6.16.2025 Housing Authority

ready my friend like a comedy meeting of the for housing authority the board is called to order 431 first order business call roll call chairman long y vice chairman underhill here commissioner Burns is absent commissioner Bentley is detained commissioner Maderas here councel thank you Mr. German. Uh the language for the open meeting law is as follows. Personal 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 unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

Thank you.

Go business is uh citizen input. Do we have anybody any citizens that wish to put some input to the board?

Seeing none, we'll move on to the next.

One person sign up for resident input and that would be Donald Hamilton of Quick Shan Street. Uh, Bishop Eid.

Just state your name and address when you stop.

Hello all. My name is Donald Hamilton. I live at 33 Quick Shan Street, apartment 104, Quaba Bishop. Uh yeah, Qua Bishop Eid Apartments.

And what I'd like to do is have permission to pass out what I want to what I'm going to talk about.

Be my guest. I've got copies here for all five uh uh commissioners and one for Kevin.

Well, two of the commissioners aren't here.

Thank you. Commissioner Bentley should be on her way. She had an emergency she had to do it. So, I think this is just for me.

Can I have Jason's and Joan? You can put here one more copy sir.

You need one more to have one foot.

Okay. You want to You want to share?

Okay, I want to thank you all for allowing me to speak.

18 and a half years ago, when I was told an apartment was ready for me, I was given three choices.

I don't remember the other two, but I do remember that it was suggested that I pick Bishop B. I was told it was a quiet building, friendly people, well-managed.

I chose it without even realizing that my sister was already living there.

Bishop Eid let uh lived up to the reputation for years.

One of our tenants received several awards consecutive years from the state in recognition of her work in the garden and beautifification of the property.

As residents, we put on potluck dinners, hold movie nights, cookouts free of charge to all tenants.

If things go well, it will be our sixth annual cookout this year. We work together as a family.

Now things are a bit different.

We have a property manager that I have witnessed yelling and cussing at tenants and tenants yelling and cussing back to the manager on two separate occasions.

I don't know what started each situation.

I don't know how it ended. I just happen to walk in walk by as it was in progress.

I just know that what I saw was not professional on the manager's part and not very civilized on the part of the tenants.

Problems have been steadily grown worse.

The trust between manager and tenants has been totally and irreparably damaged.

Neither side wants to give in give an inch.

I have heard the manager say many times, "You can't believe a word they say.

They're all liars."

She said it so often that I believe even upper management believes it.

It's almost like the manager walks on water.

Our tenants have nurses who have reported uh to their boss elder abuse.

Problems to the point that they have asked for investigations are underway.

Senior whole health and citizens for citizens and others have been asked who are you? Where do you live? And please don't say Bishop E. That's how many times they've been contacted by our residents.

We have EMTs come here to aid us aid tenants who need medical help.

Our manager has taken the step of banging on the ambulance door, yelling and telling them to move because it was a time to go. It was hurt. It was a time for them to go home and the ambulance was blocking the manager's car.

The EMTs at that time were trying to administer an IV and were disturbed and distracted to the point where they had trouble inserting it.

They complained to their boss who in turn launched another investigation into the matter.

The tenants have tried to get management to hear them.

about a year ago they wrote affidavit and hand had them notorized. They paid out of their own pockets each of them these for these affidavits.

I handed the affidavit to senior management along with the suggestions of how to ease tensions over the parking situations.

I asked to be able to look at the waiting list for tenants to get parking spaces.

I was not given any opportunity.

Instead, I went to a fellow tenant, the same tenant who the 23 affidavit are against, but he gave the suggestions the maned uh the manager wanted. Fair.

By some miracle, we got it back almost immediately after it was stopped.

I don't see how that was even reasonable or fair. No warning to the tenants.

As you can see, the tenants are not afraid to go to others seeking help. We have had a tenant go to the state house seeking help from the attorney general.

The jet the tenant who was justifiably evicted showed the attorney general a paper that was supposed to give the employee permission to give payroll information to housing.

She showed a signature on the document that was not hers as well as another paper showing her true signature.

This is a case of fraud.

This case is still open and she still has two more years to press charges.

Who knows what what else she can or may do.

This is illegal and from our perspective nothing this is illegal and from our perspective nothing was done.

Our manager has told the clerk not to worry about anything. upper management has their back.

Again, I question and unfair.

If we send our children to school and the nurse or teacher suspects sexual abuse or other types of abuse, they must report it to the law to the local uh by law to the local police.

Does that law also apply when a senior tenant reports to the manager sexual assault?

