3.20.2023 - Fall River Housing Authority

thank you good evening everyone welcome to the Florida River Housing Authority postponed regular session meeting it's Monday March 20th 2023 and it's 4 40 P.M I'm roll call Martha please here Vice chairman of the Hill here commissioner Burns here commissioner Bentley here commissioner Medeiros here thank you um the first item is Citizens input chilling oh open meeting well first please thank

you thank you chairman Sahari the language for the open meeting law is as follows the person went to the open meeting law any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or unperceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible

thank you 11.97 Roberson the 500 1403. thank you if you have three minutes I'm looking at the agenda for tonight and you have an open meeting law complaint filed by Patrick Higgins today the 311.

and it says designate the recommended action is to designate The General Counsel to respond to the open mean law complaint David 311 and the corresponding complaint allegedly filed on 213 2023 with insufficient notice to the floor of the Housing Authority the open meeting law only requires that I send a copy of the open reading Law complaint to U.S chairman and the city clerk so I'm going to ask

you did you not receive an email from me in February with the open green law complaint or are you automatically deleting my emails I'm not automatically deleting them and I don't recall receiving one from you okay and as far as the insufficient notice the meeting was held on 213 and he received a copy of the new open reading Law complaint date in February on March 11th for failure to respond

which is still within the 30 days of the February 13th meeting so therefore it's still timely even if he didn't get it until 3 11.

did you just send it to commissioner sahadi's email private email is that what you're saying yes and you didn't send it to the former Housing Authority Board of Commissioners you sent it to her personal email okay I'll get an answer that because I disagree with that but the same email address that you sent a copy to her of the request for the extension for the January meeting okay

so I assume that there was an email of the chairman to open me law only requires that I send a copy to the chairman and the city clerk mistakens we're not trying to supersede what your complaints are I'm trying to answer them as as frequently as they come in but it's not chairwoman sahadi did not did not think that she was getting it a private email address and it didn't come to the Housing

Authority the Housing Authority should have some sort of a notice I have a Housing Authority email address you have a border commissioner's email address is that correct but is that correct you went there's a board of commissioner's email address that you could send it to that that would be more appropriate don't you think it would be more appropriate for you to do that so that

we're all on the same page rather than I gotcha and it's a Serial deliberation because I'm sending a copy to all five members at the same time it's not a Serial deliberation when you're filing a copy because what the what the process is is they are going to advise whether or not what they're going to discuss tonight whether or not they're going to allow me to answer your complaint and

that's what we're here to do and of course the main reason for the open meeting world to complaint in February was you went into executive session now holding performance evaluation on your executive director which is not allowed by the open media law performance evaluations have to be done in Open Session negotiations go into executive sessions but performance evaluations have to be held in Open Session let me

clarify that because I do agree with you there there was no performance evaluation that was conducted it was it was how they were going to be distributed to be conducted and the other part was there was no roll call vote there was no one Voice vote the last two meetings when you win an executive session Mary called a Voice vote she did not call roll call vote so if we can get that squared away I'll

be happy to work with the chairman sahadi she does a good job well thank you and I would appreciate it if you could send me a copy of it too so that I know what when they're going to be filed no problem yeah exactly because if I've asked if you actually sent one to Mike on the other alternative is um I'd get assigned a Housing Authority email address because I don't always

look at my personal emails okay that would make it easier more streamlined and we wouldn't have a complaint upon a complaint upon a complaint yeah so I mean I'm willing to work with you you know that yeah um so we can do that not a problem okay thank you all right thank you thank you the next item is resonance input

good evening okay a couple of quick items first one Kevin and I attended the uh O'Brien tenant association meeting last Wednesday I thought it went very well presentation by the new uh pest company looks like he actually had a better handle on what he was doing than the previous one hopefully you know the tenants were happy Kevin and I both get an email I know did you get yours from Sue yes

we should have two we we were going to have a new tenant assistant starting unfortunately he passed away oh yeah actually I felt I called Bill Walker said can you get Dave for me I can't get him on a phone he said well that's because he died last week yeah thanks yes I got it I got a call I've been dealing with plumbing at home all day lots of it water in my tubs and basement

oh boy yeah itself and the farmers market this week Carol Fiola will be at doing her uh visiting with Carol on Friday bring up Farmers Market along with a few other companies that will be there excellent on that it's quiet excellent that's always good to hear yes thank you you're welcome thank you item two on the agenda is the minutes of the regular meeting held February 13 2023. recommended action is approval

approved second all in favor hi item three is bills and Communications your vouches are in your packet do I have a motion to accept the vouchers

and make a motion to accept the vouchers second any questions or concerns with regards to the vouchers hearing none all in favor aye item four are the management reports you have the eight management reports um in your packet report number one is the applications two is the occupancy reports three is the tenant accounts receivable report or is the work order report five is the monthly Section 8 voucher

activity report six is the monthly Personnel report seven is the director of modernization's monthly report and eight is the Bank investment and bond debt balance report do I have a motion to accept these reports motion I accept the management report second any questions with any of these reports as presented hearing none all in favor aye aye item five is the financial reports this is for the period end of January 31

