending the tree committee for many years. TC wants to increase the tree canopy. MM has a lot of very large, beautiful trees. They were planted 75 years ago. A significant number have died and they need to be replaced. The tree committee is offering to donate 10 trees – small, medium and large – and to pay for a professional tree expert to put them in the ground. They will probably be 5-6 feet high. Where they should be located – we should take some advice from the tree committee - but I think the residents should have something to say about this. John Griffin is going to send a letter to the Dept of Public Works to say we would like to have these trees and we may be able to work with them to get additional trees for other sites if that’s what the residents would like. There are two areas where the tree canopy is very diminished so they’re very happy to do this, and we’re very happy to have them.
PH: I don’t know why we needed a committee on this Jo Anne, for the simple reason that whenever we needed a tree – especially here at Winslow – all we did is request from John Griffin and Bob that we get trees planted and the housing authority has planted them. I don’t understand what the big thing is about having a committee.
JP: We’re not a committee. The tree committee is a town committee. They have a lot of money. They’ve ordered 110 trees. They’re paying for the trees. And they’re paying for an expert to actually plant them.
NM: What do we need to do, Jo Anne?
JG: You can vote on it, or you can just tell me to accept the trees.
BC: I make a motion that we accept any tree from the Arlington Tree Committee and John and the staff work out where to put them.
JP: And the residents.
BC: And the residents.
Motion passes
JP: Last fall we talked about a potential karate class for the children at MM. I would like to think this is a pilot program.
FB: My only concern with that would be the uniforms.
JP: The last time I priced it out, it included the uniforms and the beginning belts. In the 2nd year, maybe we could partner with the Arlington Rec. Maybe we could find grants for the program. Seed money.
NM: I think it’s a great idea to start the project, Jo Anne. What do you need from us?
JP: I would think we would start with a small class. 15-20. 10-12 y/o kids might be a good age group.
NM: Give us a recommendation.
FB: The youngest age that we can do would be ideal. I think there are a lot more younger than older kids.
NM: How many kids do we have in certain age groups?
BC: My thought is to get the TA formed and then bring these great programs in. You need to do a survey to see if anybody wants to do it.
JP: I’ve already talked to parents who are very enthusiastic.
BC: Remember, each facility can get tenant funds. Design a flyer and a Zoom meeting. Karate class might be a perfect candidate to kickstart the TA.
Commissioner Liaison Proposal and Monthly site review Form
BC: Every month a board member would tour a facility with a checklist for the status of the facility both inside and outside. Email this document to JG for repairs or follow-up. Gives us more of a buy in to the facility and the residents. Idea is to find solutions before they become a problem. Catch this stuff. Little bit of legwork, Little bit of oversight.
John Greco: It was very successful because every single commission gets to see every single building on a rotating basis. So, one person might pick up something somebody else doesn’t. Everybody gets familiar with every development. It worked very well. Keeps a constant eye on things.
BC: Email me things that you want on these things.
JP: Might be helpful to have a maintenance person to come along. I feel strongly that the way to do pest management is proactively
BC: Look at this form as a very common-sense review. Very cursory look to document things. This checks the checker. Interacting with each building president. Email me your thoughts. We can come up with a final product.
NM: It gets TA involved.
Office of Labor and Workforce Development
JG: That’s the wage rate for each one of our positions. Those are all set by the state based on the type of work they do and that we are required to pay.
FB: Who are the foremen. I was under the impression that are no foremen.
JG: We actually have positions for 3 working foremen.
PH: Who is our groundskeeper /custodian? Do we have one?
JG: We don’t have one.
PH: Then why are putting that in the budget to pay someone when we don’t have someone to pay?
JG: These are just categories of maintenance workers that we can have. We’re just approving the rates.
PH: Who are our laborers?
JG: We don’t have laborers.
PH: How about maintenance aides?
JG: We don’t have maintenance aides right now.
BC: These are the wages that the state tells you that you have to pay if you have ppl in those categories.
JG: That is correct.
Motion to accept Item 10 passes
COVID Update was earlier.
PH: I spoke to the Council of Aging about when are they going to start giving out the 2nd shots because it’s coming up on 4 weeks. They told me that have they haven’t got the shots. Yet, but they will get them next week of the week after, but you have up to 6 months to get that shot. Are we going to get them in the next 2 weeks or not?
JG: Christine B requested an additional 600 vaccinations. Usually that takes about a week and half once the request is put in. I except them to come next week or the week after.
NM: I would defer to HHS vs. the Council on Aging.
PH: Windows are going to take April 5, but are you going to be able to come up with a listing of the contractors of when they are going to do the apartments and where they are going to start top to bottom, bottom to top? Because I’m getting a lot of questions from a lot of tenants and I don’t have the answers, yet.
JG: We don’t have the answers, yet. But they are putting together a schedule. They are going to do 1st and 2nd floors, first, and one side of the building at a time. When they get to that pint, they will give us notification of what units they are going into on what days.
PH: I’m going to have to have meetings with these ppl.
JG: Well, we’ll have meetings when we have the information.
FB: If there’s no information to give then there’s no meeting to be had. You have to wait for John to get the information.
PH: Out of 125 ppl in this building, I only get 25 ppl in a meeting. 75% of the seniors in this building do not have computers. They have to do live, in-person meetings.
BC: Given what we went through with the Drake windows, I’m sure John is going to go overboard to communicate with everybody at Winslow Towers.
PH: That’s why I’m adamant to get a 2nd shot for ppl in the building, so that we can have a tenant meeting, brings things up.
Discussion about accuracy of February meeting minutes, suggested corrections.
Approval of the Minutes passed.
Meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.