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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-30-2004 Public Hearing TOWN OF GROTON – PUBLIC HEARING 2004 SMALL CITIES PROGRAM TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2004, 7:00PM AT THE TOWN HALL, 101 CONGER BOULEVARD Those present: Glenn E. Morey, Supervisor Donald F. Scheffler, Councilman Richard B. Gamel, Councilman Ellard L. Sovocool, Councilman Absent: Sheldon C. Clark, Councilman Also present: Duane Randall, Aimee Randall, April Scheffler Supervisor Morey opened the Public Hearing at 7:00 PM. The Town Clerk read the Public Notice, which was duly published in the Town’s legal paper, the Groton Independent, on March 23, 2004. Duane Randall, Construction Coordinator for Better Housing for Tompkins County – The Town is applying to the New York State Governor’s Office for Small Cities for the funding to assist 17-19 families by providing housing rehabilitation, repairs valued between $5,000 and $25,000, to the residences of qualified homeowners within the Town of Groton. The Town would contract with Better Housing for Tompkins County, Inc. to provide the services to Town residents. Homes must need more than $5,000 in rehabilitation. Examples of projects include roof repair or replacement, wells, septic, electrical work, plumbing and heating systems. Taxes must be paid up to date and homeowners must be low-income, as defined by HUD. Low income is a family size of one with an annual gross income of no higher than $33,150 and it goes on up to eight people with an annual income of $62,500. Funding for repairs will be provided through a no-interest, diminishing-balance loan made to the homeowner. A percentage of the loan is forgiven every year. The balance is paid off in five years. As long as the homeowner doesn’t move for five years following the repairs, the entire loan is forgiven. Repayment of the remaining balance is due only if the homeowner does sell the home and moves before the five years is completed. In addition, homeowners are required to sign a property maintenance agreement, which requires them to keep up any improvements that were funded by the grant. Better Housing will be offering classes in home maintenance and repairs that will be available to participants of this program as well as those who benefited from past grants who will be Town Board Public Hearing Page 2 March 30, 2004 interested in joining. In addition, the Construction Staff will be available to advise homeowners as needed with information on how to maintain the improvements that the grant provides. The State will announce the successful grant winners in the late summer of 2004. If granted, the Town and Better Housing will be able to begin helping Groton families in late fall of 2004. As a result, in the last few weeks, myself and Bob Hunt have personally gone on every road in Groton and looked at every house in Groton with a windshield survey. There is certainly still a major need out there. We’ve certainly made a dent in that need but there is still so much more. To date we’ve done basically 81 houses. From the application process, the “pre-aps”, we’ve got in the database over 200 applications on the waiting list in the Town of Groton. In the representative sample of residents, 18 houses on the caseload, the distribution is across very low, low and moderate incomes. Exact priority of order that assistance is offered will be decided by the oversight committee once the award notice is made. If households on the caseload, 17 households meet GOSC’s definition of severely substandard, one was moderately substandard. There were 5 elderly households in the caseload, 7 households with disabled people; and three large families. Houses that are considered in standard condition have no critical or major structural defects, have adequate plumbing facilities and their appearance does not create a blighting influence. This condition requires no more than observable, normal maintenance. Substandard housing units have one or more major and/or critical structural defects but can still be repaired for a reasonable amount. The degree of substandard is either moderate or severe according to the number of defects and the degree of deficiency. Moderate substandard are housing units that have less than three major defects and can be restored to a standard condition for a reasonable cost. Severely substandard houses have three or more major defects or at least one critical defect that can be restored to a standard condition for a reasonable cost. Mr. Randall was thanked for his presentation. There being no more discussion, Councilman Sovocool moved to close the Public Hearing, seconded by Councilman Gamel, at 7:11 PM. Ayes - Sovocool, Scheffler, Gamel, Morey Following the Public Hearing discussion took place concerning the resignation of the cleaner. Councilmen Gamel and Scheffler, in charge of buildings, had discussed the situation with Clerk Scheffler and Rick Case. Ideas brought up included hiring a person to clean and also do maintenance, hiring a professional cleaning company, or having a cleaning company come in once or twice a year and having an individual do the day-to-day cleaning. It was the consensus of the Board that a committee of Councilmen Gamel and Scheffler, Clerk Scheffler, and Rick Case should look at options, research costs, possibly rethink the job description, think about who th this person will work under and come back to report to the Board at the April 13 Board Meeting. There being no further business, Councilman Sovocool moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilman Gamel, at 7:39 PM. Unanimous April L. Scheffler Town Clerk