Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Trustees - Regular Meeting

meeting of um the afford Littleton affordable housing trust. It is Tuesday, May 27th. Uh it's 6:30 p.m. and we have a quorum this evening with um Angus, Maryanne, Sue, Bartlett, and myself. Um so on this evening's agenda we have um two different items. Um the first one is to be able to discuss um the followup from um the small um grant program um for homeowners in Littleton um SP SGP number eight and um that is being tabled as I understand it. Um and then we will be talking with um MHP in reference to Derky Farmhouse. So I did want to go back to um the topic of um as to whether or not you have any update or should we be talking about uh any discussions that that were had Maryanne with um folks from EHS about policy or should we um table that for another meeting? So we can um we can table the detailed discussion for our next meeting and that's what we agreed. So um Mark and Bartlett and I met with Amy and decided that we do need to update the language um of the um the policy for the small grant application and we are going to specifically address um when u an applicant has an interest in another home. Um, so we have we put a few options out there. We want to leave it open to the judgment um, you know, in the discretion of the trust to approve or not, but we want to be a little bit more specific. We'll bring that proposal to our next meeting. Okay. Terrific. Thank you very much for taking the time

to to talk to take the time to talk about that with Amy. Yeah, it was a good discussion. Very productive. Terrific. Okay. So at this time then we are just awaiting for the folks from MHP. Uh since I thought we were going to be having some discussion I recommended to Laura that she join around 6:45. So we have a few minutes in advance of that. Um but as soon as she and Shel arrive please go ahead and promote them. Maren I think Angus had a question or comment. Yeah. Um I I I just needed some more clarification. I wasn't quite clear about um your comments. Um is it in regards to repeat uh requests for um the LRAP program or was it on something else? Uh my comments were about the small grant program. Oh, the small grants. Okay. When an applicant has um an interest either ownership or otherwise in a second property. Oh, okay. Yep. That's uh pretty clear. So, I just want I I I I guess we probably might discuss this later on as we go along, but I did receive uh documentation that uh Maron sent out um almost right after our meeting last time regarding uh repeat applicants for the LRAP program. And uh I'm sure everybody received the same documents um in section 4B3 uh is evidence that the trust had addressed this in the past and I just wanted that to um be on record so that we don't keep going back and forth um regarding these repeat applicants. uh as it seems these are people who have

nowhere else to go and and so we can't just um ignore them and certainly the language in this document uh suggests that the uh decision is at the discretion of the trust whoever they are at that time. So I just wanted to bring attention to that and I want to thank Marin for um researching and bringing this uh back up. Thank you. Very very welcome. I'm always interested to hear um you know the next phase of the discussion um when the next question comes up based on on new new applications etc. Right. Okay. Great. Well, thank you so much um Angus for raising that point and yes, as Maryanne said, we'll have that on our June um agenda item. which is just around the corner. So, um we can begin discussions uh if you would like um and then Laura can can help answer questions. So, has everyone had a chance to review the memo that Laura sent and the MHP loan program handout? [Music] Yes. Okay. Uh I did in summaries essentially she's requesting three items um the survey the septic and um the delineation and I did get a notification about our butters uh sometime probably about a couple of weeks ago. So I'm suspecting that's in regards to all of this as well. Um actually actually that notification was for work um being done by the town on Foster Street. Oh okay. Notification

went to the um trust because the trust owns property. Oh okay. Adjacent to Foster Street. Yeah. But um the any application on our property would have similar notice to to the others. Right. So maybe related to the Derky property and the work that Laura's done, I think the um the question that keeps bubbling up for me is um you know just the the large question of whether to move forward with this project, right? And I feel like Laura's done some amazing work and sharpened pencils and gotten super creative and how it could potentially work. Um, I just I'm still questioning with all of these assumptions and some unknowns, you know, what's the feasibility of of this actually getting the attention and the interest um of developers? And I I feel like Laura is kind of guiding us. She wants us to answer that question, but I'd like her thoughts on that, too. like would if she were a you know on the affordable housing trust in her town um you know what would what would she be recommending right and Martin I know you have a wealth of experience too I'd love to get your thoughts on this you know just looking at the looking at the parameters for the property and a lot of the constraints we have does it feel like a good project it's very exciting to be working on it um however when I saw the handle of over well over $600,000 for the development cost for each unit. Um that that's an astounding amount. Yeah, I feel like there are new million-dollar homes that are being built in town um that cost less than

