Lenox Affordable Housing Committee
December 5, 2011
Minutes
Members present: Dave Klausemeyer (DK), Chair, Jo Anne Magee (JM), Ellen Jacobson (EJ), Debbie Burke (DB), Kate McNulty-Vaughan (KMV), Olga Weiss (OW) and Theresa Ahrens (TA).
Also in attendance: Mary Albertson (MA), Town Planner.
DK opened the meeting at 3:10 PM.
Minutes:
KMV made a motion to approve the minutes of November 14, 2011. ~DB seconded the motion and the Board voted 5-0-1 to approve. OW abstained because she did not attend the November 14, 2011 meeting.
Peer-to-Peer Update
MA offered an update on the Peer-to-Peer grant. The town received the formal award letter but is waiting for the contract. MA will continue to contact the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) project manager to ensure the contract is processed as quickly as possible.
Members reviewed the January meeting schedule. The committee generally meets on Monday and January 2, 2012 and January 16, 2012 are holidays. Members agreed to meet on Tuesday – January 17, 2011. MA will contact Connie Kruger (Peer-to-Peer consultant) to determine her availability.
Other Business
DK offered an update on the Regional Housing Symposium. He reported at the last meeting Berkshire Bank will co-sponsor the event with the Berkshire Taconic Foundation and the Tri-Town Alliance. Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is the invited keynote speaker. To accommodate Secretary Donovan’s schedule the event will be scheduled for the spring of 2012.
JM reminded members that the idea for the symposium started with the committee. DB said the committee is an example of a successful grassroots effort.
JM mentioned that when she was preparing the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) application she reviewed the State Subsidized Housing Inventory and found that the Lenox count went from 7.8 % to 7.2 %. Discussion ensued regarding the drop in the inventory.
The consensus of the committee was for each member to focus on an affordable housing topic as follows:
OW rental housing
DK affordable units for sale in Lenox
DB Sawmill Brook project
KMV communication and public outreach
TA to be determined
JM grants and other opportunities to leverage money for the Housing Trust
EJ website development
The next meeting will be Tuesday – January 17, 2012 @ 3:00 PM.
Meeting adjourned at 4:10 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mary Albertson, Town Planner
Approved:
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