Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 09-15 HCPAGENDA BROOKLYN CENTER HOUSING COMMISSION September 15, 2020 7:00 p.m. Virtual Webex Meeting Call In Number: 1(312) 535-8110 Meeting number (access code): 133 004 2979 Meeting password: eTbM7enJA57 Link: Join meeting 1) Call to Order: 7:00 p.m 2) Approval of Agenda Approval of Housing Commission Meeting Minutes from August 18, 2020 3) City Operations Update a) City Hall Remains closed b) City Meetings being Held Virtually 4) Fair Housing Policy Discussion a) Summary of Fair Housing Practices Robert Alsop, Attorney at Law, Kennedy & Graven b) Staff update on Fair Housing Feedback 5) Review New Neighbor Welcome Program a) Schedule Fall Deliveries (Only Sales data 4/1/2020 – 6/1/2020 Available - 30 Properties) 6) City Council Liaison’s Report 7) Chairpersons Report 8) Other Business 9) Adjournment Page 1 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 AUGUST 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 Tamika Baskin – Absent and Excused Kathie Amdahl - Present Joan Schonning – Present Michael Stokes – Absent and Excused Paul Oman - Present Lindsay Cremona - Present Also present was Staff Liaison Jesse Anderson and City Council Liaison Kris Lawrence-Anderson. APPROVAL OF AGENDA There was a motion by Commissioner Oman and seconded by Commissioner Cremona to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion passed. APPROVAL OF MINUTES There was a motion by Commissioner Oman and seconded by Commissioner Schonning to approve the minutes of the Housing Commission meeting on July 21, 2020. The motion passed. CITY OPERATIONS UPDATE Staff Liaison Jesse Anderson stated City Hall is still closed, and all City meetings are being held virtually. The most recent plan is for the City to re-open when the Governor allows groups of 250 or more. There is a plan for the Community Center to re-open with appointments. The Public Works Department is under-staffed due to budget cuts, but some positions will be refilled. Mr. Anderson stated CARES Act funding allocations were recently discussed by the City Council. Some Covid-related expenses will be reimbursed to the City, and other programs are being considered. Chair Goodell asked whether there are budgetary shortfalls. Mr. Anderson stated there are a few purchases that will be delayed. He added staff were furloughed at the Community Center and Earle Brown. He noted building permit revenue is even with last year, and a downturn in commercial development is predicted, but housing will remain the same. Page 2 NEW NEIGHBOR WELCOME PROGRAM Chair Goodell thanked all the Commissioners for their hard work distributing New Neighbor packets. He asked whether a fall delivery should be planned in September. Mr. Anderson stated last year’s fall report was September 1, 2019 through May 1, 2020. Commissioner Amdahl stated she thinks another delivery can be put off, and the Commission can decide at the September meeting. She added the next list will not be as big. She noted she put together a file, which she will email to Mr. Anderson. FAIR HOUSING POLICY DISCUSSION Mr. Anderson requested that the Housing Commission review the fair housing policy and provide feedback and comments. Commissioner Schonning stated the word “periodically” is used in Item #4b and 4c. She added she would support more specific language to provide a time frame. Commissioner Cremona agreed, stating there needs to be a set date, like every 6 months or a year, otherwise it will be forgotten. She asked how often community engagement is sought, and how often does training happen. Chair Goodell stated, under Item #2, Policy Statement, “gender” should be replaced with “gender identity”. The Commission agreed. Commissioner Oman stated, in Section #3A, the purpose of the general use of “internal” and “external” is not clear. He added many items listed under External are really internal items. Chair Goodell stated it might not be necessary to make the distinction. Commissioner Cremona agreed those two terms are intertwined. Chair Goodell stated Items 3 and 4 could be combined under a single header, “General Practices”. Mr. Anderson agreed. Mr. Anderson stated Item #3a refers to a multi-family housing specialist, which should be changed because it may be an existing City employee designated by the City Manager to be responsible. Chair Goodell stated the point is to have somebody who has the responsibility for these activities. Mr. Anderson stated, with regard to Item 3A, Commissioner Baskin brought up the escalation process at a recent meeting. He added he reviewed policies in other cities, and almost all Minnesota cities have a process built in, similar to court procedure, with a Fair Housing Commission as arbitrator. He noted the City of Bloomington refers residents to agencies that can help with complaints. He noted that could be a possibility for Brooklyn Center, but he would need to consult with the City Attorney. Commissioner Oman stated the fair housing policy should be a document that is available on the City’s website. Mr. Anderson