Not in this case. The manager talks with the perpet the other perpetrator who denies it even happened and tells the assaulted tenant they have talked to the uh perpetrator and that is it. That is that I don't believe this is fair or legal.

Is this how we treat cases of sexual assault assault to our seniors or should it be handled by the police?

The same perpetrator has a history of walking the hall in various stages of undress.

And when the manager was when the manager was told that it happened again, the manager asked, "Did you take a picture of this? If not, there's nothing I can do."

This building is our This is our building manager.

Our manager will tell you they want pictures and recordings to back up the tenants.

After all, we are all liars.

What I would like to ask is that whether or not it is possible to hire a person who is knowledgeable in how to handle employees and others could be hired to give a fair and unbiased opinion as to what to do next.

The person should be someone not affiliated with housing.

I am not standing here telling you that we are all angels. We do have people here that do lie, especially when they're in trouble.

But please don't throw a blanket over all of us and cate categorize all of us as liars.

When we do when we violate the rules, we should pay the price for our mistake.

The situation I have given you are really nothing more than a summary of the situ situations.

I know I am leaving things out. But I believe I have given you enough to think about.

I haven't mentioned maintenance.

For instance, one tenant is living with a hole in the floor that happened just days after they moved in. Another offered to pay for out of her pocket money for a new cabinet.

Both situations have been ignored because they're not emergencies.

I do know that you don't have the money to do proper repairs and that much of it has to be put on a five-year plan. I realize that.

But please give this information room for thought. This should be at least excuse me give you pause to think about Bishop E. I pray that you do not look at a particular problem and make a judgment but look at the totality of problems. I have subject I am suggesting that the manager not uh should not be terminated but just move somewhere else.

something I have been told by the manager has asked for asked for but denied because the manager was doing such a great job yelling and screaming attendants investigations into el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el el elder abuse investigations into EMTs and in their duties forged documents sexual assault partially undressed tenant walk in the halls If you would like to get in touch with

me after you're through here today, I've given you my number.

If you if I if you call me and I do not recognize your number, please leave a voicemail.

I will call you back as soon as possible.

I also listed here my email address.

And with that, I say thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Appreciate your words. Um, at this point, we can't have a discussion. We'll put it on for another day, but this will be looked into. I guarantee you that.

And I will be personally in touch with you about where we're going with this and what we find. So, uh, it's not this is not just going to go into a pile and just begun. So, we will take a look at it, but there's nothing we can discuss yet. I I I fully understand that.

And I did receive your letter, but there was no no uh contact information cuz I went No, there wasn't. I I there is no Okay. Okay. I appreciate it. But the thing is I'm going to go sit with uh some people that come from Bishop B.

Uh this Friday uh we're holding a a tenant meeting for our cookout. We decide when and where whether or not we're going to have it. I put the paperwork in last week to get approved. I haven't gotten the paperwork back, but I did put up signs saying it was going to be Friday the 20th.

Okay. At what time? 6 o'clock.

You are all invited. You know, it's it's just going to be a small meeting.

Uh if I figure things right, we're going to have about 20 to 25 people there. You know, considering we have only 54 apartments, it's not a bad showing.

Hopefully, the weather holds up.

I won't promise you beer or or liquor, but we bring our own. You can I don't want to know. I don't want to know. But with that, I thank you very much for allowing me to speak.

Nothing

sign.

Good evening. Ed Gagnon, executive director for joint tenants council. Just wanted to let everyone know you've noticed there were no haven't been any vending machines in the building. Next week caris towers beressi and this building will have vending machines back come we are working with Newport music out of Portsouth we David and I met with them couple of conversations they've

agreed to start with three buildings and hopefully all 11 buildings within the next month or two will have vending machines back.

Just starting with soda. It'll only be soda. There won't be any water in the machines. This one's getting a machine with cans. The other two will be getting the larger vending machines. This company services Regina University and numerous businesses in the Middletown, Portsouth area, Newport area, as well as Jamestown and the other side of the uh the bay. So that they've been around a long time.

Hopefully this will work out with them.

We're also conducting two elections, one here and one at Mitchell Apartments during the month of July. So, that's about it for now. Elections? Yes, tenant elections for tenant officers. Uh, we've had our tenant officers are getting a little old, so they've lost it. We've run some elections, so that's what we'll do. They reached the mandatory retirement age. Is that it? I haven't.

There's no mandatory. It's not allowed.

my name away here.

Thank you. Thank you. I thank you.

Thanks. Thank you.

Next is the minutes of the regular meeting held May 12th, 2025.

