December 8, 2022 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of Meeting
A Meeting of the Norwalk Housing Authority Board of Commissioners was held at 5:30PM December 8, 2022.
LOCATION: Zoom Video Conference
PRESENT: Jeffery A. Ingraham, Chair
Brenda Penn-Williams, Vice Chair
John Church, Commissioner
Rahoul Dupervil, Commissioner
ABSENT: Liza Bermúdez-Montgomery, Treasurer
STAFF ATTENDING: Adam Bovilsky, Executive Director
Kras Carlucci, Deputy Director
Joe Cardone, Director of Finance
Anna Keegan, Director of Housing Operations
Wendy Gerbier, Director of Learning Centers
Greg Lickwola, Director of Modernization
Nicole Ruffin, Director of Human Resources
Lisa Endo, Director of Development Project Manager
Leroy Fender, Director of Maintenance
Linda Rolle, Director of Grants and Development
Donna Lattarulo, General Counsel
Acting Chair Brenda Penn- Williams opened the meeting via Zoom and recognized Chair Jeffrey Ingraham, Commissioner John Church, and Commissioner Rahoul Dupervil as present. Vice Chair Penn-Williams acknowledged the existence of a quorum. Adam Bovilsky noted Treasurer Liza Bermúdez-Montgomery would not be attending the meeting.
Report of the Secretary:
• Mr. Bovilsky the following:
- The Norwalk Housing Foundation has achieved the Platinum Seal of Transparency Rating on Candid (known for, among other things, their GuideStar online tool), the world's largest source of information on non-profit organizations. This rating further recognizing the Norwalk Housing Foundation as an established and trustworthy organization.
- November 15th -18th Lisa Roger and Norwalk Housing Staff distributed 475 turkeys with fixings to Norwalk Housing residents. NHA is grateful to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission who provided us with the turkeys and to staff who made this distribution possible.
- A pest extermination has been scheduled for all Colonial Village.
- Mr. Bovilsky updated Commissioners regarding dinner stipends and the increased federal per diem meal reimbursement rates.
- Upcoming meetings - January 12, 2023 @5:30pm and February 9, 2023 @5:30pm.
Mr. Bovilsky turned the meeting over to Lisa Endo to discuss the first item of new business.
New Business:
Ms. Endo stated Norwalk Housing has retained Robinson and Cole as bond counsel to represent NHA in the process of issuing tax-exempt bonds which will be used to fund 50% of the Oak Grove development costs. Ms. Endo asked the Board of Commissioners to approve the resolution authorizing the bond issuance.
18-87 Commissioner Church moved to authorize Adam Bovilsky to sign:
a. Resolution of official intent to reimburse expenditures for the Oak Grove Project from the proceeds of tax- exempt obligations
Commissioner Jeffrey Ingraham seconded the motion.
Ms. Endo stated Bankwell, one of our financial partners selected through a competitive RFP process, will purchase the Bonds at a competitive market rate set by the Treasury Index.
AYES
Commissioner Ingraham
Commissioner Brenda Penn-Williams
Commissioner Church
Commissioner Dupervil
Motion was carried.
Mr. Bovilsky turned the meeting over to Leroy Fendor to discuss replacement of entry key fobs at Roodner Court. Mr. Fendor stated the scope of work includes the installation of fiber optic cable, replacement of broken equipment, new key fobs, and the installation of computer software which would allow programming and tracking of key fobs from the main office. This is a huge improvement on the current system which has required our electrician to program the current key fobs.
18-88 Acting Chair Brenda Penn-Williams called for a vote to:
b. Select Mammoth Security Inc to replace Roodner Court Key fobs.
Commissioner Ingraham seconded the motion
Mr. Fendor stated that during the process existing doors would be repaired, stainless steel faceplates would be installed and the functionality of each the doors tested.
AYES
Commissioner Ingraham
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner John Church
Commissioner Dupervil
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
Mr. Bovilsky took the floor to discuss the Resolution authorizing the Executive Director to sign the Environmental Land Use Restriction (ELUR) requested by the DECD. He stated the ELUR memorializes the soil remediation performed and the contaminants remaining after during the development of Soundview Landing Phase II in the land records.
