2017 February Housing Minutes

MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Jarvis Deel, Don Hill, Trevor Counts, Virginia White, Randy Moore 

MEMBERS ABSENT 2/16/2017:  Frankie Gulley, Edna Gulley

Town Attorney: Susan Woods

Town Clerk: Tina Bartley

On 2/16/2017 the meeting was called to order by Chairman Jarvis Deel.

Welcoming and moment of silence:

Chairman Jarvis Deel, welcomed everyone to the meeting and called the meeting to order, and asked for a moment of silence. 

Approval of Minutes:

Chairman Deel asked if everyone has had time to look over their August minutes; and if they have I would ask for a motion for approval of the minutes.  Don Hill stated to give him about 4 mins.  Don thanked Chairman Deel for allowing him the time.  Don Hill made a motion to accept the minutes as they are.  Trevor Counts seconded the motion; a vote was taken and all members were in favor.

Approval of the Treasurers Report:

Mayor Jarvis Deel asked if everyone has had time to look at the treasurer’s report; if everyone has had time to look at it, do we have any discussion; if no discussion, I will ask for a motion to approve the treasurers report; Don Hill made a motion to approve the treasurer’s report.  Trevor Counts seconded the motion; a vote was taken and all members were in favor.

Additions to the agenda:

Mayor Deel asked if anyone had anything to add to the agenda; if no additions to add anything, I will ask for a motion to approve the agenda as is; Trevor Counts made a motion to approve the agenda; Virginia White seconded the motion; a vote was taken and all members were in favor.

Old Business:

Repercussions of Confidentiality Agreement:

Chairman Deel stated on the repercussions of the confidentiality agreement everybody voted on actually there is nothing in the book in there that gives any repercussions it would be just what the state code says.  

Complaint and Appeals Board:

Chairman Deel stated we need to appoint some people for the complaint and appeals board because actually we are getting some complaints still over the old housing but we have to have it as we move on with the new grant, if we get it.  Don Hill asked Chairman Deel if he was talking about the sign/billboard; Chairman Deel stated no, it would be a complaint and appeal board.  Don Hill stated oh, an appeal board….ok.  Chairman Deel stated not a billboard, but we need some people in other words to handle to take on the appointment and be able to be on an appeal board that way if anyone has any complaints that is who they would talk to; to plead their case, I guess you would say.  Don asked if this would be any kind of complaint; general complaints.  Chairman Deel stated it would be more so housing, like I say more than anything this is something that will move on….we have to have this board and as we go even further down the line we have to have a few more boards because like I discussed earlier we are going to see this grant goes the way it is supposed to go and everything be done the right way and to do that we are going to have to have board members appointed for separate sections and so I just wanted to bring that up so everyone could be thinking if there’s anybody that wanted to be on the appointed complaint and appeal board or if you know anybody you can bring it up and we all can vote them in, but that is just another portion of what is to follow…there is supposed to be one with the old grant.  Don stated so it is really a housing complaint and appeals board; Chairman Deel stated yes.  If anyone wants to volunteer for it, they can and we can vote.  I think the book actually calls for up to four….three to four members on the appeals board.  Don stated so when you get a complaint, what is supposed to take place, documented; Chairman Deel stated yeah, documented, brought before the housing board and then if necessary the housing board takes it on to the council.  Don stated and the council is the final link in the chain; Chairman Deel stated yeah, council will be the final link in the chain if it is something the housing board can’t handle themselves.  Don stated so right now it is in the affirmative stage till we can get something a little more specific together.  Chairman Deel stated yeah, I just wanted to throw that out there with this new grant coming.  That is just one of the boards we are going to have to be thinking about.  I still got to go through more of that book some more to figure the rest of it out.

Chairman Deel asked at this time does anybody else have any old business; if not we will move on to new business.

New Business:

Woods Home:

