HomeMy WebLinkAboutOC Housing Authority minutes 091714 Orange County Housing Authority Board
September 17,2014
Members Present: Diane Beecham, Jean Bolduc, JonZella Bailey-Pridham, Tammy Jacobs
Members Absent: None
Staff Present: James Davis
Welcome/Introduction
The meeting was called to order by the Chair Jean Bolduc at 6:10 pm.
Approval of Minutes
Diane Beecham made a motion to approve the minutes from May 29, 2014. JonZella Bailey-Pridham
seconded the motion which passed unanimously. There was no meeting in June or August, 2014 due to
there being no quorum. There was no meeting in July due to the scheduled summer break
Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Budget Review
James Davis reviewed the revenues and expenses for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program as
of June 30, 2014 to cover the entire FY2013-2014. The fund balance reflected $291,587, including
$71,543 of unrestricted funds and $220,044 of restricted funds. According to the report, the HAP
expenses for the fiscal year exceeded the HUD HAP disbursements by $393,167. This reflects HUD's
effort to reduce the County's reserves by decreasing its disbursements throughout the year. Of note, the
October 2013 disbursement was $127,991, the February 2014 disbursement was $73,429 and the April
2014 disbursement was $114,391. These disbursements were significantly lower than the other 9 months
of disbursements.
Board Work Plan Continued
Commissioners revisited the Board Work Plan with regard to the recommendation to establish quarterly
informational sessions for tenants. It was discussed that the first informational session will be for
landlords and housing advocates. Jean stated that the original plan for the presentation was to have two
sessions: one in Chapel Hill in September and one in Hillsborough in October. The Towns of Chapel Hill
and Carrboro agreed to assist by securing a venue in Chapel Hill, availing their respective Mayors to
address the audience and provide advertising for the presentations. Jean explained that the Towns were
redirecting their focus towards meeting with specific landlords and recommended that the County and the
Housing Authority move forward with a presentation in October.
Department Report
James Davis presented two videos. The first video was a news report on a Housing Choice Voucher
family that caused significant damage to the property. The Commissioners discussed the video and
offered suggestions that landlords should manage their properties in a manner that may reduce the chance
of tenants causing damage. The second video was a brief overview of the Housing Choice Voucher
program. The Commissioners discussed the video stating that it was a good overview of the program,but
should be longer.
James presented an update on the tenants living in GSC units. The number of remaining tenants is down
to seven(7).
James presented a copy of the Bylaws to the Commissioners. The Commissioners recommended that the
Bylaws be amended to include an attendance policy. It was also recommended that the language
regarding the open meetings law be amended to accurately reflect the purpose of this rule. It was further
discussed that James' role on the board is ex-officio and that he is not a voting member of the Housing
Authority. The Commissioners will revisit the Bylaws in October 2014 to make specific
recommendations and vote on amendments.
James presented the membership application for Evelyn Johann. The Commissioners reviewed the
application and unanimously voted to recommend the Board of County Commissioners to appoint Ms.
Johann to the Housing Authority.
Other Business
Commissioner JonZella Bailey-Pridham expressed her personal offense regarding an email from Chair
Bolduc about commissioner absences. She also expressed her personal offense that her email to James
Davis regarding her intent to be present at a meeting was forwarded to the Chair. Ms. Bailey-Pridham
opined that the Chair's email should have been sent to her personally instead of being sent to all board
members. She further stated that her email to staff was personal and should not be shared with the Chair.
With regard to the email forwarded to the Chair, James apologized for any offense and stated that the
referenced email was not interpreted as personal or confidential. Ms. Bolduc responded with an apology
for any offense and stated that poor attendance has resulted in a lack of quorums for several months over
the course of 2013 and 2014. She offered two documents for the record. One was a meeting attendance
record for 2013 and 2014. The other was the Board of County Commissioners' guidelines for attendance
for persons serving on BOCC-appointed boards and commissions. The Chair reminded the board that all
correspondence on Housing Authority business is public record and that the issue of poor attendance is a
matter for the entire board and not one of personal discretion. She further noted that poor attendance has
been a persistent problem for the last two years and is mentioned on multiple occasions in meeting
minutes.
There being no additional business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. on a motion by Chair Jean
Bolduc.
Respectfully submitted: James E. Davis, Jr., Secretary
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