Willington Housing Authority
60 Old Farms Road
August 13, 2012 Meeting Minutes
Present: Claudia D’Agata, Don Berg, Laurel Millix, Wilbur Gangaway; financial consultant David Berto; WHA Recording Secretary Brenda Sullivan. Absent: WHA Chairman Robert Campbell
Call to Order – W. Gangaway called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.
Present to Speak – No members of the public were present to speak.
Old Business – Button Hill Senior Housing project:
D. Berto reported that the Federal Home Loan application period opened today, due at the end of September. R. Campbell will have received an email telling him to go online and sign up, then D. Berto will complete the up-front parts of the application which then goes to Rockville Bank, and when the bank signs on, he can then get into the application and start filling it out.
He also reported the First Selectman Christina Mailhos is sending a letter saying the project was approved at Town Meeting and he also now needs actual documents, i.e. lease and tax abatement agreement (implementation documentation) within the next six weeks so they can be included in the application.
D. Berg added that the attorney would have to draw up the documents.
C. D’Agata said that C. Mailhos was on vacation this week.
D. Berto said he needs WHA Chairman R. Campbell to sign a letter on WHA letterhead to affirm, as chair, to the Federal Home Loan Bank that the project is in compliance with all of the bank’s requirements (a compliance letter) to include with the application. D. Berto said he formulated the letter and emailed it to both R. Campbell and C. D’Agata. The letter will be scanned and included in the application.
D. Berto also listed questions to update info about the WHA before they can get to the application. He explained that the applications are designed for corporation so some questions wouldn’t apply to a housing authority, i.e. about an auditor’s report (which the WHA wouldn’t have). The questions include:
- the number of WHA staff – the application doesn’t allow them to enter “zero,” so D. Berto suggested listing R. Campbell because he has the most experience and said that he would need to include a copy of Campbell’s resumé
- how many days of operating cash does the WHA have on hand. C. D’Agata said they could report $3,980.37 (from the town) for two years (of operating cash).
- a report showing transactions in this account for the last fiscal year – C. D’Agata gave D. Berto this document.
D. Berto said other questions concerned current liabilities (WHA has none), whether the cash flow from the operations balance is positive (yes), whether WHA is a 5013c nonprofit – this wasn’t clear. D. Berto said the WHA does have a Federal ID Number but also noted that the Access Agency created a new corporation under 5013c for the Willington Woods project, so that wasn’t done as the Willington Housing Authority.
D. Berto also reported that architect Bill Crosskey added extra charges to his bill for placing stakes and landscaping for the stairwells, which requires a contract amendment to be submitted to the DECD, which R. Campbell needs to sign.
There was discussion about the project’s funding. D. Berto said the town has funds for the project’s infrastructure and this is a separate bidding process. He said the town has two pots of money – some left from the sewer/water grant ($176,000) and $2,008 from the EDI grant. He said the EDI funds need to meet federal, as well as town procurement requirements – EDI has prevailing wage requirements, the town does not. He said engineering consultant Eric Peterson is ready to divide the work into what can be done with the town funds and what can be done using the EDI funds. He said consultant Larry Wagner is researching the differences between the town’s and EDI’s requirements.
There was discussion about questions on the plans raised by WHA members at the last meeting. D. Berg said the majority of the issues are resolved except for questions about construction of the exterior walls – that he still has questions about placing the vapor barrier on the exterior of walls, and he wants more information on the dew point – this has to do with condensation and potential for rot.
As for heating and cooling, this would probably stay as planned (i.e. propane), D. Berg said. Reading through a list of questions, he also said there might be need for more insulation in the attic; that they should go with vinyl siding instead of hardy plank because siding is less expensive; a slight regarding of the road at the parking area would make it more accessible for wheelchairs; the number and location of propane tanks was changed; and bath exhaust fans would turn on with the light switch (and that the fans are very quiet).
D. Berto said he talked with E. Peterson about the lease line that cuts through a grass island and how this affects maintenance (i.e. mowing). He suggests an arrangement can be worked out with the town so that the line doesn’t need to be moved.
He also said a second light pole will be added to shine onto the Button Hill site.
D. Berto said Michael Weissbrod is trying to contact ACORN to answer questions D. Berg mentioned about the exterior walls and the dew point.
D. Berg noted he now needs up-to-date plans and specs, and he’d like to see written instructions for the walls in the plans.
D. Berto said the WHA is now down to a short list and needs to get to a point where it can say, “this is it.” When it comes to the point of pricing, then other things can come up, but the plans need to be finalized now, he said.
W. Gangaway agreed and said it’s time for the WHA to stop nitpicking the plans so the project can move ahead.
D. Berto complimented the WHA on its scrutiny, however, and said that if the plans had gone forward as is, they would result in a well-built project but with the WHA’s notes, it will be more to the WHA’s requirements.
New Business –
The WHA has been given authorization to execute the lease agreement and the fixed tax assessment agreement. The lease will be until 2081. (See Special Town Meeting minutes of July 17, 2012)
Approval of Minutes – C. D’Agata moved and D. Berg second the motion to accept the July 9, 2012 WHA minutes as submitted, motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report – C. D’Agata reported that the Directors and Officers Insurance bill was paid ($1,326) as well as secretarial expenses of $53.83.
Adjournment – The meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Sullivan, WHA Recording Secretary
| 
