Hillsdale Housing Commission
45 N. West Street � Hillsdale, MI  49242
Phone: (517) 439-1210 � Fax: (517) 439-9577 � E-mail: mail@hillsdalehousing.org

Call To Order
The regular monthly meeting of the Hillsdale Housing Commission was held in the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments on Thursday, March 04, 1999, and was called to order at 12:02 p.m. by Vice president Pauken.

Minutes - Regular Meeting – February 04, 1999
Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held February 04, 1999, as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Unit Turnover
Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper presented a report on unit turnover time.

Landscaping Plan Contract
Mr. Piper reported that a contract had been executed for the first year of a five-year plan for Hilltop Apartments, as discussed during a previous meeting. Mr. Piper reported that Executive Green Landscaping was selected as the lowest qualified bidder.

Intercom Static
Mr. Piper reported that many residents were experiencing severe amounts of static in the intercom stations at Hilltop Apartments, even though each station had been replaced by the manufacturer and the base station had been replaced under the Commission’s FY 1995 CIAP grant. Mr. Piper stated his intention to contact the manufacturer of these items to discuss resolution in the near future.

Truegreen/Chemlawn Contract
Mr. Piper reported that the Chemlawn Company had purchased the Truegreen Lawn Care Company, which the Commission currently contracted with. Mr. Piper stated that the new contractor agreed to continue the service contract in place, for the contracted price.

Accounts Payable Report/Bills
Bills in the amount of $16,145.66 were presented for payment. Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to accept the Accounts Payable Report and pay the bills as submitted. The motion carried unanimously.

1999 Insurance Bids
Director Cousino reported the receipt of two bids for broad liability insurance coverage. Mr. Cousino stated that he had requested a third quotation, but the vendor had declined to bid against the Commission’s current carrier. Thomas Bliesner, from the Municipal Insurance Alliance Company presented his quotation to the Commission. Director Cousino recommended renewal of the policy with the Municipal Insurance Alliance policy, based on the cost of coverage of the other bid received. Following discussion, Commissioner Field, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to approve the 1999 insurance bid from the Municipal Insurance Alliance. The motion carried unanimously.

Deceased Tenant Policy
Director Cousino reported that a draft Deceased Tenant Policy had been posted on all bulletin boards and delivered to each Hilltop Apartments resident, as discussed during a previous meeting. Mr. Cousino reported receipt of several resident and staff comments regarding the proposed policy, and discussed responses received. Mr. Cousino recommended that no action be taken until these issues were presented to President Walker for review. Commissioners agreed to withhold further action until President Walker’s review.

Executive Director’s Vacation
Mr. Cousino provided each Commissioner with a copy of a letter from the Multi-Family Characteristic System (MTCS) office of HUD, stating that the Commission had not submitted required tenant family data for the previous six months. Mr. Cousino assured Commissioners that the data had been transmitted electronically according to MTCS schedules, but that HUD had misplaced the data. Mr. Cousino estimated that reentry and retransmission of this data would take approximately one week to complete, and that this action had been scheduled during the second week of March 1999. Mr. Cousino stated that sufficient time for retransmission of the data had been made possible by scheduling this work during the Director’s scheduled vacation. Mr. Cousino stated that Commission policy forbade employee accumulation of more than one and one-half the employee’s entitled vacation time without Commission approval, and provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of the pertinent sections of the Personnel Policy. Mr. Cousino requested a temporary waiver of the policy through June 30, 1999, to avoid the irrevocable loss of vacation days according to Commission policy. Following brief discussion, Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to temporarily waive this provision of the Personnel Policy, provided that the Executive Director expend at least one week’s vacation time prior to June 30, 1999. The motion carried unanimously.

Resolution #HHC 1999-04 – Executive Director’s Medical Coverage Waiver
Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 1999-04, exempting Executive Director Alton Cousino from medical coverage under the Commission’s benefit plans. Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper presented his opinion that requiring proof of current medical coverage for Commission employees was intrusive. Brief discussion ensued. Roll call vote: Field, yes; Fowler, yes; Pauken, no. The motion carried.

