Redevelopment Authority - Regular Meeting

This is the regularly scheduled meeting of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee taking place at 4PM on Wednesday, 04/15/2026. Patty, can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Burrell. Present. Commissioner Pez Classen. Present. Commissioner Nelson.

Present.

Chair Hazlett. Present. Vice Chair Gotts Godsler. Present. Commissioner Snyder.

Present.

Commissioner Moore. Present.

Thank you. Can you read the next item?

Would a commissioner like to move approval of all items within the consent agenda?

I move. Second.

Okay. Can we get a roll call please?

Commissioner Borrell? Aye. Commissioner Pez Klassen? Aye. Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Chair Hazlett? Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler? Aye. Commissioner Snyder? Aye. Commissioner Moore? Aye. Item B1 under reports and discussion items is a resolution approving an employment contract with Harold Ince Jr. For the position of Secretary Executive Director. Greg Cruz and Todd Slussar will discuss this item.

Good afternoon, everyone. Greg Cruz with the City Attorney's Office.

Todd Soussard, Senior Housing Senior HR Business Partner.

Thank you. Welcome.

Thanks. So before you, we have the employment agreement for Harold Ins Jr. To be the next Secretary Executive Director for the Housing Authority. I believe you all received a copy of it ahead of time. I'm happy to go through it line by line and kind of talk about the basics. But if everybody's had a chance to read it, I don't want to waste time. So I defer to you all on how you want me to kind of go through everything, if you all had specific questions or just wanted to talk generally about it.

Vice Chair Gottsler.

Madam Chair, I move that we go into closed session per just a minute. I'll find it. Oh, thank you, Patty. I can't see that. But section nineteen eighty five one c of Wisconsin statutes.

Or 19.851 e. Or e.

Both. Yes.

So is there any information you want to give them about going into closed session before we move to do that? Or we go to go

into closed session first? I'll just say briefly, we have operated under the 1E exception before. As you guys know, it's individual specifics so we're just going be talking specifically about the terms of employment and not more general broad policy things. That's the only reminder that I had. But we've used that one a few times now so I think everyone's pretty comfortable with it.

Thank you, Attorney Cruz. Can we get a roll call please?

Oh, actually

we haven't moved yet. I have to do a little spiel and then we can move in a second.

Oh, I

am sorry. Jumped ahead. Please proceed.

It's exciting stuff. The Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee may receive a motion to convene in closed session at City Hall Room 301B pursuant to Section 19.851C of Wisconsin Statutes to consider employment promotion compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility. And I missed the part where I said this is regarding Harold Insay Jr, candidate for Secretary Executive Director, as well as pursuant to Section 19.851E of Wisconsin Statutes to confer with a representative of counsel regarding deliberations or negotiations about the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds or conducting other specified public business whenever competitive bargaining reasons require a closed session. The Board may then reconvene an open session concerning such item. During the closed session, committee members and staff involved in the deliberations must meet in private.

After the closed session, the Board is expected to then reconvene an open session concerning additional items on the agenda. During the closed session, all members of the public and staff not a party to the discussion must leave the room. Once the closed session is completed, we will reopen the doors and let any members of the public and staff back into the room at that time. Is there a motion and second to go into closed session based on the exception just read under 19.851 C and E? So moved.

Second. Thank you. Roll call please.

Commissioner Burrell. Aye. Commissioner Pez Classen. Aye. Commissioner Nelson.

Aye.

Chair Hazler. Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler. Aye. Commissioner Snyder.

Aye.

Commissioner Moore. Aye. So at this time, we are now moving into closed session. The public must now leave the meeting. To go back into open session.

So moved. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Howard get the second.

Second.

Okay. Can we give us to do a roll call time on this end

of the day?

Okay. So, to move back in open session, Commissioner Burrell. Commissioner Pez Classen? Aye. Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Chair Hazlett? Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler? Aye. Commissioner Snyder? Aye. And Commissioner Moore? Aye.

Great. Thank you. Can you read the next item,

be So we're going discussing the resolution approving an employment little contract with Harold N. Say Jr. For the position of a Secretary Executive Director.

All right. Can we get a motion?

So moved.

Is there a second? Second. Can we get a roll call?

Commissioner Burrell?

Aye.

Commissioner Eppes Classen. Aye. Commissioner Nelson.

Aye. Chair

Hazlett. Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler. Aye. Commissioner Snyder. Aye. Commissioner Moore. Aye. Motion passes.

Thank you all.

Item number two is a resolution approving an award of contract to William Sackerson Construction Company Inc. Inc. Cottagee, Wisconsin for elevator modernization at Hillside Terrace in the amount of $574,606 Allison Woznicki can begin discussion on this item.

Good afternoon, Commissioners. Allison Woznicki, Vice President of Construction. This is a contract for the elevator modernization at Hillside. And the contract or the lowest bid came in at $574,606 and we are just looking for approval to move forward. This will be under capital funds in the 2024 year.

Okay. Do we have any questions of the commission? There being none, can we get a motion?

I move that we approve resolution 13,753.

I second it.

Thank you. Can we get a roll call, Patty?

Commissioner Burrell? Aye. Commissioner Epez Classen? Aye. Commissioner Nelson? Aye. Chair Hazlett? Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler? Aye. Commissioner Schneider? Aye. And Commissioner Moore? Aye. Item number three is a resolution approving an award of contract to Berglund Construction Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin for facade repair on Hillside Terrace at Hillside Terrace in the amount of $4,500 Alison Woznicki will speak on this item.

Again, Woznicki, Vice President of Construction, Treveau Incorporated. This is again for the facade repair. It's a lot of window clock and masonry unit repair at Hillside Terrace High Rise. And we're just looking for approval. Again, this will fall under the 2024 CFP account.

Thank you, Allison. Do we have any other questions, comments on this item? Okay. There being none, can we move for, I mean, can we get a motion? So moved. Is there a second?

Second.

Can we get a roll call,

Commissioner Burrell? Aye. Commissioner Pez Clasid? Aye. Commissioner Nelson? Aye. Chair Hayslett? Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler? Aye. Commissioner Snyder? Aye. Commissioner Moore? Aye. Motion passes. Item number four is a resolution approving an award of contract to Masonry Restoration Incorporated West Allis, Wisconsin for a facade repair at Arlington Court in the amount of $449,000 Allison Woznicki will speak on this item.

Good afternoon commissioners. I will not reintroduce myself again. This is the facade repair for Arlington Court. This is a full mason or this is masonry and paneling for this contract and this is just looking for approval again 2024 CFP using to obligate.

Thank you. Are there any other questions or comments?

Madam Chair.

Yes, Commissioner Snyder.

Thank you. How many bids were there?

There were the four bids.

Okay. And were there any from the City of Milwaukee? No. There were none from the City of Milwaukee?

Oh, from organizations that, yes, one. Burglary construction is within the City of Milwaukee.

I thought you said that they were Allis. Allis.

This one says. Masonry Restoration.

Yes. So Masonry Restoration is in West Allis and they are the awarded contractor. We did get a bid from Berglund which is within the City Of Milwaukee.

Was it significantly higher than the winning bid?

They were 40,000

higher. And Berglund did get the previous contract?

That is correct. Yeah. And they're currently working on a Locust Court location as

well. Okay.

Really Okay. And truly when it comes to our bids and the way that they come in and the federal funding, of that matters. The low bid is truly what matters when it comes in. As long as it's a responsive, full bid that fully incorporates the entire scope. It doesn't matter where they're located. They could be out of state. Really and truly it's low bid when it comes to federal funding.

It matters to me.

I do understand. It matters to me as well. But in this case, we have to take the low bid.

Okay. Thank you.

Madam Chair.

I would like to move the approval of

the

resolution. Before we move, Commissioner Nelson, I believe, had

a question.

So when you say for cave repair at Arlington Court, is that for the outside of the building for cracks That is correct. Holes and Yes. Okay.

So we've had a designer come in, evaluate the exterior building and then put a scope together for us that we put out to bid and then we have contractors bid on that and we take the lowest bid and they're going to repair the exterior facade. That is a requirement of the City of Milwaukee every five years you have to be assessed if you are a high rise.

Okay. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Thank you. Vice Chair Gottsler, if you could proceed, please.

Sure. I am very pleased to be the maker of the motion to approve the resolution for the facade repair at Arlington Court. And I suspect that Commissioner Nelson may want to be the second.

I second it and not because I live there either.

Wonderful. Can

we get a roll call please, Patty? Commissioner Farrell?

Aye. Commissioner Pez Classe? Aye. Commissioner Nelson?

Aye.

Chair Hazlett? Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler? Aye. Commissioner Snyder?

I am going to abstain.