agreed. Chair Goodell asked what the Olmstead Plan is. Mr. Anderson stated it is a policy document related to requirements for people with disabilities. Chair Goodell requested a copy. Page 3 Commissioner Cremona stated there is a tenant/landlord handbook that is available on the Attorney General’s website, that should be linked on the City’s website. She added whatever the City hands out to residents should also be available on the website. Chair Goodell agreed. Mr. Anderson stated landlords are required to have copies of the handbook available for renters, and they are also available at City Hall. Commissioner Cremona stated the handbook should be available for applicants as well as renters, because fair housing issues also apply to people who can’t find housing. Chair Goodell agreed, adding it should be made available, so they are aware of it. Commissioner Cremona agreed, adding discriminating against a renter is different from not being able to rent a property. Chair Goodell stated “required” should be changed to “require”. Commissioner Amdahl stated it should read “Brooklyn Center’s”. Commissioner Amdahl stated it should read “new applicants and tenants”. Section D – Chair Goodell asked about “access” for available training for staff and housing officials. Mr. Anderson stated the City does not do its own training but provides training for staff. He added safety training is provided annually. Commissioner Amdahl stated “access” could be removed, and the section could read “provide available training”. Commissioner Amdahl stated the City should provide the most recent training available for employees, on an annual basis. Chair Goodell agreed. Commissioner Schonning stated the sentence could read “training on an ongoing basis as updates are available”. Chair Goodell stated “basis” is misspelled. Section E – Chair Goodell asked what time period would make sense for the City to periodically review housing needs. Commissioner Amdahl stated this should be done on an annual basis at the very least, and more frequently as needed. Chair Goodell asked whether the City has completed housing inventory reviews. Mr. Anderson stated a housing gap analysis is done every 5-10 years. He added there could possibly be another housing study done soon which is included in the budget and involves contracted specialists. Chair Goodell asked whether there will be a review of median income to rental rates and house prices. He asked whether this can be easily accomplished. Mr. Anderson confirmed this, adding City Staff reviews lists of income-restricted rental units annually, although not as a formal action. Page 4 Chair Goodell stated it would make sense to do it annually. He requested that “periodically” be changed to “annually”. City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson asked whether an annual evaluation of previous years could be made available to the Housing Commission and also if she could get a copy. She added this would be valuable information for the City Council, in terms of where the City was in 2019, and anticipate receiving information based on 2019 results. Chair Goodell agreed that would be useful. He added it should be sufficient to do it on a regular basis so it is up to date and reasonable. City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson stated information from the previous year would be helpful, to anticipate and analyze reporting results. Mr. Anderson stated the Met Council’s annual score can be provided to the Commission for review and discussion. Section F – Chair Goodell asked about potential City Code analysis. Mr. Anderson stated that can be done internally, or have a consultant do the review. He added it would be the same agency that did the Comprehensive Plan. Chair Goodell stressed the importance of taking an additional step to ensure that housing access is not impeded. Mr. Anderson agreed. Chair Goodell asked how often the Municipal Code is reviewed. Mr. Anderson stated City Staff review parts of it often. He added the whole Code could be completed, and Code Sections can be reviewed as they are developed. Chair Goodell suggested “review municipal code changes as they occur”, or “review municipal code changes as they are considered”. Commissioner Amdahl suggested “review municipal code changes as they are considered to identify changes”. Mr. Anderson stated the entire will be reviewed at some point. Mr. Anderson stated “annual” could be left as is. Commissioner Schonning agreed, adding it can always be adjusted down the road. Item G – Mr. Anderson stated the City does not have an inclusionary housing policy. Chair Goodell stated it should be highlighted so people know it does not exist. Item H – Commissioner Schonning stated a time frame is required to indicate how long the City will seek community engagement before moving forward with new development. Mr. Anderson stated that sounds as if it should be a whole separate policy. Page 5 Chair Goodell asked for clarification regarding the length of the comment period for zoning changes. Mr. Anderson