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

The regular monthly meeting of the Hillsdale Housing Commission was held in the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments on Thursday, May 06, 1999, and was called to order at 12:15 p.m. by President Walker.

Commissioner Field, supported by Vice president Pauken, moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held April 08, 1999 as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper presented a report regarding unit turnover times at Hilltop Apartments.

Mr. Piper reported receipt of quotations for performance of the landscaping design contract approved during the last regular monthly meeting. Mr. Piper stated that additional bids would be presented upon receipt.

Mr. Piper reported that he had sent a letter to the manufacturer of the Hilltop Apartments intercom system, due to repeated difficulties with the system, and provided each Commissioner with a copy of the letter. Mr. Piper recommended requiring the manufacturer to replace the defective units with new, rather than remanufactured, systems. Commissioners concurred with Mr. Piper’s recommendations.

Mr. Piper reported the successful completion of the annual inspection of all units at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Piper stated that City of Hillsdale Code Enforcement Officer Jim Frank also attended the inspection. Mr. Piper reported that installation of bathroom door locks had been required to meet with City housing code, and reported that locks had been installed in all units. Mr. Piper also reported that several smoke detectors required replacement and noted that this replacement was scheduled for completion under the Commission’s FY 1998 CIAP grant.

Mr. Piper inquired into Commission interest in performance of spring cleaning services, previously performed by Commission staff at Hilltop Apartments. Following discussion, Commissioners instructed Mr. Piper to obtain quotations for cleaning all exterior windows. Commissioners agreed to discuss this item after receipt of the quotations.

Mr. Piper reported that replacement of the lobby door at Hilltop Apartments was still in progress, as discussed during a previous meeting.

Mr. Piper recommended discontinuance of the Commission’s practice of charging tenants for replacement light bulbs in Commission-owned fixtures at Hilltop Apartments. Following brief discussion, Commissioners concurred with Mr. Piper’s recommendations to discontinue charging for replacement of light bulbs in Commission-owned fixtures but continue charging for bulbs placed in tenant-owned fixtures.

Bills in the amount of $24,441.69 were presented for payment. Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to accept the Accounts Payable Report and pay the bills as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Joyce Johnson (402) presented an inquiry regarding Commission policies for units with a strong, disagreeable odor which may affect other tenants. Director Cousino requested that Ms. Johnson meet with him after the meeting to discuss this item and assured Ms. Johnson that the matter would be taken care of. Ms. Johnson also inquired as to whether Commission purchase of an oscillating fan for the laundry room was possible. Commissioners and Director Cousino agreed to purchase a fan for the laundry room.

Marcien Dietz (204) reported that the Hilltop Apartments Resident Association (HARA) had taken action to request that the Hillsdale Housing Commission negotiate new washers and dryers for the laundry room at Hilltop Apartments. Following brief discussion, Commissioners encouraged Mr. Cousino to negotiate this item as soon as possible.

Rose Bump (316) inquired into Commission policies regarding tenant lockout charges at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Cousino informed Ms. Bump that the Commission was currently considering imposing these types of charges for an excessive number of lockouts only, and that discussion of this item appeared on the agenda.

Executive Director Alton Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of a spreadsheet detailing operating checking account balances, and recommended the purchase of a $10,000 certificate of deposit. Vice president Pauken, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to purchase one $10,000 Flagstar bank CD from the Commission’s operating checking account. The motion carried unanimously.

Director Cousino reported that a large number of lockouts had occurred at Hilltop Apartments from a few residents, and recommended modifying the Commission’s Schedule of Maintenance and Repair Charges policies to allow the recovery of a portion of Commission expense for residents locking themselves out of their dwelling unit more than three times per year. Mr. Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of a draft policy implementing this change. Following extensive discussion, Vice president Pauken, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to amend the Schedule of Maintenance and Repair Charges as follows:

5. Excessive lockout charges may be imposed at management’s discretion, should a tenant lock themselves out of their dwelling unit more than three times in a one year period. The lockout charge shall be $30.00 for each occurrence after three lockouts in a one year period.

The motion carried unanimously.

Mr. Cousino reminded Commissioners of the vacant seat on the Housing Commission board, and requested that any Commissioner with candidates for board membership contact him as soon as possible. Mr. Cousino also reported his intention to request appointment by City Manager Tim Vagle in the near future.

