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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 05-19 HCPAGENDA BROOKLYN CENTER HOUSING COMMISSION May 19, 2020 7:00 p.m. Virtual Webex Meeting Call In Number: 1(312) 535-8110 Meeting Number: 288 975 021 Meeting Password: 5jMyANNQ9N3 Link: Join meeting 1) Call to Order: 7:00 p.m. 2) Approval of Agenda 3) Approval of Minutes: February 18, 2020 4) City Operations Update a) City Hall Closed b) Inspections c) Rental Assistance through Hennepin County CDBG d) City Small Business Loan Program 5) New Neighbor Welcome Program 6) C Allen Homes Concept 7) City Council Liaison's Report 8) Chairpersons Report 9) Other Business a) 7015 Brooklyn Blvd Being Purchase b) Down Payment Assistance and Program Update i) https://www.mncee.org/find-financing-incentives/brooklyn-center-down-paMent- assistance/ 10) Adj oumment MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND STATE OF MINNESOTA REGULAR SESSION FEBRUARY 18, 2020 COUNCIL COMMISSION ROOM CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center Housing Commission was called to order by Chairperson Goodell at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Chairperson — Mark Goodell - Present David Johnson - Present Tamika Baskin — Present Kathie Amdahl - Present Joan Schonning — Present Michael Stokes — Present Paul Oman - Present Also present was Staff Liaison Jesse Anderson and Council Liaison Kris Lawrence -Anderson. APPROVAL OF AGENDA There was a motion by Commissioner Amdahl and seconded by Commissioner Schonning to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion passed. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Oman requested the following correction to the January 21, 2020 meeting minutes: -Page 4, 5th paragraph should reflect that Commissioner Oman was referring to the former Sears building on Chicago Avenue and Lake Street as a model for a potential multi -cultural center. There was a motion by Commissioner Amdahl and seconded by Commissioner Schonning to approve the minutes of the Housing Commission meeting on January 21, 2020, as amended. The motion passed. RENTAL PROGRAM UIPDATE Staff Liaison Jesse Anderson reviewed recent changes to the City's rental program, which were undertaken in an effort to increase effectiveness and efficiency. He added the ARM meeting attendance requirement was removed, along with allowing mitigation plans to be approved by City Staff and adding inspector consultation for repeat Type 4 licenses. Page 1 City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated allowing the mitigation plan to be reviewed by City Staff was a positive change, as they were previously reviewed at the City Council meetings and landlords often would not attend. Mr. Anderson stated a proposed part-time administrative assistant position was not filled in 2020 due to the reduction in City Staff time spent on these reviews. Mr. Anderson stated the highest number of licenses are in the Type 1 category. He added there is a small percentage in the bottom 2 categories. He noted landlords doing a good job of maintaining their properties. Mr. Anderson stated there has been a drastic decrease in ARM meeting attendance. He added the people that attend want to be there and are engaged and involved in the discussions and presentations. He added this is a positive outcome. He noted there are some people who have moved on from Type 4 but still continue to come to ARM meetings, as they are informative and interesting. Mr. Anderson stated a review by City Staff showed that 85% of properties that had been Type 4 properties for 3 years improved after their inspection and were given a license other than Type 4. He added that was a success of the program. He noted 90% of Type 4 licenses are doing better on their inspections. Mr. Anderson stated City Staff does not recommend any changes to the Ordinance. He added a 90% improvement rate has been maintained, there are less extended repeat Type 4 licenses, and the percent of repeats reduced from 44% to 14%. Chair Goodell asked whether there are ways to motivate people to move up, especially if they stay in the same category for a long time. Mr. Anderson stated the properties that do the best spend time preparing for their inspection, and continue to do ongoing maintenance. Mr. Anderson stated he has talked to staff from many other cities, including Jersey City and a suburb of St. Louis, and Charlotte who are interested in replicating Brooklyn Center's rental license program. REVIEW UPDATED PROPOSED RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Mr. Anderson reviewed the updated draft document that was discussed by the Housing Commission 3 months ago. He requested the Commission's feedback and comments. Commissioner Oman stated there is a typo on page 4 which states "the Vice Chair shall be appointed by the Chairperson." Page 2 Commissioner Amdahl stated, under Item #1, "advice" should be replaced with "advise" City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated she would recommend that the Housing Commission, and all other Commissions, should review the Open Meeting Law Rules, just as a reminder, as there could be penalties. She added the Mayor has always made appointments in the past, but City Council approval is required. Chair Goodell stated there should be better guidelines, as it is not clear what is and is not acceptable. Mr. Anderson agreed to provide information about the Open Meeting law for the Commission's review. Commissioner Schonning stated it is disappointing that new Commissioners are not being appointed, when there are residents who are willing and ready to get involved and want to have a voice. She added it is important to welcome residents that want to volunteer if the City wants to encourage participation. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson agreed to bring this issue to the City Council's attention. Mr. Anderson stated current vacancies are as follows: Finance Commission has 2 applicants and 1 vacancy; the Housing Commission has 1 applicant and 1 vacancy; the Parks and Recreation Commission has 1 applicant and 1 vacancy; and the Planning Commission has 4 applicants and 1 vacancy. He noted applications have been received as long ago as March 7, 2019. Chair Goodell asked whether the other Commission Chairs appoint a Vice Chair. Mr. Anderson stated it is the same language for all Commissions. Commissioner Amdahl stated that language should be changed for the Housing Commission, to reflect that the Vice Chair position is nominated, and not appointed. Mr. Anderson agreed to discuss this issue with City Staff and bring it forward for review by the City Council. COUNCIL LIAISONREPORT City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated she attended a Brooklyn Boulevard Corridor Study Open House that same night. She added conceptual plans were provided for residents to see, and an interactive presentation, for the City to receive feedback and comment. She noted the conceptual plans include types of housing, healthy lifestyle amenities, parks and landscaping. Page 3 City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated the most important consideration is that the Brooklyn Boulevard should be pedestrian friendly, as there are many residential lots and homes and safety should be the main concern. Chair Goodell asked whether there are plans to join up with Brooklyn Park to combine efforts for Brooklyn Boulevard. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated she is unsure what Brooklyn Park's plans are for Brooklyn Boulevard. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated the Opportunity Site continues to be exciting, with ongoing meetings to review progress. She added there have not been any approvals, but there are many opinions about how the development should look. Commissioner Schonning asked whether there is a deadline for decision. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson agreed to follow up on that. Commissioner Oman stated there was some talk about a 4-story building with a movie theater that is already in the works, near Ocean Buffet. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated there has been some discussion about that, and there is a movie theater that is very interested in the Opportunity Site. She added there are several local special interest groups that are pushing for more low-income housing, although it has long been discussed that Phase 1 should be reserved for market rate housing, to promote the economic stability of the area. Commissioner Schonning stated she has heard that there is concern at the City Council level that not enough voices have been heard throughout the process. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated input and feedback is being sought from a more diverse demographic. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated the 252 Highway project has been discussed, including funding factors and the location of a potential exchange at Wh Avenue. She added there has been opposition from the Riverwood neighbors to the east of 252, who do not support an exchange at 66th Avenue, and support a proposal for moving the exchange to 73rd Avenue. Chair Goodell asked whether there is data and arguments that would support not putting the exchange at 66th Avenue. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated there are many examples of intersections, including Highway 100 and Highway 7, where the distance between exits is shorter than the 252 proposal. She expressed concern that delaying the process will have a negative impact on funding. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated she would encourage residents who are concerned or interested in this issue to come forward and voice their opinions. She added information can be provided by City Staff, and further details on the plan will be reviewed by the City Council at their next meeting. Page 4 Chair Goodell requested clarification on the Safety Task Force that was formed recently by the City Council. City Council Liaison Lawrence -Anderson stated this issue was raised by the Mayor at a City Council meeting in January, although it was not an item on the regular agenda. She added the Mayor presented a Proclamation initiating a 252 Safety Task Force for the City Council's approval. She noted she indicated her support for the formation of a Safety Commission rather than a task force, to address other safety and traffic concerns around the City as needed, but the task force was approved. Chair Goodell asked how Task Force members will be appointed. City Council Liaison Lawrence - Anderson stated she is unsure how the Task Force is being formed, and she has not seen any additional information about how to apply. OTHER BUSINESS a. Home Buying Seminar February 26, 2020 6:300 — 7:30 p.m. Mr. Anderson stated the upcoming Home Buying Seminar, to be held February 27, 2020, will provide interactive sessions and useful information regarding the home loan and purchasing process in Brooklyn Center. b. Down Payment Assistance and Program Now Available Mr. Anderson stated the City Council recently reviewed a Resolution allocating funding of $158,000 to the City's down payment assistance program for residents through CDBG funds. He added the City Council will be reviewing this issue again at their next meeting. He noted he is required to submit allocation requests by the end of February 2020. Mr. Anderson stated the City's home down payment assistance program provides $7,500 loans for Brooklyn Center residents who do not currently own a home. Chair Goodell asked whether information is available regarding this program, that can be provided to residents. Mr. Anderson stated there should be information on the City website, and it was discussed at the City Council's last meeting. He added there will be $50,000 in funding for the first year, with an additional $100,000 to be proposed for 2020-21. He noted Councilmember April Graves was appointed to serve on the CDBG Selection Committee. c. Community Development Block Grant Funding Allocation Update Mr. Anderson stated the proposed amount of $258,000 is the City's anticipated total CDBG allocation. He added $150,000 will be allocated to the down payment assistance program, for $7,500 loans for residents of Brooklyn Center who want to buy a new home, and the remaining balance for home rehab projects funding. d. Ordinance to Allow Census Workers into Apartment Common Areas Page 5 Mr. Anderson stated the City Council recently held the first hearing of a Resolution requiring apartment buildings to let census workers into common areas. Chair Goodell asked whether there would be notification for landlords. Mr. Anderson stated landlords receive public hearing notices, and information will be posted in the City newsletter. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Commissioner Amdahl and seconded by Commissioner Oman to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed. The Brooklyn Center Housing Commission adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Chairman Page 6