Title
Approving the minutes of the April 22, 2015 HRA meeting
Body
ROLL CALL
Present: Commissioners Bostrom, Finney, Stark, Thao, Thune, Tolbert, Chair Brendmoen
CONSENT
1. Approval of the April 8, 2015 HRA meeting minutes. Approved as set forth in Min 15-28.
Commissioner Thune moved approval. The HRA meeting minutes were approved.
VOTE: Yeas - 7 Nays - 0
2. Authorization to Extend Tentative Developer Status for the Neighborhood Development Alliance, Inc. for the Property at 72 Cesar Chavez Street, in District 3.
Commissioner Thune moved approval. Approved as set forth in RES 15-737.
VOTE: Yeas - 7 Nays - 0
PUBLIC HEARING
3. Approving the Sale and Conveyance of 76 Baker Street East, West Side, District 3, Ward 2.
Mr. Sage-Martinson stated this is a sale of an HRA owned property to WSCO, West Side Community Organization, for use as a community garden.
Christine Shyne, Executive Director at WSCO, West Side Community Organization, shared the plans for the community garden and her excitement about moving forward with this project.
Chair Brendmoen announced the public hearing. Commissioner Thune moved approval. Approved as set forth in RES PH 15-109.
VOTE: Yeas - 7 Nays - 0
DISCUSSION
4. Resolution Approving and Designating Phalen Village Partnership as Tentative Developer for the HRA owned parcels located at 1371 Phalen Boulevard, and 1150,1165, and 1180 Prosperity Avenue and 1186 Prosperity Avenue upon acquisition by the HRA, District 2, Ward 6.
Mr. Sage-Martinson stated this completes the Phalen Village plan that has been worked on for a number of years.
Commissioner Bostrom shared his enthusiasm of the completion of this project and the hard work of PED staff, neighborhood groups, NNDC, and Chuck Repke and company.
Commissioner Bostrom moved approval. Approved as set forth in RES 15-735.
VOTE: Yeas - 7 Nays - 0
5. Resolution Approving a Forgivable Loan of $40,000 from the Neighborhood Commercial Parking Program to the Oromo Community of Minnesota, Inc. for Property at 465 Mackubin Street, District 8, Ward 1.
Mr. Sage-Martinson stated this is a request to increase the previously approved Neighborhood Commercial Parking Program forgivable loan of $200,000 by $40,000, up to $240,000 to the Oromo Community to improve this parking lot along the Green Line.
Commissioner Thao asked where this money is coming from. Mr. Sage-Martinson stated there were a number of projects that were originally awarded funding, some of which never came to be, leaving a small balance in the Neighborhood Parking Program.
Commissioner Thao thanked PED staff for their persistence and hard work in this neighborhood.
Commissioner Thao moved approval. Approved as set forth in RES PH 15-733.
VOTE: Yeas - 7 Nays - 0
6. Resolution Endorsing and Approving the Proposed Changes to the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Housing Finance Board's Low Income Housing Tax Credit Procedural Manual for 2016 and Qualified Allocation Plan for 2016, Citywide.
Mr. Sage-Martinson stated this proposal contains a change to the Procedure Manual that the HRA previously approved and is now ready to submit to the Joint Housing Board to be included in the Procedural Manual. The proposal also contains a change in the Qualified Allocation Plan, a slight change in the definition of preservation.
Chair Brendmoen asked for elaboration on the definition of preservation and expressed concerns with changes to scorecard. Mr. Sage-Martinson stated that this refers to the definition of Substantial Renovation and specifically includes preservation of project-based section 8 housing units that could be moved from a dilapidated building into a newly constructed affordable building, as counting as preservation.
Chair Brendmoen asked about distance limitations and qualifications. Mr. Sage-Martinson stated there is no distance limitation and it is simply the ability to preserve those project-based section 8 units in the city.
Commissioners Bostrom and Thune and Chair Brendmoen expressed concern regarding whether, with this change, rehabilitation or substantial renovation of existing buildings will continue to occur or if there will now be more efforts to tear down old buildings and use the funds for newly constructed buildings. Commissioner Stark shared his understanding that it was not either one or the other, substantially renovating existing buildings or replaces those units. Mr. Sage-Martinson stated the priority of preference for preservation of projects is not changing; rather this expands the definition of preservation to include section 8 buildings funded by the McKinley-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Currently, in St. Paul, there is only one building that falls in that category, the Mary Hall building, managed by Catholic Charities, and part of the Dorothy Day Project.
Commissioner Thune noted if we make this change it will benefit the Dorothy Day project only. This doesn't seem fair and perhaps they should look for other more creative ways to raise funds rather than use this source of money.
Commissioner Thune moved to amend the resolution to delete the proposed change to Article 9 of the Qualified Allocation Plan. Commissioners Stark and Tolbert suggested putting more time into this to discuss further. Commissioner Thune withdrew his motion. Commissioner Stark moved to lay over this item to the May 13, 2015 HRA Meeting.
VOTE: Yeas - 7 Nays - 0
ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Finney moved adjournment. The HRA meeting was adjourned.