Chairman Ingraham stepped away from the meeting.
18-89 Commissioner Church move to:
c. Authorize Executive Director Adam Bovilsky to sign the Environmental Land Use Restriction (ELUR) requested by the DECD and all associated documents as it relates to the Washington Village Phase II development.
Commissioner Dupervil seconded the motion noting a typo that needs to be corrected (a missing "the").
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner John Church
Commissioner Dupervil
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
18-90 Commissioner Church moved to approve:
d. Commissioners and Staff to attend NERC- NAHRO Mid-Winter Conference February 5-8 2023 at Mohegan Sun Convention Center, at a registration cost of $525 and room rate of $175 for the Sky Tower plus facility fee and $155 for the Earth Tower plus facility fee. A one-day registration is available at a cost of $299.
Commissioner Dupervil seconded the motion.
Commissioner Penn-Williams requested this registration information be forwarded to appropriate Mutual Housing staff.
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner John Church
Commissioner Dupervil
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
18-91 Commissioner Dupervil moved to approve:
e. Krystal Rosado to attend Public Housing Certified Occupancy Specialist (COSP) virtual training sponsored by The National Center for Housing Management at a cost of $875.
Commissioner Church seconded the motion.
Mr. Bovilsky stated this will further Ms. Rosado's ability to assist Norwalk Housing Occupancy staff which in turn will better serve its residents.
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner John Church
Commissioner Dupervil
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
18-92 Commissioner Church move to approve:
f. Wendy Gerbier and Tianna Brown to attend the 2023 National Afterschool Association (NAA) Convention March 19-22 in Orlando Florida at a total cost for both attendees of $4386.00
Commissioner Dupervil seconded the motion.
Adam Bovilsky stated this annual training provides Wendy Gerbier and Tianna Brown with best practices and resources to be used by the Norwalk Housing Learning Centers.
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner John Church
Commissioner Dupervil
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
18-93 Commissioner Penn-Williams moved to approve:
g. Minutes of the November 10, 2022 meeting.
Commissioner Dupervil seconded the motion.
Commissioner Dupervil stated he had requested that the Executive Session of the last meeting be recorded. Mr. Bovilsky stated the minutes reference Commissioner Dupervil's request, but Executive Sessions are not recorded. Commissioner Dupervil stated he did not voluntarily accept not to be allowed to attend this Executive Session.
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams Commissioner Church
Commissioner Dupervil
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
18-94 Commissioner Dupervil moved to approve:
h. Department Reports items i-vi
Commissioner Penn-Williams seconded the motion.
Commissioner Dupervil suggested if possible, numbering these reports at the bottom of each page would allow for easy reference.
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner Dupervil
Commissioner Church
All in favor by show of hands. Motion was carried.
All Norwalk Housing Staff but Adam Bovilsky, Lisa Endo and Kras Carlucci left the meeting.
18-95 Adam Bovilsky made a motion to add an Executive Session item to discuss the Executive Directors contract to the agenda.
AYES
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner Dupervil
Commissioner Church
All in favor. Motion was carried.
Adam Bovilsky, Lisa Endo and Kras Carlucci moved into a breakout room.
Chairman Ingraham rejoined the meeting.
Donna Lattarulo took over the meeting. Donna Lattarulo, Commissioner Penn-Williams, Commissioner Dupervil, Commissioner Ingraham, and Commissioner Church moved into Executive Session.
Commissioners returned to the Regular Session.
Adam Bovilsky, Lisa Endo and Kras Carlucci returned from the breakout room.
18-96 Commissioner Penn-Williams moved to:
i. Extend Adam Bovilsky's contract thru June 30, 2023
Commissioner Church seconded the motion.
AYES
Commissioner Ingraham
Commissioner Penn-Williams
Commissioner Dupervil
Commissioner Church
All in favor. Motion was carried.
Commissioner Church moved to adjourn the meeting. This was seconded by Commissioner Dupervil. All in favor.
At 6:33 pm the meeting adjourned .
The Commissioners moved into the annual Soundview Landing Meeting.
Respectfully Submitted,
___________________________
Adam Bovilsky
Executive Director