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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - Affordable Housing Committee - 02/15/2023South Burlington Affordable Housing Committee Room #301 at 180 Market St South Burlington, VT 05403 AGENDA Participation Options In Person: Room #301 – 3rd Floor – 180 Market St Assistive Listening Service Devices Available upon request Electronically: https://meet.goto.com/SouthBurlingtonVT/affordable-housing-committee02-15- 2023 You can also dial in using your phone. United States: +1 (872) 240-3212 Access Code: 348-883-693 Wednesday February 15, 2023 6:00 PM 1.Call to order, approve agenda, announcements, public comment 2.*** Approve minutes from January 18, 2023 Affordable Housing Committee Meeting 3.City Manager Update 4.Fair Housing Month discussion and possible action •Workgroup assignment •City Council resolution recognizing April as fair housing month •Outreach efforts such as the Other Paper and City News •Book discussion group 5.Adjourn January 18, 2023, SoBu Affordable Housing Committee Minutes – DRAFT Page 1 Prepared on February 8, 2023 Next regular meeting: Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 6:00 p.m., City Hall or online AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE January 18, 2023, 6:00 p.m., meeting held online and at City Hall Members attending: Janet Bellavance, Leslie Black-Plumeau, Vince Bolduc, Sandy Dooley, Tom Getz, Emily Holt-Gosselin, Darrilyn Peters, John Simson, and Chris Trombly; member absent: Ariel Jensen-Vargas; also present: Jessie Baker, City Manager; City Councilor Meaghan Emery (CC liaison to AHC), and Ilona Blanchard, Community Development Director; public: Monica Ostby, SoBu resident, and Jessica Hyman, associate director of housing advocacy at CVOEO AGENDA 1. Call to order, approve agenda, announcements, public comment 2. Approve minutes from 12/21/22 AHC meeting 3. City Manager Update 4. Receive updates on the FY23 Policy Priorities and Strategies Workgroups 6. Adjourn 1. Call to order, approve agenda, announcements, public comment Call to order: Chris called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. (There was a delay in calling the meeting to order due to a technical issue. The folks who were attending online could not hear what the folks in City Hall were saying.) Approve agenda: Sandy moved and Vince seconded motion to approve the agenda as proposed. Approved: 9-0-0. Announcements: The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission will host an online-only meeting of housing-related groups and staff of Chittenden County municipalities on January 30, 2023, 6:00 p.m. Public Comments: Monica shared her proposal that the City and School District engage in a land swap of the Middle & High Schools campus and Veterans’ Memorial Park (VMP) so that the former can be redeveloped as affordable housing (high school building) and, perhaps, a recreation center (middle school building); and the latter can become the site of a new middle and high school (on land north of the Cairns arena). Monica will share this proposal with the Planning Commission on 1/24/23. Chris will send committee members the graphics Monica prepared in support of this proposal. Meaghan asked if there is sufficient land available at VMP for baseball diamonds and sports fields. Monica replied “yes.” Vince suggested that the Burlington and South Burlington School Districts develop a joint proposal to build a new high school to serve both communities. 2. Approve minutes from 12/21/22 AHC meeting: Sandy moved and Leslie seconded motion that 12/21/22 meeting minutes be approved as drafted with exception that “November 16” shall be deleted from line under AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE near top of page 1. Motion approved: 9-0-0. 3. City Manager Update: At its 1/17/23 meeting the City Council (CC) approved the FY23 budget (anticipated 2.5 cent tax increase) and two bond proposals (last TIF bond and one for south-end wastewater treatment facility) to go before the voters on Town Meeting Day. The special 1/23/23 CC meeting includes a public hearing and possible approval of the Education Impact Fee proposal to fund the acquisition of modular units for the Marcotte and Orchard elementary schools. The contracts between the City and CHT for investment of ARPA funds for affordable housing are with the respective lawyers and expected to be approved in February. Jessie and Chris met with the person (Joe Segali, retired from VTRANS)) who will facilitate the Comprehensive Plan-related public forums. The date of the Housing forum is 3/15/23. All committee members are expected to attend as observers. John Simpson encouraged members to stay up to date on what is happening in the legislature and mentioned Rep. Seth Bongartz’s bill (H.68) that proposes to eliminate single-family-only zoning. Vince suggested that we invite Rep. Emilie Krasnow to an AHC meeting. Darrilyn asked Jessie if the CC has decided how to invent the ARPA $ that have not yet been allocated. CC discussed this at their 1/3/23 meeting and decided to revisit this January 18, 2023, SoBu Affordable Housing Committee Minutes – DRAFT Page 2 task after Town Meeting Day (likely end of March or beginning of April). Meaghan indicated that these funds will probably be used to support Climate Action Plan activities/projects. 