Good morning, everyone who's who's joined us via zoom. We do not yet have a quorum for the board meeting and so therefore, we ask for your indulgence and patience and we will go live again. Once we have at least one other board member here, thank you. And we're gonna go off again right now. Thank you all
recording in progress. Thank you. Good morning. Welcome to the joy Housing Commission Thursday. Board meeting for Thursday, November. Sorry for staying late in this tin 17. A first order is the roll call.
Thank you, Commissioner cyber Commissioner Baylor your commission account as it Commissioner Posey Here. Commissioner Williams is the absent we have a quorum.
Thank you very much. So our next item is approval agenda, call for motion. Second, thank you any changes kind of questions? Here? None. All in favor? Aye. Thank you. approval of minutes from the regular board meeting for October 26 2023. Call for a motion. So moved for in kindness changes questions. In that All in favor. Thank you. minutes are approved. Next we have public comments on agenda action items. So there will be two opportunities for members of the public to provide comments to the board. The first opportunity is now any member of the public made for comment on any agenda action item I'm gonna limit it to three minutes for individuals or five minutes for representatives to short speakers are here to the time timekeeper will give a One Minute Warning for the person with a three minute pitch counted period, and a two minute warning for person with a five minute time period. This warning will be by means of a tap tone when the speaker's time is up the time people will disconnect the call. Later there will be opportunity for public comment on matters unrelated to agenda action items, members of the public. Generally there's a sign up. If you want to be first in line to speak where you would call the number the number was down. So this time we're just doing strictly raise of hands, either here in person or online. And we'll identify you in the order that the hands were raised and, and calling you or represent a group. Let's identify themselves in the group when you call it please note that speakers may not pull their time or your time to another speakers.
if you are in zoom let's see let's state your name. Let's clear on a Moton. And if you're here in person, please stand if you're able and state your name. So thank you. Do we have any public comment on agenda action items? No raise hands. All right, thank you. So seeing no public comment, we'll jump right into the DHCP action.
Why the first action item is approval to execute change order number two for additional funding to contract 3070 with qualified construction in preparation for nine scattered site unit renovations this was is resolution number 3210 And the presenters net once
more and more in
compliance with our procurement policy. Here. So any contract where the value of the total approved initial contract is over 10% Or we add more than 45 days to the contract, we must come back approval DHCP entered into contract not 3070 or nine scattered side rehabs change order one was presented and approved by the Board in July of 2023. A copy of change order one if you'd like to review the previous approval is in a three ring binder and in the middle of the desk. Today I present change order to we're looking for approval to add $7,350 and no time to the contract. The new contract amount would become 1,422,001 65. And the contract end date will continue to be December 17. The reason for this contract and the reason we are requesting it today in late August. We had a weather event that split a tree in the backyard of at 434 Granville it damaged the adjacent fences and in the picture attached to the change or two that was provided. It's already black and white. It's pretty grainy. You can see was a very large tree. So that's in your requesting to $7,350 added to the contract for removal of the tree. Stump Grinding cleanup and the associated fence damage.
Thank you very much call for any questions, comments?
And my question is, do we have to approve every single champion yes, that comes through? Yes. Yes, over 10%
Yes, anything above 10% Everything will have to be approved.
We did debate whether or not we should bring this but because it's over 10% And that was really clear. We should yeah. And even though it's better extension of time.
That's really cool. That's fine. I just like yeah, but then you gotta wait for a board meeting before you do anything and then it
sits there and convenience.
And I barely missed last month's that's why I'm seeing your month by randomness if I missed the deadline to submit the final approval inside. Senator now.
HUD ruled derivative city rule a housing commission bylaw. Whoo. Where does that come from that
nature. It's the procurement, Detroit Housing Commission procurement capital improvement rules.
Okay. I think got less to do. At some point. If you want to revisit that policy. At least I would be open to hearing about that because like I just like we didn't even keep an eye on things but I also don't like a split tree seven four, wait for something like that.
To present is actually a nominal amount that would otherwise be able to be
made exactly like I would have said 10% or $1. Threshold cover is less. Right. I think about that. Right? Yeah. But you know what I'm saying it right. Like there's a materiality threshold, the percentage number, you know, if it was an office supply contract, right, we wouldn't want to see a $5 change over something and I would
love to do that. But we'll have to cross reference the HUD regulation for Capital Group as well because I know our DHCP pyramid is like mirror image of the 100 Sarah
we live in and then a semantics to to add to Aaron's point of $7,000 is not 10% of 1.1 or even 1.4. It's because you've got the prior change order that pushed you over 10%. And it almost makes sense that it should be 10% Since the last approval, right and this would have been a mute point as well.
I worry about that. But that is not the way it turned out for the
Absolutely. So any other comments, questions? All in favor? Aye. Aye. Thank you. Resolution 20 210 is approved. Thank you.
Action Item number two is the revision of the payment standards used in the housing choice voucher and Section eight programs. This is resolution number 3211. And as the presenter is Felicia bursts,
morning conditions for the adoption of resume up to one one, which would allow for HCV program to set the payment current payment standard smash but newly Baris 2324 payments standards that were issued for August in effective September 1, and the bounds of the goals of the 110% of the FMR. It will include our capacity to service our participants. It would improve housing searches, reduce violence, hopefully reduce lead time and searches. It would increase the viability of X miss just came in standard and it would help to get voucher payment participants out of D concentration areas. So we are asking for the resolution. So once we start payments standards are 2324 go into effect immediately for new beginnings and everywhere covers off current voucher
programs. Thank you call for a motion.
So move for
any questions habits? My question is I believe we're already cancelled. This is just keep it as I want to. Alright,
so currently we are at 120%, which was a hood waiting gave us a waiver that we could go to 120% that waiver expires December 31 of this year. As of right now we do know that HUD is going to really issue that way. As of now we have not got approval for that. So this is the standard 110% We do want to go to the 110% but there will be away for coming probably within the next next 60 days that we will have the option of four to 120% of which are telling you now I would come back to with approval to go to a bunch of MCs so right now
so what are the logistics so someone's collecting 20 The IP and and if for any reason, you know government shutdown or anything, the 120 way Where did we come? Come come back then current landlords is get less money and or the tourists just paid more. What are the logistics?
So that metric is 20% where we are right now is still less than the newly adopted 23x 110% So even
if bases resume
so with that being the new payment standard puts us over and give the waiting for comes by the fifth waiver that it has been put out there that they're going to use the waiver but we've had that that process hasn't been executed yet, but at the new standards at 110%. It is higher than where we are now.
So I sent it back to you so it's important to understand so we were under the previous FMR IRS. We were paying but I have provided a waiver that we could do 120% So like here's the floor we're at 120 We're now technically knocking down to 110 but because the floor has moved up to 110 is actually in excess of 120 of the previous FMR so right so nothing's like really moving for our landlords or tenants right now. Although if and when they bump up to the 120 that our ceiling goes up above where we are today. Correct. So my question to you is, should we just modify the resolution of the approval and allow you the flexibility to go up to 120 without coming back because like I said, well, first of all, you got to think about that. You know that we know what the like the latency is on vulnerable older. So I think the bottom line is here. For me, the metric that I always think about with this is how long from voucher approval to tenant set latency, right? Because if that's long that tells me that having a hard time finding units that qualify at the rent level support. And so I think that's kind of my question like how do you how do you know whether or not the 120 is the right number? Because that's never uses the number of doctors that we can issue right because we're cannibalizing that 120 But it's we're paying for it either pay more per voucher or you have less more doctor's orders in the market if they can't find new and it's it's not helpful, right like you got to be able to find a unit for the for the
price so price and quality of the drivers that does that make it harder to find. Okay.
