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

Minutes - Regular Meeting July 09, 1998

The regular monthly meeting of the Hillsdale Housing Commission was held in the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments on Thursday, July 09, 1998, and was called to order at 12:04 p.m. by President Walker.

Minutes - Regular Meeting June 04, 1998
President Walker recommended amending the minutes as presented to reflect the amount authorized for Commission reimbursement of the Executive Director’s printer supplies. Mr. Walker also recommended amending the minutes to reflect an annual salary increase for the Executive Director, rather than the hourly rate originally listed. Vice president Cascarelli, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to approve the minutes as amended. The motion carried unanimously.

Unit Turnover
Maintenance Person Paul Piper presented a report on recent unit turnover times.

Elevator Service Calls
Mr. Piper reported recent difficulty with the elevator at Hilltop Apartments, and stated that emergency service calls to the Commission’s elevator contractor had been necessary.

Elevator Telephone
Mr. Piper reported that the automatic dialer connected to the telephone in the elevator at Hilltop Apartments had been reprogrammed to dial the Hillsdale County 9-1-1 service directly, instead of the Hillsdale County Sheriff’s Department.

Walkie-Talkies
Mr. Piper and Executive Director Alton Cousino recommended the purchase of two walkie-talkies for management/maintenance communications at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Piper provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of a catalog page describing the proposed purchases. Following brief discussion, Commissioners instructed Mr. Piper to obtain pricing for these items from at least two additional suppliers.

Landscape Design
Mr. Piper reported contact with contractors to design landscape upgrades at Hilltop Apartments, as discussed during preparation and approval of the FY 1999 operating budget.

Accounts Payable Report/Bills
Bills in the amount of $20,625.47 were presented for payment. Following brief discussion, Commissioner Fowler moved to accept the Accounts Payable Report and pay the bills as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Monitor
Tenant employee Alarms Monitor Zelphie Gray reported dissatisfaction with recent clarifications to the Monitor’s Job Description. Former Executive Director Lois Gonshorowski and visitor Gary Gray also presented discussion on this item. Hilltop Apartments resident Ella Asaro (311) discussed the need for Monitor services at Hilltop Apartments. Following extensive discussion, Commissioners agreed to hold a work session to discuss this item in the near future.

 

Operations	1 Br.	2 Br.
Move-Ins:	3	0
Move-Outs:	0	0
Pre-Assigned:	1	0
Vacancies:	5	0
Approved Applications:	2	0
Applications in Processing:	2	0
Applications on Waiting List:	0	8

MHCRRA Summer Workshop
Executive Director Alton Cousino reported receipt of an invitation for an insurance workshop with the Michigan Housing Commission Risk Retention Alliance. Mr. Cousino stated that he would be unable to attend due to a schedule conflict, and distributed documents describing the workshop, should a Commissioner decide to attend.

Deceased Tenant Policy
No action occurred on this item.

Vacancies/Marketing
Director Cousino reported that some marketing materials had been acquired and others were still forthcoming, as described during an earlier meeting. Commissioners expressed concern that distribution of tenant referral bonuses may be present legal difficulties. Mr. Cousino stated that he would research this item and report findings at a later date.

Apartment Painting – Local Code Requirement
Mr. Cousino reported contact with officials from the City of Hillsdale regarding the existence of a local ordinance for painting recently vacated apartments after a certain length of occupancy, in response to discussion during an earlier meeting. Mr. Cousino reported his findings that no such local ordinance existed. However, Mr. Cousino reported that approval for occupancy by the Code Enforcement Officer was required at least once every two years for vacated units, and that units showing damaged or peeling paint would not be approved for occupancy.

Revision of Personnel Policy – Director’s Position as Salaried
Mr. Cousino distributed a sample modification to the Commission’s Personnel Policies, to clarify that the Executive Director’s position was salaried, not hourly. Following brief discussion, Vice president Cascarelli, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to amend the Personnel Policy with the clarifications as submitted. The motion carried unanimously.

