The Housing Corporation took up Richard Baron's request for a seat on the board and discussed various other items at its October 7, 2002 meeting.  

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Report on Housing Corporation meeting
October 7, 2002

Bob Babione prepared this report.
This is not the minutes of the meeting and
the report is not the official record of the meeting.
Additions and comments are welcome
and will be added. Send them to bob.

 
Richard Baron's request for seat on board
   The housing corporation board took up Richard Baron's request for a seat on the board at its October 7 meeting.
   Baron said he had talked with board president David Renard weeks before about developing a closer relationship with the community in what the Medical Center was doing. "It would make good sense," Baron said, to work along side the board and share ideas from month to month. Baron said he was "very committed to working with the community" and it would be good if all were going in the same direction. At the present, Baron felt "too distant" from what was going on and he did not want confusion.
   In response to questions, Baron said that there had never been a commitment to subsidized units at the assisted living center. However, persons who are tax-credit eligible or who had Section 8 vouchers were welcome, with 60 percent of the units available for such persons. The facility has 89 units and 25 to 30 persons have filled out papers so far, Baron said.
   In response to board member Phil Minden's question about Baron's interest in being involved with the board, Baron said that success of the Manchester project required infrastructure improvements, possibly a tax increment financing (TIF) district, and that it was a program management challenge to move to the next level from the master plan.
   "A lot of work has to be done," including attracting national foundations, Baron said, and so it would be good to work along with staff in order to act on behalf of the community. He was concerned that in the past there was a deus ex machina feeling about the relationship and he would prefer to be on the scene. He said that he would not be at the meeting if he were not interested and that the issues articulated in the master plan included protecting low-income residents and diversity. Baron said he had no hidden agendas and would try to be helpful.
   Board member Kate Reese asked for information about the "exact agreement" among Washington University Medical Center, McCormack Baron and Associates, and Urban Strategies. Baron explained that the work was focused on Adams School and Community Center, that Urban Strategies had a "program manager" role, and that there was no conflict of interest because what was going on was an every-day thing.
   When asked about the board of Urban Strategies, Baron said that he was the chairman and that others were involved. He explained that the existence of Urban Strategies, a tax-exempt corporation under 501(c)(3), made it simpler to deal with foundations. Urban Strategies is charged with getting the Mainstreet project started, he said.
   Board member George Jones asked about affordable housing and diversity in the neighborhood. Baron responded that he wanted to see what the community had developed in the master plan and that the long-term viability of FPSE depended on the development of Manchester with a variety of businesses. The most important thing, Baron said, was to upgrade the infrastructure (alley and street pavement, lighting, and so on) and that one way to do that would be with a TIF to capture tax revenue generated by the project and reinvest it in the neighborhood. "My vision is the community's vision -- what they wanted to see," he said.
   In response to Jones's comment that the "line down Manchester was not going away" and his question about what would happen in Adams Grove, Baron said there was a need for discussion of the master plan with folks and development of the next phase of planning. Baron added that, with respect to the lowest income people in the neighborhood, the housing program had dealt with the idea of infill housing where that was possible. He went on to say that there was a need to figure out how to package market rate and lower-income housing. There is a "terrific opportunity" here, but you could not do the low-income housing without doing the other.
   For those lower-income families who did not want to sell, Baron said that putting together a financing package was a challenge, especially because there was less money available from block grants and other city programs. "A lot different approach is needed because there are lesser resources," he said, adding that it was important to move aggressively now. He also cited his efforts to provide financing for home owners in the Westminister development, one of his earlier efforts, adding that people could ask Bob Babione about it. See Bob's response regarding the history at the Westminster development.
   Josh Heilman from the Lighthouse Community Outreach Center asked what was meant by "affordable." Baron said that the housing corporation was already involved in that and that he saw his role as gathering resources to implement the housing corporation's goals. It will not be easy to accelerate the pace, Baron said, adding that if the mission is to be done, more resources and new ways were needed. He said he was not interested in gentrification but in the goals "everybody established."
   President Renard ended the discussion at that point and returned to the meeting's announced agenda.
Management report
   In the discussion of management matters, board members asked about $700 and $1000 contracts for air conditioning and other repairs and whether there had been bids as required by a policy of requiring bids for work costing over $500. Board members Jones, Saundra Moss, Joe Lautner, and Greg Campbell commented on the lack of paper work to support housing corporation actions. It appeard that nobody knew whether or not the person hired for air conditioning work was certified in that field. Mainstreet director Marti Hamilton indicated staff would report details to the board.
Committee work