So I don't know, like it's no big deal. We don't have to modify the resolution. I'm fine with it coming back, but I also don't want our people particularly going into the end of the year to be spending any day longer than they need to.
Yeah, I don't I don't see why we would modify it and we're going to prove it in the future anyway.
No, I don't, I'm getting ready to make
okay. So we you want to modify this. Yes.
Go 120% way but when it's approved, because we've lit a fire for that exception.
But how do we do that?
Can we do that? You can't do that.
So you want to make the motion since you've raised it.
I will call from the member call make a motion that we modify the current resolution to provide staff the ability to go up to 120% of the new FMR limits provided HUD provides a waiver to that effect.
Support.
Other counts pushes all favor. Thank you resolution 3211 as modified
so now that we'll just come back in a report in a
great financial report say we've done the budget the next resolution or the next action item is approval of tentative accounts receivable right off resolution of 3212. presenters.
This is our quarterly submission for approval of the Canon accountancy bill right off for the court for the first quarter of the fiscal year 20 For the rite of passage is $46,271.61. And I'm patient on your own. It shows the reasons and there's for this particular quarter there was 18 of the 1800 people between deceased and Senate initiated and eviction are the three reasons and also the it is a major drop from the last three quarters by request approval of this
call for a motion of support. questions comments?
This is this is great to see that, you know, a significant drop like this do. Is there any story behind you know, why a 50% This is great a good thing because I'm wondering whether or not this is something that we think you think is going to be consistent as we go into the rest of 2024.
sales leadership the
Cisco forevers going forward obviously
we cannot predict the future but I do believe that managers have been more apt. Yes. And then the collection side. Follow up with the flow of folks from all different departments. Various departments, or finance or
anybody else for that matter.
So you would attribute a lot of this to diligence, right? Okay. An increase in manager Okay, so that's good. So part of what we've been talking about working towards. We're starting to see maybe some benefits of
it. We'll hear more about that from Mr. Watson. Because I mean, I didn't.
So we have like this good news. And then we've got the finance report out on 62. We're receiving the the trend is it's different. So like, Yeah, this is good, but it's just such like a lagging indicator. Right? So maybe I'll just like hold by comments for that. But you know, the collections thing is like, I don't know why you're here. She's very frustrated. He will pull
the lunches as in the city, talked about learners. And I was interviewing people that take 10 months to get out and it takes 20 months of that pain to get out of like, like no one's like, behind three months and it's all like our right now. Between the tenants polymaths or something like that. Have a rhythm and a human understanding of kind of how we balance that. But that could all be you know, directly speaking. So, other questions, comments? On favor. Hi.
Thank you.
Thank you. Resolution 3212 is approved.
Thank you action item number. Excellent. And number four is the authorization to renew commercial property insurance from the housing authority risk retention group and the inche AI Group company. This is resolution number 3213. And the presenter is Angela Williams.
Angela, Morning Edition and
stay up
how's it division is asking what permission to pay the premium 2000 authority risk retention group or the hate group for our property insurance and as you are aware, we have inspired by her sure that all of our properties insured at 100% guide questions which is
to vote for some of the kind of questions
so, you know, they said we're renewal bringing rates up 25% which is obviously largely entirely driven by loss history. And I assume Sheridan was was the big driver that
must be debt. As you could Cobalts historical floods in 2002. Yeah. So that's where that's why we have this according to our insurance league liaison, that is, since our last year he has an increase also in building damage and an increase in the superlatives the last week was 1200 names.
Do we absorb every center? Look, this is a question for you. Do those get those premium increases get pushed down into the project budgets do we absorb the overages at Central? How does that show up in Financials when we get such a dramatic premium increase?
It was split between the various buildings that have that effect. So for the effects, for example, Smith homes whatever we will take that person into allocated to Smith farms and so forth. But depends what the coverages were like what, what what buildings are being covered, which is pretty much all of our buildings. So it does go to all yes,
a commercial you need 13 illogical elevens.
So that would be the CoCs. That's a hit for CMCC.
Is there Do we have to maintain a separate policies to the to like with the city, I've been coming under their umbrella, I just like you know, hopefully we'd not see another 5% increase again, but like, you know, this is a lot of money and so it was $400,000 and some of our products do not have that right. So I just like is there any other option that we should consider here? To get better buying? Or hopefully we don't have another shared and issue but I don't know. I mean, like our properties are not aging. Well, as we all know, hence our capital plan, but
I can speak to that. That was a question that was presented about two years ago for actual health benefits insurance for our employees. David Rothkopf, the HR manager did reach out to city to the city of Detroit and that wasn't something that they could do or could assist us with. For three separate entities. statute, as far as the property insurance, as was indicated last month at the board meeting when Angelo requested approval. I'm currently receiving insurance through the AGI group, as you know, what has a lot of waivers so that we didn't have to do an RFP for those products, the property that GL the employment practices, and we also are members of that group. We receive a dividend I think last year with dividends of 150,000. But that being said, we did make the decision to prepare a scope of work for broker, an insurance broker for our property auto GL employment practices, and what the intent is to issue that late December more likely early January. So we work with procurement and they assist us with the scope and it's complete, that we want to make sure we get out probably in the new year so that we can get additional interest or more interest in January. So that's where we are with our our coverage. But we do understand that some of these increases especially the 1208 increase or the loss ratio from 2020 to being a 12. Wait, that's concerning. So that's our approach
to rolling loss history, so it's gonna take a while for that. Probably about five years or thereabouts. See that? Okay, thank you.
Do any other comments or questions? All in favor Aye. All right, thank you resolution 3213.
So, the action item number five, is approval to execute a real estate development agreement between the Detroit Housing Commission and Jelastic development company or phases one and two. This is not a time school. Vacant undeveloped parcel one. The phases wanting to develop new housing and vacant land at the villages of Parkside, currently known as village one, resolution number 3214. And the presenter is going to be Irene Tucker.
All right. Good morning, good morning, commissioners and staff. So we're happy to bring this resolution to you to have the CEO enter into a development agreement and the previous meetings. It was requested for free development agreement was to say that genetical was the water and could we proceed with discussions and well, discussions have really evolved very well, with partnerships with the city and all the departments VCs planning the department's of neighbors to come up with as you can see on 35 page 35, the development of approximately 160 or up to 200 new units on the vacant part or the site of Parkside which we know as Parkside one we can we phases one and two. will cost in the tune right now have exceeded you can look on page 33, and 34. But they don't have all the costing, but right now we're roughly at 50 million. They want to do a combination of light tech Steel's of 9% and 4%. And so as we work through our discussions, you know that within one year, the rest of the complex or the site, which is Parkside, we know that's two and four will be jumbled up. Those details will not be in the first development agreement, but be of agenda. So we're asking for approval to proceed on. We do know that your nostril is applying for the 9% lighter, rounder this December and again, working closely like he did regarding you under the leadership of Patrick and Angela did Jackson spearheading this and it's going quite well.
