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 April 01, 2004 Call to OrderThe regular monthly meeting of the Hillsdale Housing Commission was held in the Community Room of Hilltop Apartments on Thursday, April 01, 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 March 04, 2004Commissioner Field moved to approve the minutes of the March 04, 2004 regular meeting with inclusion of his thanks to the “multi-talented staff of the Hillsdale Housing Commission” for the “70’s Party”. Commissioner Skiver supported the motion, which carried unanimously. Residents and Visitors with Commission BusinessHARA ReportHARA President Betty Blair (205) stated there was no new HARA business to report. Heat in HallwaysHilltop Apartments Resident Ella Asaro (311) reported that on the weekends the hallways at Hilltop Apartments were very warm. Maintenance Supervisor Paul Piper responded that he was aware of this problem and had deactivated one of the furnaces in order to correct the problem. Accounts Payable Report/BillsBills in the amount of $28,726.36 were presented for payment. Vice president Vear, supported by Commissioner Skiver, moved to accept the Account Payable Report and pay the bills as presented. The motion carried unanimously. Maintenance Supervisor’s ReportUnit TurnoversMaintenance Supervisor Paul Piper reported that one unit turnover was in process and another was anticipated in the near future. Antenna/SatelliteMr. Piper reported that a resident meeting had been held covering various topics of concern to the residents, including potential future installation of a satellite antenna system. Mr. Piper reported that response of the residents was greatly in favor of the installation. Mr. Piper stated that funds were not yet available for this project; however, residents would be kept informed of future activity. GreenhouseMr. Piper reported that a portable greenhouse had been purchased for Hilltop Apartments. Mr. Piper stated that the purchase should result in a savings on the purchase of flowers and vegetation on the Hilltop property. Fire Alarm InspectionMr. Piper reported that the annual fire alarm inspection has been scheduled for April 08, 2004. Mr. Piper stated that a memo had been sent to residents. Annual InspectionsMr. Piper reported that the annual apartment inspection had been scheduled for May 11 & 13, 2004 and stated that Hilltop Apartments residents’ notification of inspection date and time was included in their annual recertification packets. Executive Director’s Report
UPHO Conference, Baraga, MIDirector Cousino reported that, although attendance to the UPHO Conference in Baraga, MI had been approved at the last regular meeting, he later found that the expense of the trip was much too costly to attend, due primarily to the remoteness of the conference location. Mr. Cousino stated that he had been informed that HUD was scheduling a similar conference in the in a more central location at a later date and stated that he would inform Commissioners of the conference dates following notification receipt. MHDA/MI NAHRO Joint ConferenceDirector Cousino reported that he and Administrative Assistant Michelle Loren were scheduled to attend a MHDA/MI NAHRO joint conference May 12-14, 2004. Mr. Cousino invited Commissioners to attend. Grant ReportsCFP 2004Director Cousino reported that, as previously discussed the CFP 2004 funds originally expected in September, 2003 were not anticipated until late summer or early fall of 2004. Mr. Cousino stated that no action need be taken on this item but stated that HUD’s failure to release allocated funds in a timely manner would result in the liquidation of some of the Commission’s assets, as discussed at a previous meeting. Reports of Committees and SubcommitteesThere were no reports of Committees or Subcommittees. Unfinished BusinessMERS ActuarialDirector Cousino reported that, as discussed at the last regular meeting and a presentation by City of Hillsdale representative Kay Freese, Commission staff met a second time to discuss and vote on proceeding with the change to the MERS Pension Plan (addition of the F55-15; retirement at age 55 and 15 years of service with full benefits). Mr. Cousino reported that the change had been voted against. Mr. Cousino therefore recommended not to proceed with the change to the Plan. Mr. Cousino stated that although staff members voted against the change, this was a Commission decision. Commissioners concluded that because the staff had voted against the change, they saw no reason to pursue the matter further and agreed unanimously against making the change to the MERS Pension Plan at this time. Draft By-Laws Revision – Removal for AbsenteeismDirector Cousino reported that a draft revision to the HHC By-Laws which would automatically terminate a Commissioner’s tenure for excessive absenteeism had been delivered to legal counsel for review. Mr. Cousino stated that no action need be taken on this item until legal counsel presented a formal opinion. Resolution #HHC 2004-14 – Draft Lease Revision – Resident ResponsibilityDirector Cousino reported that a draft revision to the Hilltop Apartments Dwelling Lease had been posted for public comment for more than thirty days with no comments received. Mr. Cousino therefore recommended adoption of Resolution #HHC 2004-14 to implement this language in the Hilltop Apartments Dwelling Lease. Mr. Cousino stated that, if approved, this new clause would be implemented at the time of the resident’s annual recertification. Vice president Vear moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 2004-14 with the removal of the term “eyesore” due to its ambiguous implication. Commissioner Field supported that motion, which carried unanimously. New BusinessResolution #HHC 2004-15 – Alton Cousino Recognition of 11 Years of ServicePresident Doty presented #HHC 2004-15 recognizing Executive Director Alton Cousino for his 11 years of meritorious service at the Hillsdale Housing Commission. Vice president Vear, supported by Commissioner Field, moved to adopt Resolution #HHC 2004-15. The motion carried unanimously. Proposed ACOP ChangesMr. Cousino reported two potential changes to the Admissions and Continued Occupancy Policies (ACOP) had been discussed at a recent statewide conference and rent calculation training. Mr. Cousino stated that these changes include abolishment of federal preferences and applicant-completed applications rather than in-person interviews. Abolish Federal PreferencesAfter some discussion, Vice president Vear suggested management review the last 20 tenancies for presentation to the Commission prior to final discussion on this item. Director Cousino concurred with Vice president Vear’s recommendation and stated that this information would be compiled for presentation at a later date. Applicant-Completed ApplicationsGeneral discussion was held concerning applicant-completed applications. Director Cousino reviewed the pros and cons of both applicant-completed and staff-completed, interview-type applications with Commissioners. Director Cousino stated that while no formal policy was in place to conduct interview-type applications, he stated his opinion that Commission approval to change the existing procedures would be appropriate. Additional Insurance QuotesDirector Cousino reported that, as had been discussed at a previous meeting, additional quotes for property/liability coverage were being sought through several different carriers due to severe premium increases by the Commission’s current insurance carrier. Mr. Cousino stated that no carrier contacted had yet been able to underbid the current carrier. Mr. Cousino stated he would continue to research this item and would present results upon receipt. AdjournmentRespectfully submitted,
Michelle Loren, Administrative Assistant
Alton Cousino, Executive Director | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
