Hillsdale Housing Commission
45 N. West Street ¨ Hillsdale, MI 49242
Phone: (517) 439-1210 ¨ Fax: (517) 439-9577 ¨ E-mail: mail@hillsdalehousing.org
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| Minutes – Regular Meeting August 02, 2001 Call to OrderThe regular monthly meeting of the Hillsdale Housing Commission was held in the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments on Thursday, August 02, 2001, and was called to order at 12:12 p.m. by President Vear. Executive Director Alton Cousino stated that the presented agenda was not in the correct order according to the recently adopted and ratified amended By-Laws. Mr. Cousino indicated that the agenda would appear in the correct order at the next regular monthly meeting. Roll Call
MinutesRescheduled Regular Meeting, June 19, 2001Vice president Field, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to accept the minutes of the rescheduled regular meeting held June 19, 2001, as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Report of MaintenanceUnit TurnoversMaintenance Supervisor Paul Piper presented a report on unit turnover times at Hilltop Apartments. Pay Telephone RevenueMr. Piper reported that the pay telephone at Hilltop Apartments had generated $5.30 in revenue during the previous month. Annual Inspection RepairsMr. Piper reported that the majority of work items generated during the annual inspection of Hilltop Apartments had been completed. Mr. Piper stated that the remaining work items would be scheduled for completion in the near future. External Siding RepairsMr. Piper reported that repair work on the siding at Hilltop Apartments had been completed, as had been approved by Commission action during a previous meeting. Drain ExtensionMr. Piper reported the successful installation of drain tile from downspouts to the parking lot at Hilltop Apartments, as had been approved by Commission action during a previous meeting. Mr. Piper reported that the approximate cost of the project was $300.00. LandscapingMr. Piper reported ongoing difficulties with a contractor who previously performed landscaping services at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Piper reported that the contractor had not completed the installation of contracted landscape items and was not performing covered warranty replacements. Mr. Piper reported that he had attempted telephone and written contact with the contractor on several occasions and had received no response. Mr. Piper reported that the matter had been referred to the Commission’s attorney for resolution. Water Softener System InspectionMr. Piper reported receipt of a letter from Heffernan’s Soft Water Service, recommending the completion of an inspection of the soft water system at Hilltop Apartments, and reported that the cost would be $48.95. After a brief discussion, Commissioners expressed agreement for the completion of this service. Visitors with Commission BusinessVisitors presented no business. Accounts Payable Report/BillsBills in the amount of $39,343.43 were presented for payment. Commissioner Doty, supported by Vice president Field, moved to accept the accounts payable report and pay the bills as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Director’s Report
Hillsdale Housing Commission Telephone – Voice MailExecutive Director Alton Cousino reported that he had contracted with Ameritech to install an additional “roll-over” telephone line for Commission offices at a cost of approximately $30.00 per month, as discussed during a previous meeting. Mr. Cousino stated that installation was scheduled for the near future. MHDA Sault Ste. MarieDirector Cousino reported that President Vear and Commission Doty were planning to attend an upcoming Michigan Housing Directors Association conference. Mr. Cousino reported that the conference agenda included budgeting, the dwelling lease, admissions and continued occupancy policies, and other policies. Executive Director’s Annual EvaluationDirector Cousino reported that the annual evaluation for the Executive Director was due June 30, 2001. Upon receipt of all forms, he stated that he would average the scores and present them at an upcoming meeting. As a basis for comparison, Commissioners requested that Mr. Cousino include his self-evaluation form from the previous year in the next meeting packet. CFP Progress ReportCFP 2000Environmental ReviewDirector Cousino reported that the environmental review, required prior to expending the balance of CFP 2000 funds, was still in process, and indicated that the State Historic Preservation Officer needed submit documents prior to closure. CFP 2001No action occurred on this item. Unfinished BusinessHilltop Apartments Resident AssociationMr. Cousino reported that Secretary Vickie VanVlerah had worked closely with an ad-hoc committee of Hilltop Apartments residents to reorganize the Hilltop Apartments Resident Association (HARA). Mr. Cousino reported that an election of officers had been held on August 01, 2001, and that HARA officers had been elected. Dial-A-Ride Rental of Smoking LoungeDirector Cousino reported contact with City of Hillsdale Officials regarding Dial-A-Ride’s rental of the smoking lounge at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Cousino reported that Dial-A-Ride was planning to rent this space, but a definite lease date had not been set. Mr. Cousino stated that the Commission’s attorney was currently preparing a lease. New BusinessResolution #HHC 2002-01 – Modification of Travel PolicyVice president Field, supported by Commissioner Doty, made a motion to adopt resolution #HHC 2002-01, adopting a modification to the Commission’s existing Travel Policy, to change the mileage rate from the specified $0.31 per mile to the Internal Revenue Service’s Standard Mileage Rate. The motion carried unanimously. Resolution #HHC 2002-02 PHAS 500272 MASS Certification – FY 2001Commissioner Doty, supported by Commissioner Fowler, made a motion to adopt resolution #HHC 2002-02, Public Housing Assessment System Management Operations Certification, for fiscal year 2001. The motion carried unanimously. Bank Verification FeesDirector Cousino reported receipt of a letter from Old Kent Bank, specifying that the Commission would be forced to submit $10.00 for verification form fees for each form forwarded. Mr. Cousino reported that he had commented to bank officials that he felt these fees were excessive and unnecessary. Mr. Cousino reported that his comments were forwarded to City Manager Tim Vagle, who suggested that Mr. Cousino submit a letter to Old Kent Bank, requesting a waiver of fees. Mr. Cousino provided each Commissioner with a photocopy of the letter sent to Old Kent Bank, and reported that he had received official waiver of the fees. Microsoft Office XP UpgradeDirector Cousino reported that a new version of Microsoft Office had been released, Office XP. Mr. Cousino stated that he normally recommended upgrading to newer versions for reasons of compatibility with other agencies. Mr. Cousino stated that Microsoft was only permitting a limited time to upgrade, and stated that reviews of Office XP indicated that the software suite was prone to bugs and errors in its current release. Mr. Cousino therefore did not recommend upgrading at this time. Mr. Cousino stated that it might prove necessary to upgrade, at the higher cost, following the first “service release.” Unless it became absolutely necessary, Mr. Cousino recommended not upgrading until the next release. Commissioner TrainingDirector Cousino reported that Commissioner’s training was scheduled for August 29, 2001 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Intermediate School District office. AdjournmentVice president Field, supported by Commissioner Doty, moved to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 12.53 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Victoria J. VanVlerah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