that. Mhm. So, one of the things that I wanted to share with everybody is I did have a conversation with Laura last Thursday um to help um provide context to some of the questions that have been asked around what you just said, Maryanne. And she would not be even continuing to move forward with us if this particular project really wasn't realistic. She would be telling us if it wasn't realistic. So she will be happy to help answer questions tonight if you would like. Um with respect to the big question as you said Mary and I actually have a bigger question for everybody and that is given our purpose is everybody behind doing this project to actually create affordable housing because it almost feels to some degree like folks are looking for any reason not to do this project. I mean, are are we all on board to actually create an affordable housing project at Durgy Farm? Well, I certainly am. Um and and to the cost issue, I think um Anna, when you reported on that um site that you you visited in Medway or someplace um that that that was a much bigger project. it was 40ome units and the and the the per unit cost when you added it up was well over $600,000. So, you know, with, you know, here we've got free land, um, but we have other constraints. So, I, you know, I I I think that it is going to be expensive, but I I'm committed to seeing if we can make it work and getting housing there. Well, um, in my from my perspective in

reviewing the, um, memo, she outlined two pathways. One was through MPL, the opportunity public land program, and the other was, um, for the trust to go ahead and do pre-development work. Um if we went through the former then obviously it looks like based on what this memo suggests uh then we could access uh funds to push the project through. Uh but it seems to me as if we're following the second path which is uh doing the pre-development work. Um am I uh correct or am I wrong in that? uh it's still not clear to me which pathway we are following cuz that will determine whether we have funds to complete the project or not. Right. So the documents that she sent to us about the loan program would essentially do the work that is still needed to help answer some of the questions. So, for example, previously we had talked about um the fact that she said she needed to be able to understand um let me see I'm trying to find it here. Uh for example, the wetlands delineation um more information on the septic evaluation and I had put those down as something that Bartlett, you know, could take a look at. Well, all of that is extensive work based off what she said and that's part of what the loan would go to pay for. It would go to pay for the engineering, any of the delineation that needs to be done and to help narrow down the questions about exactly how many units and provide much more concrete information for us. So, that's part of what would go into that $35,000.

So, just so everybody aware, um, Shelley Garing and, um, I thought Laura was here. Hopefully, she'll come back. And Linda, welcome. Hi, Shelley. Welcome. Hi there. So, um, so I I I was very serious, by the way, about asking everybody that question. Are we here to actually create housing or are we here to kick the can down the road? Um, if this project is viable based on what um, MHP recommends, um, after further evaluation, we need to we need to answer that question. Are we really in this to create housing? Bartlett has answered yes. I I believe we'll create housing but certainly it's is it going to be affordable and uh the process of creating the housing um uh you know going through the process will we have enough funds uh to match what our uh commitments are so that's where my questions are. Okay, Sue, how about you? Well, for me personally, I find the whole thing very overwhelming to even understand, but I am definitely in favor of creating affordable housing on that property. Yes. Okay. I I thought that was sort of our um intent and our mission and that's what we should be doing. It's a great location for it. We got the land. Um and

yeah, it the financial piece of it is a little overwhelming at the moment, but I I think we have to go through with it. And and I'm and I don't just mean that because we have to go through it that because somebody else expects us to. No, I mean that's what we should be doing. I'm surprised you I'm surprised you have that the feeling that you have, Anna. Well, I do have that feeling because I I've seen push back on this project in ways that really surprises me from our members. Everything from, well, let's just sell it and use the proceeds and we can go buy a different parcel of land, right? So, so sorry, it to me it's sort of like wedding jitters, you know, you're either going to get married or you're or you're not. And that's where where um where I think we are is if this project is one that we we want to do, then we should continue to work with MHP with all of their expertise and resources to figure out how we can make this work. And as I said before, if MHP looks at everything and they say, you know, yeah, this isn't going to be doable, they're going to tell us, you know, we can cut our losses from that perspective. So, um Laura, welcome. Um, we were just discussing um the memo that that you sent along with the um the handout on the loan and I was asking everyone the question about, you know, are we in this to actually create housing or to kick the can because um some of the questions that have been asked seem to point that, you know, they're they're skittish about this