Remute them. Anybody who can entertain a uh motion to accept?

Uh yep. um make a motion to accept the u minutes from the meeting on May 12th, 2025. Second. Motion made in second. Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

Bills in communication vouchers.

I think you all have the summary of the vouchers. Um there's nothing you want to discuss. Uh, I'll entertain a motion to accept. I'll make a motion to accept the vouchers.

Second. Motion made seconded. All those in favor? I opposed accepted.

Management reports.

For management reports, we have applications, occupancy reports, tenants accounts receivable, work order reports, monthly section 8 voucher activity reports, the monthly personnel account report, director of modernization monthly report, bank and investment and bond debt balance reports. Um, I went through these over the weekend. I don't see anything that's out of place. Um, we will be talking about some of the uh

modernization in a little bit. Uh, so I would uh accept a motion to accept the management reports as as presented. I'll make a motion to accept the eight management reports. Second. Motion made and seconded. All those in favor? I.

financial reports for the period ending March 31st 25.

Again, if we look at this, I mean, there's nothing that jumps out of me unless management has something they want to bring to my attention, but uh again, hope we all reviewed them. Um, and I will, uh, entertain a motion to accept as submitted.

I'll make a motion to accept the financial reports.

A second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

New business modernization.

I missed it. Well, I already talked to you about it.

Good afternoon everyone. Welcome. Uh, a few things uh for my update this month.

Uh, starting with human resources, we had one of our truck drivers um retired.

Um, so I did want to acknowledge Tim Fitzgibbons. He was um, an employee here for 38 years. Um, most of those as a truck driver. and I wanted to um acknowledge and thank him for his years of service at the Fall River Housing Authority. He's not in attendance tonight.

We also hired uh permanently as I mentioned u in previous meetings, two students that uh from Diamond that participated in the co-op program. Uh one apprentice plumber and one uh clerical on the management side.

Under financial, um, we completed and submitted our annual, uh, fiscal year 25 unudit financials to HUD by the May 31st deadline. And we also, uh, submitted our state financials to EOHLC by the May 30th deadline. So, I wanted to acknowledge and thank our director of finance, Nella Soua, and her financial team, uh, along with our fee accountant, uh, Bob Fetro. And, um, so she worked

very long and hard hours to gather this information and get it submitted under management. Uh just uh information um our information technology systems our server uh we'll be upgrading our server um by uh October. Uh Microsoft is uh phasing out what we currently have and uh going to a new system. Um so the upgrades by our IT vendor um there'll be a one-time cost of about $13,000 uh to bring that up to speed uh to

Micros Microsoft 365 it's called and then uh they are Microsoft is now going to a subscription system for the licenses and uh currently uh it used to go by the workstation but now it will be going by the user. So we have about 120 users. Um so that will be an increase to our cost our operating cost of uh about $8,000 annually. Um, it's one of those things you have to

stay up to speed with with it and the technology and the uh safety measures that go along with that. Um, it's a cost uh to run the organization. So, I just wanted to uh inform you of that and kind of keep you up to date on that stuff.

Resident services. Um, you have a letter in there. housing authority will once again be collab uh uh collaborate collaborating with um Fall River Recreation on the lunch program. Uh they're going to utilize uh five of our sites. Uh I believe it's um PV Heritage Heights, Father D, Ford, and Sunset. And three of those sites, they'll have full day activities uh for the kids and two of them will just be

lunch only uh for about an hour.

And under um our residents and miscellaneous, I wanted to acknowledge a resident at Aloe Vera Apartments, Maria uh Simos.

If you have an opportunity uh to get by Aloe Vera Apartment's main entrance, it's it's on um William Street. She does a remarkable job with the flowers in the front. It's it's really something you got to see.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but I just wanted to acknowledge and thank her. And like I said, if you have a chance to go by there, it's absolutely beautiful. Um, so again, thank you to Mrs. Simos. And um, that is all I have. Thank you.

Have any questions for the director?

On the IT piece, you said $8,000 more than we're currently paying under the subscription. Yes. And that's a 12 month subscription. Yes.

And how much are we paying now?

Uh, it's going to increase uh $8,000. I don't know the exact cost. I just know it's an increase. Was it doubling or is it It's It's 20%. It's about $8 and change uh per uh workstation now and it's going to go to 10 and change per user. Um and the difference is we have a lot of um movement on our management side. So managers and clerks move around quite a bit. Um so with that

uh they get re uh reprogrammed new passwords for a new a new station and they can go up to five uh workstations.

