The Fall River Housing Authority meeting on April 13, 2026, began with a roll call and citizen input. Resident Judy Kamani of Baressesi Heights expressed concerns regarding safety and health issues at her residence. While board members noted that such issues should first be addressed with the site manager, they assured her they would look into the matter. The board then moved through its consent agenda, approving the minutes from the March 9, 2026 meeting, vouchers, various management reports, and the financial reports for the period ending February 28, 2026. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to approving bad debt write-offs for vacated tenants. The board discussed and approved federal write-offs totaling $318,665.82 for the fiscal year ending in 2026 and $264,795.71 for 2025. State write-offs were also approved, amounting to $54,320.53 for 2026 and $39,380.37 for 2025. A discussion clarified that these write-offs were for reasons such as non-payment of rent and unreported income, and that the authority retains the right to pursue these debts. The Executive Director's report highlighted the hiring of a new receptionist, receiving a waiver from EOHLC to use gas boilers at Corki Row, preparing for a HUD submission, and joining the Greater New Bedford Landlord Association. The director also acknowledged employee Deborah Moriceet for over 40 years of service. Under new business, the board awarded two major contracts for modernization and federalization projects. A contract for $325,000 was awarded to RGB Architects for work at the George Bishop E apartments, and a $215,000 contract was awarded to Vance Stein Inc. for the Corki Row Apartments. The board also approved several other items, including a change order for the Sunset Hill roof replacement resulting in a $10,600 credit, a certificate of completion for that same project with a final cost of $584,900, and another change order for a video security system at Father Vincent Defario Village with a credit of $2,174.24. Finally, the board approved an affirmative action plan and a new three-year contract with ASME Council 93, effective from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2029, before adjourning.
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City Officials
Public / Other
We'll call this meeting to order at 4:32.
0:09Roll call.
0:11Chairman Long here.
0:12Vice Chairman Underh Hill here.
0:14Commissioner Burns is absent.
0:16Commissioner Bentley will be late.
0:18Commissioner Medeiros here.
0:23Language for the open meeting law council.
0:25Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The language for the open meeting law is as follows.
0:29Present 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.
0:38Attend attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.
0:48Thank you.
0:50Citizen input. Do we have any anyone here that signed up for citizen input?
0:57resident input. There any residents here that would like to speak?
1:05Come on.
1:07Yep.
1:11It's my first meeting.
1:12It's okay.
1:42You just state your name and address for a run.
1:45Hello, my name is You can pull that microphone closer.
1:49There you go.
1:50Hello. Can you hear me?
1:51Yes.
1:52Okay. My name is Judy Kamani. I'm a resident of Baressesi Heights, 1863 Pleasant Street. And um it's my first meeting here. So um don't know exactly what I can say, but I was told what I can say. As a tenant there, I'm concerned about safety and um health issues. So I don't know where I can address that other than housing place.
2:20Speak tell us what you're looking at.
2:22What's the problem?
2:28He's my He's my go-to person. Um, when I moved in in July, I got elected secretary and treasurer of ten association. I have a lot of people come up to me and give me a lot of things that they have concerns about. And I always go to a he told me that I shouldn't say much.
2:46I'll get I'll get in trouble.
2:50No, we've Judy and I just addressed the issue off off camera, so to speak. An issue and Kevin and I will chat about it at our monthly meeting on Wednesday with David and we'll bring her issues to his attention. It's there, you know, we have some small issues there. Nothing there's nothing major to worry about.
3:09Can I ask we've been through this before, why would you bring it to this point?
3:14I didn't. She didn't.
3:15I knew I did. But if she referred to you, it should start at the site manager's office first and then proceed with it shouldn't start at a public board meeting.
3:30That's what I told Kevin.
3:32I can't.
3:33No, he did.
3:34I can't muscle. I just told him not to.
3:37I apologize. I can't.
3:39Okay, so it's public. I don't know what I can say, but I'd like to speak on behalf of people in the public that live there.
3:46Nothing.
3:47Okay, thank you.
3:55We will look into it.
3:59We'll look into it.
4:00Yeah.
4:01So, we'll follow up with that when we meet Ed.
4:04Yes.
4:04Okay. Thank you.
4:09Okay. Minutes of regular meeting held March 9th, 2026. I hope we well reviewed them. I'll uh entertain a motion to accept.
4:20I'll make a motion to accept the minutes from the last meeting.
4:24Second.
4:24Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
4:29All those in favor?
4:30I opposed bills and communications vouchers.
4:43I'll entertain a motion to accept the vouchers.
4:46I'll make a motion uh to accept the vouchers.
4:51I'll second.
4:52Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
4:58No discussion. All those in favor?
5:00I post.
5:04Management reports.
5:08We have applications, occupancy reports, tenants accounts receivable, work order report, monthly section 8 voucher activity report, monthly personnel account report, the director of modernization's monthly report, bank investment and bond debt balance reports.
5:29I'll entertain a motion to accept all of the management reports.
5:33I'll make a motion to accept uh the eight management reports as noted.
5:40A second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
5:46All those in favor?
