Housing Committee Minutes
September 14, 2005
Town Hall
7:30p.m.
Present: Steve Schwab, Chair, Zelda Gamson, Jim Feiner, Andy Goldman, Josh Scott, Steve Gallas, Deborah Cini, Administrative Assistant.
Public: Brian Hefler, Vineyard Gazette.
Ms. Gamson opened the meeting at 7:30p.m. At Mr. Schwab’s request, Ms. Gamson chaired the meeting until he arrived.
The Minutes of August 10, 2005 were approved as written.
Ms. Cini presented possible grant applications for Affordable Housing for the Committee to review without discussion.
The Housing Committee discussed moving the meetings to the first and third Wednesdays of the month. The Committee voted unanimously to move the meetings to the first and third Wednesdays of the month. The Committee also voted to cancel the September 26, 2005 meeting during the transition to the new meeting schedule. Motions approved.
Ms. Cini presented the Committee with a draft Rental Conversion Policy for the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority. The Policy states that the CHC will fund the need of the family based upon the number of bedrooms needed. The Committee reviewed the policy and voted to approve it. Ms. Cini will forward the approved policy to Terri Keech at Dukes County Regional Housing Authority.
Ms. Cini updated the Committee about the All Island Affordable Housing Committee Meeting that had occurred at 5:00p.m. prior to the CHC meeting. In Edgartown, appeals have been filed for the homesites on Chappy and the Jenney Lane project. The Pennywise Path project is due for ground breaking in spring. In Tisbury, Bridge Housing has had appeals filed on its 40B application. West Tisbury had its first Homesite created under its new bylaw and is currently in its 20-day appeal period. Chilmark is currently working on the Middle Line Road project and has its first Homesite going before the ZBA in October. The Island Housing Trust is currently developing 12 houses to be used as Homesites. Tisbury has awarded 12 houses in the Fairwinds project and construction is beginning soon.
Ms. Gamson presented the Committee with a summary of lottery criteria and eligibility requirements used by Edgartown, West Tisbury and Tisbury. She also presented her observations of themes relevant to the CHC from the work of those towns. The following was taken from the document she distributed.
None of the towns keep a running list of applicants; applicants are invited to apply for specific projects. The Dukes County Regional Housing Authority has been increasingly qualifying applicants. Dealing with the issue of giving preference to town residents is addressed in different ways. The application procedures and guidelines for resale are more specific in other towns than in Chilmark's. Finally, a homebuyers workshop conducted by the Dukes County Regional Housing Authority is available (and sometimes required.) The towns have carried out lotteries in different ways. The CHC can learn from their experience.
Ms. Gamson suggested that the CHC to use Dukes County Regional Housing Authority to qualify Middle Line Road applicants. Mr. Goldman agreed. The committee will revisit this issue when the time is appropriate. Ms. Gamson recommended revising the Guidelines to make them appropriate for the Middle Line project, while also retaining the language for homesites. Mr. Schwab mentioned a definitive source for CPA questions. The contact person is Kathy Roth at Community Preservation www.communitypreservation.org
Mr. Schwab updated the Committee on the Middle Line Road project subcommittee. Mr. Schwab stated that the subcommittee would be meeting after Molly Flender's memorial service on Friday to discuss and assign tasks to be accomplished.
Meeting adjourned at 9:00p.m.
These minutes respectfully submitted by Deborah Cini, Administrative Assistant
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