I think it's important that we stay a breast of the current IT stuff because a lot of times what happens is we don't want to pay and you fall behind and then by the time you want to get back up it's becomes a little bit of a nightmare. So, you know, if if you look in your voucher report and what we pay out to uh the vendor MTSI, you might say, "Oh, boy,

it's substantial, but we are a large organization. Uh we have a lot of users." Um, and again, it's it's the cost of doing business. Um, you need that uh up to-date, up to- speed information technology, whether you're in the private sector or government or public. Um, as you said, you have to stay up to up to speed with it. It's superior, too, sir. Yeah. So, just an operational um expense and I

just wanted to uh inform you of that.

Questions? Good.

Next order new under new business is mo monization. Um first thing is a contract award for comprehensive building and site upgrades at Gateway Cities at Maple Gardens, Fall River. Um contract is a 200-2 EO HLC number 095177.

Four birds were received and opened on May 28th, 2025.

And the low bidder came in at $6,271,36 contingent upon final approval from EOHC.

Oh, did I get that right? E H O H LC.

OLC. You did. So they don't have like a little acronym with that like we had HUD with this one. What do we call?

Well, they've kind of shortened it to housing and livable communities. Check the EO. Okay. Housing and Liverable communities. That makes it a little easier.

All right. Recommended action is to award the contract to the low bidder. Uh I will entertain a uh uh

uh a motion to uh accept the bid as received and award it to the low bidder.

I'll make a motion to award the contract to the low bidder JJ Cardozi Inc. in the amount of 6,271,36 contingent upon final approval from EOHLC.

I have a second. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

Second piece of business is contract award for window replacement project at James A. O'Brien Apartments Mass 6-5 8 Birds we received and opened on May 22nd. Recommended action is to uh contract the lower bid NENA Construction Inc. in the amount of $2,599,000.

Entertain a motion to accept a low bidder. uh motion uh to accept or award the contract to low bidder NEA Construction Inc. in the amount of 2,599,000.

Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

Number three, contract award for the roof replacement project phase 7 at buildings number 26 and 30 at Sunset Sunset Hill number 6-1. Nine bids were received and opened on May 29th, 2025.

Recommended actions toward the contract to low bid of WPI Construction Inc. in the amount of $595,500.

We accept the motion to uh award the contract.

I'll make a motion to award the contract for roof replacement buildings 26 and 30 at Sunset Hill. Uh contract to be awarded to WPI Construction Inc. in the amount of $595,500.

Second. Motion made second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

for the contract award for boiler replacement project at the James O'Brien Senior Apartments Mass 635. Four bids were received and opened on May 14th, 2025.

Recommended action is to award the contract to low bidder George T.

Wilkinson, Inc. in the amount of $525,419.

I'll entertain a motion to award the contract to the low bidder.

uh make a motion uh to award the contract for the boiler replacement project at James A. O'Brien Senior Apartments, Mass 6-5 uh to the low bidder George T.

Wilkinson, Inc. in the amount of $525,14.

A second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I next order of business, a contract award for the replacement and addition of smoke detectors at the father defario village mass 6-3 funded through safety and security grant. Five bids were received and opened on March 30th, 2025.

This contract was awarded to the second low bidder, Larry Electrical Contracts on April 14th, 2025 at a board meeting.

Liberal Electrical Contractors withdrew their bid. So, we ended up at the third lowest bidder. There's some other information in your packet if you wanted to go through it. Um, and the recommended actions is to award the contract to the third lowest bidder because the other two, one didn't qualify and the other withdrew their bid. MV Electrical Contractors Inc.

submitted the bid and ready to start in the amount of $218,865.

I'll entertain a motion to accept the uh lowest bidder. I think lowest legitimate bidder was uh MV Electrical Contractors.

I'll make a motion to award the replacement of smoke detectors at Defario Village to MV Electrical Contractors in the amount of $218,865.

Second motion made and seconded. Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

We have a change order for the boiler and water heater replacement at George E. Riley Plaza, Mass 6-17. Change order number one is a credit in the amount of $1,54357.

Take a uh I'll entertain a motion to approve. I'll make a motion to approve the change.

Have a second. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?

Seeing none. All those in favor? I opposed.

Next order of business. A certificate of a completion consolidated for the boiler and water heater replacement at the George E. Riley Plaza. Mass 6-17.

The general contractor Leona Plumbing and Heating Inc. completed all work items. The final contract amount was $585,1143.

Entertain a motion to accept and approve the certificate of completion. Um make a motion uh to approve the certificate of completion consolidated for the boiler and water heater replacement at George E. Riley Plaza, Mass 6-17.