Chairs in Hilltop Apartments Lobby
Director Cousino reported receipt of a letter from City Code Enforcement Official Jim Frank, requesting that the chairs in the lobby of Hilltop Apartments be moved, and provided each Commissioner with a photocopy. Following discussion, Commissioners instructed staff to move the chairs as indicated.

FY 1995 Warranty Items
Maintenance Person Paul Piper reported that the majority of outstanding warranty work items under the Commission’s FY 1995 CIAP grant had been completed, and stated that he anticipated completion of all items in the near future.

CIAP 95 Intercom Replacement
Mr. Piper reported the failure of several intercom switches at Hilltop Apartments, replaced under the Commission’s FY 1995 CIAP grant. Mr. Piper reported that he was currently replacing the units and that the manufacturer had provided replacement parts at no cost, as the units were under warranty.

CIAP 97 Range Hoods/Duct Cleaning
Mr. Piper reported that cleaning of ductwork and installation of range hoods, approved under the Commission’s FY 1997 CIAP grant, had been scheduled to start near the end of July 1998.

CIAP 98 Application
Executive Director Alton Cousino reported completion of an application for 1998 CIAP funds, as discussed during a previous meeting. Mr. Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of the application and reported that the application had been submitted to HUD for review.

Maintenance Person Job Responsibilities
Director Cousino reported that he had met with Commissioners Fowler and Pauken regarding proposed modifications to the Commission’s current policies. Mr. Cousino stated his intention to incorporate modifications recommended by Commissioners Fowler and Pauken, and to present a sample revised job description at a later date.

HHC Sick Time Policies
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a draft revision of the Commission’s sick time policies. Following brief discussion, Commissioners instructed Mr. Cousino to provide Commissioners with budgetary impact estimates prior to further discussion. Mr. Cousino stated that financial calculations would be provided at a later date.

Pet Policy Review
No action occurred on this item. Director Cousino reported that research was ongoing regarding recommended dog breeds in apartments, and findings would be made available for review at a later date.

Employee Pension Valuation Review
No action occurred on this item.

Resolution #HHC 1998-12 – Write Off Discarded/Sold Ovens
Vice president Cascarelli, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adopt Resolution #1998-12, writing off ovens that were sold or discarded after being replaced under the CIAP 97 grant.

Hilltop Apartments Energy Study – FY’s 1993-1998
Director Cousino reported successful completion of the Commission’s FY 1998 Energy Study at Hilltop Apartments, and provided each Commissioner with a copy. Following brief discussion, Vice president Cascarelli moved to accept the FY 1998 Energy Study. The motion was supported by Commissioner Field, and carried unanimously.

Draft Revision of A & O Policy – Allow Tenant Moves Within Property
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a draft revision to the Commission’s Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policies to allow tenants to move from one unit to another, as requested during a previous meeting. Following extensive discussion, Commissioner Field moved to adopt the submitted draft policy, with the following provisions:

Nondiscrimination language in the draft policy be expanded to include all parties covered by fair housing law, and

A provision be included that requires tenants who wish to move must pay all associated unit turnover costs to the Commission prior to approval.

Vice president Cascarelli supported the motion. Vote: Cascarelli, No; Field, Yes; Fowler, No; Walker, Yes; Pauken, Absent. The motion failed due to a tie vote. Commissioners instructed Mr. Cousino to make the revisions as specified and resubmit the draft policy during the next regular monthly meeting.

Excessive Noise Policy
Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a copy of the City Noise Ordinance and a table of common decibel levels from the American National Standards Institute. Mr. Cousino stated that further research on noise levels was necessary prior to submission of a draft Excessive Noise Policy for Commission review. Mr. Cousino presented his opinion that acquisition of a decibel meter was necessary to begin formulation of a policy. Maintenance Person Paul Piper provided each Commissioner with documentation regarding the purchase of this equipment. Following brief discussion, Commissioners expressed approval for the purchase of a decibel meter to assist staff in the formulation of an Excessive Noise Policy.

President Walker declared the meeting adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

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