SUBJECT TO TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL
TOWN OF EAST HARTFORD
740 MAIN STREET
WELLING CONFERENCE ROOM, 2nd FLOOR
APRIL 7, 2011
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING – EAST HARTFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY
PRESENT Chair Richard F. Kehoe, Vice Chair William P. Horan, Jr., Majority Leader Barbara-Ann Rossi, Minority Leader Eric A. Thompson (arrived at 7:50 p.m.), Councillors Marc I. Weinberg, Linda A. Russo, Ram Aberasturia, Susan P. Skowronek and Patricia Harmon
ALSO Ralph Alexander, Attorney, East Hartford Housing Authority
PRESENT East Hartford Housing Authority Commissioners:
Robert Keating, Chair; Art O’Brien, James Kate
James Patterson, Prescille Yamamoto
CALL TO ORDER
Richard Kehoe, Chair of the East Hartford Town Council and Robert Keating, Chair of the East Hartford Housing Authority,
called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Chair Kehoe announced the exit locations in accordance with Connecticut General
Statutes §29-381.
The Town Council and the Board of Commissioners for the East Hartford Housing Authority discussed the recent HUD
assessment of the East Hartford Housing Authority.
The Town Council recommended the East Hartford Housing Authority consider the following actions: (1) King Court, as a moderate rental facility, accounts for the bulk of the financial stress at the Housing Authority and consideration should be given to selling this property. Because the state and the town have a claim on any sale proceeds, discussions should commence with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and our state delegation; (2) the educational qualifications for the Executive Director and the Finance Director should be revised to include experience with governmental agencies – specifically Housing Authorities – along with an accounting degree; (3) the procurement policy should be revised for compliance with HUD regulations and there should be a process to insure compliance with that policy; (4) requiring
training from HUD, and other sources, for each new Commissioner appointed to the Housing Authority to help guide them through their tenure as a Commissioner and provide them with the tools needed to oversee the Housing Authority staff. Additionally, as regulations change, a refresher course should be provided; and (5) reopening union contracts is an appropriate way to address overstaffing issues that HUD raised and reducing expense.
Chair Kehoe commented that the lines of communication between the Commissioners of the Housing Authority and the Town Council should be ongoing. The Chair suggested that before the Commissioners submit their response to the HUD assessment, another joint meeting with the Town Council would be helpful.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Eric Thompson
seconded by Bill Horan
to adjourn (8:25 p.m.)
Motion carried 9/0.
Attest____________________________
Richard F. Kehoe
Town Council Chair
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