The meeting convened at 5:08. King informed the board that the Mayor had postponed his presentation on the combination of City and County government until a revised presentation could be prepared. Jasso moved to approve the agenda as amended; seconded by Hogate; carried by unanimous vote. Regarding the minutes of March 7, 2001, Muldoon said when Kahoun asked for suggestions for future presentations, she suggested inviting neighborhood associations and that had not been included. Volm said she had suggested the Polk County Housing Trust Fund and wanted that included as well. Overman moved to approve the minutes as amended; seconded by Jasso; carried by unanimous vote.

OFFICER'S REPORT/CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION. Kahoun reported on recent Council actions, including the reappointment of Overman; setting the public hearing on the HUD annual report (CAPER), and further discussion of the upcoming budget, including cutting the Neighborhood Development Corporation's proposed allocation to $250,000 for next year and zero for the future. The NFC was funded at its requested level. Regarding selection of new neighborhoods, the Council asked the Manager to move it forward, which the Manager said he would do, and he would work with the County to increase their involvement. Kahoun said she had been working closely with Sheila Lumley on this issue. Sheila has taken a new County position as housing coordinator and will be working with the same issues as Community Development staff and the NRB. Hogate said the County does not operate with the same level of citizen participation as the City, and she wondered how that element would be incorporated. Kahoun said the County may intend to rely on the City's process for that.

Dozier asked to be given information on the actual millage rate that was approved at Council. She said this would compound the problem of property values between Des Moines and the suburbs, and Des Moines would keep on losing residents. Kahoun said the reason for raising the millage rate was very complex and questions about it should be addressed to the Manager. Muldoon also asked to receive information on the millage rate for commercial and residential properties in Des Moines and the suburbs. She said she wanted to know the typical amount of tax paid without veterans' deductions. Hogate said anyone thinking Des Moines was losing residents should drive around Easter Lake and look at all the new housing there.

Volm said she had spoken at the budget hearings regarding increased leaf bag rates, but had got little support. Dozier asked if the Board had sent a letter to Council regarding this issue, but no one could recall whether the Board had. King asked what outcome the Board's request for the Council to write the State Legislature asking them to support the recommendations in the Governor's Housing Task Force Report; Kahoun said Council put that on the City lobbyist's priority list.

HUMAN SERVICES PLANNING ALLIANCE – CHILD CARE SERVICES. Ginny Hancock, Gordon Miller, Kate Eckstrand and Shelly Holm gave a presentation on HSPA's child care activities which addressed questions that had arisen at Planning Conference. Hancock said HSPA uses its CDBG funding to provide childcare and fill gaps for families who are not eligible for state funding, and for centers in need of stabilization so they can continue serving these clients. They also fund care for sick children at Des Moines General Hospital, and respite care through Iowa Lutheran Hospital and YESS. Hancock distributed charts showing where their clientele lives and works and discussed other characteristics of the group served through the program. Jasso asked that information be provided showing number of clients per zip code, which Hancock said she would provide.

Gordon Miller said they recently received a report from the Metropolitan Planning Organization which showed where wages were earned in Des Moines and where they were spent. Muldoon asked for that report to be provided to the Board.

NFC REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR SALE OF PUBLIC HOUSING. Dodge said the NFC would like to finance the houses that the Housing Services Department plans to put on the market. Seventeen of the 124 houses are in designated neighborhoods, but sixty are outside the NFC's lending area. Therefore, he asked the NRB to send letters of support for this project to the NFC Board, the Council, and the County. Dodge said NFC had met with lenders and proposed increasing the amount of their next offering (Phase IX) to include enough funding to finance these homes. Dodge said enough money was included to carry on NFC's regular business even with this addition. Forty of the houses are vacant right now and ready to be sold.

Dodge said an entity will be picked by the City to do the marketing and manage the sales, and the other things a realtor usually does for the seller. Dozier asked if that meant the buyers would come to NFC pre-qualified. Dodge said they would be "pre-screened," but he wasn't sure how far that process would go. Cassandra Amesley, Housing Services Project Manager, and Dodge discussed the levels of the screening process and the credit reports which needed to be part of that process.

Dozier asked if the Council would be seeing each appraisal; Dodge said they would approve each sale package. Muldoon asked if the zero downpayment program and the lowered economy would hurt NFC. Dodge said the only problem they were having was that some of their clients were experiencing shortened hours.

Dozier moved to send the letters as requested, with language saying the NRB encouraged the City and County to have NFC be the lender for this project; seconded by Nixon.

Dodge said the Iowa State Bank was not supporting the NFC, and told him they think their CRA is support enough for affordable housing. Hogate asked who to write to when a bank is not fulfilling the regulations about this issue; Dodge said each bank is required to post that information where the public can see it.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT. Kahoun said there would be a meeting of the contract sales subcommittee on March 14 at 5:00 in the St. Etienne room. She distributed information on the free web sites for neighborhood associations and information regarding the dates the Board members' terms would expire. The City's web page will now contain the NRB's minutes and agendas, and a letter about that will go out to all neighborhood associations. Approval of the grocery store project will be on the Council's agenda for the next two meetings. Staff is working with Walgreens to get a more neighborhood-compatible design.

COMMITTEE/REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS. Nixon reported Roy Bradshaw had resigned from the Executive Director position with the Neighborhood Development Corporation. They may restructure their board membership.

Volm said she, Hogate and Kahoun had attended the Polk County Housing Trust Fund meeting, and the HTF increased their annual request to the County to $1.5 million next time. The Board of Supervisors said if there is a surplus of funds, maybe the County should be doing some affordable housing on its own. Volm and Hogate said they were encouraged to see them discuss this, although some of the Supervisors may be unaware of the full scope of ongoing programs of the City and nonprofits. Dozier asked if they discussed doing any projects outside the City limits; Volm said she did not remember any. Kahoun said costs were a prohibiting factor in that. Dodge said some work had been done in Commerce. Volm said she would research it.

OTHER BUSINESS. Overman moved to write to Board Member Richard Ball and ask him to attend meetings on a more regular basis, as the Board needed his real estate expertise; seconded by Volm; carried by unanimous vote.

The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m.

Jerry Overman, Secretary