MINUTES

GREEN BAY HOUSING AUTHORITY

Thursday, March 26, 2009

1424 Admiral Court, Second Floor Reading Room

Green Bay, Wisconsin 54303

10:30 a.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: D. Dolan-Wallace-Chair; D. Piton; and H. Genunzio.

MEMBERS EXCUSED: W. VandeCastle-Vice-Chair and W. VanEss.

OTHERS PRESENT: Anne May Steffel, Rob Strong, Anne Monday, Molly Barron, and Lisa Cumbers.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to approve the minutes from the February 19, 2009, meeting of the Housing Authority of the City of Green Bay. Motion carried.

Communications was deferred until R. Strong was in attendance.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to take the agenda items out of order. Motion carried.

R. Strong arrived at the meeting.

COMMUNICATIONS:

February 24, 2009, communication from Standard & Poor’s of a rating change for the Sister of St. Francis Housing project.

R. Strong referred to a letter from Standard & Poor’s, which was included in the agenda packet. Standard & Poor’s provides the ratings for various banks. The rating of the Sisters of St. Francis Project has been dropped from A+/A-1 to A/A-1. This is because the rating for the bank involved in the project has dropped. There is a trickle-down impact as lenders are affected.

On another matter, R. Strong stated that he received a call from a man who bought some bonds for the Morraine Ridge project. He understood that he had $40,000 in bonds, but only $36,000 was deposited into his account. R. Strong stated that he was not aware that Morraine Ridge bonds had defaulted, and he would get in touch with the City’s legal counsel about this.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to receive the report and place it on file.

OLD BUSINESS:

1. NeighborWorks update of the armory project.

R. Strong passed out a letter from Noel Halvorsen of NeighborWorks of Green Bay, who is not able to attend today’s meeting. The letter outlines some of the things that NeighborWorks has been looking at, some of the struggles they’ve had, etc.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to receive the report and place it on file. Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:

2. Adoption of Resolution No. 09-05 Accepting an Additional $341,467 in Capital Improvement Funds.

R. Strong presented the report stating that notice was received that $341,467 in stimulus money would be made available to the Housing Authority for capital improvements. One big project being looked at is an addition to Mason Manor for additional storage and full-sized elevator. This funding is being given nationwide to provide money to help housing authorities that have been deferring some of their capital improvements because of the lack of funds. This money plus the money on-hand should be enough to complete this addition. The necessary paperwork is done and is ready for submittal. The design needs to be finalized this summer and under construction by the end of the year. If the bids come in lower, it will be recommended that the stimulus funds be used immediately and any left-over money be put on other needed projects. The lack of storage was identified by the residents as a #1 issue. With the number of units onsite, it would be a good idea to have a backup elevator. Other projects on the list are covered parking, expansion of the community room, converting/combining some of the units, and a fire alarm/sprinkler system. A. May-Steffel added that this money has to be obligated within one year, with plans submitted within one month.

D. Dolan-Wallace asked why this resolution is part of a “Civil Rights Certification.” A. May-Steffel responded that this is the form that was sent for signing. R. Strong added that the attached pages explain how the money would be used, even though the form itself doesn’t address money.

A motion was made by H. Genunzio, seconded by D. Piton, to adopt Resolution 09-05 accepting the $341,467 in Capital Improvement Funds. Motion carried.

3. Review and action on a proposal from Architects Group Ltd. for architectural services for an addition to Mason Manor.

R. Strong presented the report. He, A. Monday, and Ray Kurth of the City met with AGL and reviewed the submitted concept. After the meeting, he asked Dave Johnson from AGL to put together a proposal for the remaining architectural work. This needs to move forward very quickly so the process of seeking bids from other outside agencies is too time-consuming. R. Kurth felt that the bid amount was reasonable, but he did not recognize some of the subcontractors. D. Dolan-Wallace responded that he was familiar with all of the subcontractors but ddk Engineering, which is a new company within the past 6 weeks. Proof of insurance and some basic documentation should be made available. A. May-Steffel stated that $1.4 million is available for the project, including the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act). D. Dolan-Wallace stated that the fees seem very reasonable. The Authority discussed the miscellaneous fees.

R. Strong stated that after the bid goes out, it would take a couple of months for designing and then another month for bidding. Construction could start the end of July, the building enclosed by fall, and interior work done during winter months. The Authority discussed the option of moving the front door and the repair/replacement of an elevator.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to accept the proposal from Architects Group Ltd. for architectural services for an addition to Mason Manor. Motion carried.

4. Adoption of Resolution No. 09-03 Approving the Operating Budget for the Housing Authority of the City of Green Bay for the 12-Month Period Ending June 30, 2010.

A. May-Steffel presented the report. The first sheet of the budget summary handout shows projections for this year as compared to last year. The second sheet shows what is budgeted, the actual amount, and the differences. The third sheet is the projected Capital Fund expenditures, balances, and anticipated spending for the next year. Added this year are notes at the bottom of the pages to further explain the entries.

