The Fall River Housing Authority meeting on April 8, 2024, commenced at 4:37 p.m. with a roll call, confirming the presence of Chairman Long, Vice Chairman Underhill, Commissioner Burns, Commissioner Bentley, and Commissioner Madas. The board approved the minutes from the March 11th meeting, monthly vouchers, management reports, and financial reports for the period ending February 29, 2024, all by unanimous votes. Significant discussions revolved around federal and state write-offs for the quarter ending March 31, 2024. Federal write-offs totaling $225,400.82 were approved, with the Executive Director, Kevin, noting an upward trend due to the cessation of third-party vendor payments post-COVID. State write-offs of $91,466.78 for Q1 2024 and $32,921.39 for 2023 were also approved, with Maple Gardens identified as the largest contributor. Executive Director Kevin provided updates, including staff training on an Employee Assistance Program coordinated by Human Resource Director Elizabeth Burns, following the passing of a staff member. He also highlighted ongoing collaboration between Resident Services (Joe D'Silva) and Community Development Recreation (Grace Giring) for senior concerts and cookouts, with the Authority contributing $3,300 to support local musicians. The board received a thank you card from Renee Pental and the Pental family for their condolences. In new business, the board approved a 175-day extension for the roof replacement project at Elma and Corbett Streets, contingent on EOHLC approval, and accepted the Certificate of Substantial Completion for interior ADA improvements at the same location. The Affirmative Action Plan and a three-year moving and storage service contract with South Coast Moving and Storage (with a one-year option to renew) were also unanimously approved. The meeting concluded with a unanimous vote to enter executive session to discuss the Executive Director's contract, pursuant to MGL C 30A section 21 A2. The board announced that they would adjourn from the executive session and not return to open session, with any decisions to be approved in executive session.
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okay I'm going to call the meeting to order um first thing is a roll call chairman long here Vice chairman Underhill here commissioner Burns here commissioner Bentley president commissioner madas here meeting is now open at 4:37 p.m. thank you Mr chairman uh the language for the open meeting law is as follows person went to the open meeting law any person may make or an audio or video recording
0:30of 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 UNP perceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible and next on our agenda is citizen input anybody here wishing to make some input as a citizen seeing none we'll move to the next is resident input are there any
0:58residents here that want to have anything to say nothing there okay okay next piece is the minutes of the regular meeting held on March 11th I'll entertain a motion to accept I'll make a motion to accept the March 11th minutes second all those in favor oppos
1:37bills and Communications we give that to uh you Communications vouchers no on this stuff out applications so we just do it AB Bo we do this all in one or we do each one separate um each so bills and Communications which would be the vouchers vouchers yes separate that's on that just requesting a motion to accept it's all in the backup material all right okay I'll entertain a motion to accept the
2:12vouchers motion to accept the vouchers from last month second any discussion all those in favor I I opposed each one of the management reports do the same okay the management reports I entertain a motion to accept applications Mr chairman you can do you can read all of them at once and then ask to going to take them all and take them as a group okay management management reports include the
2:48applications occupancy reports tenants accounts receivable work order monthly Section 8 vouchers monthly Personnel count report the director of modernization monthly report Bank investment and bond debt balance reports I'll take a motion to accept I'll make a motion to approve them all uh together second second any discussion all those in favor I opposed move on to the uh Financial
3:21reports for the period ending February 29 2024 um I'll entertain a motion to uh accept a motion to accept the financial reports a second any discussions none all those in favor I opposed okay we're going to down to uh B FAL rights okay Federal WR offs for the quarter ending march 3 first 24 that is uh
4:12$225,400 182 motion to accept approve motion approve the right offs second discussion on like question would be are these within reasonable tolerances or we yes they are uh commissioner so um during the time of Co and coming right out of Co there were a lot of third-party vendors that would pay off these balances to restore tency for the residents but those vendors have now dried up so this has been trending
4:52upward and it may continue unfortunately uh these are people who vacated that for whatever reason all these balances yeah motion accepted all those in favor I I opposed the state we go over the state right offs for the quarter ending 33124 in the amount of $ 91,4 6.78 and for 2023 32,9 $21.39 motion to approve motion to approve the state right off second was approved uh any uh discussions I I just have just one
5:46question um Kevin on Maple Gardens is that a big increase from last year or is that just same thing the trends it's it's trending but it's uh Maple Gardens Coro and Bishop Ed the three state sites a bulk of it is from Maple Gardens looking at Maple Gardens is the is the biggest bulk of biggest bite of that yeah and it's by far the largest residential yeah it's it's increased um and it's unfortunately again it's going
6:18to continue probably for a bit longer and unfortunately industrywide in housing authorities Statewide as you you know just as a little insight you know we had the Sher programs uh sherff programs would pay off money for the tenants um up to a certain amount of money and then we were not allowed to proceed with any terminations of the tencies for 6 months after we received the money so the
6:45tenants had the ability to go another six months and now we're starting to level that off how does this compare I wouldn't I really don't want to compare to last year or even the year before like preco days I'd have to look up those numers commissioner I I can I can I'm just curious yeah I can get that you I I I have the right off during Co it's like right yeah you can't you
7:08really can't you may have initially had some Care St then obviously oper but a lot of the whether they were third party or faith based uh it it it was always you know a substantial amount of money each year preco what exactly how it trended the percentage uh as attorney soua said I'd have to go back and look at those years is in the uh late you know 18 19 20 21 and see how it compares
7:36to now but we did traditionally each year we have the federal and the state write offs and then besides the money you also had the corresponding State emergency action with the moratorium on evictions during that time and trying to get the support for back ranked from various organizations and whatnot so it's unfortunate but it's that money's dried up motion made and seconded to approve all those in favor I I
