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Board Meeting Minutes August 10, 2023

MINUTES OF A MEETING
The Regular Meeting of the Norwalk Housing Authority Board of Commissioners was held at 5:30 PM August 10, 2023.

LOCATION: Zoom Video Conference
 
PRESENT: Brenda Penn-Williams, Chair (joined at 5:40 PM)
Liza Bermúdez-Montgomery, Vice Chair 
John Church, Commissioner
Teneshia Jacobs, Commissioner (joined at 6:00 PM)
Isaac Walcott, Treasurer 
 
STAFF ATTENDING: Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director
Kras Carlucci, Deputy Director
Charmaine Davis-Ford, Director of Finance
Lisa Endo, Director of Development Project Management
Anna Keegan, Director of Operations
Leroy Fender, Director of Maintenance 
Greg Lickwola, Director of Modernization
Wendy Gerbier, Director of Learning Centers
Nicole Ruffin, Director of Human Resources
Irvin Clemons, Director of Technology
Donna Lattarulo, General Council  

PUBLIC: Eamon McHugh, JHM Group (left meeting at 7:00 PM)
Todd McClutchy, JHM Group (left meeting at 7:00 PM)
Kristen Mitchel, Langan Engineering (left the meeting at 6:30 PM)
Myles Brown, Amenta Emma Architects (left the meeting at 6:30PM)

Roll Call:

The Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery serving as Acting Chair opened the meeting via Zoom recognizing Commissioners John Church and Isaac Walcott as present.  She noted Commissioner Jacobs and Chair Penn-Williams were expected to arrive shortly. Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery acknowledged the existence of a quorum. 

Mr. Bovilsky suggested a change in the meeting agenda to better accommodate the schedules of the attending guests. 

19-83 Acting Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery made a motion to change the order of the meeting to allow Amenta Emma to present first followed by JHM Group.

Commissioner Church seconded the motion. 

AYES    
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery 
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Church

All in favor.  Motion was carried. 

Acting Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery then asked Mr. Bovilsky to proceed with the Report of the Secretary anyway, as Chair Penn-Williams was having trouble logging on and needed a couple of minutes.  

Report of the Secretary:

a. Mr. Bovilsky presented a collection of photos capturing the Norwalk Housing Foundation Scholarship Ceremony held on July 19th, 2023. 

b. Mr. Bovilsky thanked Senator Jim Himes for his efforts in securing funding in the amount of $875,000 to be used for the demolition of Meadow Gardens as part of the redevelopment of that public housing development.  Mr. Bovilsky noted that receipt of this funding is contingent upon passing the Federal Budget for the upcoming year. 

c. Mr. Bovilsky provided an update on Mutual Housing highlighting key developments across departments.

d. In response to an inquiry raised during the previous meeting, Mr. Bovilsky provided a look back at the number of resident evictions spanning the last 6 years. He stated that among the 860 units we manage, the average annual eviction rate is approximately 5 per year. 
 
e. Mr. Bovilsky noted upcoming Regular Meetings are scheduled for September 14th and October12th. 

Chair Penn-Williams arrived at 5:40 PM and took over the running of the meeting.  

As background to the Amenta Emma presentation, Lisa Endo took the floor to give an update on the Meadow Garden tenant relocation.  The submission for Tenant Protection Vouchers has been completed with the anticipation of their receipt by the end of September. The goal is to facilitate the relocation of 6-8 families per month. 

Commissioner  Jacobs arrived at 6:00 PM. 

Ms. Endo then introduced Myles Brown of Amenta Emma Architects.  Mr. Brown introduced Kristen Mitchell of Langan Engineering who highlighted changes to the Meadow Garden site development plan since the last meeting with the Board of Commissioner in May of 2023.  The design encompassed a mix of 1-,  2-, 3- & the addition of 4-bedroom units. Ms. Mitchell explained that the plan received a positive reception by the City of Norwalk Department of Planning and Zoning.  

Ms. Mitchell gave the floor back to Myles Brown to present renderings of the Meadow Gardens design concept which consists of gabled buildings designed to fit into the appearance of the surrounding residential neighborhood. Mr. Brown also pointed out the central locations and accessibility of the various community facilities such as a community room, multi-purpose room, learning center and fitness room. Additionally he shared floor plans. During his presentation Mr. Brown stated that the Amenta Emma goal of this project is to create a design that elevates the living experience, fostering a sense of pride and community among the residents. 

Commissioner Walcott stated he was pleased with the design and thanked the Chair for suggesting 4 Bedroom units be included in the Meadow Garden redevelopment. 

Adam Bovilsky then introduced Todd McClutchy of JHM Group and invited him to take the floor.  Mr. McClutchy presented plans for the ongoing development of Wall Street Place. This project is located at the intersection of Isaac and Wall Street in the Wall Street area of Norwalk.  Mr. McClutchy requested that Norwalk Housing issue bonds for financing this project. He also outlined benefits for the Housing Authority in this endeavor.  Mr. Bovilsky recommended an executive session later in the meeting to address this matter. 

Mr. Bovilsky then continued with the agenda.

Old Business: 

1. Soundview Landing - Councilwoman Darlene Young is in the process of setting up a tenant meeting to discuss outcomes of pest remediation efforts.  NHA is awaiting tenant input. 