Commissioner Moore? Aye. Motion passes. Item number five is a resolution approving an offer to purchase by Orbix LLC for the Scattered Sites home located at 1302 South 21st Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin for $111,000 This is a four bedroom single family home located on the in the 8th Aldermanic District. The property has been vacant since 2024 due to repair costs exceeding HACM capacity to return the unit to Inspire standards. This property has been approved for sale for the highest and best offer by the Special Application Center at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bid by Orvix LLC is $7,000 over the appraised value and sale price. Jeannie Dawson will speak on this item.

Good afternoon, commissioners. Am very excited. Jeannie Dawson with Special Projects. I am very excited to present this offer to the Board. We did get an appraisal on it and it came in at $104,000 When we listed the property on MLS, we had a lot of interested parties right off the bat, but one offer came in at $85,000 and this offer came in at $7,000 over the original asking price. So we went with that one pending, of course, the Board's signature. So we have accepted it with the contingency, I should say, of the Board approving it.

Thank you. Vice Chair Gottsler.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Is the owner present, the owner of the company here today?

Not that I'm aware of.

Okay. Madam Chair.

Commissioner Moore. Thank you so much.

So typically when organizations purchase our property, do they share with us what their plans are?

This is not something we do typically. We have not typically sold our properties on the open market like this. Typically, we have sold under our Section 32 program homeowners under our market rate program to homeowners for new construction. So this is the first property that I'm aware of since my two decades here that we've just put on the open market. So there is no restrictions to what their plans are.

We didn't put any of that on the or I should say into the application to HUD. We didn't I mean it's a market sale. So we don't have nor have we asked for plans for what they're going to do with the property.

Thank you. Madam Chair, I would like us to revisit this conversation. Yes. Maybe have it as an item because the only reason why I'm asking is because we have a lot of out of town investors that purchase I understand. And so many of them don't restore them.

They are not very good landlords. So just whatever is- you know and that's probably something that we could talk to our attorney around about but whatever is in our purview to do I am very. Interested in making sure that if we are selling property- that there is some sense of. Do they plan on restoring it and reselling it to a home buyer right I'm really interested in that because the last thing that I want to do is contribute that this body contributes to you know sort of this negligence of not being intentional about what we do particularly with you know the properties that we want to offload.

Yeah. That's right.

Thank you. Thank you for those sentiments Commissioner Moore. Do we have any other questions or comments around this? I would sorry. Oh, Commissioner Yepez Klasa.

I just to share with everybody here, I had reached out to Ken earlier. Jeanie had come before us in the fall. I had forgotten about that. But one of my first questions was whether or not we had approached some of the nonprofit developers in the area. It's located in the heart of Clark Square. And so I thought we know Milwaukee Christian Center and via CDC do some development there. But I was reminded that nonprofits were our nonprofit partners were approached and the costs were very excessive and so they did not move forward with the purchase. So I agree. That was one of my concerns is what's going to happen with this property? Are we going to is it going to go to someone?

Is it going to be affordable and is it going to be well maintained? And I received assurances that there was some due diligence done with

I can respond to that. We did because the city attorney's office is Who are you? I'm sorry, Ken Barbo. I am the acting secretary executive director for another week and a half. So I did follow-up with the city attorney's office to make sure that this was not among the troubled owners or one of the LLCs owned by owners that they are looking at. And I was a they cannot see any connection there. So I can't vouch for the landlord in general, but I do know they are not under the scrutiny of the city at this time.

Madam Chair? Commissioner Moore. Just a really quick question. This just went out as a MSL or I think

I MLS.

This just went out there at is there something also on our web? Do we have any landing page, whether it's Travaux or wherever, on our website to say, hey, when properties become available, it's also posted here.

We do not at this point. Okay. I think we the MLS listing was the responses came in so quickly, it didn't seem like it would be necessary show additional advertising. Mean, a matter of ongoing policy, especially if we're looking at possibly selling other scattered sites or vacant lots. Maybe that is something we want to do going forward.

I also just want to mention that we do have approval for another property that is in worse shape than this one on 4331 North 69th Street. We have not yet listed that property on MLS for a couple of reasons. One, it's taken some time with staffing to get it cleaned out. And two, we wanted to make sure that this process was going to go smoothly with this property. So I would like to recommend that any conversations about how that one might be done differently that we have before it is ready to go.

We're ready to push the list button on that unit, but we wanted to, again, come before you first. So that's another $66,000 that could be potentially coming in soon for the agency, but I would hope that you provide us with some direction before we proceed with that listing.

Yes, ma'am. I would definitely love to sort of even mimic what, you know, just again sort of level the playing field. The city has a landing page where it has all of our properties, which again I know they probably do some other things as well on DCD. But you know you have emerging developers like the acre program. You know that are working with different alders in different districts to talk about how to redevelop property and again seeing that the mayor is stating that 2026 is the year of housing.

We want to sort of be in alignment. With that but would again just make sure that we're leveling the playing field. Not only for these you know folks that I want to give as much opportunity for the people that live here- to be able to know about these opportunities and be able to- bid on them or you know whatever it may be I think that. The growing from within and figuring out how to provide opportunities to residents and business owners that live here because that's what's going to really have that investment back into our city. So thank you so much.

Thank you so much, Commissioner Moore. Commissioner Snyder.

Thank you Madam Chair. Do we have a contract with these people?

Yes. We have the signed offer with the contingency of board approval.

Is there a closing date that would be a problem if this didn't happen today?

I'd have to look through the offer. I didn't sign the offer, my partner did. But usually closing dates aren't a problem to

But you don't.

Yeah. I believe it said it's contingent upon us approving it today at this meeting.

I think that there are a lot of questions and given especially with the city attorney's office the question of out of town landlords and the financial condition of the country and what happened in a decade ago with all those properties. I think that maybe putting this off for a month might give the staff a chance to just to do a little bit more due diligence. I was a little concerned that the not for profits, I mean, was Axe Housing talked to?

Yes. Actually, invited Axe Housing and Habitat Free Manatee to both of these properties and they declined both of them because of the state that they were in. And it was at that point that we were directed by the Board to go ahead and sell this as a market rate. I'd also just like to point out that we did do a search for the business and the agent for the business is he is in West Dallas. So that doesn't mean, of course, that he's not affiliated with, you know, some outside landlords.

But basically, we don't without any restrictions ahead of time, it would be difficult for us to just say, oh, by the way, maybe we don't want someone from, you know, Yeah. So those conditions were not put into the offer publicly. So again, I think if that's something we want to do moving forward, that's critical. And I believe HACM is always aligned with what the commissioners are saying. That is what we've always wanted.

But we are at this point where we didn't really have any other options for these properties. So HUD says we have to sell them at fair market value and that means we have to give everyone, as you said, put it on a level playing field. So that happened already for this one property. So I would caution against delaying this without a really, really good reason because they could come back and say, know, there's nothing.

You didn't stay. Right.

So that's all I would caution about.

I'll withdraw, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Commissioner Warren. Thank you for sharing that knowledge around this process, Jeannie. Yeah. Can we move forward or before I move forward, it looks like you have a question. No, no, no. Okay. Was gonna I would like for someone to make a motion. I'll move. So moved. Second. Thank you. Petty, can we get a roll call, please?

Commissioner Burrell. Aye. Commissioner Pes Klassen. Aye. Commissioner Nelson.

Aye.

Chair Hazlett. Aye. Vice Chair Gottsler. Aye. Commissioner Snyder. Aye. And Commissioner Moore. Aye.

Thank you, Commissioners. Thank

you. Thank you.

Item number six. A motion passes. Item number six is a public listening session. This listening session is agenda item B6 part of the 4PM Wednesday, 04/15/2026 meeting of the Hacken Board of Commissioners at City Hall Room 301B. The purpose of the session is to give interested persons a reasonable opportunity to present their views to Hakim's Board of Commissioners. Each speaker will have two minutes to speak. This listening session does not have specific topic. Persons who wish to speak if they have not already done so should sign up at the sign in sheet located at the side table on your right. For those who have prepared written comments, those comments will be shared with the Board. Any e comments received before eleven a.

M. Today may be distributed to the commissioners. Per open meetings law, added listening session, commissioners do not engage in a dialogue with speakers, but will be listening to all comments so they may receive input from the public. We ask that everyone be respectful process and of all the folks either speaking as well as those who are here to listen. After you provide your comment, property management staff may reach out to you here at this meeting or afterward to learn more from you or provide you with information related to your comment question.

It is critical that speakers respect the two minute time limit in place for all speakers so signs will be held up to let people know when they have thirty seconds left and to let people know that their two minutes are up. We ask that the audience be respectful of the speakers when they are speaking, whether they agree or disagree. And you wouldn't want anyone to interrupt you while you're making comments. The same is true for the folks here today. Please everyone mute your phone.

