MAMMOTH LAKES HOUSING, INC.
Board of Directors Meeting
Monday, September 11, 2017
Rescheduled meeting at 6:00 p.m.
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 437 OLD MAMMOTH ROAD
MINARET VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER, SUITE Z
Minutes
I. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 6:04 PM.
II. Roll Call
Members present: Lindsay Barksdale, Stacy Corless for Larry Johnston, Jiselle Kenny, Kirk Stapp, Bill Taylor, John Wentworth
Members absent: None.
Staff: Jennifer Halferty, Executive Director and Patricia Robertson, Grant & Financial Associate
Public: Tom Hodges, MMSA; Ruth Traxler, Town of Mammoth Lakes Planning and Economic Development Department; Rob Patterson, Town of Mammoth Lakes Finance Department
III. Public Comments
There were no comments from the public.
IV. Approval of minutes from the July 24, 2017 rescheduled Board Meeting
Lindsay Barksdale made a motion to adopt the minutes. Bill Taylor seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0. Stacy Corless abstained.
V. Approval of minutes from the August 7, 2017 regular Board meeting
Jiselle Kenny made a motion to adopt the minutes. Stacy Corless seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0. John Wentworth abstained.
VI. Board Member reports
Stacy Corless reported that the Board of Supervisors would be holding Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget hearings beginning tomorrow at 9:30 AM.
John Wentworth reported that representatives from the Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mammoth Lakes Housing have been meeting to share information regarding closed session items and that the communication has been effective.
VII. MLH monthly status report
Jennifer Halferty reported that Patricia Robertson has been working to organize free community workshops on landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities with CA Rural Legal Assistance and the Town of Mammoth Lakes Code Compliance. MLH receives many complaints throughout the year regarding snow removal responsibilities, health and human safety, among other issues. This will be an opportunity for community members to learn about their rights and responsibilities both as tenants and as landlords.
Bill Taylor asked if the flier had been translated into Spanish. Patricia Robertson will translate the flier and distribute it to the group.
John Wentworth asked how MLH was connecting with landlords from down south. Jennifer Halferty confirmed that Patricia Robertson was working with Sherine Sanders the Code Compliance officer with the Town on obtaining a list of landlords with contact information.
Stacy Corless asked if the presentations would include rights of mobile home park tenants. Patricia Robertson confirmed that the speaker is well versed in mobile home tenants’ rights and will address those issues as they arise during the presentations.
Jennifer Halferty noted that the annual occupancy monitoring of deed restricted homes and down payment assistance loans is 99% complete. She also mentioned that MLH has heard that MMSA has a waiting list for their seasonal housing. Tom Hodges stated that he believed that to be true.
Jennifer Halferty reported that the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list for Mono County managed through Stanislaus County would be opened for a limited time beginning on September 20th. MLH is working with Stanislaus County on advertising and letting our tenant’s know. You must currently live in Mono County to qualify for the waiting list, and will be given priority if your current landlord will accept the voucher. Jiselle Kenny asked if the County had a list of landlords that accept the voucher. Jennifer Halferty confirmed that there is no such list.
Jennifer Halferty explained that she attended a coffee hosted by the Chamber with Assemblyman Frank Bigelow on August 11th at which time he said that he was not inclined to support either SB 2 (permanent source of funding for housing) or SB 3 (bond for housing). Today he posted on Facebook asking his constituents to reach out to him regarding bills that are important to them since this is the final week to pass bills at the Assembly and he will be voting on nearly 500 bills. Jennifer Halferty will send out some information to the Board regarding changes that have been made to the bills.
Kirk Stapp asked for an update regarding Jennifer Halferty’s meeting with Supervisor Fred Stump. Jennifer Halferty explained that Supervisor Stump has concerns regarding affordable housing in his district including a general lack of infrastructure such as water, fire, transit, and available land. She noted that the Boxenbaum property was originally conceptualized to be a tax credit project; however, the Tax Credit Allocation Committee guidelines no longer permit developments that are not close to essential services such as a hospital, schools, or grocery store.
