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Home My Public Portal AboutAffordable Housing Trust -- 2019-12-09 Minutes BREWS T ER III Ifi CLERK Brewster Housing Trust , O FES 1 .! G , , 1 December 9 , 2019 5 : OOpm Room B, Brewster Town Hall Present : Ben deRuyter, Paul Ruchinskas, Donna Kalinick, Tim Hackert, Maggie Spade -Aguilar, Jill Scalise Absent : Sarah Robinson , Madalyn Hillis- Dineen Citizen Present : Bill Henchy 1 . Call to Order : Chair deRuyter called the meeting to order at 5 : 03pm . 2 . Citizen's Forum - None 3 . Financial Report : Ms . Kalinick said the balance when the report was run was $ 282 , 042 . 87 ; we had two expenditures since then , $ 4, 500 for Barrett Planning and $ 84 . 00 in legal expenditures one from CPC and the legal expense from free cash . The current balance as of today is $ 277 , 458 . 87 . Trust members liked the inclusion of the accounting spreadsheet . 4 . Millstone Property follow-up on Community Engagement Meetings, Visual Preference Survey, discussion about guidance for Bohler Engineering's pre -feasibility conceptual sketch plans . Third Community Engagement Session scheduled for Tuesday March 3rd at 6pm : Ms . Scalise led the discussion . We need to keep 4 things in mind when creating guidance : our needs as outlined in the Housing Production Plan , the physical challenges of the property, Community Feedback, and Financial Feasibility . The timeline is that we have this meeting and next to provide guidance to Bohler by early February . Ms . Scalise passed around an example of conceptual sketches that MHP provided . They are very simple concept plans and we will get three . A more detailed plan with parking etc , would be as guidance towards an RFP . Ms . Scalise sent the Trust a lot of material to help inform this discussion : the Bohler report, MHP ' s 12 steps to an RFP ; we are at step 1 - determine goals; the two community summaries, plus interview feedback . Mr . Hackert had worked up some guidelines including, not more than 2 stories, max and minimum bedrooms, most density on the northern side , buffers, sidewalks, show adjoining properties; visual renderings should follow survey and be as harmonious as possible . Ms . Scalise said we had 188 responses to the survey, but we don ' t have the survey results yet and we cannot give them the exact number of bedroom types . Chair deRuyter asked how do we best marry goals and needs and community feedback in order to guide Bohler . Everyone agrees the northern section can support more density . Mr . Ruchinskas said rentals are a priority need in town and the only way to get LIHTC funding . 40 tends to be the minimum number and homeownership is very challenging to fund because there are no subsidies for home ownership . 8 or 9 buildings versus 1 or 2 buildings will be about 25 % more expensive to do . Ms . Spade -Aguilar asked if there is a 2 story maximum . There is a height limit in town , but 40B can ask for a waiver . There was a lot of concern about building height in the community feedback . Chair deRuyter asked if we want to do rental vs ownership or combo and what kind of density and where do we want to put this density . Mr . Hackert said the primary need is rental and we should do density that is feasible but doesn ' t overwhelm abutters based on what the minimum for economic feasability is . Mr . Ruchinskas said the minimum is 40 units . Ms . Spade -Aguilar said a lot of people wanted single family, can it be rental , Mr . Ruchinskas said it is more of a financial question ; it increases the total cost . Ms . Kalinick went over to the large map of the parcel and pointed out that we need to consider the challenges of the parcel, the cost to bring infrastructure down the panhandle portion and the topography and space constraints on that end . Bill Henchy, resident, said there is a fundamental tension between low story and open space . Do you consolidate density into one spot and have taller buildings, but more open space , There are inherent tensions with financial feasibility where you may end up with less landscaping, less pitched roofs If it is spread among too many buildings . He proposed a design in his lego activity with 2 big buildings and the rest all open space . Ms . Spade -Agullar felt that the abutters were amenable to single family along the southern portion . Ms . Scalise said we are able to have 3 conceptual sketches which is fortunate . Mr. Ruchinskas suggested that we have one sketch which leaves the southern portion empty . Mr . Hackert asked if it was economically feasible to sell a portion of the parcel . Ms . Kalinick said the entire parcel was dedicated for community housing . You can put in more local money to get higher incomes, but you cannot exceed 100% of the AMI , Ms . Scalise said we cannot identify exactly what the development will look at in the RFP ; you can ' t be too prescriptive . We will revisit this discussion at the next Trust meeting . Mr, Hackert will prepare written draft comments and will send them to Ms . Scalise , 5 . Housing Rehab Update : Mr. Ruchinskas and Ms . Kalinick had a conference call with legal counsel . We have to have a deed restriction . It is not like CDBG funds which have a specific purpose . The challenge is that if your home was worth 350K, you would have to sell it at 225/250 which doesn' t make sense . We can put in an option where the owner can sell it for an affordable price or pay back the loan in its entirety which would satisfy the anti -aid amendment issue . Mr. Ruchinskas explained that there is a section about improved capital improvements and home values in the HUD language . Town Counsel will revise their documents for us to consider at the next meeting, then we can move forward , 6 . Trust Funding Update & Potential Meeting with CPC 2/12/20 : Chair deRuyter said we will have a financial subcommittee meeting before the joint CPC meeting on 2/ 12 . The joint meeting with the CPC will be to discuss our relationship and future housing funding requests . We will try to keep it to a Yz hour. Ms . Kallnick has submitted the Housing Coordinator CPC application at 25 hours . 7 . Draft Trust General information ( pre -guidelines) Ms . Scalise said that the sub -group met and decided that we are not at the point where we need applications because we do not have a lot of funds , At this point, we would put out an RFP for particular program . Ms . Scalise has created a document that outlines the history of the Trust, 15t year accomplishments, goals, info about programs, like the buy down program and additional information in appendices, including a new table of trust priorities with programs and funding . Today, the new table was helpful for Capital Planning . Chair deRuyter said it was a great start and members should send comments or suggestions to Jill . Ms . Scalise noted that the Trust is flexible and willing to change based on what is happening and those attributes have served us well . 8 . Housing Coordinator Update ; Ms . Scalise gave a verbal update and will submit her written update soon . There are a few advanced trainings coming up that she will email to the Trust . Leila Botsford , Executive Director of the Housing Authority can attend the January meeting to discuss the rental voucher program that she runs for Mashpee . On January 7 �", there will be a post housing institute follow up for our housing team . She is trying to get information out about the SHI unit for sale on Yankee Drive . We did recently receive a letter from DHCD, letting us know that our SHI numbers have gone down slightly to 252 units or 5 . 45 % . This is primarily due to Brewster Woods being taken off because they don ' t have a building permit yet . Once they get a permit, they will be put back on . There are also some expired rehab units that do not have permanent restrictions . 9 . Any other business not anticipated : Ms . Kalinick said that the agenda item for future meetings was left off. The future meetings are January 2, February 6, Joint meeting with CPC February 12 at 4 ; 45pm and third Community Engagement meeting, Tuesday March 3rd . 10 . Approval of Minutes from November 7, 2019 ; Mr . Hackert moved to approve the minutes of November 7 , 2019, Mr . Ruchinskas second . The Trust voted unanimously in favor . 11 . Adjournment ; Mr . Hackert moved adjournment at 6 : 32 pm, Mr . Ruchinskas second . The Trust voted unanimously in favor. Respectfully Submitted , Donna J . Kalinick Assistant Town Administrator Approved January 2, 2020