Any comments should be addressed to the commissioners. Any member of the public is welcome to share their input. If you are a HACM tenant voucher program participant, landlord or staff and are willing to share that information, the board will find that information helpful. But neither being a resident nor participant I'm sorry, or participant nor sharing that information is required to speak. Speakers may be asked to return to their seat or leave the meeting if they do not follow the instructions in order to ensure all of us in the room can hear unruly or disruptive behavior from either speakers or the audience is prohibited. Mister Sawyer, would you like to come up to the front row, front of the room? Get my timer on.

Good evening.

Hi. Good to see you everybody.

Can you please state your name?

My name is Cornelia Sawyer. I'm a resident representative on the RAD board, board of delegates, and the representative which people forget for everybody that lives with the section eight voucher.

Thank you.

I thought I want

to go ahead to have this major conversation about it. He did day other than the fact that thank everybody for the fact that we do have some serious issues on the table. I'd like to thank all of the upper managers and stuff. Some of them have seen me. HR, they do come and speak with me and the president. So we are resolving those situations. But the last thing, especially when it comes to scatter sites. I want you guys to understand. The investigation that will be coming up involves scatter sites because of the fact of some of what was done. They never they haven't had an election since before COVID.

And the representative that was coming to the president board that was representing her people. We didn't even know she probably was ill at the time from what I'm being told. She passed away. And you know, they had some serious concerns about scatter sites especially with the fact that the scattered sites are supposed to be up as far as the rad program. The housing authority is a landlord.

We build and establish housing to have a portfolio that can sustain housing over time. Is I prefer and a lot of people prefer to rebuild these properties, bring in investors, especially with these houses being the only ones that can sustain larger families. This is a four bedroom. I'm like, we gotta start discussing this stuff a little bit more serious but especially when these groups of people with scatter sites are calling me and letting me know they feel their representation is not in place as far as the resident portion to properly represent them. Thank you guys very much.

Thank you, Mr. Sawyer.

Is there anyone else who would wish us to provide comment today? There being no additional speakers at this time, this concludes the public listening session, was part of the four p. M. Wednesday, 04/15/2026 meeting of the HACC and Board of Commissioners at City Hall Room 301B. Item number seven is discussion of the impact of common counsel resolution file number 251,634 on happening properties. Greg Cruz will speak on this item.

Hello everyone. Greg Cruz with the City Attorney's Office. This item was placed on the agenda after Commissioner Snyder and I had a conversation about this specific common counsel resolution and whether or not it had any major impact on the housing authority. The just for background, the the resolution is effectively a resolution that the common council passed to say that city owned or city controlled properties can't like such as parking lots, ramps, vacant lots, parks, or garages can't be used for a staging area processing location or operations for any civil immigration enforcement actions. So it's a very specific resolution that that covers city owned properties.

And the question that I got from Commissioner Snyder is does that affect any of our properties? And I think the short answer is no, not really. None of there is caveat but none of Hackham's properties are owned or controlled by the city. And Ken, if I misspeak, you can jump in and correct me. The one property that that isn't true for is the main office which is in the 809 Building which is a city owned building.

But all of the developments even the LLCs and public housing that whole portfolio, the city doesn't have an ownership interest in any of properties. So it's my belief that this resolution wouldn't empower or prohibit anything from an immigration enforcement standpoint. And commissioner Snyder didn't necessarily know that and thought it would be helpful for the rest of the Board to just be clued in in case there were any lingering questions about the ownership structure of the LLCs and things like that. So I think that pretty much covers what we wanted to talk about with regard to this resolution. But if I missed anything, you can let me know.

Madam Chair? Commissioner Snyder.

Yeah. I wanted to thank Attorney Cruz for how seriously he took this. I mean, the last thing that any of us want to do is to be out of sync with the common counsel. Those of us who have worked with our alders for so long and mine in particular is very sensitive to this particular issue. But I was taken very seriously by staff and by the city attorney's office and I just wanted to thank him for the time that he spent going through this and the time with me in such detail. So thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner Snyder. Vice Chair Gottsler.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It was my understanding this is actually a question for Ken who is not getting off the payroll in a week and a half, in case anybody was concerned about that, that the, I call them the BINS properties, Berryland and the other ones that are it was my understanding that those actually are city owned properties, but we they have been provided to us to manage and to utilize as public housing units or similar to public housing units.

They are technically, we did worked with HUD to structure a proposal because we cannot some of the people who live in those properties have Housing Choice Vouchers. And so we can't issue vouchers to with ourselves as a landlord. And so we did structure something where the redevelopment authority which is not it's a somewhat independent authority of the city of Milwaukee, not the city of Milwaukee has a ownership but leases it back to the housing authority for us to manage and so at minimal cost. So that is, it is primarily because we cannot currently create an LLC at those developments because we have bonds outstanding on them. So that would throw the whole bonds a tizzy.

So we structured a deal that HUD signed off on and reviewed and we worked with a lot of attorneys on it to do that. But technically that is also not owned by the city.

And I should also note that the resolution specifically states that it that this resolution does not apply to properties that are subject to an existing lease at the time that the resolution was passed. So to the even if it was city property and there was a lease involved, I don't think that this resolution would actually cover it regardless because it's a preexisting lease. I do believe it would apply to future leases unless the common council waives the requirement but that's not an issue here.

And would it be the recommendation of the city attorney's office that this commission pass a similar resolution to the common counsel resolution?

I don't think that would be our office's position to make that recommendation. We are not a policy making entity so we don't make recommendations of that sort.

But currently, as far as you know, we have nothing that aligns us with this common counsel action?

I don't believe that this Board has passed a similar resolution. Okay.

Okay. And this is different than the resolution about entering city owned properties. Is that correct?

Well, this

is the resolution that the city passed is specifically about using city owned properties for an enforcement action.

Got you. Okay.

But it doesn't touch on Hackens properties and, of course, the city doesn't control Hackens properties to begin with.

So I don't think they could

pass such a resolution.

All right. So Madam Chair, I guess I'd like to go on record as suggesting that we take a serious look at this and consider something similar. And I am going guess Commissioner Snyder would agree with me on that and perhaps even Commissioner Moore.

I would agree too. Yep.

Okay. Thank you so much, Vice Chair Gottsler. Commissioner Snyder. Yes.

When you read the resolution, I heard the word owned by or controlled by. Now does control whether it's the Rackham or Hackham is there some I mean are controlled or you know what I'm saying?

Yes. You're asking whether the whether we are whether Hackham properties are controlled by the city. I don't believe that they are. I think that would be more Hackam may control some of the LLC's properties because they are the property manager. Maybe I think that's more what the resolution is getting at. But I don't believe the city has any control. Their authority is limited to the appointment and approval of

the But Board the financial waterfall, I mean you said that HACM or Rackham was owned the property, technically owned the property and then we leased from them at $1 At $1 Okay. Well, the money is less important than the fact that I mean there is a relationship between Rackham and Hackham and I don't care what anybody says, Rackham is a city. And I wouldn't want I mean, if the city attorney says, look, legal you don't have a problem here, then I'm willing to go along with that. But I mean, the word controlled by threw me for loop a little bit and I went back and took a look at the resolution and I wondered whether there was a gray area there. Don't

think so

but the controlled isn't exactly defined in the resolution. So but I

And we can talk about this offline to dive in this, you know, a little deeper. So we will just table this

and and. Thank you, madam chair.

Alright and come back to it but your concerns are duly noted and we will follow-up. Okay. Are there any other questions or comments as it relates to this presentation. Okay. There being none,

all right.

Thank you so much, Next Attorney

item, Patty. Item number eight is a presentation of a summary of Hackham's Public Housing Capital Fund Program. Ken Barbeau will speak on this item and Allison Woznicki.

Actually, I will let, well, I will let Allison take the lead on this one and then I Sounds can fill

great. Allison Wisnicki, Vice President of Construction, Trabeau Incorporated and the Housing Authority. In this again, this is capital funds with some updated numbers. I'm going to start just kind of hitting on 2022. That's the most important at this point. We are looking to expand those funds by 05/11. We do have a supplier that has been selected. They have provided invoices. We are looking to draw down numbers or draw down the money, cut a check. It's about $850,000.

We're gonna get this, available funding taken care of. So that is happening in the next few weeks. The monies will be in the next few days. The actual delivery of appliances will be in the next few weeks as we work out a plan to get that all delivered. Twenty twenty three is not something we need to be really concerned about at this point. That's all obligated. It's all in the works. Twenty twenty four obligation is where we really need to center at this point. We've the three contracts that you guys approved today are going towards the obligations here. They came in quite a bit less than we were expecting.

