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THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL
UNTIL APPROVED BY THE
CULVER CITY
HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD
REGULAR MEETING OF THE September 22, 2014
CULVER CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD 7:00 p.m.
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Chair Sahli-Wells called the meeting of the Housing
Authority Board to order at 7:10 p.m.
Present: Meghan Sahli-Wells, Chair
Micheál O ’Leary, Vice Chair
Jim B. Clarke, Board Member
Jeffrey Cooper, Board Member
Andrew Weissman, Board Member
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Reflection/Pledge of Allegiance
John Nachbar, Executive Director, led the Reflection and
the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Culver City Unified
School District Board Vice President Nancy Goldberg.
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Community Announcements by Authority Members/Information
Items from Staff
None.
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Joint Public Comment for Items NOT On the Agenda
None.
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Receipt and Filing of Correspondence
MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER CLARKE, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER
WEISSMAN AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY BOARD RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE.
Martin Cole, Secretary, reported that correspondence
received for Item J-1 had been distributed to Board
Members and made part of the public record.
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Joint Consent Calendar
Item JC-1
JOINT CITY COUNCIL/HOUSING AUTHORITY/SUCCESSOR AGENCY/
AGENDA ITEM: Cash Disbursements
MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER WEISSMAN, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER
CLARKE AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY BOARD APPROVE CASH DISBURSEMENTS FOR AUGUST 30,
2014 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 12, 2014.
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Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Meeting Minutes
MOVED BY BOARD MEMBER WEISSMAN, SECONDED BY BOARD MEMBER
CLARKE AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY BOARD APPROVE MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING
OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2014.
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Order of the Agenda
No changes were made.
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September 22, 2014
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Joint Action Items
Item JA-1
(1) Discussion of the Projected Funding Shortfall for
Housing Programs Provided by the City and (2) Provide
Direction to the City Manager/Executive Director as
Deemed Appropriate
Sol Blumenfeld, Director of Community
Development/Assistant Executive Director, provided a
summary of the material of record.
Discussion ensued between staff and Board Members
regarding appreciation to staff for their work, the
importance of the program in the community; City Council
support for the programs; the need for additional
information; costs of the various elements of the
program; available funding options; the elimination of
redevelopment; alternative funding mechanisms; costs for
the administration of programs; clarification on a
typographical error in the report; the finite life cycle
of programs; the end of redevelopment and the failure to
repay funds to the Low and Moderate Housing Fund; the
resulting shortened life of the programs; the finite
nature of the funding; maintaining the programs without
the benefit of Redevelopment dollars; using the funds to
build housing stock; the 2008 Comprehensive Housing
Strategy; Rental Assistance Program (RAP) recipients; the
Housing Assistance Payment contract; the long waiting
list for the Section 8 program; the time frame for
elderly and disabled individuals; the City Council
decision to focus on new construction; the Regional
Housing Needs Assessment; prioritizing programs; density
in new housing units; establishment of redevelopment
project areas; legislation to create the Low and
Moderate Income Housing Fund; requirements; onetime
expenses vs. ongoing expenses; the goal to keep as much
programming as possible; effects to the General Fund;
looking for new funding; concern with creating false
hope; the limited options for new revenue; the linkage
fee; and the shortfall.
Chair Sahli-Wells invited public comment.
The following members of the audience addressed the
Housing Authority: September 22, 2014
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Steven Rose, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Culver City Chamber of Commerce, discussed the Chamber’s
partnership with the City; the elimination of the
Redevelopment Agency; he suggested calling state
officials to ask for solutions; he expressed opposition
to linkage fees; discussed the creation of low income
jobs; and the wide variety in the City's work force.
Chair Sahli-Wells received clarification regarding the
basis for determining the linkage fees.
Janice Johnson discussed her health issues and needs;
expressed appreciation for assistance received by the
City; and she expressed concern about what she would do
if the program were to be cancelled.
Responding to Vice Chair O'Leary, Ms. Johnson explained
that she was surprised to learn that the program could be
discontinued.
Discussion ensued between staff and Board Members
regarding the amount of rental assistance provided;
percentages; affordability limits; Federal Fair Market
Standard; market rents; Zillow; a study indicating that
residents of Los Angeles County generally pay 50% of
their income for housing; and clarification that the
elderly and disabled are exempt from time limits in the
RAP.
Michael Grace expressed concern with the potential
discontinuation of assistance programs in the City and
the message being sent to residents.
Ira Diamond felt that the City had a moral and ethical
obligation to continue programs that have existed in the
City for years; he discussed Upward Bound, Saint
Joseph's, and Section 8; he suggested working with the
SHARE Program; and he thanked the City for its work and
encouraged the City to find alternate funding.
Booker Pearson, Upward Bound, thanked the City for
reprogramming the RAP voucher money to Upward Bound;
discussed the increasing number of homeless families in
the Culver City school system; families at the poverty
level; homeless prevention; costs of foster care, prison, September 22, 2014
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and rehabilitation; and he urged the continued funding
for Upward Bound.
