ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION
 October 26, 2011
 
 
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Regina Ayars called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. at the Council Chambers located at 1175 East Main St. Ashland, OR  97520.
 
 

Commissioners Present:	Council Liaison
Regina Ayars	Mike Morris, absent
Ben Scott
Barb Barasa	Staff Present:
Richard Billin	Linda Reid, Housing Specialist
James Dills	Carolyn Schwendener, Admin Clerk
Commissioners Absent:

 
 
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Billin/Scott m/s to approve the minutes of the September 28, 2011 regular Housing Commission meeting. Voice Vote:  All Ayes, minutes were approved as presented. 
 
PUBLIC FORUM
No one spoke
 
EDUCATION PROGRAM PROPOSAL FOR RVTV
Dills and Barasa met to discuss the education program proposal for RVTV.
 
The first introductory segment of the program would introduce characters and explain who the Housing Commission is and who they serve.  Hopefully it would be entertaining enough to draw the audience in. 
 
Suggested issues and highlights for the program;

• Continuous segment on an appeal to support the Housing Trust Fund
• Educational program
• Current issues including interviews with developers, politicians, individuals sharing their experiences
• Footage of affordable housing 
• Politics of housing pros and cons,
• Manufactured housing, co-housing, SOU student housing, work force housing
• Teen homelessness
• More detail regarding the Housing Trust Fund
• Talk to police, fire fighters, teachers, faculty
• Plight of young families in the community, school closures
• Highlight certain organizations that are part of the Housing Commission’s mission for workforce housing
• Talk with organizations such as the Salvation Army, Access, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Authority of Jackson County
• Small footprint savings, current housing issues

 
The next step is to write out a pilot with a narrative.  Dills currently has video cameras, microphones and a light kit reserved at RVTV. He is hoping to get some stock footage of affordable housing in town that could be used for the program. The show will be approximately twenty to thirty minutes long.  Dills explained the process used to apply at RVTV for a time slot. Reid said that the City pays for a certain amount of RVTV slots but do not necessarily use all those slots.  Reid will check and see if there are any unused slots. January is the target month to begin the show.
 
The commissioners all agreed that this RVTV program is a wonderful idea and are very excited to see it happen. 
 
MANUFACTURED HOUSING PRESERVATION PROJECTS LETTER
Barasa volunteered to put a letter together for the City Council that would urge them to put something in the Consolidated Plan to address the preservation of manufactured home parks.  Barasa distributed her draft letter for the Commission’s review. She explained in her letter why the Housing Commission cares about manufactured Housing and why they are a good thing trying to rid the preconceptions. Manufactured home parks are not tracked in the City’s inventory as affordable because they are owned not rented.  There are approximately 182 homes located in three Manufactured Parks within the City of Ashland.
 
Reid explained that the Five Year Consolidated Plan is the document that governs the use of the city’s CDBG funds.  If we want to change goals during the five years, it’s a minor amendment and needs to be legally noticed.    Amendment goes to HUD for their approval.
 
Reid will reformat and edit the letter changing it into a memo and adding a potential motion to forward to the Council.
 
RETREAT DISCUSSION
After a discussion the Commissioners agreed on the following agenda items.

• RVTV project education
• Recruitment Discussion
• Review last year’s goals set goals for 2012
• Review and update he Housing Work Plan (update the housing element of the comprehensive plan)

 
The retreat will be on Saturday December 17^th at the Parks Department located at 340 Pioneer Street from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  There will be no regular commission meeting in November.
 
Ayars will be attending the City Council meeting on December 16^th.  At that meeting the Council will be discussing the new allotted member count for the Commission.   The Commission is requesting to lower the member
 
Ayars said that the Mayor has received an application and interviewed Brett Ainsworth who is interested in joining the Housing Commission. Ayars has arranged to meet with Mr. Ainsworth to introduce him to the Commission. The Commission would like to see him appointed before the retreat so he can attend. Reid will check with administration for Scott regarding his reappointment.  
 
UPDATE ON PRESERVATION UNITS
Reid distributed an updated housing list of expiring Use Units.  These units are tracked because they are endangered.  The City provides resources and options for funding; Community Development Block Grant funds, Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Conservation Department rebates.  There are State and Federal loan programs and incentives to retain them as affordable.  The Federal financing options are the department of Rural Development (RD) and The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
 
CO-HOUSING PRESENTATION
Ayars attended the Co-Housing presentation commenting that it was well attended with a great amount of interest. She discovered that there is already a group of seniors in town that are prepared to purchase in a Co-housing Development if and when one materializes.  Chuck Durrant, who lives in an inter-generational Co-Housing project was a great speaker, said Ayars.
 
LIAISON REPORTS DISCUSSION
Reid reported that the Homeless Task Force just finished up the Continuum of Care grant application process that funds homeless services countywide.
 
In the past the Housing Commission has worked with the Housing Specialist to put together a work plan.  Currently the City is undertaking to update a Housing Needs Analysis which will incorporate both rental and ownership properties. As part of that we looked at the housing work plan that was put together in 2005 said Reid.  Most of those items have been completed.  The Commissioners agreed the retreat would be a good time to go over the Housing work plan and see what is left and what they still need to accomplish.  Reid would like to add to the list looking at updating the housing element of the Comprehensive Plan. 
 
Reid informed the Commission that an intern by the name of Brian Cole is working on his capstone in the Geography and Planning Department and will be working on the Housing Needs Analysis for the City. Reid has invited Mr. Cole to attend the Commission meetings and welcome his involvement. Cole specifically will focus on developing a survey to send out to the rental property owners for the purpose of getting information on bedroom size, unit costs and rates. Hopefully he will be able to develop a spreadsheet including a call list to get a better handle on the unit size and bedroom configuration within the city and how the demand is changing.  Adam Hanks, Economic Developer with the City, has created a list of property management companies as well as property owners. Landlords who have six units or more register in the community but it will be difficult to track the smaller ones. In 2000 SOU Professor Pat Acklin’s class went door to door creating list and map showing the units.
 
Dills reported that he along with several other people have tried to get in touch with Jordan Espinoza with no success.  Dills is working on ideas on how to recruit a new person for the SOU Liaison position.  Amanda Stuck ASSOU Vice President will include information about the Liaison position with her list of student involvement activities.   
 
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
Homeless Task Force Meeting-November 15, 2011:  10:30-12:00 Housing Authority Conference Room 2231, Table Rock Road, Medford
 
Next Housing Commission Regular Meeting
January 25, 2012
 
ADJOURNMENT - The meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.