2023 this is the 11 months no 10 months I'm sorry 10 months ended January 1 31.

you have the 10 months you've got the consolidated income and expense as well as the Section 8 Etc I have a motion regarding the financial reports motion accept Financial second any questions with regard to any of the reports that are included in your packet hearing none all in favor all right item 5B is the insurance policies these are the policies for April 1st 2023 through March 31st 2024. there are five policies

or information with regard to five policy policies it's the public officials Insurance the commercial property insurance the commercial liability insurance the automobile insurance as well as the excess automobile insurance so you have in here the policy premium premium amounts for each of these policies the total premium amount paid in 2022 was five hundred fifty six thousand four hundred and forty dollars and the

premium amount to be paid in 2023 is 652 498.

Madam chair if I if I just might say I just wanted to just add it up I've been putting these together for the past four years so I just wanted to make sure that I kept them the policies uh the premiums from the last couple of years but I just wanted to note that uh the 2023 property evaluation for our federal developments uh went up to 433 million um just in federal uh that's that's an

increase of 80 million dollars well 80.4 million in the past two years which is one of the reasons why uh um that aside from other uh insurance claims that have been filed do I have a motion on the insurance policies motion approved second any other questions hearing none all in favor aye aye

thank you madam new items for the board this month uh I first want to acknowledge uh Marie Souza uh coordinator of tenant selection for 40 years of service not only to the Housing Authority but in that department last month made 40 years so I wanted to acknowledge her for her dedication and hard work and her knowledge in that department we'll be having a public hearing next month um as a HUD requirement prior to

submitting our designated housing plan as you know I've mentioned in the past we are going to submit a revision to HUD to try to get dual inmates as uh elderly only designation so part of that process is a public hearing I also want to acknowledge Judy Medeiros Todd Cabral and Rita Laboe in putting together a celebration of life for one of our residents at Oliveira Apartments him and his wife were married for many

years lived there for many years and he his wife died unexpectedly he has no family so they put together a nice celebration in the community Community Hall in her memory so I want to acknowledge them for doing that and putting that together as Ed said last week I attended a resident meeting for the O'Brien residence they had concerns on pest control and a few other things so that was addressed as Ed said I thought

the meeting went really well and we'll probably meet again in two or three months and we will also be starting a pilot program with the boys and girls club next month Where The Boys Club will bear the cost of transportation and the Housing Authority will bear the cost of the bus monitors and we're going to pick up um some of our kids at Fortney Street Heritage Heights and father defario and

they'll receive a discounted membership rate from the boys club so we have about 14 or 15 kids that signed up for it so we're going to start that next month I have something thank you any questions of our directive oh thank you hearing none the next items item one is modernization it's a change order number two for bathroom Renovations at Heritage height change order number two is an increase in the

amount of eight thousand four hundred eighty eight dollars to the contract for the installation of undermount floor drains in 41 bathrooms with no change in the contract time do I have a motion motion to approved the change order second any questions or concerns hearing none all in favor aye Item B is a certificate of completion consolidation for bathroom Renovations at Sunset Hill Heritage Heights and

father deafarius Village second any questions with regard to the certificate of completion hearing none all in favor aye item C is a certificate of substantial completion for the apartment conversion project at cotton Medeiros Tawas for the 13th floor I'll make a motion to approve second any questions hearing none all in favor aye aye item D is a contractor law award for the crawl space ventilation project at

Sunset Hill the recommended action is to award the contract to the second lowest bidder Encore Contracting Services Incorporated in the amount of three hundred forty four thousand one hundred dollars with a bid Alternatives number one two and three the low beta withdrew their bid which is why it's going to the second no bidder motion to avoid the contract second any questions with regard to this award

hearing none all in favor item e is permission to advertise for bids for the new fire alarm system at Frank B Oliveira apartments and Francis J baresi Heights most impressive second questions regard to this advertising hearing none all in favor aye item f is permission to advertise for bids for the elevator upgrades at George H cartel Heights I'll make a motion to advertise for bids for the elevator upgrades at Patel