2. Oak Grove - Lisa Endo stated that this project is in the midst of closing, hopefully the week of August 21st. A groundbreaking could be scheduled some time in September.

3. Mutual Housing - This update was given during the Secretaries Report there was nothing further to report. 

New Business: 

19-84 Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery made a motion to approve:

c.  Wendy Gerbier to participate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Online Certification sponsored by Cornel ILF School. This program consists of 4 two-weeks courses at a program cost of $3,699.00. 

Commissioner Church seconded the motion. 

AYES     
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer  Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in favor.  Motion was carried. 

19-85 Commissioner Jacobs moved to approve:

d. Commissioners and Staff to attend the NAHRO 2023 National Conference and Exhibition October  6th-8th at the Hyatt Regency, New Orleans at an early bird registration cost of $595 if registrations are made by 8/23/2023, and a conference room rate of $255 plus taxes and fees conference rates on a space available basis thru September 12th. 

Treasurer Walcott seconded the motion.
 
AYES      
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All if favor.  Motion was carried. 

19-86 Commissioner Church moved to approve:

e. Commissioners and Staff to CONN- NAHRO 25th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Sunday August 27th-Tuesday August 29th, at the Mohegan Sun Conference Center, Uncasville, Connecticut. Accommodation at Mohegan Sun Resort is at a cost of $189 per night if reservations are made by August 7th. Registration Options include Full Conference - $695, One Day Only -$425, and Commissioners' Guide to Monitoring & Oversight Training -$225 Sunday August 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including lunch.

Chair Penn-Williams seconded the motion.

 AYES  
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

19-87 Commissioner Church moved to approve:

f. Kras Carlucci to attend CONN-NAHRO HOTMA training Wednesday August 30th-Thursday August 31st, at the Mohegan Sun Conference Center, Uncasville, Connecticut at a cost of $475 for two-day session. If reservations are made by August 7th, accommodations at Mohegan Sun Resort are at a cost of $189 per night plus taxes and fees. 

Chair Penn-Williams seconded.

AYES    
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

19-88 Treasurer Walcott moved to approve:

g. Maria Guzman to attend Nan McKay's Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Webinar Training scheduled for September 12 - 14, 2023 at a cost of $975.

Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery seconded the motion. 

AYES     
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs

Motion carried.   Commissioner Church was not available for this vote due to technical difficulties. 

The approval of meeting minutes of July 13 and July 20,  item h, were divided into two votes. 

19-89 Chair Penn-Williams moved to approve:

h. Minutes of July 13th Meeting

Treasurer Walcott seconded the motion. 

AYES   
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs

Motion carried.   Commissioner Church was not available for this vote due to technical difficulties.

19-90 Chair Penn-Williams moved to approve:

h. Minutes of the July 20th Meeting

AYES     
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

Charmaine Davis-Ford, Director of Finance took the floor to give an overview of the May 2023 Finance reports and June 2023 Bills.  She underscored the significant focus onaccounts receivable following the conclusion of COVID relief funding. Despite the rent moratorium and additional relief funds, certain tenants remained in arrears with their rent.  In addition to the traditional form of reporting, Ms. Davis-Ford employed charts and graphs to visually represent the rent arrears within the framework of accounts receivable.  

19-91 Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery moved to approve:

i. Department Reports

Commissioner  Jacobs seconded the motion. 

AYES     
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

Mr. Bovilsky then introduced the Addendum to the meeting. He explained that the Norwalk Housing Loan Origination Resolution was being presented based on a recommendation from our Bond Counsel.  Even though the Norwalk Housing Authority has issued bonds in the past, this resolution will clarify the authority of the Norwalk Housing Authority to issue bonds for any permitted purpose. 

19-92  Commissioner Church moved to approve:

j. RESOULUTION OF THE HOUSING AUHTORITY OF THE CITY OF NORWALK RATIFYING AND CONFIRMING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM OF ORIGINATING LOANS PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 128 OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUES FOR PURPOSES OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986 AS AMENDED.

Commissioner Jacobs seconded the motion. 

AYES   
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

19-93 Treasurer Walcott made a motion to go into Executive Session to discuss:

Request from JHM Group to issue bonds, project base Mainstreet Vouchers and partner in the project so that the project could take advantage of NHA's tax exempt status for the Wall Street Place project. 

Commissioner Church seconded the motion. 

AYES 
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

Commissioner adjourned to the Executive Session at 7:27 PM.

At 8:07 PM Commissioner Church made a motion to exit the Executive Session. 

Treasurer Walcott seconded the motion. 

AYES     
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

19-94 Commissioner Church made a motion to allow Executive Director, Adam Bovilsky, to negotiate terms regarding Wall Street Place, as instructed in the Executive Session. 

 Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery seconded the motion. 

AYES  
Chair Penn-Williams
Vice Chair Bermúdez-Montgomery
Treasurer Walcott
Commissioner Jacobs
Commissioner Church

All in Favor.  Motion was carried. 

Commissioner Church made a motion to adjourn the meeting. 
Treasurer Walcott seconded the motion. 

All in favor. 

 The meeting adjourned at 8:10 PM.

Respectfully Submitted, 

 


___________________________
 Adam Bovilsky 
 Executive Director