Community Housing Council

Meeting Minutes

Meeting Room A

August 6, 2007

4:00 p.m.

 

 

Members Present:         A.J. Alon, Elaine Anderson, Catherine Brouillet,

Joe Carleo, William Dougal, and Molly Perdue.

         

Members absent:          none

 

Staff:                    Sharon Lynn and Maxine Notaro

 

Others:                 Mark Birnbaum & Acting Police Chief Warren Tobias

 

The meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m.

 

Meeting Agenda

 

Minutes of the July 30th meeting.

Motion:  Accept the minutes of the July 30th meeting as amended.

Motion:  Cathy Brouillet               Seconded:  Molly Perdue Vote:  5-0-1 ab (EA)

 

Housing Needs discussion

Acting Police Chief Tobias when asked about his department’s housing needs said it is a two-fold issue.  Whether he’s hiring full time and/or summer employees, housing is an issue.  “We’ve been lucky with having Mark Peter’s former house in Truro that was included in the purchase of water rights property.  This has been used as a rental for the summer patrolmen but will soon be razed.”  Typically - in the past – the summer officers have gotten together and have rented a house.  This is the 3rd summer for the Mark Peter’s house.  Five patrolmen are in the house in Truro and the other five are in a private rental.  The rental cost is $100/week and the men are making between $400 – $500/week.  They start training the middle of May and generally they’re gone by the end of August – latest September 15th – so summer housing is a real need.  Nantucket provides free housing for their summer patrolmen but because they are an isolated community – it’s almost necessary. 

 

Overall, Chief Tobias said, “Housing is the main issue in not being able to recruit and/or retain either full-time or part-time officers.”  Overtime that his men receive is not a given and cannot be used as criteria for a loan.  “Year round housing is a desperate need.”  Currently there are 4 openings for a full-time position and two officers are injured so they are down 6 men.  Warren T. said that recruitment and retention are his main problems.

 

A.J. suggested that some of these men should start signing up for the Sandy Hill Lane proposal since it will be completed long before the Shankpainter Road project.

 

Fire Department Report

The Fire Department was asked for a report on their needs; it was sent in by Warren Alexander, the Deputy Fire Chief.  The report was difficult to quantify because it was vague.  The CHC would like more specifics in any report, i.e., incomes, occupations, along with housing needs.  This is a difficult report to compile since the fire depart­ment is comprised of volunteers encompassing a myriad of jobs.  Some are contractors, some are Town laborers, and the group runs the gamut of employments and incomes. 

 

Local Preference

Bill Dougal said local preference should be used for essential Town employees, i.e.,  safety, health, education, etc.  Bill D. also felt that we should have a block of units reserved for Town employees.  We’re got to find a way to make it work  – we want to keep this as an ongoing dialogue.

 

Sharon Lynn, the Town Manager, said that her observations are vivid; there’s a division in the police department and the fire department and she thinks by providing opportunities for housing,  the officers would come together more.  They come here and put in 8 hours and then go home - wherever they go.  Fulfilling community housing needs for them would promote camaraderie within the ranks. 

 

Falmouth has a stellar example of housing but was turned down by Provincetown about 3 years ago.  Falmouth is a great model and is a community based model which has a commercial and residential mix.  It may be looked at once again.

 

MoJo’s Inquiry

Mark Birnbaum, the owner of MoJo’s, is redoing his entire building located at 281 Commercial Street.  His design plan has been approved complete with dormers and he wants to see if he can apply for money to house seasonal employees?  There is no category currently to allow help for this and he wants to develop the property.   Maxine Notaro had suggested he come to the meeting to ask his question.  It will be taken under advisement.

 

Cathy Reno said that we have to think about the workers for all seasonal businesses – she usually has 8 employees but now she’s lucky to get 4. 

 

Shankpainter Project

A.J. Alon said that the Town made the promise to buy the Shankpainter land for affordable housing.  We are picking up where the Local Housing Partnership (LHP) left off !