Second.

Should be seconded. Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

Next order of business is a request for manufacturer Edwards EST-4 be a proprietary item for the fire alarm control panel for the Four River Federal Pacific panel and fire alarm system projects at Chaw Bishop Joseph E departments. V River 6673 EOHLC number 095180 to be completely compatible between replacement of control equipment and existing peripheral devices.

Maintain a motion for approval.

I'll make a motion to approve.

Have a second. Second. Motion being seconded. Any discussion? I do have something to on this one. Um, as far as this is a proprietary system, I have a little bit of uh uh some some history with this. Some of it bothers me, but I thought the four river fire department was maintaining all the fire reporting and all that type of stuff.

So, if they get this proprietary I'm not I don't understand what the proprietary item would be. Um it it's the replacement of the building panel that that's our equipment, not the fire department. So that it connects with all of the individual devices in the building and the units and or as part of it um we're uh upgrading the unit electrical panels, the load centers. But once that happens, the fire

department comes in and they automatically set it off and it has to report under certain time frames. It has to be hit the fire station, hit the Yes.

And you go through that. So you have the the representative from the fire department and the contractor and and it's tested to make sure that it's functioning properly. Yep. And you do that on a regular basis now with your panels. Well, initially to accept it.

Um, and then we have another vendor that does quarterly testing. Okay. Yeah. Are all the other systems proprietary like this or are some with for fire department? Because I know they were getting into the whole repeaters and putting antennas on top of buildings and all kinds of things. I believe that was uh for a different type of um electrical uh equipment to a building. This is the

the the fire systems panel. No, these were fire these are fire panels. I know they're fire panels. Well, there were Keltron boxes that were put into places to help relays and and things of that nature, but I think that that it's not the same as your your internal uh your internal fire panel, which puts the immediately puts the uh the alarm is triggered and immediately puts the the

fire department on notice. So, this is this is in coordination with their response, right? I think I'm asking how many all the systems that we currently have in place proprietary as they say.

Yeah, I that that word No, those box when you say it's proprietary, you're stuck with them.

They're the only ones who got it at the time. This is going back years ago. The Keltron boxes were proprietary for the fire department so that the signals would go back to their to their headquarters. These building these building panels that this particular is proprietary. So, it operates with all of the equipment that we're we're upgrading at Bishop. Okay.

Regardless if the fire department was in this has that panel, that proprietary panel, it has nothing to do with the fire department. As long as it passed the test and it and it signals back if there was a fire, it could be an EST, it could be an ABC, an XYZ, they don't dictate what particular electrical panel for the building. the Keltron boxes.

There was some pri proprietary back then that was for signals. Uh we were we were doing away and those were mandated by the fire fire department after doing an RFP to have a systems come in with those relays and that was just for the signaling of a fire. Yeah.

This this the panel uh chairman is is to interconnect all of the devices in the building and the units and with the new uh load centers that are going to be installed. Just the whole request is strange to me because it says the manufacturer Edward EST-4.

It's just the manufacturer.

So, but as soon as this goes in on the proprietary, you not going to be able to go out and hire another person to even touch that panel unless they're doing business with Edwards EST-4. Well, what happens? Am I wrong? No. What happens many times we ask for permission to make it proprietary because we can't get vendors to work on on uh certain panels. You you just you can't get them. So, we know our

facilities department has a relationship, has contracts with the vendors to troubleshoot, repair, install. So, have we done business with this Edward EST-4? Have we done business with them before? I believe we have. Uh, I'm going to have uh Ed Majuski elaborate a little more. He's our director of facilities. Good afternoon, everybody.

We are trying to standardize as almost all the highrises to Edwards because we have a very good uh relationship and with with a bunch of of separate contractors. Edwards seems to be one of the easiest panels to have repaired andor to add on to devices too. Further down the line. We have vendors currently. Yes. That work on this equipment. Yes. We've had stuff in the past. Kevin can tell you Conor Maderas.

We I mean apartments, we couldn't get anybody to service a fire panel. It was locked up with passwords. It was a nightmare, right? This is this is not that way. We possess we possess the passwords to get into it that we have contractors that work our rustic fire department of rustic fire uh uh company does our quarterly inspections. They are authorized to go into the panels to test

stuff. And we're actually going out for a test for for a sprinkler test contract right now that's going to tie that all in with Rustics. We've had Fire Equipment Inc. that does work on the fire panels. Also, they're an Edwards dealer. Edwoods seems to be the one that all the fire departments kind of like because they the contractors are very uh uh able to tie into the panels and

repair them in a timely fashion. Ed, can I ask you the um the uh Edwards EST is more of an open system. So, more vendors can work on this as opposed to a closed system that others cannot work on. It's an open protocol system compared to like a closed protocol system. You're absolutely right. I we are going through the same thing. Yeah, it's it can be a nightmare. And then and then there's a

couple of different there's a couple of different things here going on with this project with the with the 689 projects.

