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 04, 2000, and was called to order at 12:01 p.m. by President Vear.

Vice president Field, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting held April 04 2000 as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Vice president Field, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to approve the minutes of the public hearing held April 04 2000 as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper presented a report on unit turnover times at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Piper reported that all units had been turned over.

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported that annual inspections of all units at Hilltop Apartments had been completed. Mr. Cousino discussed the need to insure that residents maintained proper housekeeping standards under HUD’s new Physical Inspection system. Mr. Piper distributed a to-do list from the annual inspections.

Mr. Piper reported receipt of a quote from Standby Power for annual generator maintenance, and reported the contract specified a $38 increase. Mr. Piper recommended approval of the contract as presented. Commissioners agreed with Mr. Piper’s recommendations.

Mr. Piper reported difficulty with ADT, the Commission’s contracted alarm monitoring company at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Piper reported repeated failure to contact personnel at the monitoring center, and Mr. Cousino reported difficulty resolving a billing issue. Mr. Piper reported receipt of bids for monitoring service from other contractors. Following discussion, Commissioners concurred with Mr. Piper and Mr. Cousino’s recommendation to terminate the monitoring contract with ADT and contract with Comtronics for alarm monitoring service.

Bills in the amount of $35,670.55 were presented for payment. Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to accept the Accounts Payable Report and pay the bills as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Hilltop Apartments resident Bernadine Laser (103) presented a request for Commission installation of a sandbox on the grounds of Hilltop Apartments. Discussion ensued regarding installation of a sandbox or a swing set. Mr. Cousino stated his intention to discuss installation of these items with the Commission’s insurance agent and stated that he would report findings to the Commission at a later date.

Executive Director Alton Cousino reported that the Commission’s draft Deceased Tenant Policy had been reviewed by the Commission’s attorney and a probate court judge. Mr. Cousino stated that written recommendation for adoption should be forthcoming, and would be presented to Commissioners during an upcoming meeting.

Mr. Cousino reported attendance at two conferences regarding the new Public Housing Assessment Program (PHAS) portion of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act (QHWRA). Mr. Cousino briefly discussed the financial indicator training and the physical inspection scoring system, both addressed during the meetings.

Director Cousino distributed copies of an annual evaluation form as requested by President Vear. Commissioners agreed complete the forms and present them at the next regular monthly meeting. Mr. Cousino stated that he would average the resulting scores and present at the following monthly meeting. Commissioners also requested that Mr. Cousino complete a self-evaluation form for the evaluation.

Director Cousino reported attendance at a NAHRO meeting regarding pet deposits. Mr. Cousino reported that several PHAs had reported legal difficulty differentiating pet deposits from State of Michigan mandated security deposit amount limits. Mr. Cousino reported that a PHA attorney recommended changing the pet deposit to a one-time "non-refundable fee." Following discussion, Commissioners instructed Mr. Cousino to present this item to the Commission’s attorney for legal review. Mr. Cousino stated that he would present this information upon receipt.

Executive Director Alton Cousino reported that Victoria VanVlerah had commenced employment as Secretary of the Hillsdale Housing Commission, as approved by Commission action during a previous meeting.

Director Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of a letter from U.S. HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, congratulating the Housing Commission on its 1999 advisory PHAS score. Mr. Cousino also circulated an article about Hilltop Apartments recently published in the Hillsdale Daily News.

Final Punch Lists

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported that most CIAP 98 punch list items had been completed, and stated that the architect’s final inspection would be scheduled in near future.

Fencing Complete

Mr. Piper reported that the installation of fencing, budgeted under the Commission’s FY 1999 CIAP grant, had been completed according to schedule.

Landscaping Complete

Mr. Piper reported that landscaping, budgeted under the Commission’s FY 1999 CIAP grant had been completed according to schedule. Mr. Piper stated his intention to perform additional landscaping items, and requested Hilltop Apartments resident volunteers to plant flowers.

Community Room Carpet

Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported that carpeting for the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments, budgeted under the Commission’s fiscal year 1999 CIAP grant, had been ordered and stated that he anticipated installation by the date of the next scheduled Housing Commission monthly meeting.

Electrical Specs

Mr. Piper reported completion of electrical specifications under the Commission’s FY 1999 CIAP grant. Following brief discussion, Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to approve the electrical specifications for publication as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Commissioner Fowler, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to adopt resolution #HHC 2000-07, modifying the Dwelling Lease. The motion carried unanimously.

Executive Director Alton Cousino reported that the Commission’s property management software contractor had released an upgrade to the property management software product in use by the Commission, and that the cost for the upgrade was approximately $3,400. Following brief discussion, Commissioner Doty, supported by Commissioner Fowler, moved to approve the upgrade. The motion carried unanimously.

Commissioner Doty moved to adjourn. The motion was supported by Commissioner Fowler, and carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 12:54 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

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