stated it depends upon the action, but the process involves multiple reviews and a minimum of 3-4 meetings. Commissioner Schonning stated the biggest issue is the fair housing issue and reaching out to under- represented groups to receive public comment. Chair Goodell agreed. Chair Goodell stated seeking community input and calling out under-represented populations should be a policy that applies to everything in the City and supersedes this document. Another policy could be used for reference purposes to ensure the City is following the correct process. Mr. Anderson stated that could be tabled, and Commissioners could draft a few different ideas to submit to him. Commissioner Schonning stated it is important to have time frames and limits around community engagement. City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson agreed, adding there should be a time frame for community engagement, and whether the City Council feels there has been enough input. She added, for the purposes of this document, she would leave it here, to be reviewed as is by the City Council. She noted a finite number of public engagement opportunities might not be appropriate. Chair Goodell stated it might make sense to table this item and come back to it when there is more information, expressing an interest in having community input. Item I - It was agreed that nothing should be changed in Item I. Mr. Anderson stated Commissioner Baskin is very knowledgeable in the area of fair housing, and he would like to have another session with her in attendance. Mr. Anderson stated Home Line is an organization that provides free tenant legal support for lenders. He confirmed that he has a contact that he will reach out to at Home Line. CITY COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson stated the City Council has been holding weekly budget meetings and will continue to do so through September 2020. She added the issue of housing is a huge component that will be addressed over the next 12 months and beyond. She noted there has been a lot of discussion about the Opportunity Site in terms of community engagement, and a potential meeting to discuss housing. She urged Chair Goodell and the Housing Commissioners to become actively involved in these discussions with the City Council. Chair Goodell agreed, adding the Commissioners would appreciate the opportunity. City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson stated the car wash in Shingle Creek Crossing was approved. She added the car wash was approved and passed 4-1, with the Mayor voting against it as he would prefer a sit-down restaurant. She noted it is important to have businesses that provide services and generate tax revenue. Page 6 City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson stated the primary election was held, and turnout was considerably higher than 2016, probably because of the presidential election. She added 6,747 people voted in the primary election, and four City Council candidates were identified. The candidates, including herself, are Marquita Butler, Alfreda Daniels and Sizi Goyah. City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson stated she brought the landscaping standards to a City Council Work Session. She added staff is limited and there are no interns. She noted she was pleased to see the excellent maintenance job completed by the Public Works Department, generating other jobs and increasing public awareness. City Council Liaison Lawrence-Anderson stated she suggested a group of local volunteers could be recruited to maintain landscaping and rain gardens on 63rd Avenue. She added hopefully there is a low-cost, creative solution to improve the rain gardens, as there is limited City Staff and only so much they can do. CHAIRPERSONS REPORT Chair Goodell thanked the Commissioners for helping with the New Neighbor Program. He added he was an election judge on August 11, 2020 for the primary election, and there was a great turnout, and City Staff was very helpful. He noted there were a lot of mail-in ballots. OTHER BUSINESS Mr. Anderson stated the housing policy final draft has not been discussed by the City Council. He added he would provide a copy of the email for the Commissioners’ review. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Commissioner Amdahl and seconded by Commissioner Cremona to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed. The Brooklyn Center Housing Commission adjourned at 8:20 p.m. __________________________________ Chairman City of Brooklyn Center  Housing and Redevelopment Authority  Fair Housing Policy      1. Purpose/Vision  Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act establishes federal policy for providing fair housing throughout  the United States. The intent of Title VIII is to ensure equal housing opportunities for all citizens.  Furthermore, the City of Brooklyn Center, as a recipient of federal funds, is obligated to certify  that it will affirmatively further fair housing.    