We're not asking that to be proprietary.

I'm trying to keep just this highrises proprietary. So that way they're all Edwards and that way our our contractor has an easier time. They're the most complicated systems compared to other lowrises. It's just easier.

They're they're I guess for a lack of a better word more contractor friendly for someone to come in and troubleshoot. She hit the nail on the head. It's more of an open architecture so that people can get in there because if not they own it.

You're stuck. You can't do anything with it because they won't let you in. They will they'll own us. That's Kevin and I in the past have had it where we had signet from Boston and they own they you know we had to try to get them in there for a short amount of time and they put us off for days and it cost us to get to get in there because just a safety issue

alone is is going to work with if you need it is it going to work? Um so that was my only question. I mean if you if you're comfortable I'm glad that you've explained it to us. Um but uh you know I worked in that field for a little bit and I know how they set these things up and some of them they're just not good at all. I agree. I agree. Um so I I

that's you've answered my questions. I'm I'm I can support this. Thank you.

So that recommended action is approval of the uh manufacturer Edwards EST-4 to be a proprietary item for the fire alarm control of Bishop Eid.

I have motion.

Yeah. Oh, we did motion. Oh, that's right. Sorry. Glad you're here.

All those in favor? I opposed.

Next item business is under procurement fire extinguisher inspection services recommended that award a three-year contract to the loan bidder integrity fire extinguisher service in the amount not to exceed $7,012 make a motion uh to uh award a three-year contract to the loan vendor integrity fire extinguisher service in the amount not to exceed $7,012.

Second.

Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?

All those in favor? I opposed. Under miscellaneous, we have house housing choice voucher program HZVP administrative plan amendment. Um this amendment that we've submitted um I think um director might be able to give us a little bit of highlight. Yeah, just to shed a little bit of information on this. So uh we currently have uh a plan uh a section of our administration plan uh what is insufficient funding and this

is just being proactive in the event under the new administration there's a cut in funding to the section 8 program and we were to have to retrieve vouchers from participants currently ly uh our plan is it's the first in first out and what that means is people who hold the voucher the longest would be the first ones that have to uh turn in their voucher and just so everyone is aware elderly and disabled people are

exempt from this in the event that we had to do this if there's sufficient uh shortfall funding.

This is for just working families that are on the program.

Uh what we're proposing is if there's any participants on the program that are on probation for violating the program, such as unreported income, not complying with their annual re-exam, habitually, uh things like that, habitually late with their paperwork. If in the event we had to retrieve vouchers, we would go after those participants first and then the longest holding voucher holders,

which we feel is is the most fair and and equitable. If you have people on probation for violating the program, we should take their their voucher first.

Uh but I'm I'm optimistic. I don't think we're going to get to that point where we have to retrieve uh vouchers. We've been putting we've been proactive in cost-saving measures in that department. So, but it remains to be seen uh going forward. So, you have in your packet the current plan for insufficient funding and then the amended one and HUD requires us uh any change to the plan that we have to have a board.

So you're asking us just to approve the amendment to the plan. Okay.

Discussion none.

Did we do the motion? Not yet. I'll entertain a motion um to award a three-year contract, I'm sorry, housing choice vouchure program administrative plan amendment to uh approve the amendment.

I'll make a motion to approve the amendment.

Second motion made and seconded. Any more discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I I opposed the miscellaneous the EOHLC regional capital assistant team ARCAT program waiver recommended approval of a three-year waiver 2025 2028. I think maybe we should have a little update on what that's all about.

So we've done this every three years in the past. Our CAT is for smaller housing authorities.

um they work together for buying power.

Um many of these smaller housing authorities only have part-time uh employees, so they're able to join forces, so to speak. The state allows that, and that's what the ARCAT is.

Typically larger um well-managed housing authorities such as Fall River, uh we opt out of that. We have the human resources. We have the final financial resources to run our housing authority. We don't need the assistance of another housing authority or the state. So every 3 years, EOHLC requires the board to approve the opt out option of the of the RCAP program.

Entertain a motion to approve the three-year waiver.

I'll make a motion to approve the three-year waiver 2025 2028 of the EOHLC regional capital assistance team program waiver.

