Attendance:

   Present: 19 members of FPSE community and other stakeholders.

Opening, Minutes, and Community Concerns

   George Jones and Dexter Silver reported that Kim Jayne's father had died. Bob asked for a few moments of quiet reflection on what each could do in response to all the deaths and other stresses in our lives and the lives of our neighbors.

   The minutes for July 24 were approved. Bob indicated that comments and additions were still welcome.
   Lighthouse and St. Cronan's will have their third community building day on October 20, concentrating on odd jobs for neighbors and general cleanup. Contact Lisa von Stamwitz (289.9545) to suggest projects or get details.

Possible Council budget from ARCHS

   Bob reported that ARCHS faced a large budget cut and that Robin Gierer had resigned as executive director, effective at the end of September.
   Serena Muhammad, ARCHS's neighborhood facilitator, suggested that the Council put together an operational budget for the year and send it to ARCHS or other potential funders. The proposed budget should describe how the Council plans to sustain itself without ARCHS funds in the long run, after startup funding is used up. Serena also suggested writing up future projects early so that if the ARCHS budget allows funding, the Council will be ready.
   Note: No funding is promised; Serena will, however, try to get money for budgeted items from whatever sources may be available.

Adams School and Community Center

   Trish Curtis answered questions about the Adams Park Community Center (APCC) board: the school will open on August 30; a parent association will be formed; the Community Center will open at the end of October; and the seniors group will meet at the center.
   Trish also reported that a parking lot for teachers is needed on the south side of Vista; the board has yet to acquire one or two of the properties. The lot will be fenced to prevent vandalism. About 30 employees will be at the school.
   The APPC board includes Dr. Flance, Peter Bailey (Board of Education buildings person), Doris Johnson or a replacement (Medical Center Financial person), Richard Baron, Trish, Saundra Moss, and Edna Campbell. Trish also reported that the board meets on the second Thursday of the month; the Medical Center donated $4 Million for construction; and the Danforth Foundation donated $1 Million for construction and $500,000 for startup and operations (budgeted to cover three years).

Affordable Housing / Moving Towards Diversity

   Joan Botwinick reported on the Housing Corporation's prompt response to the Council's affordable housing resolution asking for information and advocating: development of units for families with below-average incomes; preference and assistance for FPSE residents displaced by development; and information for the neighborhood on a more regular basis.
   Brian Young (HC president and Co-General Partner, Park East I, L.P.) and Peter Benoist (President, St. Louis Public Development Corporation XX, Co-General Partner, Park East I, L.P. and President, Park East Homes Corporation, and Member, Park East II, L.L.C.) said:

• The Park East project is not a "redevelopment area" because real estate tax abatement was not requested, but the HC and involved RHCDA subsidiaries "have committed to working with Urban Strategies to provide assistance to tenants in locating housing alteratives," regardless of the tenants' eligibility for a Park East unit. Young and Benoist are "coordinating the provision of a household needs assessment, to be undertaken by Urban Strategies." Park East's initial phase will renovate already vacant units and offer them to existing, qualified tenants.
• The configuration of the 73 units is and will be:

  Before (73)		After (73)
  58 one-bedroom		34 one-bedroom
  14 two-bedroom		36 two-bedroom
  0 three-bedroom		2 three-bedroom
  1 four-bedroom		1 four-bedroom

• The property management company for Park East "will vigorously screen tenants" and "will consider criminal records as one factor in the screening process" so that the buildings are as free as possible of nuisance and criminal behavior associated with absentee-owned rental buildings.
• The rent schedule connected with the approval of the Park East project for Low Income Housing Tax Credits and necessary for debt service, is as follows.

  	Before (64)		After (73)
  1-bedroom units	51, averaging $325.78		34 at $350
  2-bedroom units	12, averaging $437.08		36 at $465
  3-bedroom units	0		2 at $585
  4-bedroom units	1 at $570		1 at $625
  [Total rents	$22,429.74		$30,435.00]
  [Average rent per bedroom	$350.45		$416.91]
  [Editor's note: the "before" units reported in the rent table is not the same number as "after" units or the number of units in the "configuration" table.]

• Young and Benoist said they were not able to make one fourth of the appartments affordable to families with incomes 30% or below Area Median Income (AMI) because project financing was based on all units being affordalbe to families with incomes of 60% or below AMI and lower rents would not cover debt service or allow closing on financing.
• The project is not covered by the St. Louis relocation policy; it is not receiving any type of funding from the city, state, or federal governments; it will utilize already allocated state low-income housing tax credits (MHDC) and will utilize state and federal historic preservation tax credits; the tax credits allow affordability for families at 60% or below of AMI; although not subject to the city's relocation policy or the Uniform Relocation Act, Young and Benoist "are working closely with Urban Strategies to offer assistance in indentifying alternative housing options to any tenant who either chooses to leave their 'Park East' unit, who does not qualify to rent a Park East Apartment unit, or for whom a suitable unit is not available."
• Young and Benoist said they have always had an open information policy, "particularly since there has been an ongoing need to address a great deal of misinformation."
• Young and Benoist also said they are creating 26 more bedrooms in the 73 units and it is impossible to add any more, larger units because of building constraints. They added that their figures showed "in many cases, [the new] rents will be less than what the tenants are currently paying and in some cases, they will be somewhat more, but for a completely renovated and well-managed unit."
• Young and Benoist also reported that the Housing Corporation had made requests of McCormack Baron to assist in selling $500,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) tax credits. They pledged to continue to seek assistance from McCormack Baron and others because they consider the home improvement program "to be a high priority initiative for the neighborhood plan and for our organization."

  Community members supported attaching conditions to the grant of tax credits that would require respect for current residents. Members favored taking a position for such conditions at the two meetings scheduled: September 6 at 7 p.m. at NHS (Department of Natural Resources Outreach Office) and Friday, September 28 (Advisory Council on Historic Preservation).
   Bob noted that the Human Services Committee had discussed affordable housing at its August 25 strategy meeting. He suggested that the Council's September meeting could serve as one of the committee's proposed town hall meetings.

   Bob introduced Dr. Jolly's video on Moving Towards Diversity by pointing out the need for all parts of the neighborhood to be civil to each other, listen to each other, and not be judgmental. Dr. Jolly discussed how to build a diverse community with empowerment of everyone, based on positive education. The point is to move from a "talk" community to a "doing" one. The video was warmly received.

Minutes prepared by Joan Botwinick (727.6237), edited by Bob Babione (371.5246).