1 STATE OF NEW JERSEY SECAUCUS HOUSING AUTHORITY 700 COUNTY ROAD SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY April 25, 2013 This is a condensed transcription of the taped minutes as taken on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Kroll Heights, 700 County Road, Secaucus, New Jersey. Chairman Michael Harper welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order. Executive Director Christopher Marra called the roll. ROLL CALL Present: Chairman Michael Harper Vice-Chairman Michael Schlemm Commissioner Nicholas Costantino Commissioner Rachel Andre-Tomlison Commissioner Arleen Kroll Commissioner Frances Jodice Also Present: Absent: Executive Director Christopher Marra Deputy Executive Director Jake Naszimento Mayor s Liaison Kenny Koch James Burke, Esq., Counsel to the Authority Commissioner Michael Grecco OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT Adequate notice of this meeting, as required by the Open Public Meetings Act, has been provided by the filing of a Regular Meeting Notice with the Municipal Clerk, the posting of said notice on the official bulletin board in the Municipal Government center, and delivery of same to the Jersey Journal and Secaucus Home News on December 20, 2012. This body wishes to advise you that, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 26:3D(1), et seq. (Smoking in Public Buildings), smoking is prohibited while this body is in open or closed session.
2 FLAG SALUTE At this point in the proceeding, everyone recited the Pledge of Allegiance, which was led by Deputy Director Jake Naszimento. ANNUAL REORGANIZATION MEETING Motion to reschedule annual reorganization made by Commissioner Kroll; seconded by Commissioner Schlemm. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MARCH 28, 2013 Motion to approve made by Commissioner Costantino; seconded by Commissioner Schlemm. PAYMENT OF CLAIMS FOR MONTH OF APRIL Motion to approve payment of claims for month of April made by Commissioner Jodice; seconded by Commissioner Kroll. COMMITTEE REPORTS Finance Committee There are three resolutions for this evening s approval as outlined by Executive Director Marra. #2013-16- APPROVAL OF CASH MANAGEMENT PLAN There were no questions or comments regarding this resolution. Motion to approve made by Commissioner Costantino; seconded by Commissioner Jodice.
3 #2013-17 INDEMNIFICATION FOR CIVIL ACTIONS There were no questions or comments regarding this resolution. Motion to approve made by Commissioner Costantino; seconded by Vice-Chairman Schlemm. #2013-18 INDEMNIFICATION FOR CRIMINAL ACTIONS Motion to approve made by Vice-Chairman Schlemm; seconded by Commissioner Jodice. BUILDINGS & GROUNDS Executive Director Marra informed the residents here in Kroll Heights that at March s meeting a resolution was passed awarding an architectural contract to put a new roof onto Kroll Heights. It is anticipated that by the June meeting, the contract will be awarded to a construction company. ED Marra anticipates that by early or mid-august, a company will be putting a new roof on Kroll Heights. He believes the roof has only been replaced once in the past 20-years. #2013-19 AWARD OF CONTRACT FOR PHYSICAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT To TSG SOLUTIONS FOR $26,000 ED Marra said this is the award for a physical security assessment. All of the Commissioners were provided with a memo outlining this. A RFP was issued in March for a company to do a physical security assessment. In short, all three buildings are monitored by cameras, which haven t been upgraded since approximately 1999-2000. Some are prior to those years. Other physical safety issues will be addressed and recommendations will be made. There will be new, and possibly, more cameras in the three buildings. This company is helping to write a plan for surveillance technology. Then the SHA will go out to bid for a company that will install that technology. ED Marra is recommending TSG Solutions, Inc., who will help SHA all the way through the implementation of that work. Chairman Harper mentioned how much technology has improved since 1999-2000. It will be a much updated system, and enable the office to keep the surveillance tapes for a much longer time.