4. Receive updates on the FY23 Policy Priorities and Strategies Workgroups: (Secretary’s note: this was a bit of a stream of conscious discussion.) More discussion of Comp Plan public forum re housing. Facilitator has our input (what we sent Kelsey). All forums will take place in same room (Room 301). People can participate online, also. Committee members’ role is listeners. Responsible for preparing summary of what we heard from participants to send to Kelsey within two weeks of forum. John recommended that committee members recruit people to attend this forum. Vince: unhoused, who have greatest need, are unlikely to show up. Jessie will do “table setting.” Likely to talk about trends. Sandy asked Jessie if this will include the need for “transition planning” as SoBu moves from being a majority homeowner city to a majority renter city (especially renters in multifamily buildings) over time (Jessie had mentioned this trend at the 1/17/23 CC mtg). Jessie undecided on whether this subject will be included. Discussion then focused on protections for renters. Chris mentioned that BTV has a committee that arbitrates renters’ concerns regarding security deposits, timeliness and reasons (or lack thereof) for evictions, how landlords screen potential tenants, and other landlord-tenant matters. Lack of housing supply/low vacancy rate makes tenants unlikely to report problems to compliance officials. Jess Hyman related that it is tough to be a renter in this housing market. CVOEO has a statewide housing hotline—frequent caller problem is major increases in cost of rent. Jess advocated providing education for and outreach to renters. Most do not understand the eviction process. The proportion of no-cause evictions is increasing. CVOEO has prepared a Guide. Jessie shared that at its 1/17/23 meeting the CC discussed a rental registry in SoBu, including the possibility of regulating both short- and long-term rentals. A particular concern was health and safety. The CC asked staff to report to them on this subject after Town Meeting Day. Tom reiterated Jess Hyman’s message that education is key. He added that some landlords refuse to rent to households having Section 8 vouchers. Landlords can be choosy in this housing environment. Leslie identified the need to create a tool for the “affordable housing toolbox” that describes the eviction process. Many tenants do not know that they do not have to leave the rental unit right away and that not doing so does not affect your credit rating. April is Fair Housing Month; committee might ask CC to adopt a Fair Housing Month resolution for SoBu. Members were encouraged to advocate for a rental registry. Vince: without a rental a rental registry, how do you develop a list of rental properties? Leslie and Chris: it can be done using the Grand List but it is not easy. Janet: how can we promote private landlords who do a good job? It was noted that our goal of obtaining increased financial resources was met by the allocation of $1MM in ARPA funds to affordable housing. Redevelopment work group compiled inventory of parcels appropriate for redevelopment that would include housing (will share list with committee). OnLogic has considered building an apartment house in Technology Park for its employees. Plan is to meet with Paul Conner. With regard to housing for employees, the Planning Commission asked the Economic Development Committee to explore this and report back by 12/31/22 or 1/31/23. AHC would like to meet with owner of UMall. Jessie willing to invite them to an April or May AHC meeting. John mentioned that a few years back the committee discussed advocating for State law to be modified to allow SoBu to have more than one downtown center. It would be beneficial for housing and Act 250 process to have the Shelburne Road corridor designated as a downtown center. Vince: having only one downtown center in SoBu doesn’t make sense. John recommended a meeting with Paul to explore this. 5. Adjourn: (8:08 p.m.) Members still present adjourned the meeting by mutual agreement.