I will say and also the time is critical in some ways because according to misters website unless they decide to change there will be a UPS around July tech, December one and there's one that's the summer one there's not a spring around, and then they go on a roll round in 2009. So this is the time to sort of get in the door right now. Or at least the Spurs parcels for space.
Do a motion for motion. If there was any comments, questions,
I mean, I this all makes sense to me the plan. It's such a complicated thing. I just want to make sure that I understand it's we got a long history of unfavorable development, sitting in November. So I'm reading this to say that this development agreement will last one year. And then you're going to renegotiate and have multiple development agreements based on the sort of phasing of the thing is that my understanding correctly, we
want to have a master agreement and then we know directionally where we want to go towards two phases, which is up to 200 units, we're thinking about 160. But then you have the rest of the complex, which we know is what's existing there for buildings parks, to me for what what happened to that and those details have not been established at this point.
So is the development agreement to encompass the entirety of the site today or just wanted? Just a vacant land? Yes. Because he's going to apply for the 9%. Yeah, so that's the thing he's got one year. Yeah. And just development agreements specifically say that one of the benchmarks is 9% credit award or just time
It's time so it's just time because he's hopeful that he will get the 9% credit award for phase one or phase two. He's looking at 4% Right, which is
easier to gather.
But it's just a Biden, both parties time to pursue the tax credits, get all the paperwork and that he's going to need from DHCP and the city to apply December 1, and as within one year, and that's why we made sure specifically within one year figure out what the rest of the complex will look like I'm saying complex but to psych
struck a question and so we've got no responsibility for pre development costs, but do we have any like he's gonna need to, if he gets an award, he's gonna have to get a pilot, right. He's got like, there's some things he's got to do entitlements of the city. Do we have any administrative administrative obligation in the development agreement, even if it's not cash funded, pre development
at this time? No. And obviously, depends, so we define the roles and responsibilities. And we've had meetings on that now we're having weekly meetings to define that. We also have some details in regards to the split of the development fee and again, brand recognition for DSC and providing support going to the city. And then we also have had some discussions about what the end legal structures will look like. And we want we're thinking we want to have part ownership as well. So we're still in those discussion phases. But to go forth, and again, we're piggybacking off of the instruction from the commission to look at your DS look at a different vehicles. To be world because we do not want what happened previously to happen. Again, with this site.
So at what point do some of the data agreement come to us if it does, it should
come so they need to we need the agreement signed by the 30th of November, in order for them to proceed on with their application. So I would assume as soon as we can get a good working draft of the agreement. Within the next week, you have another meeting scheduled on Monday. And these meetings are a couple hours. It will get shared probably right
away. Yeah. There's a lot to talk about and coordinate and be thoughtful about it. So
I'm rushing, they're rushing because of the December 1, two.
And that doesn't put anyone to edit at the plate. So okay.
Just as a footnote when we met with the city this week, the communication plan was so critical in working with the Department of neighbors, they wanted to understand what what the entire communication plan with the neighborhood not only with the neighborhood, but the neighborhood and the fact that he's going to be impacted not just the residents, but the surrounding neighbors. And so that's been etched out and coordinated with so it's just a lot of parallel running. Streams because of trying to make the December 1 deadline, but also trying to make sure that all the teams everybody impacted is as brought along the journey.
The other complicating that surfaced complicated but tiny the issue is, while we know we need to get hit on December one or they want to hit them December one this application, you don't want to get so far out, which is why the resident engagement is important to keep moving along. But there's still lots of opportunities for resident engagement. They've already started meeting with some of the elected resident reps at the site as well.
So this development agreement will be to give them what they need to get into this application, but not committing a bunch of DSC resources and anything along those lines towards this project. It will just be the minimum necessary to get in there.
That's why the roles and responsibilities are very critical. Okay, and let's get back in here and we definitely consider it acceptable. We have with the board right after this event.
Yeah, I think I get why you're doing it in directed fighting, because this is sort of part of our redevelopment plan, and particularly in these early deals. I think I would want to see that development agreement. And spend some time with it in advance that we will have time assuming he is at 9% of workers will be other things watch to do making transportation etc. But yeah, like we're all saying the same thing like I'd like more detail right like when that is
very few more comments, questions. And then have a favorite thank you to revolution for thank you we don't have any information items. We'll jump right into department monthly reports.
or anything additional want to add
a common question by work on finance.
I do want to talk about the collection stuff and maybe we'll work you want to wait for the property management report on that. Is that a better place to do that? Yes. Okay.
All right, thanks. Next we have rental assistance.
Sure, anything additional.
Your comments were received and make sure that we are engaged with our constitution stand up please is a period that we are engaged with our third party to ensure that we are we are getting on hands and staying on task with our with our development plan of meeting our annual recertification goals by
we heard urgency
if you have any questions I'm gonna say again, I think I the plan I feel relatively confident with in our ability to keep above water I remain concerned about being able to get our head above water is a big task. And I don't think we've seen the trajectory pick up enough to get us to that point. So you said February 24 and just be patient remember dry for me, but it is a lot of work. And I think like this does feel like a situation that an extraordinary intervention. may be needed. I mentioned last time I'll potentially try to ask for help from mission organizations. We got to find outside resources to do that, etc. But you know, it's obviously I know you notice it's hurting us turn our residents it's like killing our reputation.
You know, we're on the front line. So as much as you all know what we we fill it monumentally and it is not something that we take lightly. It is. It is a continued daily tasks that we go in every day. And and try to circumvent everything we can and mitigate as much as we can. It is a it is a daunting, overwhelming task. We are we are cautiously optimistic that we have plans in place that will get us to that point. We do know that it it will take more than the staff can do at this point, which is why the decision was made to do the RFP that close yesterday. That will be a refueling process and see how that was determining what that looks like. We have other plans in place we have looked into what you suggested with your pitch. We have some revealed some questions, exploratory things of that nature to see. So we are we are looking at every aspect and every viable opportunity that may be out there that will provide the assistance and support department to get us to where we need to be but to keep us at that point so that we're not you know we get there but we can remain there. And that's the overwhelming goal for everyone, again, is to service in our participants and our landlords then, you know, we understand how
many days from now and so, the RFP just closed yesterday. Yes. Selection habits
so we are just close yesterday at 4pm. So the selection committee will be meeting for the next up until next week. Actually we do have a cut off date. of 1121 for Barnsbury. RP.
I would defer to procurement with timelines but like I said it just closed yesterday. And I know that the process that they have to go through and Miss Blackshear can probably speak English.
I'm sorry. between today and tomorrow and hoping by the end of the day tomorrow or beginning Monday.
Well, are nice and what that looks like after the evaluation,
we were talking about PBV or the contract out for HCV.
Okay, HCV. So we're talking about HCC
about the ones that came in yesterday. There were three proposals that came in.
Yes, three proposals that came in. Right now procurement is reviewing all of the proposals, and then we will send Moduses outright evaluation team for them to be evaluated, and that will be next week.
