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 January 08, 2004 Call to OrderThe regular monthly meeting of the Hillsdale Housing Commission was held in the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments on Thursday, January, 08, 2004, and was called to order at 12:05 p.m. by President Karri Doty. Roll Call
Additions to AgendaThere were no additions to the agenda. Minutes - Regular Meeting November 06, 2003President Doty requested a correction in the minutes of the regular meeting held on November 06, 2003 as presented. Ms Doty stated that the paragraph under the subheading “Hilltop Apartments Gutters” in the Maintenance Supervisor’s Report erroneously stated that Commissioner Eames supported a motion made by Vice president Vear, and stated that Mr. Eames was not present at the meeting. Commissioner Skiver, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to accept the minutes as of the November 06, 2003 meeting as corrected, and the motion carried unanimously. Residents and Visitors with Commission BusinessPublic Decorum at Hillsdale Housing Commission MeetingsPresident Doty discussed a recent memo distributed to Hilltop Apartments residents by Executive Director Alton Cousino regarding Public Decorum at Commission meetings. HARA Christmas Potluck DinnerHARA President Betty Blair reported that a recent Christmas Potluck Dinner had been a success and stated that there had been a very good turnout of Hilltop Residents and great food. Ms. Blair also thanked the Board members and staff who were able to attend Accounts Payable Report/BillsBills in the amount of $51,493.20 were presented for payment. Commissioner Field, supported by Commissioner Skiver, moved to accept the Accounts Payable Report and pay the bills as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Maintenance Supervisor’s ReportUnit TurnoversMaintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported that there had been two unit turnovers for the month of December, 2003. LandscapingMr. Piper reported that a lawn care contract with TrueGreen-Chemlawn had expired and that, as had been previously requested, he had accepted bids from other lawn care service providers. Mr. Piper reported that the lowest bid received was from Green Tech. Antenna/SatelliteMr. Piper reported that research of the installation of a T.V. satellite system at Hilltop Apartments was ongoing. Fire AlarmMr. Piper reported the execution of a contract with Siemens Safety Systems for Fire Alarm Annual Inspection at a cost of $1,597.00, an increase of 3% from the previous year. Gutter InstallationMr. Piper reported that a heated gutter system has been installed by Helmet Guard, as had been approved by Commission action during a previous meeting. Mr. Piper reported that the installation contractors had installed the gutters improperly, and drilled holes through the recently installed roof on the Community Room and Office, thereby voiding the roof warranty. Mr. Piper stated that research was ongoing to determine the best method to resolve this issue, and that results of the research would be presented to the Commission at a later date. Executive Director’s Report
Discussion – Commission Notification of Pending Eviction ActionA discussion was presented by President Doty and Director Cousino regarding the issue of Commission tenants involved in eviction proceedings. Mr. Cousino and Ms. Doty reported that these tenants occasionally contacted Commissioners when the board was not in session. Ms. Doty and Mr. Cousino recommended that staff release this type of information to Commissioners when eviction proceedings are initiated, so that Commissioners are aware of basic details, should a tenant call. Following brief discussion, Commissioners expressed support for this action. Mr. Cousino and Ms. Doty further reiterated that Commission members must act together as a board and not independently outside the meeting, and that Commission members contacted by tenants under these circumstances be referred to the Executive Director. Discussion – Commissioner Meeting AttendanceDirector Cousino presented a discussion regarding the matter of removal of a Commissioner due to lack of attendance at regularly scheduled meetings. President Doty and Vice president Vear had specific recommendations regarding timeframes. Following discussion, Director Cousino stated that he would present a draft revision to the By-Laws to incorporate this change at an upcoming meeting. Grant ReportsCFP 2004No action was taken on this item at this time. Director Cousino reported that an Omnibus bill containing this funding had been approved by Congress, and that he expected resolution in the near future. Reports of Committees and SubcommitteesThere were no reports by committees or subcommittees. Unfinished BusinessMaintenance Person Salary ScheduleDirector Cousino reported that, as had been discussed at a previous meeting, a wage study of “local pertinent public practices” had been distributed in an attempt to determine if a HUD/Department of Labor proposed salary schedule was consistent with local practice. Mr. Cousino stated that the survey was in progress, and would be presented upon completion. Vice president Vear and Commissioner Doty recommended distribution of the survey to specific agencies, and Ms. Loren stated that the survey would be forwarded to the requested agencies. MERS Pension DiscussionDirector Cousino reported that the Hillsdale Housing Commission had received a MERS actuarial, as previously approved by the Commission and City Council. Mr. Cousino reported that the actuarial had been requested in order to determine if it would be beneficial and reasonable for the Housing Commission employees to include a benefit package in the current pension plan which would allow early retirement at 55 with 15 years service with full benefits. Mr. Cousino reported that the change in the plan would result in increased contributions by all employees. Photocopies of the research were distributed to the Commissioners and staff members. After discussion, Commissioners requested that Director Cousino perform a survey among staff members to determine interest in adoption of this plan. Director Cousino stated that the results of the survey would be presented upon completion. New BusinessResolution #HHC 2004-10 – Annual Utility Adjustment to “Maintenance, Repair and Utility Charge” PolicyDirector Cousino distributed copies of an annual utility study. Mr. Cousino reported that the study resulted in a minor decrease in the monthly charge for air conditioning charges for tenants at Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Cousino reported that the charges would be decreased from $56.11/month to $36.10/month, and presented Resolution #HHC2003-10 to adopt the change in the utility charge. Vice president Vear, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 2003-10 as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Resolution #HHC 2004-12, Amend “Laundry Hours” clause of “Hilltop Apartments Residents Handbook “Director Cousino reported that requests had been received to change the Laundry Room hours from 08:00 AM – 09:00 PM to 07:00 AM – 09:00 PM. Director Cousino recommended that the Hilltop Apartments Resident Handbook be changed to indicate the new hours and presented Resolution #HHC 2004-11. President Vear, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to approve Resolution #HHC 2004-10 as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Approval of Legal Services Contract 2004-2006As had been discussed at a previous meeting, Director Cousino reported that HUD had recently begun requiring PHAs to execute a contract for legal services. Director Cousino reported that Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) had been distributed to six law firms and recommended that a two-year contract be executed with Loren & Shirk, Attorneys at Law. Vice president Vear, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to approve the two-year contract. The motion carried unanimously. AdjournmentCommissioner Skiver, supported by Vice president Vear, moved to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted,
Michelle Loren, Secretary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