particular project. So, um I think if we can start by a asking some of the questions that folks um you know have a burning desire to to ask that might help us in this process. And I'll do my best to answer them. Okay. All right. Maryanne, would you like to go first? Um I could. Uh the question I asked Laura before you joined and where I was really looking for you know your input was just the overall all the the feasibility and the the viability of the project. You know Anna Anna had answered that and said yes you know you wouldn't be continuing if you didn't think it was was viable and then you know Anna asked us if we if we're all on board you know with with creating affordable housing on the Derky property and I think I think we all are. No one's going to answer like, you know, my preference is to kick the can down the road, right? That that's not that's not what we're here for. We're here for housing, but I also think as a trust, it's it's our responsibility, right, to to do due diligence and make sure that that we're making the best use of these funds that are entrusted to us, right? And I think if we weren't asking these questions, I think we we wouldn't be doing our job. So, that's um that's I think the nature of the questions, Anna. It's not necessarily to to prolong this, but just to make sure that we're we're putting our efforts into a project that will actually yield the desired results. Well, I can say that um right now it's, you know, it's really early to be making a lot of guesses, which I always do at the beginning just to see if it's a $3 million gap, then, you know, I'm not going to go forward with it. It's not that. Um, but we also

don't know what subsidies are going to be around. So there's a lot of unknowns at this point, but the best thing we can do is get more information to narrow the um you know to understand how much uh how many bedrooms we can get on there, what that translates into units and then what the goal is for those units. If it's if it's everything below 80%, let's talk about it. If it's everything below 50%, you know, it's probably not going to happen. Um, it, you know, we don't know anything yet because nothing in the budget, federal budget, but, you know, all indications are that section 8's going to be um reduced, if not, you know, I mean, it was Trump's budget um zeroed it out. That's not going to happen. there'd be a you know um developers and everything else and land landlords would um you know would not um sit still for that. Um so the engineering is important. the septic um calculations are important. Um and getting um a survey done is also important and and wetlands delineations if that needs it. Um then we can see exactly how much land there is, what how many units we, you know, you could put on there and um and get some evaluation of the barn to see um a cost estimate on a square footage basis to turn that into

apartments. Without that, we're just, you know, kind of flying blind without that information. Right. And so what Laura shared was that um when we first provided the documentation through the initial application um she thought that there might be enough information there, but there just really isn't. And so being able to go more in depth would help refine what a recommendation would be. So at that point and I think the estimate was four to six weeks. Is that how long it would take to get those? Okay. So then after 4 to 6 weeks, we'd have a better idea. And at that time, you could come back to us and say that either this is a great project and we should move forward or maybe we'd be better off looking for another parcel. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And at that point it would be, you know, if you if you were to um use MHP's um loan program, then the loan would be forgiven because it would be a um you know, infeasible project. Mhm. In in my estimation. So, yep. No. [Music] Um okay, that was that was my big question. And I have a few more details, but I'd like to listen to everyone else first. See what other questions are out there. Okay. Okay. Who else would like to go? And I I don't specifically have a question, but after Laura's answer to that, I think it's like a no-brainer that we that we um go with the the studies that we need. We we shouldn't be making a decision before we have all the information and we don't have

all. Right. So, um, thank you, Sue. By the way, Laura, have you been in a meeting with Sue before? Yes. Okay. Or well, maybe it was ones I looked at recording. Sorry. Been absent for some of our meetings. I just want to make sure I know. Sorry. Um, I think I do apologize. We all have lives or we all want to have lives, I should say. Um so um I'll um share some of the questions that Mark had asked and um it may very well be that we just don't have enough information. So one of his questions was is it viable as an affordable project. So, as I said, if we can get the number of units that that I base my estimates on, um, yes, if you know, if we can't get the number of of units or if, um, you know, if there's something else that's that's holding, you know, that's changing the numbers, um, I don't know. I can't say for sure that it would be affordable. It would be viable if we were to use the barn. If you were to use the barn. That's that's an outstanding question that I can't answer. And now might be a good opportunity to to share that um uh Laura is going to be at their conference um and will be headed toward Worcester and can pass through Littleton and meet to take a look at the bar. And so the date and time window would be on Tuesday, June