5:47I opposed.
5:50Financial reports.
5:53Financial reports for the period ending 22826.
6:00Got it.
6:09I'll make a motion uh to accept the financial reports for the period ending February 28th, 2026.
6:19Second.
6:19Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
6:23All those in favor? I opposed.
6:35Federal ROS fiscal year ending $33126.
6:42Federal write offs were 318,665.82 and for 2025 they were $264,795.71.
6:58Entertain a motion to accept approve.
7:03I'll make a motion to accept to approve the federal write offs for fiscal years 26 and for 205.
7:13Oh god.
7:15And I'll second that.
7:18Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
7:20Uh I do have a question. Uh so these uh costs that we're writing off are primarily uh tenants who have not paid rent. Is that correct? Or is it a variety of expenses?
7:36Uh Commissioner Madurus. Yes. So it could be non-payment of rent. It could be back charges for unreported income.
7:43It could be sales and service charges for damages. and the resident moved out, vacated owing that balance, whatever it may have been.
7:55So, the list that we've been provided with, um, is it safe to say that these tenants are no longer residents or Yeah. So, the write-offs, they're all vacated.
8:06Vacated, right?
8:08We we still have the legal right to go after those residents depending on their situation. There are laws that prevent us depending on what their income source is.
8:20And um I'm just curious uh there was one in particular um the ninth uh one on uh Defario uh village pretty large amount of 27 over $27,000.
8:36Is is there some reason why the amount would get that large before it gets addressed? So that was probably uh unreported income. So there was a sizable back charge and then we probably went to court and made a court agreement. But even with the court agreements, they do uh break them and they vacate. So um hopefully it is a court agreement.
9:07I can tell you it is.
9:08So we have a judgment.
9:09So we have a judgment. So, attorney Souza New York can go after these people in the future.
9:16The positive about the write offs is HUD and both EOHLC, they do allow housing authorities at the end of their fiscal year to write off the bad balances, if you will.
9:28And these people, as you mentioned, have vacated. Will they ever be allowed back in again? Is are there circumstances that would allow that or so are they?
9:37So, uh, everyone can always apply regardless of the situation, but when we do the background check, it will come up and depending on the landlord reference from the site manager and also they would have to clear the balance.
9:53Oh, okay. Okay. Thank you for clearing that up. Thank you. I appreciate it.
10:03Oh yeah.
10:06State.
10:09No, we haven't.
10:10We're going to do a vote on We got to take a vote on state.
10:14Okay. Okay. State write offs for year ending 33126 and for the year 2025.
10:29I'll make a motion uh to approve the state write- offs for fiscal year ending uh March 31st, 2026.
10:38Second.
10:40Those write offs for uh 26 were $54,32053 and for 25 was 39,380.37.
10:57All those in favor?
10:58I I update from our executive director.
11:08Thank you, Chairman Long. Uh few things for this month. Um under human resources, we did hire a receptionist for the tenant selection department. Um due to some uh retirement, there was some movement in that department. So it trickled down to the receptionist. So we have a new receptionist there. Um under facilities I think I mentioned uh last month or the month prior um deputy director uh Tim McCoy, facilities
11:42director Ed Majuski and myself, we went up and had a meeting with EOHLC and Senator Rodri. Um we were looking for a waiver out of the electrification for the boiler replacement project at Corki Row. So they had sent down um an engineer um to do a a study feasibility study. Um Ed Majuski met with them along with Arthur Anderson our director of MOD and the report went back and after uh
12:15reviewing it they decided in our favor.
12:18So we did get the waiver and we will be replacing those boilers with uh gas um as what's there now. So uh that was important because that keeps us um on the fast track for federalization without without any delays.
12:35So there was that um under finance um Nella Asuza our director of finance and Tim McCoy are working with procuring uh a fee accounting as we prepare for our unodudited submission to HUD which is due uh May 31st uh of this year. So that's in the works.
13:00Um the last thing I have uh two other things. Um last month uh I attended the um Greater New Bedford uh Landlord Association with Commissioner Medeiros. Um shared a few words uh with the group about our section 8 program as there were uh some section 8 landlords. Um just bringing them up up to speed on a few things and just trying to uh establish a good uh business relationship with our landlords as we
13:40need them for the success of our program and um they need us um with their rental unit. So um we'll be a member of that going forward. The housing authority will and they meet uh monthly. So whether it's myself or uh some of the staff from the section 8 department, they'll attend and they have guest speakers from time to time.
14:04So that was uh that happened. And the last thing I have, I wanted to acknowledge uh Deborah Moriceet. She's one of our associate directors of property management. Uh she's been uh working with the housing authority now for 40 plus years and still going. uh just an absolute awesome dedicated uh staff member and also um an unbelievable uh lady. Um so we're very fortunate to have her here at the housing authority
14:36still working with us and I wanted to acknowledge her dedication and hard work to the housing authority. And that is all I have. Thank you. Any questions? Executive director.