QHWRA
Director Cousino presented a report on an organizational meeting of housing directors regarding the "Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act" (QHWRA), recently enacted by Congress. Mr. Cousino stated that an organizational meeting had been held to discuss policy implementation of the Act, and that tentative plans had been made for one to two meetings per month.

HHC Vacancy
Mr. Cousino reported distribution of applications for the vacant seat on the Housing Commission board to all Hilltop Apartments residents, as required under Michigan Public Act 18 of 1998. Mr. Cousino stated that no applications had been received, and therefore requested Commission involvement in the recruitment of a Commissioner from the Hillsdale City community.

Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to accept the Director’s Report as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

CIAP 97

Parking Lot CCTV System
Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported the successful completion of the installation of a CCTV system monitoring the resident’s parking lot at Hilltop Apartments under the Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant, as approved by Commission action during a previous meeting.

Range Hood Shelving
Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper stated that he anticipated the award of a contract to install a shelf above range hoods in all units at Hilltop Apartments on March 05, 1999, under the Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant.

Emergency Lighting
Mr. Piper reported the successful completion of the installation of emergency lighting in hallways of Hilltop Apartments under the Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant, as approved during a previous meeting.

CIAP 98

JECA Contract
Mr. Cousino reported that no contracts could be signed under the Commission’s FY 1998 CIAP grant until completion of the environmental review process, as discussed during a previous meeting. Mr. Cousino reported receipt of a quotation for Architectural/Engineering (A&E) services from James E. Childs & Associates, the firm selected to provide A&E services for the FY 1998 grant. Mr. Cousino stated that, although a contract could not be executed, the Commission could authorize the Executive Director to sign the A&E contract upon receipt of the environmental review. Mr. Cousino noted that the quotation was well below the combined amount budgeted for A&E and General Contractor services, and therefore recommended approval of the quotation. Commissioner Field, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to approve the quotation for A&E services from James E. Childs & Associates and authorized the Executive Director to execute the contract upon receipt of the environmental review. The motion carried unanimously.

Excessive Noise Policy
Director Cousino stated that a draft revision of the excessive noise provisions in the Commission’s Hilltop Apartments Resident Handbook had been posted for more than thirty days and that all Hilltop Apartments residents had received a copy of the revision. Mr. Cousino reported that no additional comments had been received, and therefore the policy was ready for adoption. Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, move to amend the Hilltop Apartments Resident Handbook with the draft revision. The motion carried unanimously.

Resolution #HHC 1999-03 – Capitalization Policy
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a copy of a draft Capitalization Policy. Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 1999-03, approving the draft Capitalization Policy for the Housing Commission. The motion carried unanimously.

Bloodborne Disease Policy
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a copy of a draft Bloodborne Disease Policy. Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adopt the draft Bloodborne Disease Policy. The motion carried unanimously.

Resolution #HHC 1999-05 – FY 2000 Operating Budget
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a copy of the 1999 Operating Budget, compiled by the Commission’s fee accountants. Commissioner Field, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 1999-05, approving the FY 2000 Operating Budget as submitted. The motion carried unanimously.

Resolution #HHC 1999-06 – PHA/IHA Board Resolution Approving Operating Budget or Calculation of Performance Funding system Operating Subsidy.
Commissioner Fowler moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 1996-06 as presented. The motion was supported by Commissioner Field and carried unanimously.

Accounting Contract Increase
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of a memo from the Commission’s fee accountant detailing the need to increase monthly contract costs in response to HUD’s requirement for additional bookkeeping. Mr. Cousino also stated his opinion that one-time conversion fees for bookkeeping system conversion under HUD’s new plan should be less than $500.00. Following brief discussion, Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, move to approve new contract, and authorized one-time conversion fees of $500.00 or less. The motion carried unanimously.

Adjournment
Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously, and the meeting adjourned at 01: 16 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Alton D. Cousino III, PHM
Executive Director, Hillsdale Housing Commission