3rd, sometime around 2:00. Is that correct? Yeah. Yeah. So, Bartlett, any chance that you would be available and we'd be able to grab that key to open it up? I think so. Let me check my calendar, but I'm pretty sure I'm here, June 3. Yep, I'm here. So, I can Yes, indeed. I will get the key. Great questions. Um, so if anybody else would like to meet that day, um, could you please raise your hand? Let me know because we may need to post it if it's going to be more than three of us. I'd love to, but I'll be camping, so I will not be able to. Sorry. It would be nice to meet you in person, Laura. Yeah, I' I'd go camping with you. We could trade places. I'm pretty sure that works for me. Okay. All right. And I think Mark will want to go. So, Maren, if we could please post a meeting for that particular date and around that time, that would be great. Thanks. All right, Maryanne, do you want to go with another one of your questions? Well, I was just thinking about the comment you made about the barn and whether or not that can be part of it. And I guess I was just trying to understand the the options, too. So, I I think the minimum number of units that we talked about before was 10. Um, so if if it turns out that we can't use the barn, then what would what configuration

would would we be looking at? So doing 10 um 10 apartments in the surplus in the vacant land. Um, okay. and selling the barn and keeping that separate or I think it I think it'll be up to you guys how you know whether you sell the house and barn together uh whether you need the land from the barn to make everything work which you might um you know doing some doing some minor work so that it can be used for something, you know, and again, I haven't seen it, so I've, you know, I'm guessing and that condition um that certainly, you know, so it'll be combination of you you looking at it, evaluating it plus the work that we're going to do with the loan. Yeah. To get the the three different um Yes. the three different pieces of work done. Okay. Yeah. So, is 10 sort of a magic number? I remember there being a number that kind of makes it work. No, no, 10 isn't isn't a magic number. Um, but you you know you did the more the better. Let's put it that way. So, um, eight didn't work. So 10 10 did by the skin of his teeth, but that was, you know, um not doing anyone bedrooms. So um which is what we had asked for, right? To have more family. But if we if somehow the the calculations changed and 10 wasn't

enough, it there could be math that works with 12, but two of those being onebedrooms. Yes. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. If if we'd be open if the trust would be open to having a couple of one bedrooms. I mean, you you had good reasons not to do onebs. So, you know, that's why, you know, we'll and when you put the request for proposals out, um, you'll have a preference for family units, a strong preference for family units. Um, and but you don't um uh be so so specific that you say three three bedrooms, two two bedrooms, and three one bedrooms. It's just really for estimation that I do it. So another question is then um actually it's more of a statement. So, based on what you've said, Laura, it seems like the barn is still to be determined as to whether or not it can be included. Okay. Yeah. All right. Um, Maryanne, do you have another question? Um I think based on the some of the opening comments by Laura to our first question, I think some of them we really need to wait till further work happens right to um to get the details right to understand the more about the the viability of the project. Yeah. So it's too early to really understand um how it should be marketed whether it's a single family uh or a single project I should say with a house, a barn, apartments or split into multiple

ones. And um Laura and I had talked that it's at this point also premature to be um voting to separate out any any of the the components. So that's all part of what would be done after we have more information. Yeah. And part of the engineering will be um looking at were you to split it, where's the best place to split it that isn't that's going to allow for parking and other things. So um that's like step two. Others have other questions? Not in that line. Okay. Do you have other types of questions? Well, my my question at this point is is what I want to talk through um how we go about getting the the the the wetland delineation and you know all the other questions that we have to answer. It seemed to me that there were we could do it on our own or we could do it through MHP and get a get a package out of it. and what are the benefits for either one of those and what what you know what direction should we take to get this stuff done? Okay. So, um I guess the the advantage is um I use a um kind of all-purpose engineering firm that would do the they have a septic um uh branch that would look at the um septic um surveyors and due diligence um looking at the easements. Um I talked to Anna about um an attorney to do the

title so that we can connect the title and the easements. Um and then they have um planning designers um that would do um conceptual um site plans to show traffic flow, parking and and buildings. And so it's kind of a you know one. Yeah. And um and then they also have cost estimators um because they also have a um a cost estimator estimator. So it's one-stop shopping and um MHP hires them, MHP pays them. um we don't have to go through procurement um and and the amount is below what we'd have to anyway, but we can just decide who we want to um to do it. So, it makes it easy. You don't see um any you don't have to do any invoicing or um payments. We do it all. Um, and then I pro then I project manage to make sure that they're doing on time and right I've worked for them for a long time so I don't I don't really have to have to work the ones I'm thinking of this we use a few others but um the one that has the allpurpose um I give them a timeline and they they're very good at meeting that and also they're very willing to do um public you you know, um, come to one of your meetings and explain what they've done or what they found if you'd like that. That would be great. That sounds sounds easier than us getting all of those engineering firms individually and probably faster.