The estimates that we were provided by the designers were quite a bit off. Very sadly quite a bit off. And so what we have done is asked for an extension from HUD. So we're waiting to hear on that extension for obligations. Hopefully we'll get something in time which is that 05/05 date to that we need to obligate by hopefully we'll have a response back from HUD that they'll give us an extension.

We've asked for two years we don't need two years but that's a very very typical extension ask. But we were way under our obligations when it comes to how much money we need to obligate. We are expecting for it to come in much higher I mean I know that a weird thing to think of we always want bids come in low we always want to spend less money on construction we always do in this position we want to spend as much as we can by the deadline so as long as we get that hut extension we're going to be great because we're going to be able to use that money to do a lot of great things. When it comes down to it, if for some reason we don't get that extension, which I have great confidence that we will, the conversations we've had with HUD, the direction we've gotten from HUD, I think we will. Again, I'm not the end all be all.

I don't make the choice. But that's kind of where that stands right now. The remainder of it for twenty twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, as requested last board meeting, you will all see the summaries for each of the years provided. And what you're going to see is either estimates or true numbers for each of them. The earlier true it's going to be, the further you get down, the more it's going to be us estimating working with our designers on square footage dollars for each of the works, but we've pretty much obligated out our money for through the five year plan.

As soon as we have an approved five year plan, we will be starting to bid out all of this work and it's we're not going to hold for that. We're going to still bid it out. We're going to keep moving. I would be more comfortable once we have an approved five year plan but again. We're trying to obligate for 2024 will 2025 is going to come in one year so it takes a lot to put together plans with a designer.

Every time we're putting together one of these projects, we need to bring a designer on, have them give us an estimate for their design costs, take those plans, put them out to bid, have a contractor bid on them, then fully execute contract and get it obligated. So it's it's a kind of like a six month, seven month process for each of these. So I don't wanna lose sight of the fact that we need to keep obligating either. So we are on top of We will keep you guys updated as we hear back from HUD.

Thank you. Commissioner Yapiz Klassen.

Oh, you could see me just I from the side of your just had one question for you, Allison. Because the bids, I did notice that they were considerably less than what you had allocated for the items. Can any of that be set aside for contingency just in case there are cost overruns or no?

Usually, we will always have cost overruns on a project. It's pretty typical to have change orders. We'll utilize that. Some of those funds towards those change orders. I don't think we need to put anything aside truly for that But it will be accounted for.

And that will be part of the extension as well. That be available. Okay. Yes.

Thank you. Do we have any other questions, comments, concerns? Okay. Thank you so much, Allison. Next item, Patty.

Item number nine is a presentation of the March documents from the Travaux Board Meeting. Ken Barbeau will speak on this item.

Thank you, Commissioner. So in March, Travaux did a normal review of all the activities under Alison Woznicki in terms of her role as Vice President of Construction, she updated the Board on all the activities going on under the capital funds as well as activities ongoing at Highland Gardens. And so that discussion was had. We also did a presentation on the capital funds similar somewhat similar to what you saw today except in less detail last month at Travaux. And so those were the major items that were in the Travaux meeting.

I'll open it up for any questions or if Vice Chair Gottsler has anything to add. No. I

am on mute today.

Okay. Do we have any other questions, comments? All right. Thank you all. Thank you, Ken.

Welcome.

Did you have? No. Okay. All right. Great. Thank you so much.

Item number 10 is a report from the Secretary Executive Director.

Thank you. I know that the Board last time had some questions. So on specifically around I think we are going to focus on the unit turn process. So I wanted to invite a couple of folks up to talk about vacant units and unit turns and what that entails. And so I have Anicia Robertson who is the Director of Property Management.

I have Mike Wellman who is the maintenance services manager as well as Todd Slussar if they want to join me up here. I'll start it out. We did in spring to late spring or so of 2025 create a standard operating procedure on vacant units and how those dealt with. It's a standard operating procedure that really delves into a lot of how those units are recorded in Yardi. We've had some meetings on vacancies recently.

One thing I'm finding is that because of turnover among staff at property management and in other positions, it may not be done consistently across the board the way that the standard operating procedure states. So we're going to dig back into that. It basically will allow us to carve out how long it takes for specific sections of the process. So for example, from the date that the person moves out to the date that the lock is changed to so that's part of it. Then the date that we're doing a unit turn in terms of maintenance work on the unit.

And then the last part is the time it takes to lease the unit once the unit is ready. So you're trying to you're in make ready status and then you're in leasing status. And so those are different numbers of days and so we want to be able to measure that and be able to have more accurate data. So we're going to be working on that. In addition, I want to kind of give well, I have somewhat of a summary of where we are in terms of occupancy and units that are ready.

So if you were to look at and I will I want to finish a few changes to this report because it's not 100% complete yet. And I will get it. It's not in your packet. So, don't don't bother looking for it but I will get it to each of the commissioners afterward. But if you were to look at public housing, you know, we have 2,300 or so units total.

2,062 are occupied, two fifty one are vacant. That's a vacancy rate across the board of like 10.85%. If you were to look at the different developments, some of them are larger than others. I would say the ones with the largest in public housing, the ones with the largest number of vacancy are College Court, Locust Court first, then Hillside and then College Court. So the others are less.

So we have two fifty one units that are vacant. We have 50 of those units, those two fifty one that are ready. So, they are ready for leasing.

Now, we're back to talking about public housing?

Yes, still public housing. Okay. And of those 50 units, 22 of them have applications

for the

vacates. So there's a couple so there's turning the unit and making it ready and there's leasing it as well. And so those are things that we will be working on. The team will talk a little bit about that process. I'll just give you some update on the affordable side as well since I gave you that.

On the affordable side, you have a little over 19 well, a little under 1,900 units. Of those, fifteen fifty six are occupied, which means there's two thirty six units that are vacant. It's a vacancy rate of about 12.3%. Of the two thirty six units that are vacant, 69 of them are ready. And 39 of them have an application for the vacant.

We I double checked these 39 of the 69 that are ready, 39 have a they have 39 applications for. And so they are in the leasing process on those. So with that, I will turn it over, think, to the team here to talk a little bit more about the process for unit turn, how it starts and then how the unit turn works.

Excuse me. Before we have you all to present, commissioner Nelson has a question.

I wanna say excuse me. I wanna say thank you, mister Ken Barbo. As a commissioner and a resident of Arlington Court, I had a high concern about what process was in in place concerning a person putting in an application for housing. Mhmm. And what happens happens step by step? For a while, I thought there was no plan. And so talking with some of the staff, simple as do we have any openings here at Arlington

Court? Curtain well.

Okay. Let me let me just finish, Ken. Okay. And so, they say, yeah, but we have to go in the apartments and get them ready for the next person. They said, we don't have enough staff. Ultimately, they said, we wish we had more workers to go into the apartments and get them ready. And so it's like that circle. You need more staff, but to get more staff, you need more money. We didn't have the money. So I'm like, what in the hell is going on? And so you answered a lot of my questions in your presentation.

Mhmm.

So I won't have any questions or remarks. I just wanna sit here and listen to the presentation of the staff. I've been waiting for something like this to take place where I personally could have a clear understanding of what is the plan. How do we get from a to z? Because ultimately, we want money. We want income. Mhmm. And I'm not the greatest mathematician, but I know you gotta have people in them apartments paying money Mhmm. In order for us to get money. So where do we begin?

I know where it ended. Mhmm. You know, but how do we get started back again and get on track? So I just wanted to say thank you for your presentation and answer multiple questions for me. Thank you.

Madam chair. Thank you. Commissioner Moore.

I just wanted to just ask really briefly what they're going, what you are going to present. Do we have anything in front of us that you're presenting?

You don't. Right now it's a discussion. We are going to give, you know, something more in writing. We can. But there's nothing in front of you right now.

And I am gonna apologize because I thought I made it clear the last time that we had a discussion that I really wanted to see numbers in front of this body. Right. And we've held it off and held it off and held it off. This is a conversation that is well past due. And and commissioner Nelson just talked about, you know, hey, this is is this revolving revolving cycle.

Cycle. We I'm hearing now we're all we all of a sudden have a plan to get units together and these numbers thank you so much and these numbers that we're talking about just the number of vacancies that we have. It's just alarming for me. Right? And so, I I need a plan like yesterday. To talk about how are we going because units equal money. Right. We're a business at the end of the day.

That's right.

If we cannot put people, bodies, units and I thought we had thousands of people on the list.

Yes.

So to have 39 applications for 69 ready, I'm just looking at the this is the other side of the Not the public housing side but the others, you know. Affordable. Affordable. Affordable. Like, I'm just and and I want you all to excuse me because we are in a financially.