R. Strong asked if members of the Authority would be interested in attending any of the conferences/training sessions. They cover housing issues, as well as redevelopment issues. The budget could be amended to include reimbursement for traveling.

A. May-Steffel referenced the spreadsheet addressing the Mason Manor storage facility and showed what is set aside each year. The auditing fees will go up because of the ARRA. When expenditures exceed $500,000 – as is the case – a more intense audit of the books is required.

R. Strong noted the .97% increase under operating expenses/administration/salaries. A re-class is being reviewed for Anne May-Steffel’s position. The re-class has not been evaluated yet but was added to the budget. The City budget still reflects a 0% salary increase. A. May Steffel added that any changes in minimum wage also affect the budgeted salaries.

D. Piton asked about the collection loss. A. May-Steffel responded that last year there was a remaining balance in accounts receivable that had to be written off. This shouldn’t happen this year because of better scattered site management. Non-payments are held on the books for a year. Efforts are still made to collect the money, including postings on various websites. Tenants in default seeking rental assistance will be denied unless the debt is cleared. The debt is not absolved; it is just removed from the books. R. Strong added that payment plans can be set up, and the information is shared with other housing agencies.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to adopt Resolution No. 09-03 Approving the Operating Budget for the Housing Authority of the City of Green Bay for the 12-Month Period Ending June 30, 2010. Motion carried.

5. Adoption of Resolution No. 09-04 Approving the Working Conditions, Work Hours, and Compensation for Maintenance Employees of the City of Green Bay Working for the Housing Authority of the City of Green Bay.

R. Strong presented the report. Casual employees are either in the union or at minimum wage. This resolution needs to be submitted annually.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to adopt Resolution No. 09-04 Approving the Working Conditions, Work Hours, and Compensation for Maintenance Employees of the City of Green Bay Working for the Housing Authority of the City of Green Bay. Motion carried.

6. Authorization for two staff to attend the Wisconsin Association of Housing Authorities (WAHA) Spring Conference in Wausau on April 22-23.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to authorize for two staff to attend the Wisconsin Association of Housing Authorities (WAHA) Spring Conference in Wausau on April 22-23. Motion carried.

7. Review of quotes and award of contract for Scattered Sites Window Distributor – Owner Direct Purchases.

R. Strong stated that Items 7 and 8 are related. One item is the actual purchase of windows and the other is the installation of them. A bid for unit pricing was requested and will result in a locked-in price for two years. This will help to streamline the process for buying and installing windows.

Rob went over the four quotes that were received for the windows. Two quotes were disqualified for not using .31u value windows. The City Purchasing Department recommended Norandex, as stated in a letter sent to the contractors notifying them of the bid award. R. Strong placed a call to Jackie Krawze, the Purchasing Department manager, who stated that no complaints had been received.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to award the contract for Scattered Sites Window Distributor – Owner Direct Purchases to Norandex Distribution Company. Motion carried.

8. Review of quotes and award of contract for Scattered Sites Window Replacement.

R. Strong presented the report and stated that seven contractors bid on the window installation, with Tekulve Construction the low bidder. The price would be good for two years.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to award the contract for Scattered Sites Window Replacement to Tekulve Construction. Motion carried.

FINANCIAL REPORT AND BILLS:

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to receive the financial report and bills and place them on file. Motion carried.

STAFF REPORT:

• Security camera installation update – A. Monday stated that the wiring was completed, and the cameras should be here for installation next week.
• Mason Manor tuck pointing update – R. Strong stated that STS was hired to review the need for tuck pointing. The Authority will be updated when a report is received.
• Mason Manor ramp repair update – A. Monday stated that DPW was out last week and did an inspection of the ramp area.
• Introduction of Lisa Cumber, Building Custodian I – R. Strong stated that Lisa O’Leary resigned after working for Mason Manor for about 4 years. Lisa Cumber posted for the position (from a part-time maintenance position on 5^th floor of City Hall) and started on Monday.
• Annual Agency Plan update – R. Strong stated that no one showed up for the hearing this morning. The paperwork must be submitted by April 15 but will go out next week some time.
• Review of administrative calendars – R. Strong stated that the “**” on the calendar identifies those items that the Authority needs to make a decision on. These items are important and keep all of the programs running and the funding sources funded. A. May-Steffel asked that the members put an “**” on the first two items in March because they require board approval. March and August meetings are usually held later in the month, so they are highlighted in blue on the calendar.
• Occupancy report – A. Monday stated that there will be two vacancies at the end of the month that are filled. M. Barron stated that with Scattered Sites there will be two vacancies the end of April and two the end of May. R. Strong stated that one unit was inspected by the City with orders to paint it. There are a number of units that have not been painted in 20 years, partly because of little turnover.

A motion was made by D. Piton, seconded by H. Genunzio, to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting adjourned at 12:06 p.m.

:cmc