Responding to inquiry, Mr. Pearson discussed the
Cost/Benefit Analysis of stopping people from becoming
homeless; early identification; linking people to
available benefits to get them over the rough spots; the
correlation between the time spent homeless and going
into foster care; and PTSD suffered by homeless children.
Joseph Rosa discussed the importance of the RAP Program
to him; his disabilities; the need for stability; and he
hoped the program would continue.
Julie DeRose, St. Joseph Center, discussed their work
with the homeless; outreach; emergency housing; Streets
to Home; the RAP Program; she noted that they use
resources from other programs, not just Culver City; and
she urged the City to find resources to continue
programming.
Christine Mirasy-Glasco, Upward Bound, thanked the City
Council for previous support; discussed the importance of
the RAP Program; she noted that the costs of not doing
anything were high; she urged the City to continue the
investment already made; discussed assessing families in
the program; being proactive to help people move on to
other programs; and she suggested a transition period to
allow the families to plan.
Vice Chair O'Leary discussed the way Upward Bound works.
Jene Blount, Upward Bound, provided background on herself
and her experiences with Upward Bound and the Culver City
Rental Assistance Program, and she asked that the program
be continued so that she can continue to move forward.
Cary Anderson discussed his previous service on the
Homelessness Committee; efforts of other cities to use
meter revenue to fund homeless programs; panhandlers;
donation containers; fundraising; and allocating a
percentage of recycling profits to the homeless.
Goran Eriksson, Chair of the Finance Advisory Committee
(FAC), discussed the purpose and formation of the
committee; the dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency; September 22, 2014
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the RAP program; permanent recipients; recommendations of
the Committee; and automatic increases to CALPERS costs.
Discussion ensued between Board Members and Mr. Eriksson
regarding the FAC support of the program; concern with
financing the RAP program out of the General Fund; the
specialized nature of the program; other funding sources;
and the Saint Joseph's program.
Debbie Wallace, Culver City Homelessness Committee,
discussed the Upward Bound Program to address
homelessness and ending homelessness.
Michelle Weiner thanked the City for addressing the
issue; discussed the RAP program; the work of the FAC;
moving some of the funds away from safety and protection;
taking on a little more risk to provide assistance for
others; shifting priorities; looking at solutions in
advance; allowing time for people to make adjustments;
looking ahead to increasing numbers of homeless; looking
for long-term solutions; and using the internet to
connect people with resources with people with need.
Jeremy Green, Management Analyst, read written comments
submitted by:
April Canete
Karla Meeks
Kelly Kent Marin
Discussion ensued between staff and Board Members
regarding City Council interest in a linkage fee; funding
an expenditure to analyze the possibility of a linkage
fee; assessing the potential funds that could be
generated; costs for a full-blown study; a matrix for
decision making; the analysis; continuing to fund
existing programs; programs and services; public/private
partnerships; middle ground; costs to prevent homeless
children; lost opportunity costs; the commitment made
with passage of the sales tax; what would be cut by
taking funds out of the General Fund; City Council
priorities for services provided; core priorities;
illustrating what a $100,000 cut would mean to each
department; clarification that there are non-renewals;
the exemption for the elderly and disabled; clarification
that Upward Bound generally does not work with the
elderly and the disabled; density bonuses; the feeling September 22, 2014
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that the Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Department usually bears the brunt of cuts; programs
created by former City Councils without permanent funding
sources; current program participants; legal and moral
obligations; not taking on any new participants; support
for Upward Bound; the legal standing of the City; a
suggestion to work with the League of California Cities
Legislative Action Committee to author a new bill to move
funding; having the FAC study all programs in jeopardy
rather than just the RAP program; legal issues; the
clause that the benefits are available only as long as
funds are available; the program contract; clarification
that there is no legal obligation to provide the
services; construction in the City; fiscal management;
the reserve; staff cut-backs; sacrifices made during the
recession; the importance of balance; meeting the needs
of those who cannot afford high rent; looking at possible
solutions; leveraging funding from different sources;
appreciation for people who came to speak on the matter;
and the closing of the trailer park.
The City Council/Housing Authority Board provided general
direction to the City Manager/Executive Director for him
to review this issue in more detail, including supporting
his recommendation to hire a consultant to review the
concept of a linkage fee, and to return to the City
Council/Housing Authority Board with the additional
information at a future meeting.
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Public Comment for Items NOT on the Agenda
None.
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Items from Housing Authority Board Members
None.
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Adjournment
September 22, 2014
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There being no further business, at 10:50 p.m., the Housing
Authority Board adjourned its meeting to Monday, October
13, 2014 at 7:00 PM.
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___________________________________________________________
Martin R. Cole
SECRETARY of the Culver City Housing Authority Board
Culver City, California
APPROVED
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Meghan Sahli-Wells
CHAIR of the Culver City Housing Authority Board
Culver City, California