Yes. And if we cannot move a unit when somebody moves out and we just now have a plan to be like, alright, when the keys are turned in, this is what we're gonna do. What the what have we been doing before? So I'm a pause there so that I can put it back over to this body to sort of explain that because I am perplexed that when I receive numbers about the number of vacant units, I just thought we were in the business of housing people. And that's why we have these extensive list. And they're waiting list after waiting list after waiting list and.

Right.

We can't even get people in in in to pay rent.

Yeah. Right.

I will pause there. Thank you so much, madam chair. I will let the our team members proceed.

Thank you, commissioner Moore. So, we will turn it over to staff. Please reintroduce yourselves and your function and then you all can proceed.

Hi. My name is Anicia Robertson. Am the Lead Director of Property Management for Treveau.

Mike Wellman, Maintenance Director.

Okay. And Todd Sliss, our Senior HR Business Partner.

Okay. So do you guys want to talk a little bit about what happened? I mean and this is not a new process. I want to stress what is new is we are taking a second look at how the process is working and trying to make improvements. So but if you want to talk a little bit about what happens when a unit becomes vacant, what's the first step, what happens after that and how the units units are going to be turned to be made ready and then how the unit how the leasing happens because that involves another department as well whether it's the public housing intake department or the or CVR if it's a PBV unit and as well as our late tax, our tax credit compliance unit.

Thank you.

Okay. I can start because the process actually starts with the property management office where once a person moves out, they turn in their keys. We do a lot change. We call for pest control. If the unit needs to be debride, we have a work order for debris.

We also sent all work orders to the maintenance department who processes or hands out the work orders to their maintenance staff. Once those three are done, we put in a work order and send in a unit inspection sheet for painting, debris, cleaning. And once the cleaning is complete, that's when we send over the information to CVR for applications. Once we get the applications from CVR, then we do our recertification process, our moving process, which qualifies them for the unit, and it is approved by our compliance manager. Once that is done, then we can lease the unit.

But it all starts we're having some issues right now with the applications right now. They are working. I can almost say CVR is working diligently to get us the application. It's just slow moving at this time.

Madam chair? Vice chair Gottsley.

Can I call you Anicia?

Yes, that's her Okay.

You can call me, Karen. So I just want to understand a little bit about the timing of the different processes. And I realize you're basically explaining that there comes a point at which, you know, then you are you have to wait for CVR to do something. But up until that point, does the I presume the idea is that the resident is supposed to give you thirty days notice before they move out. Correct. Right? Which sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. Correct. And I truly, you know, I'm the one who gets the PHA stuff, so I know how that goes. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't.

Do you notify then pest control and the debris people and all the initial folks and CVR that you have noticed that someone is moving out so that the work that has to be done in the unit can start immediately after the resident moves out?

Yes. We have a unit inspection sheet that we do. Once you turn in your keys, it's either that day, depending on the time of the day, or the next day that the locks are changed, the unit inspection is completed.

I guess what I am suggesting I guess what I am asking and I am not sure how much time you want to spend on this, Madam Chair, but that the process start at the time that you receive the thirty day notice because thirty one days from that, there should be people in the unit from maintenance doing whatever. So a lot of and I know you all get tired of hearing me say this, but most PHAs have a certain number of days within which a turn must happen on the public housing side. Generally, I'll just use my last job as an example. We had four a turn had to take four days. That's all you got.

Four workdays. So somebody, from the time the person moved out until the time it was ready and leased, you had four days. So that meant you had thirty four days, basically, to get that unit ready because you had thirty days notice. So I think, and I think maybe this might be part of what Commissioner Moore is thinking about, is that it would be helpful to see what does that procedure look like so that these things start happening very quickly. So now I know we're not going to go from where we are now to, you know, thirty five or thirty six days by tomorrow.

But that we can see how these things happen and it's never going to be perfect. I mean, as the asset manager, I know I had properties that for any series of reasons took us four months to rent, and that was considered outrageous. That's the point at which the CEO called me into the office and said, what is going on here? But I think there's some efficiencies in the process that perhaps could be resolved even on the affordable side with some better coordination. And are you here, Todd, because you don't have anything to do with this, do you?

Actually, it was just in case we

kind of came up for proposal. And you see, you just do the LLCs, right?

Correct.

Okay. So who does public housing then?

Dakeisha Obi is for public housing. However, Anisia is the lead at the moment. So she is the lead over all the associate directors of Okay.

Because that's an area where by the time that unit's ready, that you've had a whole month to screen people. And whoever is in charge of that group of people that does the prep work, they ought to have some potential candidates for you by then. So and I'm not sure where how that's structured into the organization. And I'd be but I'd be happy to meet with you and you, Mike, and whoever else to just talk through how to speed that process up so that it's not taking us this long because it's to your point, Commissioner Moore, I am flabbergasted by how many well, first of all, we have had this conversation about how many vacancies we have. But on the public housing side, we shouldn't have vacancies because theoretically, we've got a long waiting list and that is something we do control.

The CVR issue, that's a that involves some other folks. But I just think we need to really hone in on that. And I'm sure that the new CEO and his team will want to work on it. But I'm also very happy to assist with that.

Thank you so much, Vice Chair Gottsler. One moment. I want to go back to the original question, Anisia and Mike. From the time of notice when you receive, you know, the resident's intent to vacate, when does Mike or maintenance receive that notice? Is it when you would receive it from the resident or do you alert maintenance once you receive the keys?

We alert maintenance once we receive the keys.

Is that a standard practice?

Yes. As far as I know, yes. It's always been that way.

Okay. And to Vice Chair Gottsler's as well as Commissioner Moore's point, I think that's where we get into these deficiencies because of the wait time. Because then once you receive notice, Mike, how long does it take for you to respond to that work order?

It should be within twenty four hours the locks are changed.

Okay.

And sometimes it's right after we get the keys.

And as we are developing the SOPs, I believe you say this is what you're amending. This is something that I don't think we have to wait for HUD or anyone else to allow. This is certainly one of the measures I would like to see the plan is from the point of communication to the housing manager that the person is vacating the unit, that that work order goes immediately to maintenance for them to assemble whoever they need to be able to respond on that exit date or the day after the vacancy date. Unless there's something more that

No. I I just I I do want to I agree completely on that. I also want to add and I think it was mentioned already by Commissioner Moore and Commissioner Gottsler that the other side of the coin, which is requesting more applicants, also has to be started at an early process.

Right.

So as soon as you

know this.

COVID, I was helping to manage department which is public housing and one of the things I learned is that is a lot like a assembly line. Yes. You know, things keep moving. We're always going to have vacancies. So, you got to kind of figure out how many you're going to pull to be able to fill upcoming vacancies that will come up in the next month or so.

And so you have to be able to kind of proactively look at that. Obviously, you don't want to pull too many because then the information will get stale. Have processed people for eligibility and then you have to ask them for more income documentation because it's all old. It's a matter of trying to figure out and it's a little bit more of an art than a science, figure out how many you're going to need to pull because for some developments you're going to need at least twice as many as how many vacancies that you have because people will turn down the unit. People will say, Oh, I'm not interested.

People will not respond. And so you need to process or when they get there, they'll say, Oh, this unit's too small for my furniture. I can't move here. So you need to process more than that. And so that's part of it. And I just want to say that's something we need to make sure that we're looking prospectively on ahead of time on.

Okay. Thank you so very much. Commissioner Nelson.

Okay. Thank you Commissioner Karen, Commissioner Moore. As everyone who's present can see, this is a very serious issue for the commissioners and ma'am, I don't wanna mispronounce your name. What is your name again?

Anicia.

Okay. I appreciate everybody being present. That was something that was brought up earlier when you first sit down and begin to talk and I may not have this worded correctly but I heard you say you had a issue with getting applications. Am I correct in saying that?

Yes. Uh-huh.

Uh-huh. What is that issue? And let me just accent the point that we could sit here and bash, bash, bash but we're trying to solve this problem. Mhmm. Sometimes the board can help push things along, but for me personally, I have to know what is the issue, what do we have to dig in and resolve it and push it so the system works.

Mhmm.

Like, commissioner Moore said earlier, she had made requests probably on a couple occasions, But she got zero response. So I just wanna reiterate, we're serious when we interact and communicate, and we're not trying to harm anyone or cause any problems, but in order for us as commissioners to be effective, we we need to have the truth. We need to get information back in a timely fashion. We're dealing with multiple problems. This is just one of many challenges.

So could you answer that question then? What is your issue with getting applications? Can you just restate that?

I cannot give specifics as what the issue is, but we get our application for affordable housing with from CVR.

Well, actually two locations. The PBVs, it comes from CVR. And for the tax credit only units that comes from you guys have a waiting list.

We wouldn't have a waiting list.

Yeah. Ken, I'm a ask you a question. What can we do to help with this process of flowing with less challenges and at a quicker, more efficient pace. This is about teamwork, everybody working together. Apparently, something is not right. I'm looking at the statistical numbers on here.