Heights second any questions yeah we none all in favor aye item G is permission to advertise for roof Replacements at Elmer Corbett streets this is a chapter 689-1 it's a dhcd number 095-165 emotional approved second questions hearing none all in favor aye item H is change order number five for an elevated monetization at Raymond D Homes apartments this change order number five is an increase of 66 days

for the contract duration

I have a question has the work already started for homes for for the elevators at homes uh the project is almost complete I think during the course of construction there was a long lead time on a park so it pushed to push the days out because there's no um money involved is just time it's just time yes I'll make a motion to approve second any other questions all in favor aye

item I is a certificate of substantial completion for the elevator modernization at Raymond D Holmes Apartments motion to approve certificate of substantial completion of an elevator modernization Homes apartments second all in favor all right item J um same project this is a certificate for completion consolidation for the conversation at Raymond D Homes apartment so this project is now complete emotional proof

second all in favor item two is miscellaneous 2A is the disposition of Declaration of surplus items item one is a Toro professional grade driving lawnmower item two is a 2006 Ford Ranger pickup and item three is a 2017 Ford 250 Super Duty Crew Cab with an eight-foot Fisher plow and connecting equipment

do I have a motion to I have a question do I have a question this is to put it on the Surplus list yes so put the pieces of equipment on this the Surplus list you have a one more an old Ranger pickup yes so whatever we can gain is from once it's on the list then you advertise to dispose of it correct yes so once it's on the list and it goes to

some type of disposition do you ever use the auctions like the city does the last one we did I think Mr McCoy did so yeah I solicited typically in the past what will happen here was number three will uh be written in assuming to be passes number three will be written into the into that bid as a trade I can't do it as a request for quotes I have to do a sealed bid process to

include a trade-in I mean typically that only happens when you anticipate uh or you're estimating internally a value of at least ten thousand now 2017 should at least get a return value of 10 000 I mean the book on that with the blade and whatnot would be about 30 as you know with trading you never get really what retail is out there typically however I'm going to reserve the right to pull it and then

just go out separately for bids also if we feel like we're getting you know we're getting uh underserved or undercut so to speak the others we don't have much in the way of value that is something that'll probably be solicited on a lower level for quotes and whatnot the 2006 Ranger has a trade-in value of maybe 2 000 that would be in good condition it has a hole in the floor

that's rusted out under one of the carpets and the toll road maybe has a value of 200 to somebody who's you know a landscaper and whatnot so I was even thinking in living in circumstances of opening up those two smaller items to our internal employees and contractors for maybe folks who do side jobs then that nature but at least put everything on unnoticed that that's available

because I don't expect a whole heck of a lot for that but item number three again assuming the board I don't want to get ahead on the agenda assuming the board gives permission to advertise that'll go out to four or five local four dealerships with asking for a um you know a trade value to be put on the overall deal for the 2017. 2017 hasn't proved to be real practical for us Commissioners you know

it's a diesel it's got an extra long bed it really it's like kind of like driving a plane and I don't need to be sarcastic about it but it's not it's not an efficient vehicle for a Housing Authority quite frankly and in hindsight neither was the ranger I mean there's no cab space you can barely fit into it it's like that one is kind of like driving around the shoe box we have

a it's it's basically a mini pickup and you're talking about being able to move a couple rakes and maybe put a toolbox in the back but it has um I think it was maybe it may be the thought of it was a little bit more for a managerial type vehicle but you literally have seats that don't move in and you can't you can't move in the cab I mean it really

again both of them in hindsight and two opposite schools of thoughts and purchasing it but both not really practical for what we do so when you put something on your Surplus you're putting it there just to sell it for this position yes yes bowls of it as Surplus yeah yeah I'm just trying because I'm just because for we have a whole different process that we do we can't sell it we have to put it on

the list to see who else wants it for another department well on the city Side we would do someplace and see if another department so let's say God you know but let's just say hypothetically excuse for God for I mean we have a DPW pickup that may be uh in fire training the fire department so we would initially yeah I mean here it really is a list of items we could dispose of right that's what I

was just trying to figure out what the here there is no additional internal process of asking another department if they could do could you because it's just facilities you know so yes on the city Side we've been doing exactly what BCC does okay thank you so do I have a motion to um dispose and declare these three items as Surplus ocean to approve or dispose second all right which is a 2023