Chairman Deel stated at this time I believe Mr. Mullins has something he wanted to say; Freddy Mullins stated I don’t know if I need to speak to the housing authority or the council, I represent a gentleman by the name of Timothy Woods he owns a piece of property, actually he owns two tracks here in the Town.  Mr. Woods has been having some health problems and he is needing to be able to get rid of his property so he can receive some government assistance for his health care.  There is a Deed of Trust with the Community Development Block Grant in 2009, it was actually made to his dad Benford who I understand has passed away and we are here to ask ultimately and Town would actually have to decide because they are the holder of the Deed of Trust.  Either allow; consent and sign a deed to let Mr. Woods convey the property away or you could actually execute a certificate of satisfaction saying nothing else is owed on the note.  We have checked with the CDBG in Richmond, they have no records of it, they were seized by the FBI they don’t have any other information other than what is contained in the Deed of Trust.  We just want to ask to see if you all would consider, Mr. Woods is in poor health and he is needing to get rid of the property and he can’t do it as long as the deed of trust is on the property, so I am just asking for your consideration and I will be glad to answer any questions you have.  Chairman Deel stated actually we got our stuff back from the FBI so I can go through it and then we can all go through it.  We can pull look at the Deed.  Freddy stated that he had a copy of the Deed of Trust that was signed by Mr. Woods if you need to refer to it.  Chairman Deel stated we should have the same thing you got there in desk, but that stuff the FBI seized should be some other paperwork in it to.  Just to be on the safe side just to cover us I would want to look at that first.  Freddy Mullins stated that he understood.  Chairman Deel stated I have went through that book several time and I am sure you have to but that book kind of back tracks you two or three different way and it can be confusing until you want to pull your hair out really.  Randy Moore asked Freddy Mullins what is he wanting to do; sell it, transfer it over to his sister or what; Freddy Mullins stated covey it over to his sister from what I understand, the lady who contacted me her name is Melissa Davis.  Randy Moore asked if she would meet the low income thing; Freddy Mullins stated I don’t know the answer to that.  I know she says the medicine he is on, he has some mental issues and the medicine he is on costs him about $700.00 a month and he is not employed.  This is what is keeping him from getting assistance.  Chairman Deel asked Freddy Mullins if he was wanting to sell it to her for what little bit is left on it; Freddy replied that he thought Timmy just wanted to give it to his sister was his understanding.  I can’t find it and Richmond can’t tell me how much is actually left on it.  It is due to expire in a little over 2 ½ years.  Randy Moore stated he had no payment right; Freddy replied no sir, no payment.  Don stated, Mr. Chairman, I make a motion until we can discuss it later.  Chairman Deel stated ok, I have a motion on the table to wait until we can pull the records and discuss it, I say also with that motion we also try to have something to let Freddy know by next meeting.  Don Hill stated yeah, we can do that.  Virginia White seconded the motion; a vote was taken; Chairman Deel vote yea, Don Hill voted yea, Virginia White voted yea, Randy Moore voted nay, Trevor Counts voted nay.  Motion was passed.  Freddy stated Mr. Mayor, I will be glad to stay if you have any questions for me, I will leave you to deliberate and we appreciate the consideration.  Chairman Deel stated, thank you and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Closed Session:

Chairman Deel stated the closed session was for Council, I was hooking up lights when Tina asked me and I told her closed session, but as far as I know we don’t have to have a closed session this evening, unless any of you have anything you would like to discuss.

Volunteer Students:

Chairman Deel stated we will have our volunteer students coming in and we should have 12 students for the spring break.  They are coming in from Wisconsin, from Marquette University.  They will start out in Massachusetts and pick up some in Detroit and Wisconsin. 

Contractor:

Chairman Deel stated Carl Turner he will be starting work on the first house tomorrow.  I know nobody asked anything about the treasurer’s report but that is what the $2,750.00 was for; for materials for both jobs and we have all his qualifications on file.  Randy asked Chairman Deel whose house is Carl working on; Chairman Deel stated he is putting an escape route for Willard Skeens out the back.  Also, Marsha has so many electrical problems.  We let him kind of go through the application and let him see which ones was the most serious and needed to dealt with first.  Don asked if we had a file on Mr. Turner; Chairman Deel stated yes we sure do and a contract signed and Tina notarized it all. 

Public Comments:

Mayor Deel asked for any public comments; Liz Silvers stated she had a comment; every time I paint my landscaping timbers water drips down from the gutter and knocks the paint off.  Mr. Charles he has done patched them and everything he don’t know what else to do.  When Ronnie was coming to that house and working on it, I said to him why didn’t he just put one piece up; he said you know how much that would cost; I said well, I wouldn’t have this problem with it leaking.  Don Hill asked what the distance of the gutter that would need to be replaced; Liz stated she didn’t know it was on both sides; Don asked if it was leaking on both sides; Liz stated yes, on the front.  Don stated so it is not a continuous gutter.  Liz agreed.  Trevor asked who done it when the town done it the other time.  Liz stated Ronnie, he put the gutters up.  Mr. Charles he tried to fix it, he put the seal on it to try and help it.  He made sure it was level and tried to reseal it.  Don Hill made a motion to have Carl go look at Liz Silvers gutters and give us some kind of report on it, to see if it can be fixed or not.  Chairman Deel stated we need to keep in mind with the DHCD we have to look at the most urgent, but what we are doing here we may not have enough money left for another serious problem and then we might have some money left for stuff like that.  Liz agreed.  Don stated all I am purposing is for him to look at it and to see if it can be fixed with a simple fix.  Chairman Deel agreed.  Randy Moore seconded the motion; a vote was taken and all members were in favor. 

Housing Member Comments:

Mayor Jarvis Deel asked if any housing members had any comments; no housing member comments were made.

Adjournment:

Randy Moore made the motion to adjourn; Don Hill seconded the motion; a vote was taken and all members were in favor.