Mhmm. Madam chair.

The numbers seem

Yeah.

Very low to me. Okay.

I would love for Mike to answer that question, madam chair. Sure. Oh, since he's in charge of maintenance.

Okay. Thank you. Mike.

Mike Wilman.

Could you repeat that question? I'm sorry.

Commissioner Moore.

What can be done to make the processes because I know that. More efficient. Forgive me- commissioner Nelson I just you know wanted to the staff here so. I wanted to the staff to be able because this is why you all are put in the positions that you are- What is the you talk about efficiency what how can we solve this. This process a lot

of it is getting the information faster from the managers.

So getting information faster from the managers. And when you say that, what do you mean?

The move out forms, vacants that when they come up vacant, we can move guys faster to get there to get the work done.

So are you stating that the the forms that previously so based on this document that I have in front of me as far as so if I I just use some of these numbers you know of the 2,300 units across the board we have about two fifty one vacant. So 50 units are ready. So are you saying that there's about two zero one units that you don't have documents for?

I do. And we're taking the oldest ones first and working on them. And as we're doing that, they're I'm not getting move out forms in a timely manner to get the work done.

So let me let me see if I can be a little bit more succinct. So let's say we pause on the current stuff, right? There's stuff that's going to be, you know, hey, we still, we're going to be pushing out these these forms in the future. Let's just talk about what's on the board right now. Okay.

How do we address what's on the board right now because if we have roughly about 200 units that are still not ready and then the PVV, I think this is the P, the nine, less than, a little less than 1,900. There's about 100 I don't know what my math is like on this one there 69 that are ready But they're still well over you know a 150 units that are still of it I mean that those are a lot of units for me. So I'm just so I'm just trying to understand I'm just Mike just help me because I'm trying to understand. How do we address the current situation.

We can address that by adding more staff to doing. They can turn around I mean we've a lot of new people start. We've had to train them and we will be putting another four to five guys on vacant unit turns.

So the current people that we have now on that just the current because I'm just trying to deal with what we got right now. Just trying to just deal with what we have right now. For the current people that are that you have right now. How many units can you all turn because I'm because I'm sure you all. Did an assessment of you know what This unit only needs just to clean out and some paint.

Mhmm

right to get moving or this unit. This unit probably have a few thousand dollars worth of jet damage because we got to do the electrical we got to do new for whatever right well like. There's a hole in the wall right so it may be a little bit more expensive. So based on the list that you all have. Because there were a lot of properties that were on hold. And I'm not sure why but there were quite a bit that were on hold. Has there been an assessment done of you know what here's the low hanging fruit. We can get some folks in to do some painting. You know we can you know a lot can be changed the- you we might need to do some carpet or whatever something the easy stuff I'm just trying to understand. Just as where we are right now, Mike.

How many units can our folks without having more staff? How many units can we turn to move some of these numbers back on the roll?

It's a case by case basis. I I can't give you an exact number. Every unit's different. I only get the information once it's sent from the managers.

So, don't we have that already based on the numbers in front of us? That's what I'm trying to understand. Are you I. And and and if anybody can make it more clear maybe I'm not maybe I'm not explaining it right

under.

Look madam chair. Commissioner yep it's class and I have

a couple more questions to kind of help clarify for this for me I just want to know when you're waiting on information from the manager how do you get it? Is it electronic? Does it push through system?

It by

email or they fax it to us, a move A out

fax.

Yep. Okay. So you're not using the Yardi system or, you know, whatever. And then the other well, this is for later on. That's for property preparation. And we can sidebar this, but I just want to make just want to state it. In terms of pairing possible tenants to a unit, don't we know what the housing size need is ahead of time based on the application? And so why would we show a tenant a unit that isn't suitable for their family size? So could that all be done again speaking to Commissioner Gottsler's question? Like there is so much that can be

done

proactively so we know how many units are in each, our bedrooms are in each unit, etcetera, so that we can start pairing people to units as they become available.

So that's My question still isn't being answered. Yeah. And I'm just confused because you're saying we don't have the information. So based on what we have in front of us as far as the number of units, you know, we we talk about this unit inspection sheet. Uh-huh. Do you not have this unit inspection sheet and Anissi, I see you're, you know, you want to jump in, tag in here, please. Help somebody. Do we not have the unit inspection sheet for the list of properties that we have in front of us that are waiting

vacant. So Mike and I, we spoke probably what a couple of days ago and he did inform me that some of the managers are not turning in the sheets to him. Okay.

So Mhmm.

So that's for me to address with the managers.

So if our managers aren't turning in the sheets, then why do we need our like, what is their role then?

Well, let's just say at the present time, as the lead director of property management, besides doing that position, I am managing Beecher Court and Merrill Park. Wow. And I'm also training Convent Hill, which we lost a manager there. My role is very out there right Structured? Yes. Very stretched.

Yourself, please, so we could get all these things.

I don't think it's a matter of cloning. I think there's a level of accountability here that I think is apparent that we see there's some deficiencies. So I would certainly like to meet with you all after this. I don't want to belabor this. I want you all to present from where you are to help us understand this is your opportunity to educate us because the three of you are a team and it sort of flows.

I understand from you property of the housing managers from you maintenance from you the staffing concerns. This is an opportunity and we won't get through all of the deficiencies. I'm glad that you all are looking at SOPs or whatever we can do to close the gap on some of these because as we are sitting here looking at these units in a troubled status, this this severe because without occupancy, we can't collect rent. Right? Right. If if and and I'll I'll certainly come back to you Commissioner Moore and then Vice Chair Gottsler and then there was.

I just needed to finish my point.

So Okay. But I I I need you all to not only tell us where where we are, but how are we coming up out of this as you all are presenting today because we we need to know what the solutions are. If there is something we need to do to help you all to get there, we're open to do that. But it can't continue. We can't continue working at the pace that we're working.

And you all are in the hot seat because you lead these departments. But I need you to start holding your staff accountable. And I know we're working on a skeletal crew, but what does that look like? There are some things that have fallen through the crack that has nothing to do with not having staff. Mhmm. Because we have people there. Alright? So we we recognize as a as a, you know, body up here that you have these deficiencies. But I am going to turn it back over to you all. I will respectfully ask my commissioners to hang tight. We can come back. But for you all to to share with us how you're working together to resolve these issues.

Well, at the present time, I know I just received from HR five application for housing manager that I have to review. That will get me more back on the role that I'm supposed to be in. We are holding, you know, the managers accountable, and that's why we have vacancies. There are two more that we need to hold accountable, but at the present time, I cannot hold them accountable because then that stretches me even more to manage those properties.

Okay. Thank you.

We are going to add more people turning vacants in more places and hopefully get more done in a short amount of time.

Actually, if I could, would just like to elaborate on that. We were just we had a meeting on Monday and it was one of the first times when we were all in the room, we I saw these numbers also. So we were talking with Mike. We're gonna do at least we know we're down to a skeleton crew is dedicate three guys to just start June turns and kind of push the other staff to stay on top of the work orders as best they can, just so we have somebody always looking at getting especially like we'd start out with Hillside because they've got some of the longest ones that are on hold and just try to get those down and just have three guys constantly going. And once Hillside is caught up, possibly go to Westlawn, get that a little knocked down again to get the lie tech bag.

And then I think we probably talked about going to college. But for now, we're just going try to get three guys focused on it and then work the rest of the staff in to just keep the work orders flowing.

Okay. Now I'm going to turn it back over to my colleagues starting with Commissioner Moore. I think you had something.

I'm a wait.

I don't

know if my other colleagues jump in so that

I Commissioner Snyder? Well,

Commissioner Snyder.

Before I have to go to the hospital to deal with the bruises on my arm. I'm right handed. Maybe the way that I see this as a problem solver is that there is pre move out and post move out. And post move out is the amount of time that it takes to do the things that you all say have to be done. We all agree on it.

Pre move out is a matter of anticipation and prediction and it should be predictable. How many years have we been in this business? Fifty, seventy five, more? I mean, it seems to me you should know as professionals, how many people do you predict are going to move out in any given year?

Or in any given month.

Or any

well, you can but even if it's every other year, every year, if you're going to have 75 or 100 people that are and you're going to have those as vacancies, now they'll you're they'll get cleaned up, but if and that takes a certain amount of time. Karen wants to do it four days, but maybe it takes a week. But that should have nothing to do with predicting and being ready for the number of vacancies that you anticipate. And if people fall out, Ken, the way you suggested, that's the cost of doing business. I mean there's people are just not going to want to come or they're going to say I got this or that happens.

