MEETING MINUTES
Neighborhood
Revitalization Board
September
3, 2008
5:00
p.m.
Present: Frank Affannato; Tim
Hielkema; Nadine Hogate; Odell Jenkins; Jean Minahan; Tony
Montgomery; Sharon Murphy; Neal Westergaard
Late: Justin
Gross (5:09); York Taenzer (6:08)
Absent: Bob King; Frank Owens
Staff: Kathy Kahoun (CD); David Dunn (CD); Mary
Neiderback (CD); Marci Rafdal (CD), Bob Schulte, and Jayne Breckenridge (CD)
Guest: Jo Ann Hanover, Planning Committee
Chairperson (Merle Hay); Bill and Jane Linthicum (Merle Hay); Laura Peters
(Merle Hay); Al Hopp (Merle Hay); Holly Olson (NFC); Sheila Lumley (PCHTF)
1. CALL
TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Hielkema called the meeting to order at 5:06 p.m. and Westergaard read
the roll call for attendance.
2.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA (ACTION)
Motion
by Affannato to approve the agenda; seconded by Jenkins. Motion carried (8- 0).
3.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT/CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION
Gross arrived @ 5:09 p.m.
Chairman’s
remarks:
®
NRB
recommends that the City Council recognize Bob King for his 35 years of
Community Services. Motion made by Hogate; seconded by Jenkins. Motion carried (9-0).
®
Introductions
for new board member, welcome Sharon Murphy.
®
NRB
by-laws
Kahoun
conveyed concern about the delicate relationship between the board and
neighborhood associations. “Do we now
start policing?” When do we say, “You’re
no longer a neighborhood?”
Affannato
felt there needed to be some minimal standards given to newer neighborhood
associations and followed with his concern regarding the Fairground neighborhood. He also felt that more established
neighborhoods should be given a grace period to meet the standards.
Heilkema
noted this was not an action item, but welcomed further discussion on the NRB
By-Laws at future board meetings.
Kahoun
agreed to add NRB By-Laws to upcoming agendas.
City
Council Report:
City Council Meeting – July 14, 2008
®
Recommendation
from Council Member Bob Mahaffey to reappoint Neal Westergaard to the
Neighborhood Revitalization Board, Seat 8 for a three-year term commencing June
30, 2007 to expire June 30, 2010.
® Approval of Support Housing Program
(SHP) Renewal Grant Agreement with the United States Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)—Iowa Homeless Youth
®
Resolution
initiating the rezoning of a portion of the River Bend Neighborhood
®
Resolution
authorizing request for Emergency Community Development Block Grant Funds from
Iowa Department of Economic Development.
City Council Meeting – July 28, 2008
®
Setting
date of hearing for conveyance of City-owned property at 1347 Forest Avenue to
Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) for $1.00
®
Resolution
authorizing the city Manager to work in cooperation with Polk county and
Neighborhood Development Corporation to research potential redevelopment of
property located at 4315 SE 14th Street
®
Buy out of properties in Birdland
area of Union Park
City Council Meeting – August 11, 2008
®
Resolution
approving the South Park Neighborhood Plan and adopting the plan as an
amendment to the Des Moines 2020 Community Character Plan
®
Approving Residential Development
Agreement with Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) at 1347 Forest
Avenue in conjunction with the Forest Avenue Urban Renewal Project
®
Approving
Home Agreement with Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC) for
development of a single family home at 1347 Forest Avenue and use of Home
proceeds for affordable housing
4.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR July 2, 2008
Motion by Hogate to approve the July 2, 2008
minutes; seconded by Minahan. Motion
carried (9-0).
5.
APPROVAL
OF THE MERLE HAY NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
David Dunn introduced Jo
Ann Hanover, Planning Committee Chairperson (Merle Hay); Bill and Jane Linthicum
(Merle Hay); Laura Peters (Merle Hay); and Al Hopp (Merle Hay).
Dunn gave a Power Point presentation.
Kahoun pointed out that this was one of the largest neighborhood
planning meetings with 65-70 people in attendance.
Jo Ann noted over 142 people signed up to work on the neighborhood and
by breaking this down into 4 to 5 people per group many different areas could
be covered.
Holly Olson, Executive Director, NFC reported that through August 3,
2008, the Merle Hay Neighborhood closed 64 loans in the neighborhood totaling
2.3 million dollars, with over $200,000 in forgivable loans including: new
siding, central air, two car garages, driveways, front porches, decks, and back
patios.
Taenzer arrived @ 6:08 p.m.
Kahoun suggested thinking outside the box, because there is a lot of
green space with these smaller homes where improvements can happen.
Montgomery spoke out on complicated costs but recognized some hidden
opportunities.
Jo Ann stated that at the time most of these homes were built there
were no city codes pointing out that you still have homes with gravel driveways
and no sidewalks.
Motion by Montgomery to approve the Merle Hay Neighborhood Plan;
seconded by Gross. Motion carried
(10-0).