Yep, I'm just trying to walk down a path that says if we gotta close, and there's any ramp up time bringing the people on any of that type stuff that sounds like we're down to maybe as little with holidays 45 days before February to actually do this. To download backlog of leads.
So no. Yeah, the HCD had tried to be to, to step in and mitigate going forward to run the current contract in place right now.
So so with the current contractor, I guess conversation last month was we got into like six 700 a month or something like that. And so, so kind of digging down and saying Do we have the current contract or the backlog? How many did they actually do last month.
So for the current contractor to meet their goal they have at minimum for it. So the conversation that came from the board meeting last month unless I understood it was collectively if THC and hummingbird did a certain number per month. Could we get ourselves in the clear and the answer was yes. So for our contractor, their minimum number that they need to hit monthly was 450 they have been short of that number. I can tell you looking at the numbers this month, they are definitely trending towards meeting those goals, which is my comment I made last month I see them getting to that number. So as of right now we're mid month they're at 226 completed recertification by the end of the month. I'm anticipating they will meet that and double that number. So as long as they stay on task and they are meeting their monthly minimum total, we will meet the contract agreement February of 24 which is what they they increased the time, money was not increased but timeline for work completion was increased. So if they meet which it looks like they are and again, we are monitoring, we are meeting weekly. My team Irene and her team, we collectively we're running reports we're checking kit to ensure that we are staying on task with our our goal.
Term team is that yes
or yes, yes.
So there's a lot of people that you can hear in that department right now. So there's the work that honey is doing with our staff to decrease and get all the delinquent recertifications done. There's also we issued an RFP a couple of months ago a month or so ago. So we are going through with the project based voucher award commitments that's been reviewed by the team now a selection team so that we can issue award letters of commitments to developers to include in their December one, live tech replications to Michigan. And then that RFP that just closed submissions came in yesterday is for the contract management of the tenant based voucher program. Launch. So all those pieces are dovetailing and moving through the system.
So when when we're done with the delinquents, will that actually be truly done or is that just because we call them gleefully when they were like more than a year or something or 14 months right and so will we get flowy continue with that kind of increase? Capacity until we don't have any delinquents at all? It's not 14 loads, it's like we're currently doing is are there any people that meet that standard? Is that something that we're shooting for where it's now i Oh, okay, now we are only 12 bucks. Yeah. Right.
So, the other part of that is that we have to make sure that we are maintaining our standards for our feedback, compliance, right and so in doing that, we have to make sure that we are staying under a certain percentage of length. So the goal is not just to catch this group up and you know, get a little behind. Okay, now we want to we want to get current students to stay current understanding that the support has to come from, you know, either restructuring the team rebuilding the team, the RFP that came in yesterday. That is the key to ensuring that we get to a solid, you know, playing field but that we're able to stay there and you know, continue to increase our goals and meet high metrics that's
that's included in this current contract. Or they'll keep going until we're nothing's would get past 14 months we pass Well, we get past 10 like or what, how will that go? How do we get it down to where we're truly current, not just less than less willing
to take a combination of several different things. So the current contract with that is in place right now. We're completing 2500 annual recertifications
HCV sport we're back in ACP. ACP.
Yes. And so what that is going to do is guess that's going to get our delinquents to to a point that one, we are not in any code review. It's going to get our percentage down, it's going to increase our speed Matt standing. They are not tasked with going forward and keeping the momentum going forward. They were only to execute this one more time. So that we could get these the most delinquents once completed and get our feedback and our pics scoring. Good and that's what's happening. Our picks score is increasing as the numbers are increasing. So again, as long as we can keep our our contractors and our contractors fully engaged in Metellus matter. I'm confident that we could meet that goal for February 24 for the plan to continue to stay current and and meet other metrics would depend on what happens with this outside contract that can be yesterday. And what depending on the outcome of that will determine the structure that we have to do within our department to get staffing and to keep to build staff for the people. Because that's the key right?
So I'm just trying to make sure that I understand. So, because when I hear about the delinquent so when I think of a mortgage, right, the actual due date is the first you don't pay a late fee until the 16th. And so some people say Oh, I'm never late. I've always been on the 30. And so is that what we're shooting for? Or are we trying to get to the point where we're actually paying on the first so it's something that's 14 months is it that's what we call it delinquent? Not when it should have been done before
that's like what type thing is for right right. Hey, back scores had the same AP score getting hurt for the those that are over 14. Yeah, so here's what I heard. is right now. house is on fire, right? You gotta like put it out. But right. So we're trying to get the number under 14. Yes, down and that we think we're trying to strive forward to February. However, that doesn't, that doesn't get us current. That just means we're less delinquent. But we've got optionality here that we're evaluating about, okay, once we get under 14, how are we going to get ourselves from 14 to current and then how do we maintain current currency rather remain current ongoing? That sounds like it is topic for discussion in the January meeting, because I don't want to I want to be decided in February when the contract is expiring. She told me there's no no I
agree. I just what what I was worried was that we hauling less than 13 Exactly, and so and so and so that making sure that I'm understanding the terminology to say this is a okay. It, are there any impacts and I would imagine they are to someone being 13 months late on their certification to their lives our business even though HUD doesn't do or is it that it doesn't matter if it's 13 months late on recertification?
Wow. While we want to be cognizant of the pressure of that herd as he plays because we want to make sure that we're not getting into trouble with, right so that's the number but internally No, it's not okay for us to be 12 months delinquent, just because it's under that direction. However, we want to get back to the standard of performance. That would bring us back to where we weren't when we perhaps performance right from 16 to 19. We were above average. And high perform and that a huge part of that was making sure that our delinquent activity was at 5% or less. That is our goal. Our goal is not just to you know, get us to the sweet spot of not being in trouble and now we're okay to post. No, we want to get back to performing as optimally as we can, and providing the best service that we can. And so our goal is to not have delinquents. Again, 3% five to 3% or less is what our game is what we're aiming for. Now, we don't want to be 12 muntoni We don't want to be led right now
because it's the knock on effects etc. Like just like the numbers in our SteamApps works. There's a knock on effects of it. It's very difficult to a landlord right you have resident expectations like we want you to work with us we want you to do your job we're gonna do it ours right like that. That is like just because we stay out of trouble. It limits our ability to be effective. That's
that was my expectation. I just wanted to make sure we weren't using terminology. It's call current being only 30.
Yeah, I think I like please, I want you to hear this out here. I'm trying to get into this. I'm not I am upset about this, but I'm glad that we are all working together. I think alignment to get this done. I know that this is I think I've said to you before like this is my first job out of college. Like I really understand how hard this work is to do. But it is just like a it's our bread and butter and be like we just have to we have to get our head above water and I don't want nothing to do personally I don't try to slip in here right to say like, we're gonna do this ourselves, right? Like this problem has gotten bigger. Obviously it's gotten bigger. It's why we're doing our fees. It's why we've got contractors, etc. So I don't want you to be afraid to ask for extraordinary help. If we're not getting better like we just can't continue.