Probably. Yeah, probably. Oh, and if you recall, Barllet, last year when we had to go through the RFP process just to get somebody out there to uh to do some work was very Yeah. Yeah. time consuming. Yeah. Yeah. And you're all volunteers except Marram, but that's not what she does. So, um we try and make it easy for you. um along along those lines of of um of the hopeal the the loan. So one of Mark's other questions was so if we have a loan what happens in terms of when when it when the trust has to pay it back. So in other words, if we were to move forward, sign that application, all the work gets done, and then it's determined that no, nothing can happen here just because of X, Y, and Z. In that scenario, we have to pay back the loan. No, you have to. The only time you have to pay back a loan is if you decide that you don't want to move forward, that you'd rather either the two times that it happened in the past, it was um it was because the neighborhood put too much pressure on the town and they backed out and they had to pay it back. Um you know, pretty much that was both times. Um, one of them had a citizens petition to a town meeting that that overturned it. Um, and they thought that by saying, "Well, then we're going to have to pay back the loan," Town Meeting would say, "Okay, never mind." But they didn't. So, um, got it. So,

those are the two two times if there's any kind of what we call a fatal flaw. So if we find something in the engineering that you know doesn't make it go forward if it goes forward to RFP and no one responds and people have taken the you know have have taken the RFP developers have taken the RFP we usually you know call and say hey how come you didn't you know do it and if it's if they say well it just is not going to pencil out you know it's it's just not feas feasible then um you know you don't pay it back at that point either. Okay. So really the only time is if is if it's your choice not to do it not the choice of that um it's not going to work. Okay. Great. Thank you. So that's very good to hear. Thank you. you know, it makes it pretty convenient and I think all-encompassing one-stop shop like Bartlett said. And so I did discuss the application the application process with town administrator uh Dougen and he is willing to write a letter of support from the town for this project if the trust if the trustees vote yes to move forward with that application. So Oh nice. Yeah. Um, so I think Mark's other question is around the what steps can the trust take prior to issuing an RFP to make the process more likely to be successful? So I think we we take the information that that we will be

gathering, put together an RFP that's attractive to developers. Um, we can't really go out and ask developers to to bid on it. Um, but we can um send them notification that the request for proposal is going to be released on such and such a day. Um, and how to get it if they don't already know. Um, and then, you know, I think it's it's just um listening to what to what the engineers have to say. Um, and and then seeing, you know, looking at the options out there and and uh yeah, I think just just keep moving forward. We can be um we can be refining some of the draft um which I know Bartlett sent some suggestions already um to things that can be included that you know that don't have to be um that we don't have to wait for the engineering to to refine some of the things you know the the um site description and um a little sometimes we do a little bit of history on the town or um just those kinds of things um are helpful to put um to put your stamp on it. Hey Laura, I think one of the ideas you had for lowering cost um of a construction was to use modular and we had a visit at Lab 9 as I think we mentioned last time and they're eager to have some of us tour their project that's close to completion in in Somerville. Is there anything that we should be doing working with them or is

that premature to um to engage them on this project? Yeah, it's premature. Um, and it would be they they probably would just be the contractor, not the not the general. Um, uh, yeah. So, I would, you know, I mean, it's fine to go look at everything because, um, uh, we did, we toured, um, Reframe, which is in Littleton also. Um and and I've I've toured a couple of them, but um I think we just uh will be clear and the request for proposals that you're open to modular, you know, construction. Um Reframe is another modular in based in Littleton. Yeah, I think it's Isn't it Andover? Oh, is it Andover? I think it's Andover. Okay. Pretty sure it's Andover because Triumph is here in Littleton, but they Yeah. I mean, they do um not not permanent housing, more temporary trailers. They do they do have a a line that they offer to sell of modular houses. I think it's not their main business, though. No, it's not. Let's see. Well, to to that point that Maryanne just made, um they they also reached out to me and asked whe whether or not um they could share with us with the trust the quote small affordable building prototype that they've developed. So, is that something that Laura you would be interested in seeing? Um, yeah. I mean, you can you can look

