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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 03/15/2023March 15, 2023, SoBu Affordable Housing Committee Minutes – APPROVED Page 1 Approved on April 19, 2023 AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE March 15, 2023, 6:00 p.m., meeting held online and at City Hall Members attending: Janet Bellavance, Leslie Black-Plumeau, Vince Bolduc, Sandy Dooley, , Emily Holt-Gosselin, Ariel Jensen-Vargas, Darrilyn Peters, and Chris Trombly; members absent: Tom Getz and John Simson,; also present: Jessie Baker, City Manager; and City Councilor Meaghan Emery (CC liaison to AHC) AGENDA 1. Call to order, approve agenda, announcements, public comment 2. Approve minutes from February 15, 2023 Affordable Housing Committee meeting 3. City Manager Updates 4. Fair Housing Month discussion regarding outreach efforts 6. Adjourn 1. Call to order, approve agenda, announcements, public comment Call to order: Chris called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. Approve agenda: Darrilyn moved and Leslie seconded motion to approve the agenda as proposed. Approved: 8-0-0. Announcements: None. Public Comments: as no members of the public attended, there were no public comments. 2. Approve minutes from February 15, 2023 AHC meeting: Darrilyn moved and Janet seconded motion that 2/15/23 meeting minutes be approved as drafted. Motion approved: 8-0-0. 3. City Manager Update: Jessie attended the recent groundbreaking for UVM’s Catamount Run housing development on Market Street. Voters approved budget and bond ballot items on Town Meeting Day. Contract with Champlain Housing Trust for ARPA funds to convert Ho Hum motel to permanent housing for formerly unhoused people will be on 3/20/23 Council meeting agenda for approval. She extended invitation to U-Mall principals to attend April or May AHC meeting. No reply to date. Fair Housing Month Proclamation will be on 3/20/23 Council meeting agenda for approval. Vince drafted it; Meaghan has reviewed and endorsed it. 4. Fair Housing Month discussion regarding outreach efforts: Janet met with Mira (Library), Kelsey (Planning & Zoning), and Jess Hyman (CVOEO’s Fair Housing Project) to collaborate on sponsoring Fair Housing Month events/activities. These will include an exhibit on the second floor of the Library, an art project, and a book discussion group in May facilitated by Jess Hyman and Vince. Fixer-Upper is book that will be discussed. Vince shared information about project he was part of, many years back, in Hartford, CT, that documented how Black people seeking to purchase a house were turned away when white people seeking to purchase the same house were invited to pursue their interest. Question was whether to share this research with the public as part of Fair Housing Month. Consensus was not to do so as events occurred many years ago and were not local. Regarding diversity, mention was made that 11 different languages are spoken by students in the Chamberlin school. Residents will be informed about Fair Housing Month activities in The Other Paper, City News, Library’s webpage, Front Porch Forum, and South Burlington Community Watch FB page. Other: Members were reminded of special meeting on March 22, 2023, 11:00 a.m., to prepare report from City Plan Community Conversation on Housing and Shelter (taking place that evening from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. online and in Room 301, City Hall) for Kelsey Peterson. 5. Adjourn: (6:51 p.m.) Vince moved and Leslie seconded motion that meeting be adjourned. Approved 8-0-0.