I totally agree. And I know this is the first time you guys have probably seen me in person but no, I am very vocal about what we need from our department. And the number one thing we need to step we have to have steps to be able to continue to meet the metrics that we need to meet and that is that. So again, we have options that we are exploring to bring that growth into the department because, you know, we know we're falling short, and we know what we need to do to get to where we need to be but the building and rebuilding support and structure that departments what has happened. So no, I have no problem. waving the flag saying we need help. But I think we have some good options that we are exploring that will get us there.
All right, thanks. We just wanted to know we're in support of keep an extraordinary to high performer that was just not in trouble.
So now we won our half Congress, that's where we were going. So that like I said the overall goal is to repeal that argument would say so. However that option is is what you know, and we don't know until, you know, for Chairman comes back and the executive team, but we have we have plans in place to get us interested in our department. Be it this afternoon this afternoon report this afternoon. We are we are we have a plan. We have things we're looking at. Like I said you mentioned the MR that was something new to me, but we have exploratory questions now to see what we can do with that. So we are actively looking at engagement opportunities.
So we could miss the exploration. You know, like you always tell me, I think private and then I have to have to Toby into her thought. Is that exploration kind of internal right now, based on a worry about any legal ramifications or have we reached out to Mr. And had those conversations that that mean? So my worry about it just being internal is, is sometimes we don't hear about other solutions, right? So we called NIST and they said, Oh, we've already done this with three other people we know exactly regulation less than it is touting the faster that happens. It seems like the better are Are we still internal or have we reached out the mission? We are internal and
we have I think we have made the initial contact and question with Mr. Waiting on.
At that point, I would just say please don't take it immediate no for an answer if that's not like we don't get a warm response. internally. We'd like to get more can help reach out I just not a forever thing and we're not asked to take over the program like but we've we have an acute moment that that we have to deal with this right so like there are friends who want us to be successful. So you know, if you get like a cold shoulder or not, not at least not from reception that you would like with that idea. You know, like, see if we can maybe you know, but I'm not gonna let that die without some exploration. They have staff or at least a contracted staff that Pam pretty well, like they should have the greatest capacity. I think what she told me otherwise.
So do have an anecdote on this on. The City of Detroit is doing work around the homeless population coming to our meetings with service providers, housing providers. People will relive the experience talking about it. And so there was one last week and I heard a woman describing her experience with getting our voucher when she applied to here are kids were toddlers when she finally birth. Her toddler was 14 and she went through this whole thing. And the whole time we're because we're online. I'm going oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. And then she sort of talked about the problems she was having. And then she said she allowed us to vote she was thrilled it was with administered by. And it wasn't us. So first of all I gave thanks for that. But it confirmed for me that that this is a difficult program to run. And the things that she was announcing were the same things that we're going to the southern organization is now going through and I was like, okay, but so there's some comfort in that but not real. You know what I mean? It's like, we're sort of in this together and we've got to figure out our solutions. to do that.
But for me, coming to comments or questions. All right, thanks. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Thank you for
the next report is our monthly real estate management report with Anthony Watson. And for those of you who just want to make sure we introduced last time, Bridget Wells is the Deputy Director of real estate management but she was able to come because normally Thursdays where she has her maintenance technician. So everybody y'all come meeting about insane work going for a person she's very hands on. So I wanted to introduce Bridget mesquite wants to say a few words to the exact words. Okay.
So I've been here about two months now. I can be trying to be fair to ourself in our team we are seeing progress, the maintenance techs and building the ground staff site staff. There has been some pressure put on them to perform by Mr. Watson. You may not see that reflect possibly this month's report but things like delinquency things like the certification, similar issues. I am at I'm at multiple sites every day. So I do see that I do meet with the site staff on one on one every week each of them. They do need support they do need somebody to ask assistance or ask questions. And then I just said no, we did building and grounds every other. I'm getting them excited about moving forward over the next year. Mr. Watson will talk about some of the other things, but we are seeing progress in waitlists. We are seeing progress in able to get some supplies that we needed in order to move forward. So it's little bit little things right now, but they are totally up to a bigger picture where I can see that is happening now. And that is going to be happening. I see us in a much different I can see the site staff want the site's down. So we are able to give that to them at this point. And I when I say it's like step up oh one it so we just need to foster that within the department. We need to encourage that. And if if they don't want to play the game, you know there's going to be decisions made but I'm very impressed with a majority of the site staff you know, once they think once Mr. Watson started holding them accountable for things we're seeing progress and like I said, it's I tend to be a pretty positive person as it is. So I may be a little wishful thinking on this. But I do not get a ton of the negative feedback that I would have been expecting for an organization in the situation. Those are in that is not feedback. So that makes me very encouraged about how GHC is going to be able to move forward. Effectively. I'm very encouraged. So that's all I got. Thank you
Good morning. Happy Thursday, everyone Anthony Watson as well for bringing the good news to the board. Now let's talk collections, which is not so good. Before I started here, I was aware of vacancies we here at the HC in pick this way we can estimate an occupancy rate for every amp at any PHA in the country. So it was my position at time that if you have an occupancy issue, you also have money issue. Obviously, apartments not being leased at revenue we're not getting for those leaks departments. So now we've become even that much more dependent on those who are leasing with us to pay what they owe. So as chair holds the challenge us in the past is I've been looking at the why behind what why is our collection rates so low. So we reached out to the Office of the General Counsel and we thank them they provided a landlord tenant training to our managers that I wanted to make sure everybody was on the same page as far as how we need to proceed when it comes to lease enforcement activity. In particular, right. One of the challenges we faced within RAM is and I'm not a blame COVID person, but one of the outcomes that resulted from COVID Is that the length of time before we can go to court to petition a judge regarding non payment increase in the past three COVID you could serve a notice to quit for non paying rent and you have 14 days to pay or we initiate further legal action. Post COVID The notices are now 30 days. So you doubled the length of time that a family has to basically reconcile or we proceed and that was done in part because during COVID A lot of families lost income may have all money and now how am I gonna pay what I owe and is to give them the additional time seek out resources that can help pay what oh, so to be fair, I'm glad that that was put in place. However, family signed the lease, which stated that they had to pay rent is due and payable on the first of the month. So one of the things we also discovered was that there was a downturn in the number of police enforcement activity that was initiated particularly among Pac Man shots. So we had charged our managers. Our policy currently stays if your ephemerals found out unless we can image everything. But we challenged the site. Anybody was at least 1000 intermission police enforcement activity other words supreme not been. We've gone the additional step of challenging the managers also to conduct private conferences. with families who will listen at that top celebrity middling smart balance letter or just hey, you know I had this happen and I'll check it out. You talk to our people we don't delete looking at now. We also, unfortunately, or fortunately can argue part of my meetings. With the managers. Elections have now become a standing topic. Because I'm interested in what did you do for you? We actually had the managers we had them fill out memo. What do you do to account for what you've collected? What you didn't collect? What obstacles do you see that will keep you from getting to Tarzana? Two and a half percent? What are you gonna do to improve? And that becomes now a monthly deliverable by the staff. You're gonna tell me why you didn't select 97% and you better be read we also for a higher balances I believe 5000 or more what? How the professional referred to as wellness checks. We know that some families have been paid because they not there. But we are now telling the bad news you need to go out every week to balance it. To this at least 5000 You're going to knock on the door you're gonna call make a phone call, you're gonna send a legal check to see if their families are still there. Other piece is the accountability piece. So there's a phrase that I use, targeted for improved when a site is not performing like we need and whatever the performance measure he is we target and what that requires is more frequent meetings with me and more reporting. And folks have kind of figured it out. Because we're seeing an uptick in notices. being served. We're seeing an uptick in private conferences, and we anticipate improvement over time with collection. Because of what we're not collecting, there are decisions that will have to be made when it comes to paying vendors when it comes to other things that missing of course hasn't had a desk that we hope don't have to be decisions that are made but if we don't have money, we don't have money. So if I could use this analogy real quick. It's not rival players, but there was a group of girls who are like to cross the Jordan River who also were there when risk equals cost. Seeds are usually bigger than where I was here when the receivables crops in other words when herb took over DHV in 2005 and then they restored local control to DHT. In March of 2015. I was here. I've seen it when he he was in a more challenging position. You have staff who I believe want to do right. And we're prepared to hold staff accountable who aren't doing what needs to be done that this week is already aware. There was one measure that wasn't met. If some folks will figure it out. We need you to do what's required. Right. That came up early now in the write offs can be a good thing from a finance perspective, because your targets have to be under two and a half percent or two points out of a possible five or five mass tarps if your tires are under one and a half percent, and you get the full 5.0 write offs are not included in the determination of your target rate for the fiscal year. So no, we want people we don't want to occur. We don't want to say people aren't paying but from 100% write offs actually benefit the agency because that much income or potential revenue that we didn't collect, but we wrote it off in Hudson, okay. He won't come. So but Yes, sir.
