Willington Housing Authority
MINUTES
August 10, 2015
60 Old Farms Road – Senior Center
Willington, CT
PRESENT – Chairman Robert Campbell, Vice Chairman Wilbur Gangaway, Secretary Don Berg, Member Laurel Millix, Housing Consultant David Berto, Recording Secretary Brenda Sullivan.
1. Call to Order – The meeting was called to order at 6:03 p.m.
2. Present to speak – No member of the public was present to speak.
3. Old Business – Button Hill senior housing project.
R. Campbell reported that the Button Hill funding request from the state Department of Housing (DOH) went before the Bond Commission but without his signature and so, he's not sure what it included. He said the funding was approved and it appears to be the correct figure. However, he said he received a new term sheet from the DOH, a draft copy, last Friday at 4:18 p.m. He said D. Berto responded within 15 minutes with notes on errors, and the DOH said making changes would create delays. He said the problem is the figures on the draft document don't work for the project – this is related to when the DOH made changes regarding flex funds/home funds. The DOH specified requirements concerning rents for units paid for with flex funds and home funds that result in a shortfall in Button Hill rental income.
D. Berto noted that the problem with “flex” funded units is that this puts rental income off by $10,000 a year (net operating income). He said the FHLB was given a figure of $20,000 net operating income.
R. Campbell said D. Berto emailed the DOH with information about changes that need to be made in the figures and the DOH sent back a copy with only the typographic errors corrected.
R. Campbell said he and D. Berto will contact Edward LaChance in Housing Development at DOH and DOH Deputy Commissioner Nick Lundgren, and request a meeting ASAP.
R. Campbell said he won't sign the current term sheet because of concerns about how the project will be affected in five years.
R. Campbell said the project is facing the Federal Home Loan Bank's (FHLB) deadline to close, at the end of August, or potentially lose the funding. He also noted several outstanding bills related to the project (i.e. engineering, financial, legal) need to be paid.
R. Campbell said D. Berg has been working on getting electrical rate estimates (i.e. residential versus commercial) and EverSource has said it would charge commercial-demand Rate 30 – based on the highest kilowatt demand in a 30-minute period in a particular month – versus an average for the month.
D. Berg handed out a cost-comparison chart, comparing such things as the cost of individual meters and individual solar panels per building per year, based on about 20 kilowatt hours in the winter and16 in the summer.
There was discussion of an estimated $3,884 cost per year per unit, based on demand, even if all power is generated by solar panels. D. Berto said this estimate could be on the low side. He also said that with Rate 30, there has to be one meter per building and that with solar, each tenant would need to be submetered. D. Berg said Rate 30 cannot be applied if there is no solar power.
There was further discussion about the variables – individual metering, submetering, one meter per building, and with or without solar-generated power (photovoltaics) – as well as the differences between residential and commercial rates.
D. Berg said the WHA is still waiting for pricing from Zlotnick Construction for the cost of heat pumps. D. Berto said Zlotnick was given drawings last year, but is still working on the pricing.
W. Gangaway said he is still waiting for information on the required turning radius for the road to accommodate emergency vehicles.
4. New Business –
There was discussion about the pay rate for recording secretaries related to recent changes made by the Board of Selectmen. Since the WHA pays for these services from its own budget, the agency isn't required to follow these new policies, and will continue its current pay schedule.
D. Berg reported that the state Legislature changed Z-RECs for the fourth-year funding period, but this won't affect the Button Hill project at this time.
5. Correspondence – None.
6. Approval of Minutes – W. Gangaway move, and L. Millix second the motion, to accept the July 13, 2015 minutes with the correction to line 96 (change word “then” to “the”). Motion passed unanimously.
7. Treasurer's Report – C. D'Agata was absent.
8. Adjourn – The meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Recording Secretary Brenda Sullivan. Please note that minutes are posted prior to being officially approved – changes/corrections are indicated in the subsequent month’s meeting minutes.
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