at what they're what they're doing. That's not, you know, I think it's just having any specific conversations around this project. Um, you know, and I should tell you that, well, typically with um well, it won't make any difference for this one cuz you're you're not doing the development. So, never mind. I'm heeding the warning about, you know, um not chatting with any developer. I just didn't know if they would be perceived in as part of that same group. Um if they have something to share about small affordable housing in general. Yeah, I think I think that's okay. um they're because they wouldn't be um I mean they may be partnering with with a general um but they're not the ones that go get the subsidies and they don't own them forever. They just build them, you know. So they're like the contractors. Um the developer um is the one who usually has the balance sheet and the uh the contacts and the wherewithal um to get the subsidies that are needed and then then they own them um the rental units whereas the modular company is in and out. Okay. um given that you're going to be in Littleton, is that something that you would be interested in in in spending, you know, 30 minutes with them or you don't think that's possible for next week? Yeah, I don't think it's possible. I probably have to go to town soon after you. So,

you're going to be traveling lady. All right. So, I'm going to be up that way. Maryanne, maybe you and I can can go and take a look at what their small model looks like. Yeah, I'd like to see that. All right. And yeah, we can also talk um I told you that I you know, my contacts at Delbrook who've had some good experience working with um with Lab 9. So Delbrook does a lot of um affordable housing development. Have you worked with them, Laura? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um they're the contractors. They're not the developers usually. They're the contractors. Yeah. But they do almost everything here on the Cape. So the uh JKS. Yeah. JKS. Um, so I know Marcus asked about the per unit cost for affordable units and honestly it really varies what what should the cost be and um and it it varies especially on the side on the development size. So for instance um one company's doing um a large project aboutund over 100 units and they're coming in at um like 300 345,000 a unit which is really low. Um the 10 and 12 or 10 to 15 units are usually at least 600,000 a unit. And

um state public housing redevelopment is coming in at like 900,000 a unit. Whoa. Whoa. And some a million. They're trying to keep it under a million. So they're like 99.90. So, um Oh, wow. Yeah, it's wild. Um but that's because it's a state thing and they're paying um it's filed sub bid and you know all that wage stuff. It's prevailing wage, but they don't have to do filed sub bids. Okay. They have a waiver on redevelopment. Um, usually it's they're doing redevelopment and they're adding additional units and then and um so they have to demolish what's there. So there's demolition, there's because they're all old, there's remediate, you know, there's um hazardous waste removal, asbestos, lead paint, and usually site work is um is a lot to get reconfigured development. So there's a lot of reasons why it's that much, but people like it's hard to hard to fathom that much for a But what what about building new um units on on in a meadow on on new land? I mean, that's not going to be a million. That's got to be No, that's not a million. That that would be if it's a small project, it would be in the same 600,000 range in the in the 600. They're trying to, you know, um, EOHLC is would like to see things below 700. They were below four, then below five, then below six, and now they're kind of below seven. Um and you know they're they're looking at costs

but and and where you know whether it's regulation or you know other things what's you know what's the cause of it going up so much. Uh of course you know there's been um difficulties getting certain products so things are taking longer. Um just for switches it's like six months. So if you don't order them a year before you need them Yeah. you don't get them. So and then um you know utility hookups has been tough. Yeah. And every time you have to wait a month for something ch-ing ch-ing ch-ing, right? Okay. All right. So um let's see. So I guess where we are then is do we have any other further questions from any member or or Marin? Nothing for me at this time. I guess just what would be next steps to move forward um with with the loan. Yeah. Um, I did want to um bring in uh Linda Stein to to just give us a quick update as to what happened at town meeting because that particular article 26 um benefits Derky Farmhouse if if we proceed. So, Linda, did you want to just share a little bit about that? Sure. Um, so there was no discussion of the article at town meeting. It just went right through. Um, the article simply

