Review of second public meeting for Huntington Housing Authority

The second meeting was held Feb. 9. The meeting was started with discussion on finishing up work at the duplex on Tenth Avenue. That structure will be officially finished in March. After that is over, work will begin on the duplex on Artisan Avenue and it should be finished in about three to four months. These structures are public housing, which the Housing Authority will own. They are in high demand and there is always a waiting list for these types of homes.

The next item on the agenda was the installation of sprinkler systems in various structures such as Madison Manor, Riverview East and Fairfield Tower. These installations are all within budget and going well. The work should be finished by March.

The authority had a resolution approving the purchase and installation of windows in three buildings, which are also undergoing courtyard work. It will be a total of 146 windows that will be put in by General Building Supply. The window treatment will cost $46,693.

The biggest thing talked about is the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. It will allow the Housing Authority to be the lead applicant in spending 2.17 million. This is a grant sent by the state to construct 32 new units. The money will buy refurbished or abandoned foreclosed properties for Artisan Height, Artisan Avenue and Seventh Avenue. These units will be for low-income families to privately own, the chronic homeless and for public housing. The Artisan Height and Artisan Avenue structures are under the Project Based Section A, which is to take people off waiting lists and to provide housing for 32 people who didn’t have a place to live before. The funds for the grant need to be spent within three years but the Housing Authority said the funds will be used by the end of 2010.

The Housing Authority talked about increasing the amount of money employees have to give to the Public Employees Retirement System. This is an order from the State of West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board and will be effective July 1. About 75 full-time employees for the Housing Authority are under the Public Employees Retirement System. This increase will cost the authority $152,000. When some people retire the authority wants to switch retirement plans for the people who take their places. Executive Director Bob Dotson suggested a personnel committee be made to aid in looking at different retirement programs and ways of getting around the extra cost.

The last item of business was to approve Maintenance Supervisor Terry Henry going to Greensboro, NC for a training seminar.

For the March meeting, I was unable to attend it because it was during my Law class. The Housing Authority is sending me its minutes of that meeting. I should get them later this week and will write a memo on those minutes when I get them.