   Moss asked why, with a total board membership of 14, two or three held multiple positions as officers and committee chairs. She expressed concern for the perceptions created by the situation. President Renard said that the opportunity for committee work had been advertised throughout the community as well as to the board members and that a lot of people were involved in the Mainstreet committee. Campbell pointed out that he had repeatedly stressed the importance of people working on the committees.
Park East progress
   Staff member Kellie Shelton reported on the Park East project. In the rental part of the project, work has progressed to installation of the new dry wall and now choices were being made regarding paint and finishing touches. The first unit should be ready for occupancy by mid-November, Shelton said. Board member Brian Phillips said that it was important to have a good strategy for developing prospects for the for-sale part of the Park East project.
Agreement with Great Rivers?
   The status of the Great Rivers project for low-income home ownership with Petersen Housing appeared uncertain. The board asked for a report from staff to the executive committee and the whole board.
Home repair fund, landlord association, Showcase report
   Shelton reported that she had worked on marketing the home repair fund administered by Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), having submitted 20 applications. Shelton said that after submission of all the papers, it took about six months to obtain a commitment. Reese explained that approvals from the city were required and that contingencies depended on a lot of things, particularly on families getting all the paper work to NHS.
   In addition, the housing corporation received a grant of $35,000 from the Missouri Housing Trust Fund for home repairs. Another grant application will be submitted for the next grant cycle.
   Development of a landlord association "has been challenging," Shelton said. She is attempting to have a meeting but she only knew of Lauritsen Associates and Park East as resources.
   The Neighborhood Showcase went well with about 200 people in attendance, Shelton said. Participation in the house tour, however, was less than in past years. Board member Phil Minden expressed the board's appreciation to all the staff and volunteers, especially Lynne Moo, who had worked on the Showcase.
Mainstreet
   The program director, Marti Hamilton, reported that work continued on the development plans. Another meeting of the design committee would be held on October 16th or earlier, she added.
   Hamilton met with the city treasurer about the parking lot west of the Arco wedge. The budget for improvements is $23,000 to repave and restripe the lot. She said that available city resources would be used when possible for such things as weed control. Just now, there is no plan to install parking meters on the lot.
   Jones asked about the Mainstreet committee structure and whether there had been any votes on what is being done. President Renard said that right now Mainstreet operated as an "information committee" and votes were not needed. Design guidelines were under consideration and eventually there would be a vote on them, he said. Renard said the plan is a work in progress and "just a revision of the UDA proposal." (UDA is Urban Design Associates, the organization that prepared the 1999 draft plan for the neighborhood.)
   A discussion of expenditures for banners and murals followed. Hamilton said she had approached several owners about the mural project and that Renard was the first to respond. Hamilton said that "a little over $1,000" had been spent on lumber and paint and that services had been donated. More funds from the $2,500 grant from 2004 were available, she said, adding that she would share the information with everyone.
Silver anniversary
   The housing corporation's annual holiday event will be Wednesday, December 12. In addition to celebrating the holidays, the event will mark the housing corporation's 25th anniversary. The event will be at the new restaurant that will be opened on the northwest corner of Tower Grove and Manchester (formerly Blitt's, Knuckelball, and Sugar Ray's).
Manchester rehab
   SiteLines, LLC has opened at 4130 Manchester Avenue, near the post office. Hamilton noted that this business was ranked in a listing of promising entrepreneurs.
Art classes at Potter's Workshop
   Heilman said that the Potter's Workshop has started classes and is available without charge to FPSE residents. The workshop, an effort of Lighthouse Community Outreach Center, provides art classes for people from pre-schoolers thorough senior citizens. Niki Schrader, the director, can be reached at 531.0955. Right now classes are from 4 to 5:30 and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The Workshop would welcome the assistance of neighborhood artists interested in sharing their experience with a class once a month or once a week.
Possible newsletter
   President Renard mentioned that the Wedge Group and the housing corporation were interested in publishing a quarterly newsletter. He estimated that the cost would be $500 per issue.
Building purchase for office
   The board approved exercising its option to buy the property at 4398 Gibson as the site for its office (with rental unit upstairs) for $4,000 from LRA. Marcella Palmieri, executive director, is working on financing plans for the $3,600 needed to complete the pruchase. (The housing corporation paid $400 for a one-year option.)
Gibson Heights representative
   The board approved board membership for Jim Halcomb, who had been nominated by the Gibson Heights Neighborhood Association.
Teddy Bear park
   The board has made progress in acquiring the property at 4126 Chouteau for Teddy Bear Park in Ranken East. While the property was satisfactory after environmental testing, drilling indicated a need for further work before construction could begin. Children's Hospital agreed to provide additional funding to make the site buildable.
Community Council request for agendas, minutes
   The board agreed to the request from the Community Council for getting electronic copies of the housing corporation's agendas and minutes and directed staff to provide them as they became available.
Executive session
   President Renard adjourned the meeting and convened an executive session to discuss a staff memorandum concerning the proposal for adding Baron as a board member.

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