Yeah, so certainly, it's kinda like with that 14 month thing where there's the HUD thing and it is the really thing. Yeah. So So two things kind of popping, in my mind. Kind of going back to the the alarm system, right. You could have a report you can process if you're under $1,000. But when I looked at our write offs, a good number of those tickets were under 250 A month as their rent. So by the time you're talking to someone, and they get flagged when they're four months behind, you know, traditional real estate, then that's way, way, way too late. Right. And so, and in that scenario, 5000. Now you're talking about, you know, two years behind, you pay rent in two years, and it's like, hey, we really need to go check on that person. And so, like, our measures associated with kind of more traditional real estate that says, when someone is more than a month behind you like, Hey, that's a really big deal. Or is it? Like if we're saying we'll start targeting people at four months behind, if feels like even if that was based upon a social these says, our tenants are particularly financially stressed, even though the the rent is supposed to be based on their income we get low enough incomes, every little thing called try that. But assistance and communication seems like earlier would be more important, as opposed to waiting by giving talk to anyone in the market rate world or just not OtherWorld. I'll really smart folks that we have four months behind, they're already in a world of hurt. And so So, you know, how do we start applying these kind of services? What's the reason behind that? But then also, how do we start applying you know, assistance and communication and helping people to get their lawn before their foremost bar?
Well to one, the thought behind the $1,000 is greater to initiate legal action. If we can get that family under $1,000. Now we can talk about repayment in private conferences for less than $1,000 includes people who aren't one month behind in rent, right. So they didn't pay to know posted in November, is due by the fifth of November. I owe $50, right? I didn't pay $50 November 6.
We talk, okay,
because that's, that's one month's rent. We're not trying to we're trying to account for what wasn't collected prior to our arrival growth, but also not overburden staff for the general counsel's office. When it comes to open the back 24 years ago. I was the person in that corner office, who received all of the legal notices to be filed in court. I filed cases and grids and what the attorney to the court. What was the challenge with me I will get all these notices to quit one month one more oh they paid after cancel the nose. So after a while for me that was a waste of time. So this that same song and dance every month versus just enforcing the lease they they delete so many times in a 12 month period. We just do the 30 days, let's start playing this 14 Day dance. So the $1,000 or greater is to throw those cages which will greatly impact on overall paid receive. Also, there's a likelihood with some of those families. Those are much more likely to not be here. So we want to process those cases quicker by going through the lease enforcement action but we are mindful if you are a month's rent, you look forward to a private conference. And we've done a noun with Pac Man aside we also require it of the enemies.
So we are touching people. Yes, I found this system right away not just so we
can if not, you'd have to manage this. You have to report in writing. They have to report and take responsibility for what they did or did not.
Yes. Yeah. So it's it's really a graduated approach to learn to deal with all the high balance cases. And they've either moved out paid up repayment agreement, but whatever. Now we're better able to concentrate and strategize how to just like with recertification. It's an ongoing process where we expect the managers to collect every month and account for what not collected every month. And my point of view is this. Repayment agreements, no legal notice do not speak to what you need to collect. That speaks to what you did to account for what you did not collect. And my focus is he needs to collect more by the fifth of the month. So by putting measures in place, and we're upping the standard each month, you're less than this amount collected. Guess what? If targeted for improvement, what is targeting they're going to then account for conferences, we payment agreements, legal notices every day. They will get tired of that before I get tired of waiting for their response. So we do no residence. We can't make a residential pet. info I can't read his versus hers and second give me my Red Rock can't do that first we don't accept okay. So we can account for actions that till our managers election is all effort. No different than basketball the rebound in basketball all effort. And what we are encouraging staff to do is increase their effort. In the game they may not result in 100% selection, but you will have done everything you can knock on the door, make a phone call, send a letter, sermon notes, whatever you have done all you can do exhausted all reasonable resources to collect what's owed to the orphanage
and then instead of for staff is just the avoidance of the negative.
I'm eager about that. So then I'm all about like establishing the expectation and like changing culture and it's I remember management for sure. I think my my other question is it's public housing Commission's most units of government tend to be so compliance oriented in our resources are so thin, it's a lot of stick right and not a carrot because we don't have a lot of carrot to offer but I was once I'd be interested in your thoughts on at the board level at the leadership level, etc. Where Where can we reward those those high performers I suppose like should we have them come in every quarter and like thank them personally for the board and when they say award to me, like I buy him lunch once a month or something I don't know what it is, but it is a hard
job. And I was I was open to establishing like a real monetary it'll always be less than a
call it at the time. We thought about all those things, I'm sure Yeah. However, this is saying we have to go through the bargaining process with this group of individuals. And so we're starting at the table with them probably the contract that they're currently under ends in June of 24. will probably be at the table. My guess is starting January, February, where we can lay some of this stuff out but it's premature to talk about it now because
we're dealing with like incentive contracts. So that makes sense, but I guess we can do other parts or other. This is not a job that gets a lot of recognition, right for like doing the work. It is a high touch job dealing with the populations very vulnerable a lot of challenges every day. You know like a little gratitude can go a long way I'm not seeing not expressing it but the entire institution because we all rely on these frontline people like do their jobs and have pride in it. If there are soft, calm, soft touch, that you can think of that we could be helpful with I offer exploring how you'd say there's a time and place for it but right well,
I also I remember a manager the incentive was more to the resident paying on time versus the incentive. To staff to do what's expected of them as part of their day to day operations. We have the benefit that virtually all of our management staff could work and be part of managers in the private sector. We invited the director of rental assistance to one of our recent manager meetings and I learned that she had private property management experience. And she shared her perspective to these managers. But I also challenged those managers. Talk to me about how you've handled this in the private sector and what makes you think it's different here than out there. And no one could say well, no it is it No, it's not different. Don't have to know anything about public housing. Turn out the commission HUD funding to know okay, you owe this amount. Somebody's gonna walk away so you don't have to know anything. But oh, if I owed you $20 Until I give you your $20 back, you might think about you know, Anthony only $20. Well, this isn't our money per se. It's the property's potential revenue to help operate the property. And when we're not collecting, then we do a disservice to the people that we serve. And so while my focus is on the staff, we can incentivize, but the challenge with that is everything eventually could be well if you don't think it'd be more money, of course I'll do it. Then that becomes a gun for hire. So now when did we learn what you're willing to do just based on what you've been paid to do now? That's the challenge. And so I can see incentivization but our more want to focus it. I think there's a discussion that can be here before I say what I think discussion can be had internally on what we can do to encourage kindly paint. You don't when we're a housing provider, we're not only housing the victor. That's not our role. And so as I've shared, which they are anything that gets in the way of providing housing to families, it's something we must address. So we have families who may not want to abide by the lease why we have other families waiting to be admitted, who will. And so what can we do? Do we hold on to what we have so that we can take advantage of the HUD funding because we can say that part of the back panel here, but not collecting any income from that family? Or can we also not consider it well, it's gonna be a cost to turn Department got to move somebody in. There's a time element there, but someone's gonna pay the rent. As a former property manager, you tend to know the ones in trouble first. The ones that don't pay the ones that always can be found illegal. We're trying to reduce the burden to our staff and our revenue. Outside of things, how can you let it get that high? Back? I don't know all those stories, but we're doing something about it.