8:15opposed update from the executive director thank you uh commissioner so uh couple of things uh training um we recently had a uh representative from uh um employee assistance program uh come in and address the staff with the um unfortunate passing of of one of our beloved uh staff members but also to offer services to our staff if they're personally experiencing or their fam's uh other issues that may be going on so
8:54we we divided it up into two sessions uh um a big thank thanks to Elizabeth Burns our human resource director she coordinated all of that and um each department could send half of their staff uh so we would you know maintain coverage but it was very positive and productive um the gentleman gave a nice presentation um all the different issues out there that exist in society and in
9:22the workplace so um I think it was very helpful um and then the uh employees have the have the opportunity to reach out to the program in strict uh confidentiality so um it it it was positive uh resident services um once again um we'll be collaborating with um Community Development Recreation um Joe D Sila who works in resident services Works closely with uh Grace giring and we do uh senior
10:00concerts uh and cookouts at all of our uh elderly sites um each year um we we contribute $3,300 to uh cdre and that goes to cover some of the cost uh of the musicians and it and it also supports the local Musicians Union uh it's been the same amount and we've been uh doing that for the past few years now so uh um that will be happening again soon and the last thing I have
10:36um on behalf of the pental family um a a card was sent to the Board of Commissioners to you thanking you for the beautiful uh flower arrangements and the and the gift basket um during their uh time of need so um Joe's wife Renee and his family wanted to reach out and and thank you guys for that and with that that's all I have for this month any questions I just have one
11:08question uh Kevin the $3,300 does that go as far as it used to I know uh my budget doesn't go as far as it used to so if we've been sitting at 3,300 for a while is that enough they request it from us oh okay um so I I don't really question it I'm assuming that that's sufficient if that's what they're requesting uh and it's been the same
11:32amount it kind of comes out to uh we I guess there's 33 concerts and and cookouts for the seniors so uh whatever that equates to per site it's been the same for the past few years so okay yeah if that's what they're requesting then that's that's what we give them yeah yeah they actually put the the dollar amount in the letter yeah perfect thank you you're welcome anyone else all right moving on to uh new
12:04business uh modernization first first piece on the agenda was a contract award for the boiler and domestic hot water heater replacement at the George H cartel Heights Massachusetts 6-10 uh the low bidder was a Fraser engineering company was in the amount of $459 and 87 I'm sorry
12:58$459,500 change order number one for the roof replacement project at Elma and Corbett streets chapter
13:12689-1961 65 uh to change audit to increase of 175 days to the contract time it's recommended for approval contingent upon the eoh LC um approval I get a motion motion to approve the uh change order second motion made seconded discussion no discussion all those in favor I I opposed is a certificate of substantial completion for the interior flooring and trim and Ada improvements at the Elma
13:55that's Corbett streets uh chapter 689 -1 e LC number 95179 um I'll entertain a motion to uh accept I'll make a motion to accept the certificate of substantial completion for Elmer corpet Street interior Ada improvements second discussion all those in favor I I opposed how about a certificate of fin a final completion for the interior flooring trim and Ada improvements at Elmer Corbett streets chapter 689 D1 eoh LC
14:42number 0951 79 entertain a motion approval acceptance I'll make a motion to approve con upon the final approval second discussion if I can just uh make a note sometimes on these uh mod projects uh typically the substantial completion is at 95% we close out and then the following month is the Final close out but sometimes the paperwork and inspections are not all in order so what you see on some of your agendas on
15:20certain projects you see substantial and final at the same meeting and sometimes a uh a final change order so if anybody's ever wondering normally you you do the substantial then the following month is the final but it does happen on occasion where we're doing it all in in one meeting so if you're ever you know wondering why you see that that's a little bit of clarification for that thank
15:50you okay misscellaneous we have the affirmative action plan I think everyone has a copy of it read it um and I would uh entertain a motion to approve the affirmative action plan as set forth in our
16:12documents I'll make a motion uh to approve the affirmative action plan second discussion all those in favor I I opposed y all right we're uh looking at Moving and Storage service contract um one-ear option to renew to the loan bidder South Coast Moving and Storage uh entertain a motion to award the contract it's three it's a threeyear contract plus an optional one year motion to award the contract second
17:00discussion all those in favor I
17:10opposed um take entertain a motion at this time to go into executive session to discuss the executive director's contract motion to go into executive session that's going to be a roll call roll call MH commissioner madas yes commissioner Underhill yes commissioner Bentley yes commissioner Burns yes chairman long yes doesn't have to read this no do we have to make a motion just first why don't we
17:44just um f record just read the language subject to the reason why we're going into executive session right underneath right underneath okay yep all right the reason we're going into executive um session is to uh it's executive session pursuant to mgl C 30A section 21 A2 to conduct a strategy session in preparation for negotiation with nonunion Personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or to
18:14conduct negotiations with non-union Personnel I have a couple of questions on this is one is um we're going to have to come back if we decide to make action what you can say is we um we're going to announce now that we're going to when when we go into executive session the board will um recom um we will uh um we're not going to come back into executive session I mean Open Session
18:41session so the you will adjourn in executive session so you just need to make that announcement and then what if we if we make any decisions we'll approve this at next meeting um I think no it'll be it it can be an executive session it's an exec you can approve an executive session you don't have to come back in Open Session to do that okay so I'll entertain a motion to adjourn
19:02after we finish our executive session in executive session in executive session question or approve second motion is made approved in second any discussion all those in favor I I opposed attorney suar are we okay with that