VIII. Mammoth Lakes Community Housing Action Plan; Live, Work, Thrive update
Jennifer Halferty explained that the second public workshop was held on August 17th. At this workshop community members discussed potential tools identified by the consultants and new tools identified by community members. The meeting was well attended by a diverse group of approximately 40 individuals. There were many suggestions regarding regulating short term rentals, so this will be an important topic for the Working Group to discuss at their upcoming meetings.
Bill Taylor asked how the consultants will take the information provided by the community at Work Session #2 will be analyzed and incorporated into a feasibility study, so that the Action Plan will have actionable items. Jennifer Halferty noted that materials for the upcoming Working Group sessions this week will come early tomorrow.
Lindsay Barksdale noted that there were several comments regarding the need to prioritize marginalized communities that were not present. Jennifer Halferty explained that it is difficult to get everyone at the table due to working multiple jobs, having families, security reasons, etc., but that we have their representatives there including staff from Mono County Behavioral Health, Mammoth Lakes Housing, Mammoth Hospital, etc. Jennifer Halferty noted that there are representatives on the Working Group that are bringing the needs of their constituents to the discussions. The Mammoth Lakes Housing Board members should also be bringing the needs of their peer groups to the table and sharing their concerns with their Working Group representatives who are Bill Taylor and Kirk Stapp.
The next public meeting will be on October 6th and will be an open house to discuss the draft Action Plan. Members of the public can attend between 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Mammoth Brewing Company. Please visit the website for more information at www.housemammothlakes.com.
IX. Funding opportunities, conceptual plans, and possible timeline – 238 Sierra Manor Road
Jennifer Halferty gave an overview of the conceptual plan for conversion of 238 Sierra Manor from commercial to residential use. Jennifer Halferty is working with Elliot Brainard, who is the architect for the Mammoth Mall conversion, on a schematic which will help to understand the overall costs of the project. MLH has experience with this type of project since completing the STAR Apartments with CDBG funding in 2012. Jennifer Halferty gave an overview of funding options which include CDBG, AHSC, and HOME.
X. Update on the Old Mammoth Place Development Agreement
Jennifer Halferty explained that she sent the agenda item to the Board for the Old Mammoth Place Development Agreement because it involved a transient occupancy tax (TOT) give back as well as a housing discussion, both of which are pertinent topics to Mammoth Lakes Housing and the housing goals of the community. She explained that the public hearing which was scheduled for the Planning and Economic Development Commission on September 13th will be postponed until a later date, probably closer to November.
Kirk Stapp explained that he sent a public comment as a community member to the PEDC and the Town Council with a series of questions regarding the proposed community benefits. Lindsay Barksdale asked a question regarding the difference between the “TOT Reinvestment of $23M over 20 years” and a “total subsidy of $46M.” Jennifer Halferty explained that the $46M was the sum of all the annual payments, or the cost to provide that subsidy, and that the $23M was the discounted value in today’s dollars.
John Wentworth noted that both the PEDC and the Town Council made some very community-centric requests of the applicant and of staff including funding a third party analysis of the TOT subsidy and inclusion of all the employee housing on-site.
Bill Taylor explained that he had two specific questions in regards to housing:
- Will the TOT reinvested into the project be proportionately reduced to Housing? This could amount to approximately $2.5-3M reduction in housing funding.
- Will the first-right-of-refusal of the construction worker housing provided by the applicant be at a discounted rate?
Lindsay Barksdale asked if there was a precedent for TOT reinvestments. John Wentworth explained that in larger communities there is a precedent, but that the proportionate effect is much larger in smaller communities where TOT is the largest contributor to the overall budget.
CLOSED SESSION
XI. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8, the Board will hold a conference with its representative in regard to property acquisition pertaining to:
Property: 238 Sierra Manor Road, APN 035-210-014-000
Negotiating Parties: Jennifer Halferty representing MLH (prospective buyer);
Mammoth Property Partners (Seller)
Under Negotiation: Terms of sale (price, payment terms)
Announcement of action taken in closed session:
Jennifer Halferty announced the following action in regards to item XI:
The Board has entered into a contract for the property located at 238 Sierra Manor Road, APN 035-210-014-000, for a purchase price of $1,250,000 with a land donation in the amount of $50,000 and a deposit of $33,000 which will be applied to the purchase price. The contract is subject to specified conditions being met.
XII. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 PM.