TOWN OF MARION
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST
MEETING MINUTES
June 9, 2008
MEMBERS PRESENT: Reg Foster, Chairman
Ora Mae Torres
Robert MacFarlane
James Grady
Jon Henry
Steve Cushing
Roger Blanchette
ALSO PRESENT: Debra Paiva
Suzanne Peterson
Julia Deane Crowley
Eunice Manduca
Robert Mangham
Marianna Mangham
Helen Westergard
Andrea Smith
Drew Jeffrey
Commencement – Mr. Foster called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. and welcomed Mr. Cushing to the Trust.
Approval of Minutes
Moved by Mr. Grady and seconded by Mr. Henry to approve the minutes of May 12, 2008 as amended. VOTE: 6-0-1 (Mr. Cushing abstained)
Tribute to Drew Jeffrey
Mr. Jeffrey’s contributions during his time on the Trust were discussed.
Moved by Mr. Blanchette and seconded by Rev. MacFarlane to have Mr. Foster select an appropriate token of appreciation to present Mr. Jeffrey from the Trust. VOTE: 7-0-0
Mr. Jeffrey joined the meeting at this time. Individual Trust members described their positive experiences with Mr. Jeffrey and also his contributions to the Trust and the town of Marion. Mr. Jeffrey thanked the members for their acknowledgement and said it had been an honor serving on the Trust.
CHAPA Grant Application
Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), a non-profit umbrella organization for affordable housing in Massachusetts, has $75,000 to be disbursed to 3-5 communities. The funds may be used for consulting or technical support. An initial response form consisting of eleven questions was mailed to the Planning Board and is due back to CHAPA tomorrow. The completed form was reviewed and discussed by Trust members.
Moved by Mr. Grady and seconded by Mr. Foster that the Housing Trust submit the initial response form as drafted with amendments as approved by the Chairman. VOTE: 7-0-0
Little Neck Village Expansion Project
Statement by LNV Resident(s)
Ms. Burrill said the statement from the residents of Little Neck Village is a representation of the majority of residents. She said it has appeared in area newspapers, asked that it be noted in the meeting minutes and also attached to the meeting minutes. Mr. Blanchette asked how many residents signed the statement; Mr. Foster said he had not received a signed copy. Ms. Burrill said the residents who did not sign the statement said they were afraid to sign it due to fear of retaliation. She provided a signed copy of the statement.
Moved by Mr. Grady and seconded by Rev. MacFarlane to attach the statement to the meeting minutes and also to thank the residents of Little Neck Village for their input.
Update on RFP
Town Meeting
Two articles relative to Little Neck Village were recently voted on at Town Meeting. One of the articles, the appropriation of $228,979 for the expansion of Little Neck Village, was approved. The other article, the transfer of control of the site from the Board of Selectmen to the Trust, was defeated.
Amendment to RFP
Mr. Foster described the amendment to the RFP. The amendment invites all bidders to submit a bid for a senior only project. This is optional; the bidders are still required to submit bids showing a mix of family and senior units. The response deadline for the RFP has been extended to June 26.
Optional Bidders’ Conference (May 21)
A number of potential bidders attended the May 21 conference to receive oral responses to questions that had been submitted. The amended RFP, which also contained written responses, was sent out on May 28.
Site of Little Neck Village Expansion
Trust members discussed selling the land that is the current location of Little Neck Village and using the funds to construct another affordable development in an alternative location in town.
Mr. Foster said constructing a project on a different site could be considered in the future but the focus should remain on the current location.
Opening of Bids
The bids are expected to be opened at 10:00 a.m. on June 26. Mr. Dawson will guide the Trust through the evaluation procedure.
Wording of MAHT Statement
A statement from the Trust was reviewed and discussed. Mr. Blanchette recommended that a statement made by Lee Hayes relative to his experience with housing projects containing family and senior housing be put into writing. Mr. Grady suggested some revisions to the Trust statement.
Moved by Mr. Cushing and seconded by Mr. Blanchette to approve the statement as amended. VOTE: 7-0-0
LIP Application for a Site Eligibility Letter
Trust members reviewed and discussed the draft application.
NOTE: Mr. Blanchette, Mr. Henry, and Mr. Cushing all recused themselves from the following vote.
Moved by Rev. MacFarlane and seconded by Mrs. Torres to authorize Mr. Grady to work with and perfect the application with Mr. Heaton and to act on behalf of the Trust to make sure everything is correct and then report back to the Chair. The Chair is authorized to sign the application that has been submitted to the Affordable Housing Trust and approved as well as to authorize it being forwarded to the Board of Selectmen. VOTE: 4-0-3 (Mr. Blanchette, Mr. Henry, and Mr. Cushing abstained)
Report by Subcommittee on Consulting RFP
The subcommittee has met and will meet again after this meeting. The members of the subcommittee are required to submit their findings to Mr. Dawson; they are not otherwise allowed to reveal their findings.
Special Legal Counsel
At the May 12 meeting it was agreed that Mr. Grady and Mr. Foster would work on exploring candidates to act as Special legal counsel. Mr. Grady described his experiences with four unnamed attorneys (one was not interested, one was impossible to contact, and two will probably be submitting their resumes).
Audience member Julia Crowley recommended Randall Arendt, who has provided consulting services to the Planning Board.
Schedule of Future MAHT Meetings
At a previous meeting the Trust agreed to hold weekly meetings from June 9 through mid-September. Because the deadline for bids was extended to June 26 the meetings of June 16 and June 23 were cancelled. The next meeting of the Trust will be June 30 and weekly after that.
Moved by Mr. Henry and seconded by Mrs. Torres to cancel the meetings of June 16 and June 23. VOTE: 7-0-0
Administrative
Town Insurance
Mr. Foster has verified that Trust members are covered under the Town’s liability policy.
New Business
Mrs. Crowley mentioned the number of smaller homes in the town and suggested the Trust pursue having those homes designated affordable.
Executive Session
Moved by Mr. Grady and seconded by Mr. Cushing to go into Executive Session solely for the purpose of discussing financial negotiations concerning matters related to _________________. The Trust will not be emerging to a public session but rather to an adjournment. VOTE: A roll call vote was taken with Mr. Foster, Mr. Grady, Mr. Cushing, Mr. Henry, Mr. Blanchette, Rev. MacFarlane, Mrs. Torres all voting yes.
Respectfully submitted,
Reg Foster, Chairman
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