Director Cousino reported that budgetary funds were available to offer Housekeeper Cheryl Sigler medical benefits, as discussed during a previous meeting. Director Cousino reported that part-time City of Hillsdale employees also received this benefit, and stated that this item had been included in the FY 2000 operating budget. Following discussion, Commissioner Field, supported by Vice president Pauken, moved to approve medical insurance benefits for the Housekeeper position at Hilltop Apartments, beginning July 01, 1999. The motion carried unanimously.

Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a copy of a revised draft Deceased Tenant Policy. Following extensive discussion, Commissioners instructed Mr. Cousino to modify the sample policy to designate the apartment as abandoned, should a tenant fail to specify a designee and no personal representative present themselves for thirty days from the date of tenant death. Director Cousino stated that the recommended modifications would be made and presented in draft format at a later date.

No action occurred on this item. Director Cousino reported his intention to attend a Michigan Housing Director’s Association meeting the following week, in which major portions of this reform bill would be discussed.

Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of a draft E-mail and Internet Policy. President Walker suggested modifying the sample policy to indicate that employees were only to use the Internet and E-mail for personal purposes in lieu of regular coffee breaks. Following brief discussion, Vice president Pauken, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to approve the draft E-mail and Internet Policies as corrected. The motion carried unanimously.

Director Cousino reported the appeal of an applicant’s denied application for housing at Hilltop Apartments, and requested that a Commissioner review the appeal. Commissioner Field agreed to review the appeal.

Director Cousino reported the completion of his sixth year of service with the Housing Commission and inquired as to whether Commissioners were interested in performing a performance review. Following brief discussion, Commissioners agreed to discuss this item during the next regular monthly meeting.

Fax Machine

Director Cousino reported that the fax machine purchased under the Housing Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant was defective, and had been returned. Mr. Cousino reported that a fax machine had been acquired for replacement of the defective unit.

Shelving

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported receipt of shelving material for the office storage area, allocated and approved under the Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant. Mr. Piper reported that he anticipated assembly of the storage system in the near future.

Landscaping

Mr. Piper stated that additional available funding under the Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant would be transferred to the Commission’s landscaping contract, as discussed earlier in the meeting.

Lawn Mower Purchase

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported the successful acquisition of a lawn mower under the Commission’s FY 1998 CIAP grant, as approved during a previous meeting. Mr. Piper reported that the purchase was below budget.

Personal Computer Purchase

Executive Director Alton Cousino reported receipt of three quotations for the purchase of a personal computer, network equipment, and peripherals, budgeted under the Commission’s FY 1998 CIAP grant. Mr. Cousino provided each Commissioner with an analysis of the bids, and recommended purchase of the quoted system from Micron Electronics. Mr. Cousino further recommended the purchase of a printer from another source. Vice president Pauken, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to approve the quotation from Micron Electronics, and authorized a maximum $1,000 expense for the purchase of a printer from another source. The motion carried unanimously.

No action occurred on this item. Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of the pertinent sections of the Commission’s Personnel Policies for review, and Commissioners agreed to discuss this item at a later date.

Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of the Personal Appearance Clauses from the Commission’s Personnel Policies, recently modified by Commission action. Vice president Pauken moved to amend the submitted policy with the following correction:

Shorts and skirts shorter than three inches above the knee shall not be permitted.

Ms. Pauken further moved to amend the Personal Appearance Clause of the Personnel Policies to include the following:

Management reserves the right to determine whether an employee’s dress is appropriate attire for the workplace, and to require that employee change into appropriate clothing when necessary.

The motion carried unanimously.

President Walker reported the formation of a Y2K action team, consisting of himself, Director Cousino, Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper, and Housekeeper Cheryl Sigler. Mr. Cousino reported that Ms. Sigler had been appointed the Commission’s Y2K coordinator, and all Y2K Action Team Members presented reports on the team’s progress.

Director Cousino requested board approval to serve as the Housing Commission’s Liaison for the Hillsdale Board of Public Utilities Telecommunications Advisory Board. Following brief discussion, Commissioners approved of Mr. Cousino’s volunteering for this panel, if duties did not conflict with normal Housing Commission functions or hours.

Director Cousino reported receipt of three quotations for performance of the Housing Commission’s FY 1999 Audit, and provided each Commissioner with a copy. Director Cousino recommended approval of the quotation from John Dipiero as the lowest qualified bidder. Vice president Pauken, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to approve the quotation from John Dipiero. The motion carried unanimously.

Director Cousino reported that he had been invited to attend and participate in HUD’s "Best Practices" symposium, to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, in July 1999. Following brief discussion, Commissioners expressed approval for attendance.

Vice president Pauken, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adjourn. The motion carried and the meeting adjourned at 01:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

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