Okay. And that should be able to be predicted too. And there's nothing that you can't quantify and predict if you spend enough time analyzing it. So why is it, if you can predict that there's going to be 50 people are going to move out, why aren't the 50 people ready to go? And then that time has and then you can learn over time how to shorten it and how to make it so it doesn't take six months.

It doesn't take three months. I mean you're ready to go with people who want to move in. And so then it's just a matter of going back and checking the pit, make sure the paper works okay and then getting the place cleaned and having somebody move in within a reasonable period of time. But if you have to start with all the paperwork and all the stuff that goes on, on thirty days, it seems to me like you've lost two or three months.

That's

exactly right.

Weren't ready for what you knew was going to happen.

Right. Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Snyder. Vice Chair Gottsler?

So I just I want to say this to Anicia and Mike. You guys just got promoted. You're relatively new in your jobs or the huge job you have right now. So first of all, thank you for stepping up, and thank you for being committed. And we appreciate you.

So I just want to say that really clearly because I know that there was nobody over the last few months who's been holding your hand and training you to do this job. I totally get that. We all understand that. And I want to be sure that you understand that this conversation is not about telling you that you're doing something bad. It's really about us, as everybody has said, understanding what the process is and how we as a commission can contribute to that.

So the I just wanted to follow-up question Commissioner Moore was asking, Mike, about this the list. And then you said something about move out forms. What actually are the move out forms? Is it something so I guess my thought was this. If he and I think this might be what commissioner Moore was referring to. So you know you have these 250 vacancies. Right? Who goes in to decide this is a two day job and here's who can do it? This is a week job. This is gonna this you know, this goes to these people. This is this is gonna take us four months. We got a contract.

That's right.

That's right.

Blah blah blah. So is that is that is that what you mean by a move out list or is there some piece of paper that you're not getting from the property manager? Yeah. Tells you just, oh, by the way, this is a vacant unit or I'm I'm not sure what

that It tells us

what the unit needs. Does it need cabinets? Does it need flooring? Does it need

So you leave that up to the property manager to decide.

With us.

Okay. Do they have the training to be able to tell you what the unit needs?

Yes. They do.

Okay. It's called Training. Okay.

And do they know how long it takes your department to do it?

I will say no. We wouldn't know how long it would take a person to replace a door or Right. Drywall or anything like that.

Okay. Because I think all those kinds of pieces of information and sharing between departments would be really helpful so that the process could get started a little bit sooner. Because even if, let's say, clearly, Anissia is in the process of upgrading the staff, I'll say it like that. Would you agree with that

Yes.

Concept? Okay. And I'm sure you are too, Mike. So as she's doing that, though, are there some shortcuts that we can take so that you can you personally or you, some person who's like a you know, your left or right hand person, you can send them over to get that form or to go look at that unit to figure out what don't we have, what don't we know about this unit. So I think that there's one of the things that I've learned over time is that in the old days,

I'll say

it like that, property public housing properties could take as much time as they wanted to do whatever it took them to do it, and HUD really did not care. Those days are so gone I can't even tell you. They've been gone on the affordable housing side for a long time because, as you know, Anicia, the investors are saying, why do we have such lousy vacancy, you know, rates and or such, yeah, such lousy vacancy rates. But and how it is supposed to do that in the property manage at the public housing site, it never used to care before.

Mhmm. Well, all

of a sudden, now it cares about everything, as

Mhmm.

As the chair and I have learned recently, unfortunately. Now they care about everything. So they're looking at every detail of our operation, and we want to demonstrate success and get this back on track. So I think figuring out how to support each other and what can commissioners do to help with that or are there other resources besides people, more people or different people or, you know, that can be provide provided to either of your departments.

Okay. Thank you. Commissioner Burrell.

Thank you, madam chair. I have a question for both of you. First of all, Nisia, have you ever had any of your managers not turn in the keys and stuff like for leasing on time? Like, say, for example, if I moved out and gave the manager my keys, did they give it to you right away, or do they some sometimes people have a tendency of forgetting. A manager might have a tendency of forgetting to give them to you. Have you ever heard had that happened to you?

So if you're turning your keys into the manager Mhmm. They wouldn't turn them into me at all.

They notify you they notify you about that this tenant did moved out so you can get the property re ready? No. The manager, they do every step of the way. Okay.

But what I've learned from Mike is that, like I stated, is some of the managers are not doing the process. Mhmm. So I have to retrain Okay. Them to let them know what the process is and to make sure that they get the proper work orders to maintenance operations and the unit inspection worksheet. Okay.

Okay. And, also, another question regarding the other managers. It's not jet it's not it's not one or two development. It's a lot of developments. Call me. If you the managers some of these managers stop being us resident friend and do their job, maybe some of these can be occupied. It's a lot of calls I get because this manager wanna run this, that, and the other instead of doing what they have to do as a manager and go forth with the they they go forth with the they job and do what they supposed to do in housing. Maybe some of these occupations, houses can be occupied.

Okay.

And, Mike, for you, I had residents come to me regards of hot water problems. They had new hot water tanks put in, and they're still having problems with it. Do you remember that, commissioner chair? And, also, how long does it take if you put in a work order regards of a sun pump? You know, we got these floods going on and this, that, and that.

I'm speaking on my behalf for that because I have water in my basement, and I did put in a work order two different places. So I wanna know how long this is gonna take for me to get that matter solved. And I do remember the maintenance man coming out there re repairing it and everything, and it's still a problem with it.

They should have been there the same day to replace that.

Well, no one ever showed up, so I'm asking questions as a resident and as a commissioner.

Okay.

May I ask, are you putting in the work order? Before I'm we sorry.

Just going to jump in here because now we're getting into a lot of technical conversation. Please get with Commissioner Barrel after this to do I'm I'm if they're to of receiving these work orders from fax versus using Yardi that we have approved funding for. I know that this is a function of Yardi that we can certainly optimize. We may want to look into that just so everyone can keep, you know, on track with the dashboard of where we are. I'm I'm not going to belabor I do have a

final madam chair.

This Point. Thank you, Commissioner Moore. But I will ask that you all come back for the May meeting. With some improvements around this. We will continue to work with Ken and Ken will continue to work with you all on some of the things that we would like to see around these these deficiencies to bring bring us back into the fold because again, HUD is not playing with us.

No. No.

And I cannot sit here in good, you know, faith and just let it just continue. We've been in meetings with them. It's not a guarantee that they allow us these extensions that they have been gracing us with. All of us are impacted by that. And I hope you read into that sentence.

We are all impacted by that. So I understand that you are new to these positions, but I also understand that you agreed to them, knowing where we are today. So the expectation is for us to be problem solvers, but expeditiously. Whatever these impediments are, whatever the problems are, whoever we need to get into the room to solve them, we do not have time. We are behind the eight ball.

So we can sit here and tear all of this stuff apart. We'd I'm I'm I'm going to shut it down. We're meet with these staffers. Ken can arrange for each of us however you want to address it. But for May's meeting, please come back with a comprehensive plan as well as some movement in the right direction with these vacancies vacancies and other things. Okay? So that's thirty days plus, I think, from now. That's more than enough time. Okay? Commissioner Moore.

No. Thank you. And I'll be and I'll be brief because I want folks to understand that I'm not just talking about vacancies that were vacant thirty days ago. You know, we're we're talking and I'm talking about somebody that just moved out a week ago. Yeah. I'm talking about vacancies that have been on the books for months. I don't even know if it's years. I don't know that. I don't even have the data in front of me. So to the chair's point, one of the things that I am looking for because of the rough when I did the rough numbers as to what's left is I came up with 367 units that are still not ready.

You know I'm curious as to of this number. We talk about the unit inspection sheet do we have any of that information? How long have they been vacant? So, I just for the data point piece for me, I would just love to know of the units that are vacant. How long have they been vacant?

What is the triage process because there are some things that are low hanging fruit that can be done. What can be done to move these to a you know, so that we can move to a ready, you know, position. In addition to if you so, you know, Mike, you also talked about staffing really, really quick. How many folks do you have on staff that are that are in maintenance?

30.

32. 32 daytime guys and two nighttime

guys. And two?

Two nighttime guys. And

the folks that are on nighttime, are they just handling like emergency situations or Yes.

They handle all emergency after hours work orders.

And then so and you can come to me. I won't belabor the point for for your 32 daytime folks. I'll that's

because I told her.

I I love to know what these people are doing. Like, oh.

Oh, yeah.

X number of people are for this, X number of people for that. These people are trained in this. So, they typically do this. I I see 32 people because if you want more staff, I need to know what the 32 are currently doing. Mhmm. So, if that that would be part of my data request for for the Mays meeting but I I I need to see some details and some movement because we are behind and and and this department or this hackam when we talk about resources, a ready unit is one that we need to gain, you know, to it it equals dollars. And if we don't have dollars coming in, we can't there's we can't do anything. We're going to continue to be in the hole. And we're I'm sorry.