14:52Just one point of clarification. So, I know you mentioned the name of that association is the Greater New Bedford, but it does include a lot of uh Fall River Landlords and they are going to be changing their name uh to be South Coast. Uh so, so yeah, we're Yeah, good point.
15:09We're there for good reasons. Yeah.
15:10Yeah.
15:14Under new business, we have modernization uh contract award for architectural engineering designer services for modernization of 54 units at the uh fertilization at Chbisha Eid and for modernization of 24 units for the fertilization at Corkiro Apartments.
15:39After reviewing the applicants, the qualification references and experience of the designer selection committee made the following rank selection in order from 1 to three.
15:48Project 09 5200, which would be the Bishop Eve. Um they said RGB Octite were number one, number two were a Vanstein Inc. and number three were Dites and Company Octite Inc.
16:09under project 95201 which is Corki Row.
16:19Vanstein Inc. was put in number one.
16:22Dyson company architects came in number two and RGB architects came in number three.
16:29Recommended action is to award a contract for AE designer service for the federalization of George Bishop E departments to RGB architects in the amount of 325,000 and to award a contract to AE design services for the federalization of Corki Royal Apartments to Vance Stein in the amount of 215,000.
16:58I didn't get any money on that first one. I don't know why.
17:01What is it?
17:01On this one.
17:03A&E design the services.
17:04Yeah, but there's no money attached.
17:06Yeah. So, the first one is 25 and the second one.
17:12No, they do the Well, okay. I got it.
17:19Bishop Y.
17:22Um, I'll entertain a motion to approve the uh awarding of these contracts. I'll make a motion to approve the awarding of these contracts for the federalization of C bishop E departments to RGB architects and to a contract from A&E designer services for the federalization of Corki Row Apartments to Vance Stein Incorporated.
17:51Seconded any discussion?
17:57All those in favor? I I opposed.
18:05Order of business is a change order number one for roof replacement phase 7 buildings number 26 and number 30 at the Sunset Hill uh project mass 6-1. Change order number one is a credit of 10,600 to the contract for the reuse of wood blocking and landscape repairs caused by area lift.
18:32Recommended action is approval. I'll entertain a motion to approve. I'll make a motion uh to approve change order number one uh a credit of $10,600 to the contract for the reuse of wood blocking and landscape repairs caused by aerial lift.
18:54Second.
18:55Any discussion?
18:57All those in favor? I we need a A certificate of comp of completion consolidated for roof replacement phase 7 buildings number 26 and number 30 at Sunset Hill Mass 6-1. The general contractor WPI Construction Inc.
19:21completed all work items. The final contract amount was $584,900.
19:28I entertain a motion to approve.
19:32I'll make a motion to approve.
19:37Second. Any discussion?
19:41All those in favor?
19:42I oppose.
19:47Change order number one for the video security system upgrades at the father Vincent Defario Village, Mass 6-3.
19:55Change order number one is a credit of $2,17424 to the contract and a and an additional 225 days added to complete the project for eliminating the new SAT ceiling, removal of existing lighting, providing new lighting, and relocating lowering the existing smoke detectors and security system motion sensor. Entertain a motion to approve.
20:24Uh motion to approve change order number one for video security system upgrades at Father Vincent Daphario Village uh Mass 6-3.
20:36Uh a credit of $2,174.24 24 cents uh to the contract for eliminating the new SAT ceiling, removal of existing lighting, provide new lighting, and relocating the existing smoke detector and security motion sensor.
20:55Second.
20:57Any discussion?
21:00Entertain a motion to approve.
21:08A motion. And I'll make a motion to approve.
21:11Second.
21:12Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
21:16All those in favor?
21:17I opposed.
21:23Procurement. There are no items this month on procurement. So we don't have to buy anything this miscellaneous.
21:36We have an affirmative action plan and census data target for EOHLC.
21:41The Federal Housing Authority has met all minority tenant-based percentages for tenant selection applications.
21:48Should the foral housing authority fall short of these percentages, we will follow all EOHLC guidelines.
21:58Entertain a motion to approve.
22:01I'll make a motion to approve the affirmative action plan and census data target for EOHLC.
22:08Second.
22:09Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? All those in favor?
22:13I I posted.
22:16an agreement between the Four River Housing Authority and ASME Council 93 local 1990 unit A for a 3-year contract from 42126 to 33129 entertain a motion for approval that happens to be the last one right It's the last last item last June.
22:49Yes. Yes. Last year. Correct.
22:51The last bargain.
22:52Uh Chairman Long, could you uh just restate the uh term of that uh contract, please?
23:00From 42126.
23:034121. I'm sorry.
23:054126 to uh 33129.
23:08Thank you.
23:12I'll make Oh, sorry.
23:15Um, make a motion uh to approve uh the agreement between the Far Housing Authority and ASME Council 93 local 1990 unit A for a three-year contract from 41 2026 to 3312029.
23:33Second.
23:34Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?
23:38All those in favor?
23:40Opposed?
23:46Done.
23:48I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn.
23:52Motion to adjurnn.
23:55Second.
23:56Motion made and second.
23:59All those in favor?
24:01I opposed. We are now adjourned at