So I would like us to try to find out best practices, evaluate them, find out best practices and best outcomes in the public housing. Yes, I mean, we should presume that that's within federal regulation. If they're not regulated. One
thing we're doing perhaps I'm sure one thing we're doing is developing procedure, collections procedure and developing forms in support of that procedure that can be rolling out over the next month. That's another wide behind his voice. I haven't seen any procedures within rim that speak to what are we doing to address collections, so we want to close that gap? Right. Yeah,
it's,
I would suggest that right as Anthony had said earlier, rent collection is rent collection. And so
the
we need to selectively and in certain areas, because there's a cost of doing business in a regulatory environment. But rent collection is not one of them. I guess the only thing I would say that's different is that in the HUD system, if someone gets paid twice a month or wants to pay rent twice a month, you can actually modify the lease. So the the rent is due on the first and the 15th through the fifth on the 25th or whatever that is, but in terms of rent collection, and what you do about it, it's pretty universal, whether your private sector and public sector and so we can think of rent collection is one of those issues. That's just it is the it's a real estate practice. Forget about the subsidy that comes in and how its funded because you have to follow state law. And state law says X and the only other differences now that offensive sandbags are a 14 day notice for non payment of rent, you have to give 30 days notice. I can editorialize about that, but that's what they've said. That's what they've codified. So that's what we have to follow. And we've made those changes appropriately. But that doesn't change anything else about how rent has collected
my properties. This
is what it is but I would love us to know the legal framework versus private and the high performers and what are they doing? And but I don't I don't know how to achieve that because I've been kind of asking for that for a long time. How do we get something that says this is what this what people who are are doing who are high achievers in turn interval to some unregulated button in this what they're doing and and don't know how to get that. And then what are people doing who are high achievers privately and how does that conflict with a regulation and don't know how to get that
thank you and privately of course again, but if I hear they Kiona has a solution to something, I just call him and say hey, I want you to get this first line what's going on? And then he'll ask her to tell me and then I try to apply it into like my solutions. And so we're just constantly shared solutions. And by achieving that, we've actually gotten a lot more accelerated development in the private world. Now is that against the HUD regulation to call up a high performing Housing Authority anywhere in the country and ask them how they're achieving their results. Okay, and so, but it feels like we did it against the convention, the people that shared solutions like what? Why Why don't we do
that? One of the things DHD has been accused of in the past, rocking back in a bubble, we don't have all the answers. And the thing about position I mean, we have seven companies managing 3400 public housing. So I talked to one of the private managed companies this week. Oct was 98.9%. But we won't do what they did. We're not no compensation. With that company. What did you do to get such a high collection rate? So we actually intend to invite them to a future meeting with managers, but I will have to entail before they meet with the management I want. I get to talk to all six of the companies that say how did you do what we're trying to do? And I'm humble enough to know I don't know everything and so, when I talked to that ame actually was yesterday. They want to give credit to management staff. So I haven't talked to the management yet. Talk to the representative of the AME and just like her. So that's what we're doing that that's what we're doing that so we're starting with 10 our PhD tree if you have a family tree, but obviously we have relationships with other pas that we can speak with that have the same demands as we find out how they're doing what they're doing. And even if you don't have a relationship with
Aaron, I have a lot of relationships a relationship. So it's, but there's that. So I I'm in support of that, you know, I think our board members aren't as supportive of that trying to figure out best practices and replicate them. And so, please, please and we'll keep forgetting to do that and reach out if you need a connection or something along those lines. You know, it's a frustration. We've been looking for this for some time. And there there's a resistance and no one will explain.
You will break down the walls to any other questions you may garden
next is any other information
what's in our book?
Office of General Counsel
resources on Mr. Trump is not
I have nothing to add to my report, my monthly report. Thank you.
It. I mean, I do not have anything to
show but what I can tell so we are not doing a lot of training for the staff. on cybersecurity training. We are almost adding all those forces to our
learning module
for the program
mostly you're focusing on on how to train staff going to do some of the
data skills. Thank you.
Thank you.
Procurement I have nothing more to add. However, I do have a question. December already to some
is scheduled on at this point. What resolutions will be needed to be acted upon projects? So I guess I would always say yes. And then so we don't we don't stop and you've got to keep the momentum going. We should probably clear that manifests complete different roles in the game
never my axiom.
Question senator for both on it and for procurement. This is not a criticism. I'm bringing somewhere I'm asking question. Out Loud. If you look across the departmental reports, you can see like five is probably the best example of that but also resident services where we've done more of the benchmarking and more of the tracking of sort of like what I would call strategic goals over time. There's a KPI development that dashboards evolve etc. Pyramid and it are harder to like wrap my head around like what do we at the board level needs to be paying attention to right so I see the activities and I do this not criticism,
but more. I don't
know highs board member can assess are we heading in the right direction in these two departments in particular and it's so unique to your work little like HR to like what is the appropriate level? So I guess I would like to prep revisit this and ask from an IT perspective at a board level. I mostly think about it as risk like risk mitigation. So how are we as a board assessing organizational risk in our IT infrastructure? Right, you know, other boards I'm on like we see like penetration reports. We're going to test so many things over. I realize you got other like maintenance stuff that has to be done. So we're not at that point, but I think I'm asking probably you and Irene and Sandra to think about how you would come back to us in the new year and say this is how we want you to think about it, and how we can assess how we as board members can assess if we're heading in the same direction. I think I'm asking the same question of you right like seeing the list of procurements and things that we're doing. It doesn't give me a lot of context and I think on procurement again, this is not an individual criticism to you. When I see like one bid to bid one bid to bid that is very concerning to me and we may be able to do nothing about that. But in the world enough to know. Generally speaking, particularly in the real estate side, we overpay for stuff because we are not getting enough bids just generally. You can tell me I'm wrong about that. But I think we are overpaying for things for like the pleasure of doing business with us. So there's not enough competitive environment and it's hard for me to know, is it a systems thing? Is it an outreach thing? Is it an external environment? There's so much work to be done and they know what to do with thing are we bundling packages too much? I don't I just don't know. But I want to make sure that we are doing because our resources are so tight. I want you to be able to tell us this is how we are making sure that we are stewarding our very scarce resources as efficiently as we possibly can. And these are the steps that we're taking either to go down that path or to ensure that we stay on it. And here is how as a board, we want you to watch that to evaluate that. And you know, again, these are two areas that are outside of my area of expertise, but I'm uncomfortable with my ability as a board member to know if we're on the right path.
