Trumbull Housing Authority Meeting
September 25, 2017
4:00 pm
Community Room of Stern Village
Commissioners Present: Chairman Janice Kopchik, Deborah Dowd, Paul Niebuhr, Suzanne Donofrio and Susan Fatse
Also Present: Executive Director Harriet Polansky and Neil Gerhardt
The meeting was called to order at 4:05 pm by Chairman Kopchik followed by Roll Call and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Past Minutes
Motion was made by Mrs. Kopchik to approve the minutes of July 24, 2017 as written. Seconded by Mr. Niebuhr and approved. Motion was made by Mrs. Kopchik to approve the minutes of August 15, 2017 Special Board Meeting as written. Seconded by Mr. Niebuhr and approved with one abstention by Mrs. Dowd.
Treasurer’s Report
Mrs. Dowd reported for the Trumbull Housing Authority for the period ending August 31, 2017. Stern Village and Stern Center currently has an overall gain of $154,974. This is attributable to the filling of the vacancies in the Village and the Center. We received approximately $135,000 from United Illuminating as incentive for installing heat pumps. Under the new GAAP accounting rules, we have to recognize the incentive as income and not part of the reserve for repairs and maintenance. Currently our reserve balance is $927,637, which is approximately $4,179 for each unit in the entire complex.
Executive Director’s Report
Ms. Polansky reported the overall cash position as of August 31, 2017 shows a balance of $822,770 including the investment account. As of August 31, 2017, Accounts Payable is approximately $50,107 including the PILOT accrual for the current and prior year.
During this time period, new chairs were purchased, new flooring was installed, as well as the remodeling of Units 5,6,7,8.
The THA is always making additional improvements for the comfort and well-being of the residents within the realm of safety, necessity and affordability.
In the Congregate, the lighting will be improved in the common areas of the Congregate by changing to LED lights, chairs will be replaced with similar ones to the Community Room and the carpeting in the vestibule will be replaced with new flooring.
At the present time, the Village has three vacancies not including the ones being remodeled. The Congregate has three vacancies.
Ms. Polansky noted that until the State budget is passed, approval for the SSHP funding round would not be announced. These funds were requested in April 2017. Funds would be used for updates to the roads, sanitary systems, water management systems, fascia, etc. She will continue to look for grant opportunities now that the 501c3 has been established.
October 13 is the annual THA Fall Fest. We have received donations from friends and vendors to help offset the cost of the event.
Annual inspections will start the week of October 16. This will include the heat pumps and the vents.
Ms. Polansky thanked Gus and John for their dedication to help keep Stern Village safe. Gus provides THA parking stickers to the residents as long as they provide a valid vehicle registration. She noted it is important to differentiate residents from visitors. Visitors continue to park in the circles which are prohibited areas. Gus has made up a notice that is placed on these vehicles stating they must move their cars. If a vehicle is parked in the circles longer than 20 minutes without providing the THA notice, the car will be towed and the police will be called.
There are several new residents coming in. Ms. Polansky thanked the Stern Village Resident Association for all the good they are doing and gearing the organization towards having more social events. Nick organized the potluck dinner. He will also be providing handcrafted metal ornaments to those residents who provide a food item.
Starting October 1, the Community Room will be closed at 7pm daily.
Applications for Stern Village will be accepted mid-October through December.
Paulette will receive the Trumbull Integrity Award on September 28 at 7pm in the Town Hall.
Ms. Polansky noted the facility would be moving to GAAP accounting that is being mandated by the State. We have had the RM&R (Reserve Maintenance and Repairs) but that is now gone and things will be accounted for differently in the future.
Mr. Gerhardt noted the facility would be changing their accounting procedures to align with the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Policy). The change will not affect how we operate but how we present information. Mr. Gerhardt has been working to transfer information into this new system. It is a difficult transition because he has to go back decades to figure out what items cost at that time and whether the items should or should not be depreciated. The State is requiring a Capitalization Policy of $5,000 or more; why they picked that number is unknown but it can be whatever the Commission decides. This requires approval of the Commission. Ms. Polansky noted that most of the housing authorities have decided the $5,000 is appropriate; Neil suggested $3,500.
New Business
- Capitalization Policy – Mrs. Kopchik moved to approve the Capitalization Policy mandated by the State of Connecticut. A discussion was held regarding changing the number to $3,500. Polansky read the Capitalization Policy (attached to these minutes). Depreciation is based on the IRS guidelines. Mrs. Kopchik moved to approve the Capitalization Policy mandated by the State of Connecticut. Seconded by Mrs. Fatse and approved.
- 2017-2020 Agreement between the THA and Union – Mrs. Kopchik moved to approve the agreement for the 2017-2020 union contracts. Seconded by Mrs. Dowd and approved unanimously.
Stern Village Resident Association Update
Maureen noted there will be a potluck dinner on October 18 at noon. Invitations have been sent out. She is also looking for donations; food will be provided by residents who have volunteered to help.
Resident Comments
James Jenestreet – presented information about the cleaning of the filters in the heat pumps. He noted the information in the manual stated specifically how and when they are supposed to be cleaned and the functioning of the heat pumps and what they do. Some filters need to be cleaned every two weeks while others need to be cleaned every three months. His unit has been installed since the beginning of May and cleaning of the filters has not been done yet. Two work orders were put in and refused – one because the maintenance department did not have a schedule set and the second because he was told they didn’t have to be cleaned because they were new. The notice sent to residents states if you break it, you replace it. He also stated that the Village Voice noted that any mold problem is the responsibility of the tenant. However, if the units have mold in them, they will be spreading the spores into the apartments. He stated this is a health issue for the welfare of the people. He feels the heat pumps should be cleaned per the instructions from the manufacturer.
Ms. Polansky noted that she contacted John Barry and he stated they do not have to be cleaned every two weeks. The change of seasons is when the filters need to be cleaned. If you have a pet, it would need to be done more frequently. The heat pump also has a dehumidifier control on it. Mrs. Fatse asked Ms. Polansky to get an opinion letter from the company regarding this. Mrs. Donofrio asked if the units have deodorizing filters because some do not. This will be confirmed.
Joan – requested an additional explanation of the new accounting system.
Adjournment
There being no further business, Mrs. Kopchik moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:37 pm. Seconded by Mrs. Fatse and approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Crandall
Clerk