Second. Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

Next item, management service agreement between the for housing authority and the Somerset Housing Authority for maintenance operation assistance. Again, if you can give us a little bit of update on that, we appreciate it. Sure.

So, as I mentioned, I believe it was last month's meeting what we uh the communications between myself and the executive director of the Somerset Swansea and a Kushner Housing Authorities.

Um she had see um assistance in the uh maintenance of uh the Somerset Housing Authority properties and on the uh the next contract for the Swansea Housing Authority, their federal program. uh she's wellversed in running the state program but the small federal portfolio she's seeking some assistance and this is done routinely just to go back to what you previously approved the waiver

out of the ARCAT. So a lot of these smaller housing authorities kind of uh work with in conjunction with other housing authorities to form a larger one. So, uh, again, uh, both HUD and EOHLC, this is an acceptable practice.

Um, and then, but it needs it requires a board vote and then we send up the executed contracts to them for the record. Um, and what we'll be doing, um, is looking, this maintenance contract is a six-month pilot contract to try to assist our sister agency in in Somerset and uh, put in some measures in place and some best practices so either uh, they will be able to manage their maintenance more efficiently or seek to

keep us. We'll we'll see how that goes going forward.

And just to follow up on the explanation on the next contract, the next agenda item is um the administrative services of their federal program. They have six federal sites uh throughout Swansea that she's looking for assistance on, you know, the re-exams, the u uh tenant selection, uh things that we do on a normal basis here. We we have over 2,300 units. They have six units. Uh so

um just looking to uh like I said, this is a routine practice in the industry.

So um she reached out and I certainly um want to try to help out, you know, in any way we can as a larger organization uh sister cities across the river. Does this include personnel and administrative? So for the maintenance uh yes it requires so how the contract is structured is um we will bill monthly for our labor fringes transportation any incidental cost and on top of that a 15% admin fee.

So look at it as a private property management company managing apartment complexes whether it be maintenance, administrative. So is this a zerobased or is this a profit based?

You make money on this thing? Well, we're going to get whatever our costs will be reimbured plus a 15% I mean an admin fee. No, just like our section 8 program, we're entitled to an admin fee for administering it. Um, no, it's not.

It's not to make money. It's just again to assist and help and guide if what's the total number of units put together that we'd be helping administratively and so um on the Somerset Housing Authority we're just doing the uh so the maintenance for the Somerset Housing Authority I want to say it's 160 and then on the administrative on the federal side is six units. And that's all, if I remember, if it's all like in

a couple of complexes, right? Two two complexes. Yeah. Eugene Murphy and Robert uh John Kennedy. Okay.

Make a motion to approve the three Oh, I'm sorry. Getting ahead of myself again. This is a motion. I'll entertain a motion to uh approve the agreement between the for housing and Somerset Housing Authority for maintenance and operations assistance.

I'll make a motion uh to approve management services agreement between the Fall River Housing Authority and the Somerset Housing Authority for maintenance operations assistance.

Second. Motion made second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I opposed.

Next is the agreement for administration of Swansea Housing Authority uh under HUD housing program by the fallover housing authority. Basically, we just discussed that. So, I'd entertain a motion for uh the approval of the uh agreement for administration of the Swansea Housing Authority.

I'll make a motion to approve the agreement with the Swansea Housing Authority.

Second. Motion made and second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I I opposed.

Next item is the designated housing plan BHP renewal with HUD.

Recommended action is approved submission of the renewal request for an additional 2-year period that would that would uh end in 2027.

So if I can add what that is is uh we have a current designated housing plan that covers six elderly only sites and HUD requires you to submit um an extension for that every two years.

Uh so uh the current agreement uh designated housing plan expires in September. So, we want to be ahead of the game. Um, again, requires board approval. Then it's a formal letter that I submit to our uh HUD reps in Boston um asking to continue it for another two years.

I'll make a motion to approve the submission of renewal requests for an additional two-year period to 2027 for the designated housing plan renewal for HUD.

Second. Motion made second. Any further discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed.

Purchase of National Gas through the NRG Power Auctions.

discussion and approval again. So again, give you some more information on this item and then the next item is our um electricity. So some of you may recall uh almost three years ago I put before you approval to enter into a contract to purchase our uh gas and electric. So, uh, the current contract, the two contracts, one expires October 31st and I think the other one is November 30th, but this is a time of

the year where the rates generally dip um, in fa in your favor. So, um, it's like the stock market. It changes dayto day. So, they every day I get an email with the current rates. Um so uh it would be to our advantage to lock in now at these lower rates to extend the contract. However, rather than do another three-year um the housing authority is contemplating a second phase of another energy performance contract. We

currently have one now that we did I believe back in 2012 with Amoresco where you put in all these energy costsaving measures in your unit. Shower heads, air raators, uh toilets, things like that, lighting. Um we have four properties that back then were not eligible because they were still state properties.

