HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 10/19/2022October 19, 2022, SoBu Affordable Housing Committee Minutes – APPROVED Page 1
Approved on November 16, 2022 AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE October 19, 2022, 6:00 p.m., meeting held online and at City Hall Members attending: Janet Bellavance, Vince Bolduc, Sandy Dooley, Tom Getz, Ariel Jensen-Vargas, Darrilyn
Peters, John Simson, and Chris Trombly; members absent: Leslie Black-Plumeau and Emily Holt-Gosselin; also present: Jessie Baker, City Manager; and Larry Kupferman, Housing Trust Fund Committee chair. City Councilor (and CC liaison to committee) Meaghan Emery sent regrets.
AGENDA 1. Call to order, approve minutes from 9/21/22 AHC meeting, approve agenda, announcements, public comment 2. City Manager Update 3. Discussion and possible action for City Council request for Committee feedback on ARPA funding 4. Adjourn 1. Call to order, approve minutes from 9/21/22 AHC meeting, approve agenda, announcements, public comment Call to order: Chris called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Approve minutes: Darrilyn moved and John seconded motion that 9/21/22 meeting minutes be approved as drafted. Motion approved: 7-0-1 (Sandy abstained—did not attend meeting). Approve agenda: Vince moved and Ariel seconded motion to approve proposed agenda. Approved: 8-0-0. Announcements: Members encouraged to register for Housing Conference on 11/16. Financial support is available for registration fee. Several members plan to attend. Vince recommended book, Fixer-Upper by Jenny
Schuetz and believes it would be good focus of a discussion group. The Other Paper has invited South Burlington City Committees to submit articles using the “Clean & Green” theme. Chris, Janet, John, Vince, Ariel, and Sandy indicated interest in writing an article. Ariel and Sandy will collaborate on an article focused on sound
pollution. The subject of Vince’s article will be the book, Fixer-Upper. Other members interested in preparing an article should contact Chris. Public Comments: none
2. City Manager Update: City Council (CC) adopted Climate Action Plan, at 10/17 meeting discussed proposed School Impact Fees (perpetually affordable housing units will be exempted); at same meeting tabled updating fee ordinances (proposed change would change when fees are due); if adopted could be retroactive. Approval of TIF and WWT Bonds is on 11/8/22 ballot. Jessie attended VLCT’s Town Fair and VT Managers Conference; much discussion at these events of housing crisis and the history of local communities functioning as impediment to building affordable housing. Janet raised subject of need for committee to monitor what is happening in legislature vis-à-vis affordable housing. John stated view that Leslie is best person to do this for us. Members agreed. 3. Discussion and possible action for City Council request for Committee feedback on ARPA funding: City Council (CC) still has $3 million in ARPA $ to allocate. Their preference is projects/initiatives that are big and transformative. It was noted that community survey results gave highest priority to investing in child care. CC also wants input from committees. CC will consider proposals at 11/30/22 meeting. Larry reported that Cindy Reid of
Cathedral Square informed him that they have withdrawn their application for ARPA funds for the Gazebo property because they will not be able to meet the ARPA time requirements.
Though it engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of possible proposals, the committee took no action on this agenda item at the meeting. Proposals appearing to receive significant support from members included:
Funding an in-depth housing needs assessment (support remains strong for this proposal) Issuing RFP re how to invest $1 million in child care Investing in sound mitigation (ideas included sound walls and tree planting) Investing in weatherization (also helps with sound mitigation) (question: is $ for weatherization needed) Other ideas/comments shared: investing in infrastructure to improve bike/ped safety; increasing availability of support services for formerly homeless individuals and households, development at 112 Garden Street recently received approval to amend permit to include a child care center; due to higher interest rates, rehab of existing
October 19, 2022, SoBu Affordable Housing Committee Minutes – APPROVED Page 2
structures may replace construction of new housing; need more sidewalks; better access to transit; caution against making proposals to use funds for upgrades/projects we should be doing as regular programing; acquiring staff for child care centers bigger challenge than need for facilities. Homework for next meeting: come with specific proposal/s to send to CC for investing ARPA $. Jessie: RFPs only as powerful as the questions that are asked; CC needs tangible recommendations.
Informal roundtable discussion on committee work groups: Climate action – completed. Short-term rentals – staff is leaning toward ordinance approach instead of LDRs; barrier – implementation will
require additional staff; same would apply to rental registry. Jessie – will recommend against developing and adopting ordinance without staff to support it. Rental issues – group has been meeting biweekly; topics include just cause eviction, more tenant protections, low vacancy rate and its consequences, quality of life issues. Have discussed inviting Jess Hyman of CVOEO to work group meeting. Redevelopment – inventory of properties, examining zoning map, meeting with Tom re ways in which DRB process adds costs to development. 4. Adjourn: (8:03 p.m.) By mutual consent of members present (seven were present), meeting was adjourned.