 

Bill Dougal then got a large easel and drew a circle (or a bulls eye on it).  He explained that there are 3 groups that have to keep the Town running – the first group are basically full time positions that we’ve discussed before, i.e., teachers, police, fire, healthcare, etc. – they need housing – he wants to know how many people come from these three groups.  Next ring – people more in the seasonal service industry – 9-12 mos/yr – they need full time housing and then the 3rd ring – 3 mos seasonal help.  “Break it down by income levels – just building lists doesn’t work!”   Molly P. said that the way you’re going to get more housing is to dedicate more housing to essential workers. 

 

PCHC appointee to the Community Preservation Committee

Elaine said she’d like to be the appointee to the CPC Committee representing the CHC.  It was agreed.  She will make that happen the following night at the ConCom meeting since she had represented that group but will gladly step down from representing ConCom in favor of representing the CHC.

Motion:  Appoint Elaine Anderson to be the CHC representative to the CPC Committee.

Motion:  A.J. Alon                  Seconded:  Bill Dougal      Vote:  6-0-0.

 

Future Plans...............

Joe Carleo said he will volunteer to research the Falmouth complex – a subject previously mentioned under Local Preference.   Joe also wants to research dormitory housing, etc.  These may be some opportunities that might happen on a faster track.  He will just do research and then will report back to the group.

 

Ted Malone said at an earlier meeting that he could provide numbers of people and their housing needs - but not names.  Elaine Anderson said that if we all agree – why are we beating this to death?   Joe Carleo said he would like to get to the place where we’re actually doing something!  Elaine A. would like to hear from the schools and the healthcare campus groups about their projected needs.  Bill thinks this level of discussion is absolutely critical.  The issues we are discussing are the issues that are important.  They are core issues and we have to sort through them.  “We have to decide who the Shankpainter project is going to accommodate!” 

 

Sharon Lynn’s Updates:

The closing for Shankpainter will take place on Wednesday, August 8th, and then there will probably be more preliminary studies.  Elaine A. said that there was some talk about allowing the developer to be the recipient of the grant.

 

The property at 951R Commercial Street will be coming up and we have to consult with the Provincetown Housing Authority (PHA) and then back to the BoS before anything really happens.

 

Discussion on 5 key goals of the PCHC and the new Housing Office

This discussion will be moved to the next meeting agenda on August 20th.

 

Public Statements

There were none.

 

Other Business

Bill Dougal requested a copy of the agreement the Town made with Chuck Silva regarding the Laundromat and the affordable housing agreement component of it.    

Sharon L. will provide a copy of this agreement at the next meeting.  Also Bill wants a full presentation of the Bissell Tennis property with particular focus on the community housing angle.  This subject was continued until the next meeting. 

 

A separate account to be put into the affordable housing trust fund and the land bank is being established.  Also a mechanism is in place to provide gifting for CPA funds. 

 

Sharon L announced that the CHC will be on the BoS agenda for Monday, September 10th. 

 

Bill D. had a much voiced question about the capacity of the sewer and wants to ascertain that 40k gallons have been set aside for future affordable housing.

 

Elaine A. requested that the group consistently use the term “community housing” rather than “affordable housing.”  It has been her experience that the term “affordable housing” tends to ignite many people.

 

Sharon L. said that she had heard 40 units were planned for Shankpainter but as yet she has not seen a plan.

 

Bill D. wants to know how many excess gallons we have for the surplus pool.  Maxine said that the surplus pool comes from downsizing; Bill D. thought that we don’t have any more capacity than what is in the by-law.   Sharon L. will supply the information. 

 

Polly Hemstock

Sharon told the group that Polly Hemstock has been recommended to fulfill the requirements that are set forth for the TAP grant.  It’s due in September and Sharon L.  just wanted to get the CHC feedback on this.  Everyone was enthusiastic.  A few had reservations since the original thought was to have an informational brochure.

Motion:  Support Polly Hemstock for work on the TAP grant.

Motion:  Elaine Anderson       Seconded:  Molly Perdue       Vote:  6-0-0.

 

Bill Dougal wants the schools and the healthcare campus people invited for the August 27th meeting.

 

Community Housing Expert

Bill Dougal said he would like the group to review all the applications initially.  And then, he thought, the group could whittle the applicants down to a short list which would then be given to the Town Manager.

 

Adjournment happened 6:00  p.m.

               

Respectfully submitted,

E. Rogers Gaudiano

 

Approved by _____________________________ on ____________, 2007.

                   Joe Carleo,  Chair