Housing Authority Minutes

MINUTES
Willington Housing Authority
Monday, April 10, 2017 – 6 p.m.
60 Old Farms Road – Senior Center
Willington, CT

Present: Chairman Robert Campbell, Vice Chairman Wilbur Gangaway, Secretary Don Berg, Treasurer Claudia D'Agata, Member Laurel Millix, Financial Consultant David Berto.

1. Call to order –   6:05 p.m.

2. Present to speak – opportunity for members of the public to speak.

No members of the public present.

3. Old Business –  Senior Housing “Button Hill”

D. Berto reported he's been attending construction meetings.  He asked if interior doors have been fixed.  R. Campbell said work is in progress, beginning with Building D.

D. Berto said bills are being paid in a timely fashion.  R. Campbell noted that lien waivers are now required and need to be checked.

D. Berto reported that construction should be completed by the end of May, and the goal is for tenants to begin moving in at the end of July.

There was discussion about the management company, ACCESS.  W. Gangaway noted that people on the waiting list recently received letters from ACCESS updating them on the application process.

D. Berto reported that all the information ACCESS requested at the March Housing Authority Meeting has been sent to them, but they have not yet produced a marketing plan, as promised at the March meeting.

D. Berto added that when he asked ACCESS for these documents, ACCESS said he couldn't have copies until the Housing Authority has received and reviewed them.

R. Campbell asked D. Berto to have his office draft a letter for him, stating he wants all documents by the end of this week, and that they should be distributed to all Housing Authority members, as well as D. Berto. He asked that the letter also note that ACCESS is supposed to be advertising Button Hill senior housing by now. He said if there is no immediate response, he will follow up with a phone call.

D. Berg said he was tasked, at the March meeting, to provide ACCESS with a street address to use with marketing materials.  He said he contacted the post office and the First Selectmen, but he hasn't received the information at this date. He added that ACCESS has not contacted him to ask for this information.

D. Berto said his office contacted ACCES to ask for a status report and he was told they needed more notice in order to produce one.  He said they still need to update the Affirmative Fair Housing marketing plan as well as prepare a tenant selection plan, the lease, the tenant rules and handbook, and a schedule

D. Berto reported there have been only a couple of change orders since last month, totaling about $700.  There was discussion about additional fill at the site. D. Berto said the fill was tested and it was approved by Eric Peterson.

There was discussion about inspections and how much time they might take, probably 45 minutes per unit.  R. Campbell said the plan is to do one building at a time.  D. Berto noted that ACCESS has asked when they could show units to potential tenants.  R. Campbell said that until the asphalt is in place, it won't be safe for people to tour the site.   

There was discussion about raising the height of the retaining walls where the meters are.  R. Campbell said this will require engineering and that he spoke to E. Peterson about this.

There also was discussion about wall mounting the condenser units, and about the concrete wall finishes.  

D. Berg talked about the pin oaks included in the landscape plan, and said they are expected to grow as much as 100 feet tall.  R. Campbell suggested D. Berg speak with E. Peterson about any concerns he might have about the trees or other landscaping.

R. Campbell updated D. Berto about the contracts for ZREC's, telling him the Housing Authority voted to renew them at the last meeting.  D. Berg also told him that solar needs to be installed by the end of September 30 for three units, or the Housing Authority loses its performance assurance payment (approximately $2,000).

There was discussion contracting a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a company.  D. Berg discussed his contact with vendors,  and the Housing Authority decided on Earthlight.

W. Gangaway made the following motion:

The Willington Housing Authority approves negotiating with Earthlight on a Power Purchase Agreement, to have three systems installed before the ZREC expiration date, and to initiate discussion about installing the remaining 25 systems.  

L. Millix seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Earthlight will be asked to initially install three small systems (one system per each unit, with an owner's meter) by September 30; 25 additional systems will be installed at a later date to be determined. D. Berg said the power purchase agreement (PPA) is expected to be 10 cents per kilowatt hour.  Earthlight, as part of its contract, would design and install the system.

L. Millix asked if any of the units will have solar power when tenants first begin to move in. R. Campbell said no.  W. Gangaway asked if there will be a need for any work to be done inside the units when solar is installed; R. Campbell said no. D. Berg said it's possible Earthlight might have to do some work in the attic area.

There was discussion about how electric costs will be handled – included in the rent versus each tenant pays his/her own bill – and how this would be affected by the solar PPA contract.

There was consensus that electric should be included in the rent (the project owner pays the electric bills).  D. Berto said he will pass this on to ACCESS.  

R. Campbell also reported that each unit will come with a new washer and dryer (side-by-side, front loading machines).

D. Berto left the meeting

4. New Business –  None.

5. Correspondence – None.

6. Approval of minutes –  W. Gangaway said he didn't receive the emailed March 13, 2017 minutes. D. Berg said he wanted more time to review them. D. Berg moved to table approval of the March 13, 2017 minutes until the May meeting. R. Campbell seconded the motion.  The motion passed unanimously.

7. Treasurer’s report – C. D'Agata reported a balance of  $1,810.18, minus secretarial expenses.

8. Adjourn – The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Brenda Sullivan, Recording Secretary.