uh requested uh funds for, you know, $7,500 funds for a historic preservation consultant that would help the historical commission if there is historical preservation for the house andor barn. Uh she would help us develop the preservation restrictions. She would uh hold couple of meetings with the affordable housing trust as needed, architects as needed. Um so that's really Can you hear me? Yep. Yes, I lost my internet for a minute. Um so that's really all it is. Okay. Yeah. So Laura and Shel that way I just want to make sure that you knew that that was available so that if we proceed and this application gets accepted then know that there's additional funding specifically for the preservation piece for the documenting for documenting it documenting. Yeah. Okay, that's good. So, I think what we've heard tonight then is that um this hopeful loan would help to answer questions that um unless we were to back out ourselves as a town that um we would not have to repay it. Um the timing on the work would be about four to six weeks and then an issuance of the RFP could be done by the end of what August is that about Yeah, I think I think August to September. I think definitely you know assuming assuming everyone you know we can meet in the summer. Um, yes. I I just want to

clarify that the trust doesn't have to pay it back, but the de any developer that is awarded the price. It would be put in the RFP that the minimum price would be whatever you were looking for and plus the whatever we've spent. So, it gets paid and then it gets paid at construction loan closing. And I just wanted to make sure that was clear. But that's all work that the developer would have to do or get done. So it you would expect that that Yeah. Yeah. There's no squables about that. No, it's just already done as far as Yeah. Right. Okay. Yeah. All right. So, is there anything else that we should know about before we um take a vote on this to as to whether to submit the HOPEL grant application, Laura or Shelley? Uh no. And uh once the application's received, it's all electronic. Um we then assign it. Obviously, it would be Shel and I get would get assigned and um you get an award letter and in the meantime I'd be getting a proposal from um the engineering firm and their bowler B O H L E R um and I'd get a proposal for them from them for the work and um so we'll be ready to contract um soon as possible. just takes a little bit to get through legal. But so so we'd have a contract in place on Friday this week. I said it has to go through legal. Oh,

so not on a holiday week, Bartlett. Yeah, it long, but it as long as um you know, and it depends whether you know it. Yeah, it's not a lot of paperwork, but it usually takes a week anyway. Okay. All right. Well, with no further discussion, then um is there a motion to move forward? I'll make a motion to move forward. [Music] Okay. To move forward to submit a hopeful grant the grant application all what we've been talking about. Okay. Thank you. All right. Um, let's take a vote on that. Maryanne, yes. Angus, yes. Bartlett, yes. Sue, yes. And Anna is a yes. Okay. So, thank you. Um, so we will proceed to submit that application then and um I'll get a letter from the county administrator to attach with it. And Laura, you had said that you have quite a bit of the documents that we already have, but I should still attach them anyway. Um, no, you don't have to because I have them in the other application, so Okay, it's fine. All right, great. Um, so thank you, Shelley and Laura, for your time um coming in uh to meet with us specifically. We've really tried to advance this project um as quickly as we can and you've been very helpful in in being flexible with your time. You're welcome. And I'm looking forward to seeing you next week. Yes. So, it's weird to think it's already June next week. What happened to May? Um and members, thank you also very very much

for um your commitment to wanting to see this through and for continuing to meet not just once but twice a month. And so if we have a little bit of a reprieve then, you know, we we only need to meet at our regular meeting instead of twice a month. But so our next meeting will be I believe Tuesday, June 17th. Is that correct, Marin? Yeah, that's what I had penciled in. Okay. All right, great. I know weigh you then. So, just so you know. Yeah, we don't plan to have you on the agenda then. So, okay. All right, Laura, I'm I'm going to meet you at the barn on June 3rd at 1:00. Is that correct? 2 o'clock. 2 o'clock. 2 o'clock. All right. Yeah. One take about It's going to take about an hour for me to get there. So, Okay. Yeah. All right. You did say two, right, Anna? Two. Yes. Two o'clock. Yeah. Well, it'll give me an hour to open the door. Okay. Thank you very much for posting that meeting. So that way if we're if more of us are there then then Linda, as always, you're welcome to attend if if you want to get out into the sunshine. Thank you. I probably won't. I've seen it, but thank you. Okay. All right. Well, thank you everyone. Have a good rest of your evening. Good night. Thank you. You too.