Orange County NC Website
Orange County Housing Authority Board <br /> September 17,2014 <br /> Members Present: Diane Beecham, Jean Bolduc, JonZella Bailey-Pridham, Tammy Jacobs <br /> Members Absent: None <br /> Staff Present: James Davis <br /> Welcome/Introduction <br /> The meeting was called to order by the Chair Jean Bolduc at 6:10 pm. <br /> Approval of Minutes <br /> Diane Beecham made a motion to approve the minutes from May 29, 2014. JonZella Bailey-Pridham <br /> seconded the motion which passed unanimously. There was no meeting in June or August, 2014 due to <br /> there being no quorum. There was no meeting in July due to the scheduled summer break <br /> Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Budget Review <br /> James Davis reviewed the revenues and expenses for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program as <br /> of June 30, 2014 to cover the entire FY2013-2014. The fund balance reflected $291,587, including <br /> $71,543 of unrestricted funds and $220,044 of restricted funds. According to the report, the HAP <br /> expenses for the fiscal year exceeded the HUD HAP disbursements by $393,167. This reflects HUD's <br /> effort to reduce the County's reserves by decreasing its disbursements throughout the year. Of note, the <br /> October 2013 disbursement was $127,991, the February 2014 disbursement was $73,429 and the April <br /> 2014 disbursement was $114,391. These disbursements were significantly lower than the other 9 months <br /> of disbursements. <br /> Board Work Plan Continued <br /> Commissioners revisited the Board Work Plan with regard to the recommendation to establish quarterly <br /> informational sessions for tenants. It was discussed that the first informational session will be for <br /> landlords and housing advocates. Jean stated that the original plan for the presentation was to have two <br /> sessions: one in Chapel Hill in September and one in Hillsborough in October. The Towns of Chapel Hill <br /> and Carrboro agreed to assist by securing a venue in Chapel Hill, availing their respective Mayors to <br /> address the audience and provide advertising for the presentations. Jean explained that the Towns were <br /> redirecting their focus towards meeting with specific landlords and recommended that the County and the <br /> Housing Authority move forward with a presentation in October. <br /> Department Report <br /> James Davis presented two videos. The first video was a news report on a Housing Choice Voucher <br /> family that caused significant damage to the property. The Commissioners discussed the video and <br /> offered suggestions that landlords should manage their properties in a manner that may reduce the chance <br /> of tenants causing damage. The second video was a brief overview of the Housing Choice Voucher <br /> program. The Commissioners discussed the video stating that it was a good overview of the program,but <br /> should be longer. <br /> James presented an update on the tenants living in GSC units. The number of remaining tenants is down <br /> to seven(7). <br /> James presented a copy of the Bylaws to the Commissioners. The Commissioners recommended that the <br /> Bylaws be amended to include an attendance policy. It was also recommended that the language <br /> regarding the open meetings law be amended to accurately reflect the purpose of this rule. It was further <br /> discussed that James' role on the board is ex-officio and that he is not a voting member of the Housing <br />