The City of Brooklyn Center strives to advance its commitment to inclusion and equity by  developing this Fair Housing Policy to further the goal of creating a community where all  residents will thrive.    2. Fair Housing Policy Statement  It is the policy and commitment of the City of Brooklyn Center to ensure that fair and equal  housing opportunities are available to all persons in all housing opportunities and development  activities funded by the city regardless of race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual  orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistances, familial status, national  origin, or disability. This is done through external policies to provide meaningful access to fair  housing information and referral services for all constituents and through internal practices and  procedures that promote fair housing throughout the community.    3. General Practices    The City of Brooklyn Center commits to the following steps to promote awareness and  competency of fair housing issues in all of its government functions.  a. Intake and Referral  The City of Brooklyn Center has designated the Multi‐Family Housing Specialist as the  responsible authority for the intake and referral of all fair housing complaints. At a  minimum, the Multi‐Family Housing Specialist will be familiar with state and federal fair  housing laws, the complaint process for filing discrimination complaints, and the state  and federal agencies that handle complaints.    The date, time, and nature of the fair housing complaint and the referrals and  information given will be fully documented.  The Multi‐Family Housing Specialist will advise the City Council and Housing Commission  on City programs and policies affecting fair housing and identify issues and concerns  where appropriate.  b. Meaningful Access  i. Online Information. The City of Brooklyn Center will display information  about fair housing prominently on its website. The website will include  links to various fair housing resources, including the Department of  Housing and Urban Development, Minnesota Department of Human  Rights, Mid‐ Minnesota Legal Aid, and others, as well as links to state  and federal fair housing complaint forms.  In addition, the City will post  the following documents on its website:  1. Reasonable Accommodation Policy  2. Limited English Proficiency (LEP Policy)  3. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy regarding access to  City services  4. The State of Minnesota’s Olmsted Plan  5. Fair Housing Policy  6. Tenant rights and responsibilities Handbook    ii. In‐Person Information. The City of Brooklyn Center will provide fair  housing information to anyone requesting such information at the  city offices. Information provided will include:  1. A list of fair housing enforcement agencies;  2. Fair Housing: Equal Opportunity for All information booklet; and  3. Fair housing complaint forms for enforcement agencies.  4. Tenant rights and responsibilities Handbook  iii. Languages. The City of Brooklyn Center is committed to providing  information in the native language of its residents. The City will provide  information in languages other than English as needed.  c. Require landlords to provide Brooklyn Center’s fair housing policy to new  applicants and tenants.  d. Staff and Officials Training. The City will provide training on an ongoing  basis to its staff and housing officials on fair housing considerations.    e. Housing Analysis. The City will review its housing inventory and community  needs annually to examine the availability and affordability of both rental and  owner‐occupied housing for all residents in order to have such information  available for future City actions.      f. Code Analysis. The City will review its municipal code annually, to identify  impediments to accessing housing and any potential for disparate impact or  treatment.     g. Project Planning and Analysis. City planning functions and development review  will consider whether potential projects may perpetuate segregation or lead to  displacement of protected classes, and will apply the City’s Inclusionary Housing  Policy (when adopted) in the case of developments seeking financial assistance  from the City.    h. Community Engagement. The City will seek community input, particularly from  underrepresented populations in the community, with regard to fair housing  issues, development, zoning, and land use changes facilitated by the City.    i. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. As a subrecipient of federal funds, the  City will, as requested by Hennepin County as the entitlement jurisdiction,  participate in the Regional Analysis of Impediments, as organized by the  regional Fair Housing Implementation Council (FHIC), an ad hoc coalition of  Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement jurisdictions and  others working together to affirmatively further fair housing. The City will  review the recommendations from the analysis for potential integration into  City planning documents, including the Comprehensive Plan and other  applicable documents.