4 HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (HCV) PROGRAM Deputy ED Naszimento reported there were 212 active vouchers under lease and $174,661 was spent in April 2013. This is about a $1,000 decrease from last month, due in part to the Secaucus Housing Authority not issuing any new vouchers to applicants as well as some existing families moving to X-Change through the Affordable Housing Program. $824 was the average spent on any given unit; 79 percent of SHA landlords receive direct deposit. As mentioned at last month s meeting and due to the recent Federal Sequestration cuts, the SHA has discontinued issuing new vouchers to applicant families, and SHA is in the process of leasing up the final few families who were issued vouchers prior to the sequestration. After that, none shall be issued in the foreseeable future. TENANT SERVICES ED Marra said they were unable to obtain the RITKH Tenant Association financial reports for March; however, Mayor s Liaison Kenny Koch has a few things he d like to talk about. Kenny talked about the telemarketers and their phone calls. Mr. Marra downloaded an article that states once you sign up for NO CALL, you are forever signed up. If anyone tells you, you have to reapply, don t. If you need the telephone number to apply, see Kenny. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR S REPORT & UNFINISHED BUSINESS Mr. Marra said the activities going on Kroll were already discussed, the new surveillance technology and SHA is still negotiating its Energy Performance Contract. One project being worked on that is not within the EPC any more, is new washers and gas dryers at Kroll Heights. Hopefully, they ll be installed by June 1 st. ED Marra is reaching out to the Town Plumber for assistance. If he is not available, then the contract plumber will run the connection. ED Marra has received three quotes for the washers/dryers. Last week, Mr. Marra went to a conference in Atlantic City, which is the New Jersey Chapter of National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials. He would like to remind residents and sometimes even Commissioners, who all think as SHA is a little bubble and nothing really bad is ever going to happen to us. It s been pretty good for 35 years, but SHA is part of the bigger scheme HUD. HUD is under siege in terms of funding and their funding is being cut dramatically. Jake showed ED Marra today that HUD is closing one of its field offices in Camden, NJ, which means that New Jersey will have one field office in Newark. Newark employees are being furloughed one day a month for the next seven months. The SHA funding will be reduced through the end of the fiscal
5 year which is September 30 th. Because under Mr. Snyder s tenure, SHA was wellmaintained and in pretty good finance condition, the SHA has somewhat of a reserve, so the Public Housing Program of the SHA should not be impacted. Going forward all housing authorities will be impacted and seeking ways to continue to provide high level of services. In general, public housing does not have a good reputation and the SHA falls under that dome. Mr. Marra extolled residents to pay attention to the word sequestration because as a resident, that impacts you. Mr. Marra stated that when he was in Atlantic City at the conference, many HA commissioners and directors discussed the idea of a March on Washington for public housing residents so that our nation s leaders would understand the importance of this type of housing. OLD/NEW BUSINESS nothing at this time REMARKS OF CITIZENS PEGGY wanted the Commissioners and Mr. Marra to know Kroll Heights is lovely and very clean. NEWSPAPER REPORTER asked with the budget that was just passed, how will this affect a resident in SHA? Mr. Marra answered the Public Housing Program right now should not feel a negative impact for the fiscal year which just began and ends on March 31, 2014. For the voucher program, there was a different story. Although there is enough money to fund the people who have a voucher, there s no additional funds (even if someone comes off the program) to put a new person on the program. Mr. Marra reiterated for the fiscal year that just began in the SHA is okay, otherwise projects like the roof, new washers/dryers and the physical security assessment would be further deferred. GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION #2013-20 AUTHORIZING EXECUTIVE SESSION Chairman Harper asked for a motion under Resolution #2013-20, which authorizes Executive Session (which contains nine reasons to go into closed session). Mr. Harper cited: #5 Any matter involving the purchase, lease or acquisition of real property with public funds, the setting of bank rates or investment of public funds where it can adversely affect the public interest if discussion of such matters was disclosed. #4 Any collective bargaining or terms or conditions which are proposed for inclusion in any collective bargaining agreement including negotiations of terms and conditions with the employees or representative of public employees of a public body.
6 Motion made by Commissioner Costantino; seconded by Vice-Chairman Schlemm. ADJOURNMENT TO CLOSED SESSION TOOK PLACE AT 7:20 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Deborah L. Alvarez, Transcriber