So just to give some context. So I found that your knowledge base is actually very, very, very, very, very helpful. So up until the pandemic for four years starting in 2015 when we got reconstituted for about four years. We've been cast Cassidy say as a board are you paying so much for refrigerators? And so in Oak Ridge over that pressure made people go hey, you can't send me these crap. Bins anyway. And so the pricing merged, can watch it go lower and lower and lower until it was something where and when it was high, they could explain. Well, so this happened because it's not just a refrigerator. It's actually it's in a funny place as little COVID apartment they have to care about this. They have to do all this work. And they get the villages went up as the pressure would. And then at the pandemic, it is like pandemic, you know, we just pay whatever people tell us to pay and so, so we are getting that widely and that's causing that discomfort, but your dollars based is is accurate. Like if someone's putting up a light into a parking lot, then they can charge what they charge you to put it into a parking lot. They just tend not to and so the the the focus on on the cost, the recruitment of new contracts is reaching out to more people, finding out why people aren't bidding and delving into that and seeing if it's what parts are on us. It's just a diligence thing. And when the diligence was there, the results were different.
It was just mentioned got this family tree or as Mr. Watson just said we've got outside vendors that work for us, we don't have the same level of like penetration into their cost structure. So maybe if I had a magic wand, I'd have the five benchmark I was like wishes from across the country. And I'd look at like what are they spending and stuff that we're spending, there's local cost differences, etc. But I just I've seen really good progress in a lot of these departments. And it's not again, it's not a knock on yours because your work is different but I I need something I need something because like particularly procurement, you guys are like a front line of cost containment for us. Right like like we it is a million little paper cuts that like bleed properties of office, etc. And I just need to be comfortable. I need some way to gauge whether or not are we on the right path? Or if we're not, if we are now how are we heading that way or staying on it? And I think I just these committee reports seem underdeveloped to me. I don't think you can boil the ocean you can't do everything at once. But I do in 24. I'm going to focus a lot more on those two.
And as ageing of people. We are making a lot of changes to the report format. December you may see some changes but moving forward January two different people more like API tactical for just one thing. We see a lot of chat MPJ I cannot put all the information in the code if you want we can do a closed session and we can share everything. What we see on a daily basis.
Yes, I don't want to be swamped by the I want like I think it is for a board level. It's a risk assessor. Yeah. So so if you want to tell me it's more than that great. I don't want to be swamped with information. I just want to know what you think I need to pay attention. How do we evaluate and typically, that's why I'm bringing it up now. So a couple months to think about it. We can like brainstorm together. I don't expect it to be perfect the first time you roll it out. But I do want to feel like I've got my arms around those to better it
that's definitely going to happen. Because like now we have the five year plan we have the FDA department is performance goals that we are meeting every month we do something to meet those goals so that we're starting to put in the process
that will say yes, not chairman. We are seeing a lot of standalone appeals which are paying out a lot of money, that the services are not accepting contract. So my goal is to get our services under contract. So the worst thing less than less kills and we have gained so much money to the to these contractors that are not under contract.
So that that'd be an amazing example. I'd like our vendor mix who's on Pio who's on contract revenue? What's our threshold for that? Because we know sometimes it's gonna make more sensitive contract, but like I want to be able to understand as a board member, why why are we doing right like, is it administrative efficiency? Is it really because we're understaffed? it because people don't want to do the bid stuff but they'll do direct company? I don't know. But like that's the kind of thing I just don't think we have right now in it in procurement.
I get sad to hear from Doc today. I'm not expecting it overnight. Raise it now. It's you got time to think about it. I've been chatting today sorry.
Alright, so read the services
so Are you online
I'm sorry, I just I don't know. I assumed that this is a standalone and there's nothing new to add.
Alright. It's gonna report really sorry, I don't have anything I did connect with Danis Do you guys have to wait on them to schedule on me have not heard eras. Say that. It was like, so like they got right, like goal progress over time, right. Like it's helpful to have grant promos. Because then you got benchmarks and we're trying to hit but like, you know, it's unique to your domain. But this is very, very helpful because a lot of context. It's really good. Thank you. Thank
you. Alright, next we have general public comments. So, there's an opportunity for public comment on matters unrelated to agenda action items. Comment is limited to three minutes for individuals and five minutes for group representatives. The short speakers are here to the time the timekeeper give a one minute warning, personal a three minute kind of period and a two minute warning for persons with a five minute kind of period. This warning will be by means of a tell in the Speaker's time is up. Timekeeper will just connect the call. So we have been I have the signup process because of the phone line. So everyone today is just a matter of raising hand and you were here in person, but everyone online raising your hand virtually via zoom, and then you'll be chosen in order to turn your hand went up. And so a personal representative group must identify themselves and the group. When calling please know speakers may not pull their time or yield to another speaker. So we'll go in order of people who have raised their hand Do we have any any Thank you Elizabeth Cornell. Thank you. Hello. My
name is Melissa Coronel and I'm a resident of intendant, representative of the villages at Parkside and a community health worker for the friends of Parkside. I am providing these comments on behalf of Zachary row. The executive director of friends of Parkside home is at a conference and is unable to attend today. He sends his regards the Friends of parks I was started by residents or residents in 1991. I want to express my gratitude to all the parks I residents who attended today's commissioners meeting pure updates on what friends of Parkside has accomplished since the last BAC commissioners meeting. Due to a small grant from stilettos and United Way FLP was able to restart his monthly and emergency food distribution. Continue to host our weekly Tuesday. Bingo game for singers from 145 hold our monthly parks I can really hold our annual park site How will we harvest this back to school school supplies event FLP created haunted hallway and the parents and children loved it started a new committee tech worker training session in partnership with U of M School of Information on various research topics, including the Parkside India burden and the CUNY tech workers initiatives. Our next cohort starts today kick off our annual dear Santa's helpers project. We have helped more than 53 children to fill out their Christmas wish list I mean, which led them to center. We hope that the AC commissioners and staff can adopt a child this year or make a donation in closing. I would like to thank the city commissioners and staff for all that you do to support and uplift with housing residents, including the residents and motions of Parkside bryndza Parkside could not do it without your support. Thank you
very much. Yeah.
Thank you, notes and Commissioner comments, staff comments and staff comments and then 404