I agree.

I agree. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you all so very much, Vice Chair Gottsler. And then we're going to move on to the next.

I'm going to end this on a positive note. So every day I have to go for a walk as part of my physical therapy. So on Monday, I walked over to Arlington Court from my apartment and I had the best conversation with a bunch of residents who were sitting outside, and Commissioner Nelson, you would know who they are, and they were And just of course, I thought I would say hello to all the staff. And I want you to know, Mike, that Jose let me in. He was incredibly helpful, very kind, and the residents who were sitting outside that I spoke with him had nothing but great things to say about him and about person who does the janitorial work at Arlington Court.

So, you know, just so you know that we know that there are really good workers.

Thank you, Vice Chair Gottsler. All right. We are going to move forward. Patty, can you read the next item please?

This is all within the Executive Director.

So I will call CBR up. I believe we have Tracy Sheffield and Tina Royalty who are going to do a report on the voucher program activities. Do you want to introduce yourselves?

Hello. Welcome.

Good evening. Evening. Tracy Sheffield, CBR Senior Vice President.

Tina Royal, T, HCV Director. Thank you. Welcome.

All right. So I think it would be good to just pivot first to the PBV side of things since we just discussed from the property management side to answer a couple of questions that may be lingering. For some of the properties, for example, Highland Gardens, we've made three separate grouped polls of applicants over the last two months. The last poll was 200 applicants to try to get people to respond to provide their documentation. Highland Gardens has been one of the most difficult of the properties that we've had in getting responses from the candidates.

We have 25 applicants that have responded for Merrill but a lot of times the applicants have applied for multiple waiting lists at one time. So, they have a choice of what property they want to go to when they're pulled. So, that is a bit of a variable for us. There are other properties where there are reports of like the level of violence in the neighborhood is making the property undesirable for tenants to want to move to. So those things are kind of playing into what we hear back from applicants when they are pulled from a waiting list that no, I don't want to go to that property. Want to go over here in a more desirable area.

I have a question. If they decide not to take the vacancy that's available to them, then what happens after that? Do they go to the back of the line? Do we continue to work with them? If so, how long of a period do they have to make that decision? So in most

cases, they are on multiple waiting lists for PBV.

Okay.

So they have an option if they want to choose a different property. If they've been pulled and they also are on another waiting list, they'll say, okay, I don't want to take this unit. I want to go to a different property. So we do allow them that one choice that they can say, I don't want that unit, but I'm going to go into this particular unit. So for example, I think we had a pool where they were pooled for Highland, but the offer was you have Highland, Cherry, and Merrill. Okay. Well, they chose Cherry. Okay. And so unit is available at Cherry, they move into Cherry. Okay.

So then those two other properties don't get the referral because they didn't choose those two. So then, of course, that means we have to do another pool because we don't have enough candidates for the property that we are pulling for at that time. So, that's the reason why for like Highland, we had to do three. It was three different pools. This last pool, we pulled double almost triple what we would normally pull for them just to get a good candidate pool from that list. Okay.

Thank you.

One thing I would like to coordinate with Anicia on, if we can, in an effort to this kind of wheel in the cog, right, we have this assembly line. One thing that I would like to see and coordinate with her on with honor our admissions supervisor is when we get the request for referrals, If we could know the bedroom size that they're that like the units are becoming ready. Sometimes we don't get that information and there could be multiple bedroom sizes available. So we want to be able to target because the waiting lists are bedroom based. We want to be able to target the right applicants for the right bedroom size.

When you say bedroom size, I'm sorry, madam chair.

Commissioner Moore. When you say

bedroom size, you mean the number of bedrooms or? Yes.

So based on the family's composition, they're eligible to live in a certain a unit with a certain number of bedrooms.

So when you all are getting information,

that information isn't presented to you? It's when they first apply which in some cases it could have been five years ago that they applied. Oh you're saying

which side are you talking referring to? You're talking about the applicant side or? Housing manager. Or the housing manager side.

Okay. The housing when when when a unit is vacant it would be good to know the unit size that is available so that we can pull the applicants from that. Completely makes sense.

So, so, indulge me for a little bit. You just get a, oh, hey, you just get a whatever. You know, this oh, we have a vacancy. There's no details to that vacancy.

Right. So, we got a request today for 10 referrals for each of the RAD properties but it didn't list what bedroom sizes were available. So it helped us target which exact units we need to pull applicants for that bedroom size. Madam Chair, who do I ask?

Why is that that doesn't even make any sense to me.

That would be Anisia, I believe. Anisia, would you like to join us? Because that's something I just make

sense. I'm guessing that you this is outside of the fact that some buildings only have one bedroom so you already know what that bedroom size

is.

There are some that have multiple bedrooms. So they may have one bedroom units. They may have two bedroom units. And so now we're pulling because they said they want for all of the RAD properties applications pulled for those. So now we have to determine are these all one bedroom units or are they some of them two bedrooms? How many two bedrooms do we need? Because that's not as common Okay.

Of a pool.

Sure. All right. So for for your question, can you pose it now that Anisia is back at the table? But also to Anisia, can you please introduce yourself and then pose your question, Commissioner Moriham.

Anisia Robertson, the property lead director of property management, Travaux.

So and you see my question is the the documentation that typically goes over to CVR. What are we missing that there's not a a checkbox to say up this is a one bedroom this is a two bedroom, this is a three bedroom. Is that information not included in a form? Again, I'm not sure what goes over, what that looks like, but is that documentation not included because again, we're talking about, we're talking about efficiency here.

The only thing that we are required to give CVR, they asked us to give them the notice of vacancy. Yep. For each property which I don't like to use the word assume, but I assume when they get the notice, they know the bedroom size. I can say maybe for Carver and some of Westlawn, they wouldn't know the bedroom size. And I can have that address where we can put the bedroom size on the notice of vacancy, but that was me today. They sent the email out to say, hey. I need 10 applications for all the red units assuming again that they knew they they were all one bedrooms.

Got it.

So most of our property is typically just a one bedroom?

Yes. For affordable. Yes. Except for Westlawn and Carver. Westlawn, Carver, Lapham. Lapham.

Those are and some of the Highland Gardens.

Highland has some. Yeah. Highland.

There's one unit in Beecher but not even a good go there. Yeah. Right.

Okay. And

and scattered sites tax credit as well. Got

it.

There are 48 units of scattered sites tax credit.

And you're multiple bedrooms.

So based on based on that, what it what if if we can, if that's something because I'm just trying to close the loop because if they're looking at like, yes, I, you know, we're going to assume that these particular, if you're requesting 10 and you know, of the ten, eight are the one bedrooms but the other two you know, is what a two bedroom or three whatever or the need the need for it. I just I'm just trying to close the loop to just figure out a little bit more efficiency because I need us to be able to figure out how to do this more more efficiently. Right. Because if it's this back and forth, it just, it, we're just wasting time. Go ahead.

What I can do because we used to share a spreadsheet that they used to can look at and we can start going back to the spreadsheet. Where they can review the spreadsheet where there was a tab where it says referrals and how for each development and what the bedroom sizes are.

We can go back to the spreadsheet. Whatever is the easiest, more, most efficient way to do it, that's the main thing that I'm looking at right now because we have you we have apparently units that need to be filled and if if we're if it's going to take us so long to get applicants to fill these units. We're just talking about time. Right. And the the sooner that we can get bodies and families, you know, into into our units, again, it equates to our moving us in a better financial place.

Would like to also say that if we could get the we we do have a biweekly meeting and we did use to share that information in the biweekly meeting as well where we would discuss those vacancies. If we can get those vacancies when they are first notified of the vacancy Mhmm. That would help us prepare because when we when we select people off of our waiting list, when when we select candidates off our waiting list, we have to first initiate a workflow for them to fill out. That takes time. Yep. Then we have to review that workflow to make sure we have all the documents and make sure that the family is eligible. So that takes time.

When you so go really quick. Give me a sense of what this are we talking about sixty days, ninety days? Like, when you say time, what are we referencing?

So it depends on the situation. Right? So if we pull, when we pull someone from the the waiting list, we give them ten days to complete their workflow. Mhmm. In a perfect world, they're logging in the first day.

Sure. But they have to tell. Okay. But it's ten, let's say they don't but they ten days. Got it.

And they get to the ten day and now they can't log in. So now we have to troubleshoot in some cases. Okay. So we troubleshoot, get them in, get them completed. Now we have to go through reviewing that file to make sure that the family is eligible for that particular unit, right? That we we think that they're going to go to. Once we determine that they're eligible, now, we have to go through the process of.

How long does that eligibility period?

It could take anywhere between five to ten days.