Minutes Housing Comm. 9 27 05
MINUTES OF HOUSING COMMISSION MEETING
DATE:
September 27, 2005
TIME:
4 p.m.
PLACE:
Housing & Community Development Department
1805 Central Avenue / Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Chairperson Kapler called the meeting to order at 4 p.m. following staff assurance of
compliance with Iowa Open Meeting Law.
Commissioners Present: Dave Kapler Char Eddy Danita Grant
Jim Holz John Plein Bill Helling
Harry Neustadt Angie Mozena Dorothy Culbertson
Dorothy Schwendinger, OSF
Staff Present: David Harris Kris Neyen Joleen Patterson
Janet Walker Tim O’Brien
Public Present: Julie LeClere Natalia Blaskovich
Certification of Minutes, August 23, 2005 and September 14, 2005
Commissioner Holz moved to approve the August 23, 2005, meeting minutes as submitted.
Commissioner Eddy seconded. Roll call. All present
in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Eddy moved to approve the September 14, 2005, meeting minutes submitted.
Commissioner Mozena seconded. Roll call. Holz-abstain; Helling-abstain; Culbertson-
abstain. All others present in favor. Motion passed.
Public Input
None.
Old Business
LeClere Loan Review
Joleen Patterson reviewed a comparison cash flow between documents that were received
by the Commission in February and now. She stated that the numbers now are verified.
Natalia Blaskovich, from Legal Services, represented Julie LeClere. She stated that the
amount showed for projected taxes could actually be less. She stated if the work is not
completed by January 1, 2006, the Assessor’s Office will revaluate the house and the taxes
may actually go down. She also stated that Ms. LeClere intended to complete the rental first
in order to have that income. Commissioner Holz stated that he could not put Ms. LeClere
into this situation. Commissioner Eddy agreed. Chairperson Kapler stated that he felt that
Ms. LeClere could make it work short term, but he could not consciously, as a banker, make
this recommendation. Ms. LeClere stated that with or without this loan, she was going to
rehab this home. Commissioner Eddy moved to deny the loan. Commissioner Holz
seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
New Business
Amendments to Section 8 Administrative Plan for Admissions / On-Going
Participation: Administrative Reviews; Criminal Background Checks; Repayment
Agreements; Adding Household Members
Janet Walker reviewed the proposed changes in the Administrative Plan to include the
following:
Commissioner Grant moved to approve staff proposal to conduct background searches only
with state agencies listed on free Internet sites. Commissioner Plein seconded. Roll call. All
present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Mozena left at 5:05 p.m.
Commissioner Holz moved to deny staff proposal to change the terms for ineligibility for
applicants with prior criminal convictions and keep the current limitations. Commissioner
Grant seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Holz moved to deny staff proposal to amend current policy from requiring
completion of Battterers Education Programs (BEP) to allow persons currently receiving
treatment or enrolled in BEP Programs to be eligible for assistance or continuation of
assistance. Commissioner Neustadt seconded. Roll call. Eddy-nay; Kaper-nay;
Plein-nay; Schwendinger-nay. All others present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Holz moved to deny staff proposal to eliminate ineligibility for drug-related or
violent criminal charges from the criteria and deny only for convictions. Commissioner
Neustadt seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Grant left at 5:25 p.m.
Commissioner Holz moved to approve staff proposal eliminate persons having to seek
administrative review once the timeline for ineligibility has been met. Only persons falling into
the category of sex offender with minor children as victims will still require a review.
Commissioner Schwendinger seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Holz left at 5:28 p.m.
Commissioner Eddy moved to approve staff proposal to allow eligibility with repayment
agreements for persons owing less than $3,000 with the requirement of maintaining current in
their payments with a minimum payment of $25 per month. Commissioner Schwendinger
seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Schwendinger moved to approve staff proposal to utilize blanket verification
forms and if necessary, self-certifications with applicants. Commissioner Eddy seconded.
Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Helling moved to approve staff proposal regarding recertification, stating a
face-to-face interview must be conducted for the first annual recertification. After the first
year, process mail recertification unless the family has had a documented history of not
reporting correctly. Commissioner Eddy seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion
passed.
Commissioner Culbertson moved to approve staff proposal for flexibility in dealing with
applicants – first time offense only, offer a repayment agreement by recalculating HAP
benefits based on the true income, household members, etc. Minimum payment for
repayment agreements must be $25. Commissioner Helling seconded. Roll call. All present
in favor. Motion passed.
Commissioner Culbertson moved to approve staff proposals regarding repayment
agreements, criminal activity and blanket verifications for participants as previously approved
for applicants. Commissioner Neustadt seconded. Roll call. All present in favor. Motion
passed.
Commissioner Eddy moved to approve staff proposal allowing written approval by landlord or
verbal permission if written approval cannot be obtained to add household members on a
temporary basis until the person is granted approval by the Housing Department. She also
moved to approve staff proposal to redefine temporary basis for guests to no more than 14
days in any one month and redefine regular pattern of living arrangement for same time
period as temporary. Commissioner Schwendinger seconded. Roll call. All present in favor.
Motion passed.
Commissioner Eddy moved to deny staff proposal to remove the prohibition of allowing
another to use the mailing address by allowing usage if notification has been in writing and
has been received by the Housing Department. Commissioner Schwendinger seconded.
Roll call. All present in favor. Motion passed.
Information Sharing
Commissioner Neustadt requested to view a schematic of the floor plan for the Casket
Company Project.
Janet stated that the NAHRO Fall Conference has commissioner training and asked if
anyone would be interested in attending.
Adjournment
Commissioner Helling moved to adjourn. Commissioner Eddy seconded. Motion passed by
voice vote. Meeting was adjourned at 5:50 p.m.
Minutes taken by:
Kris Neyen
Rehabilitation Specialist
Respectfully submitted by:
David Harris
Department Director
KLN