6.
Review
of the Birdland Buy Out and Recovery Strategy
Kathy Kahoun reported on recovery strategy for the Birdland neighborhood.
Basically 40 properties were damaged, 26 were Owner Occupied, of which,
16 need rehabilitation assistance and 10 were over 60% damaged. We are working with 9 properties in the
Birdland area and 3 from the 4-mile floodplain area.
For assistance residence must fall within the 500 year Birdland floodplain
area and sustained 60% or more damage to the property, hold legal title to the
property and continue to hold the title on the date the City offers to
purchase.
On September 8, 2008, City council will take an action to provide
additional funding for buy-outs. The
City is going to borrow $500,000 from NFC, extend the 28E agreement, and pay
the loan back, in installments, within the next 4 years.
The Rehabilitation Program for Flood Victims is being funded by, Ridin’
the Storm Out; Embrace Iowa; and Polk County Emergency Repair Program and the
City of Des Moines.
Kahoun declared 15 good applications were triaged
out of the 175 applications received.
Of the 40 properties damaged 14 are rentals. The Neighborhood Conservation Program reserved
$150,000 in the Birdland area for Landlords.
The NCS program requires the landlord rent to low and moderate-income
person in the first year.
The program is funded by CDBG dollars.
Kahoun commented favorably on the collaborative efforts among the City of
Des Moines, Polk County, and the Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity.
Montgomery was curious of the buy outs in 2008 and how many were on lots
bought out in 1993?
Kahoun remarked there were none.
7.
Ruan
House Update
Mary
Neiderbach gave a Power Point presentation and handout.
On November
7, 2007, the NRB approved funding for three public nuisance properties in the
River Bend Neighborhood.
This money
is not committed yet and there is no contact at present.
1224 9th
Street, Ruan House—the
estimation cost is $220,000 with funding through NFC construction loan and
possible downsizing grant, City subsidy, State Historic Society, and friends of
Ruan.
This is an
extremely important house for Riverbend.
The property sits on the corner by the fire station.
There is a
strong commitment from the folks of Riverbend to save Public Nuisance houses
and to do what needs to be done.
1243 9th
Street—sits across
the street from the Ruan House. It’s taken 9 months to get a clean title and
the expectation is that the property transfer should occur this month.
1720 8th
Street—because of
the gambrel roof alterations the house was not historically eligible for the
National Register. The rehabilitation estimate is around $200,000 with funding
through CHDC, HOME, and CHDO proceeds from the 1317 Clark Street sale.
Kahoun
commented on the Public Nuisance just to the south. There was a fire, and a number of other code
violations. The Landlord is not
interested in bringing the property up to code and is basically walking away
from the project.
1631 9th
Street and 1630 8th Street (812 Washington) – the NFC purchased these two
abandoned properties that are historic in manner.
Neiderbach
mentioned that the city has participated in the cost, which is very expensive,
that they are the Wolford properties, and that the renovation is going very
well.
8.
United
Way of Central Iowa Investment agreement for FY2008-2009
Marci Rafdal, Community Services announced the United Way of Central Iowa
Investment Agreement for Community Action needed to be submitted and was not
presented to the board due to the flood situation and meeting cancelations in
the past two months. The amount is $20,000.
Marci distributed the September Report showing Community Services programs,
year-to-date action and a brief description of the program.
Our Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) begins October 1, 2008
for the elderly, disabled or households in crisis; November 1, 2008 for all
other households. We will try and get
you cards to pass out in your neighborhoods and fact sheets.
Residences are protected under the moratorium
November 1, 2008 through April 1, 2009.
Some of those low-income households live in your neighborhood in those
big houses that are hard to heat. It is
not unheard of for us to see clients with bills as high as $1,400 to
$4,500.
9.
Iowa
Community Action Agencies Need Assessment Survey
Marci Rafdal explained we are on a six year progress cycle. There is a different survey released every
two years to monitor different areas.
Surveys were passed out, completed, and returned to Rafdal.
Comments were made regarding the survey questions;
Marci will pass those along to ICAA.
10.
Distribution
of the 2009 funding recommendations and project status report
Bob Schulte passed out packets of information that will be covered at the
Special Session on Monday, September 8, 2008. This is a projection of what we
think we’re going to get. It’s a lot more conservative than what we came up with
last year.
Montgomery asked Schulte to expedite the reading by pointing out what he
felt were areas of concern?
Schulte acknowledged areas of concern were with Creative Vision and the
YWCA, neither of which is currently under contract, reductions in funding, and project
expenditures.
11.
Neighborhood
Development Administrator Report
®
Neighborhood
Updates: Special session on Monday, September 8, 2008.
®
Community
Web site information: We don’t have anything.
We put the information on the website and nobody responded.
® New staff: Sadie Hildebrand replaced Bridget Montgomery
and will start working on the Drake neighborhood.
12.
Other
Taenzer moved adjournment, meeting
adjourned at 7:23 p.m.