So, we are eligible to apply through HUD with a consultant that we would retain um for these four properties. We have about seven years roughly. The current contract expires in 32. So HUD only allows you the remaining years for cost savings and to put a project like this together planning design uh and we are waiting for an assessment. They sent uh an engineer um last week or the week

before and uh our director of facilities accompanied that gentleman to for the site. So, we're waiting for that report to help us consider and uh whether we want to do a phase 2 energy performance contract. Now, for the purpose of these agenda items, my recommendation is we do an extension for 14 months.

Why? Because if we decide to go with this phase 2 energy, it takes about 12 months to 14 months to be eligible for 100% rate reduction incentives from HUD. You need the energy performance contract and a clean power options or other uh broker contract simultaneously to be eligible.

So if we commit to a two or a threeyear we we would be under contract and that wouldn't be simultaneously with the energy performance. So my recommendation would be for 14 months. If we decide not to do the energy performance contract, no harm, no file. We see what the rates are in 14 months and we decide then do we want to go into a longer term renew not renew? If we did absolutely nothing,

HUD reimbures us for our utility costs.

But this is a way of uh achieving and if everything goes through and it gets approved by HUD, this substantial savings to the housing authority. Um if you do everything, you're up to 100% of the savings. You get reimbursed. If you do half of it, or if you qualify, you could get 50%.

So you're talking the estimate that I received from the consultant if we were to do a phase two with the remaining years a potential savings or or funding back from HUD to our operating budget of about $2 million.

But that's estimates. You know, everything is is perfect on paper, but uh it's just estimates.

and we've been successful with uh receiving some rate reductions incentives. How often do they audit that? See if you're up to stuff. Every year, Dale. So, part of the contract there's a a measurements and verification report where someone comes down and they go into the units that you did. It's every year.

So, the reimbursement happens after each audit or does it happen at the end of the program?

So it's it's each year. So once the contracts are in place and you've completed your work, there's um administrative paperwork. And again, that's where we utilize the same consultant as their that's their business of submitting the this this type of uh uh rate reduction incentive paperwork to HUD. And each year we'll we'll be reimbursed or uh funding from HUD that would go back whether it's if we were to save

hypothetically $700,000 and we were approved at 50% we would get 350,000 back. If we saved a million we could get potentially 500,000.

So my suggestion uh and recommendation would be to approve uh a 14 month contract with both NRG and constellation under the power options and I I gave you as of Friday in your packet the current rates that we're paying now and the um uh new the new ones that that was as of Friday afternoon. Again, it could have went up or down as of today.

Uh but it the rate would be at the time of of uh execution of the contract and this would pick up those rates would go into effect at the end of the current contract. But this for tonight is uh is to get approval if you would like me to enter into that or not.

Clear as mud.

Um, I would make a motion that we um go along with the executive director's recommendation for the housing authority to enter into a 14-month contract with energy power options for natural gas purchase. Is this also for electric Kevin Constellation? constellation and energ

I I jumped ahead but I just wanted to give you the explanation on the vote. So you would be making a motion and voting on the purchase of natural gas and then the next item on the agenda would be electricity. Yeah. Would make no sense to approve one and not approve the other. That doesn't make sense. But you got to take them separate. Okay. So I make a motion to approve the purchase of natural gas through

energy power options for a 14month period.

Second. Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion?

All those in favor? I.

Last item is purchase of electricity through the constellation energy program which was just outlined to us. Uh recommended action is for approval. I'll entertain a motion as submitted.

I'll make a motion for the purchase of electricity through Constellation Energy for a 14-month period for 14-month contract period.

Second. Motion made and seconded. Any further discussion?

All those in favor? I opposed.

We have any other business? I do have a question. Um, I have something in my packet. I don't believe memorandum of agreement with Samaritans. So if you recall last month or the month before I discussed uh another type of pilot program with Samaritan South Coast for um suicidal prevention services for our elderly and disabled uh residents. And I put together the MOA uh for you to see. I outlined everything

in the meeting previous. That's just for your uh information. Oh, okay. Yeah. Thank you.

Okay. A motion to adjurnn.

Make a motion to adjurnn. Second. Motion made. Seconded to adjourn.

All those in favor? I I this meeting is now adjourned at 5 37.