2024 Ford F-150 pickup with a six foot bed in AC this is to advertise for this Ford pickup so this would be looking for a motion to advertise that's the connection to the prior so whatever we get those items we're going to put toward this vehicle Mr McCoy explained to get a decent amount not always what it's valued at but something decent to offset the cost of a new vehicle so

this is a much smaller vehicle than the 250 yes which would be used that's more practical item yeah yeah I'll make a motion to um for permission to advertise second all in favor aye IMC is an open meeting law complaint filed by Mr Patrick Higgins dated 311 2023 the recommended action is to designate our general counsel attorney Souza to respond to the open meeting law complaint dated 311 2023 and

the corresponding complaint alleging filed allegedly filed on 213 2023 with insufficient notice to the FR by the form of a housing authority and with the insufficient notice comment I will work with you Mr Higgins to do the remedial measures for them do I have a motion to designate attorney Susan a motion to designate general counsel to respond to oml complaint needed in 2023 and the corresponding

complaint allegedly filed on 213 2023 with insufficient notice to the FR h a second any questions hearing none all in favor aye item three is personnel a is the resignation of an employee the recommended action is to accept the resignation of Allison Silva effective February 16 2023. you have that letter in your package motion to uh prove the resignation of health and so much second all in favor all right

and B is the resignation of an employees to accept the resignation of Sarah Madison McCluskey this is effective March 31 2023 that too is in your patio approved the resignation of Sarah McCluskey second all right item three is um three clerk interviewer positions to ratify the appointment of masil messalina Davila to ratify the appointment of Marceline Del Bali Medeiros yes commissioner Burns yes

eventually yes Mission Underhill yes yes second I next in next person is Brian matelvo this is a clerk interviewer position it's to ratify the appointment I'll make a motion to ratify the appointment of Brian montal Montalvo for clerk interviewer position commissioner Bentley yes Mission Underhill yes yes commissioner Burns yes chilling yes and the third individual is Amanda Paradise this is the recommended action

to ratify the appointment of the clerk interviewer position for Amanda Paradise motion approved the appointment the appointment of Amanda Paradise second commissioner Burns yes commissioner Bentley yes commissioner Medeiros yes commission Underhill yes yes item D is the temporary associate director of property management position this is to ratify the appointment of Timothy Burke

I like to make a motion uh to table this item tonight do I have a second any questions concerns or discussion on this item uh yeah so in regards to this this is not a comment in regards to the person being appointed um this is in regards to the conversation uh we had which I felt as a commissioner I haven't gotten uh sufficient information to make the decision regarding this appointment so I

would appreciate it if we could get some additional input around a lot of the changes that are being proposed if I could just add um some of that information was distributed tonight the salary analysis and also prior to this item that you've seen there were two resignations and we hired three clerks one has already changed her mind and we had another resignation today this is all in the management department

so part of the of the theory and the in the reasons for this is for greater oversight in the management department Kathleen pova who's the director it's tied up into policy and procedure God bless you uh Deb marisette who's currently an associate director both do a fantastic job but she's overwhelmed with these third-party rent payment organizations raft and Shara so much like we did in the facilities

Department by adding an additional person for greater oversight we wanted to do the same thing in the management department there's about 22 or 23 clerks and managers and part of my effort to improve customer service hold people accountable was to have an additional associate director uh maybe out in the field more doing performing training or signing people up for training um and that was that was the reasoning uh

behind that but certainly if if you have additional questions or I I'm just not sure maybe exactly what want so I can get you exactly what you're looking for yeah thank you yeah there were a number of um thoughts and questions when I saw this on the agenda that I thought um weren't fully answered uh so to uh approve it tonight I thought might be a little uh premature we can work together and get some

additional information absolutely the commission is I just want to get you exactly what you're looking for so thank you so we have a motion on the table um we have a motion to table from the Commissioners Martha will call please commissioner Medeiros yes commissioner Underhill yes commissioner Barnes no question about Lee yes yes

thank you next um is executive session we have three items for executive session this evening item a is Union negotiations it's an update on the unit a the anticipated executive session pursuant to Mass General Law chapter 30 a section 21 A3 is to discuss strategy with respect to Collective pocketing or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining and

litigating positions of the public body and as the chair ISO declare Item B is the community housing development organization the chdo this anticipated executive session is pursuant to Mass General or chapter 30A section 21 A7 to comply with or act under the authority of any general or special law or Federal Grant in Aid requirement in item three is the executive director contract negotiations the anticipated

executive session is pursuant to Mass General Law chapter 30 a section 21 A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union Personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union at the end of executive session we will not be coming into Open session so at this point do I have a motion to go into executive session motion to go into executive section

I'll second that author wrote Mission Medeiros yes Mr Bentley yes commissioner Burns yes commissioner Underhill yes yes and do I have a motion to adjourn the meeting at the conclusion of executive executive sessions motion to conclude at the end of executive session second all in favor aye aye thank you thank you everyone for coming this evening