The Fall River Housing Authority held its annual meeting on January 14, 2019, covering routine administrative business, property modernizations, contract approvals, and executive personnel decisions. During public input, resident Walter Pascal raised serious fire safety and health concerns regarding a neighbor repeatedly violating the no-smoking policy in an apartment building. Executive Director Timothy Barrow noted management was actively addressing the issue with meetings scheduled to resolve tenant complaints.
The board advanced multiple procurement and modernization projects, including ratifying an Anderson Corporation window purchase, approving substantial completion of kitchen upgrades under the 2016 Capital Fund Program, and granting permission to re-advertise the sale of surplus properties on Morgan Street after the previous bidder withdrew. The board also authorized contracts for integrated pest management, on-call painting not to exceed $25,000, on-call cement and asphalt work not to exceed $25,000, and Section 8 consulting services with Gail Dubois and Diane Cohen not to exceed $9,000. Additionally, commissioners approved a wage increase addendum and 90-day extension for RBI Security and granted an easement to National Grid at Maple Gardens.
In personnel and organizational actions, the board approved a public housing transfer policy revision designed to improve occupancy rates. Commissioners ratified Attorney Michael Sullivan as the agency’s ADA and Fair Housing Coordinator, authorized advertising for a Deputy Executive Director of Finance and Leased Housing with a salary range of $115,000 to $130,000, approved a new three-year contract for Executive Director Timothy Barrow by unanimous roll-call vote, and voted unanimously to retain all current board officers for 2019.
Topics discussed
- 1:00 · Public Input: Smoking Policy Enforcement — approved
Resident Walter Pascal described smoking violations and fire hazards in his building, requesting stronger policy enforcement. - 4:08 · Review of Financial and Materials Spending — approved
Management highlighted elevated expenditures across federal programs for carpentry and plumbing materials. - 5:05 · Modernization and Capital Fund Projects — approved
Approval granted for Anderson window procurement and sign-off on substantial completion of kitchen upgrades. - 5:42 · Annual Election of Housing Authority Officers — approved
Unanimous vote to maintain the current slate of Housing Authority board officers for 2019. - 6:04 · Annual and Five-Year Agency Plans — approved
Discussion of the 2019 agency plan submission following resident meetings, a public hearing, and mayoral sign-off. - 7:08 · Disposal of Surplus Property on Morgan Street — approved
Discussion on re-advertising properties at 271 Morgan Street after bidder withdrawal, working under DHCD oversight. - 8:45 · Maintenance and Operational Contracts — approved
Approval of contracts and bids for pest control, painting services, concrete repairs, and Section 8 efficiency consulting. - 9:11 · Approval to advertise a 3-to-5-year contract for integrated pest management services — approved
- 9:40 · Award of a one-year on-call painting services contract to All Phase Property Maintenance not to exceed $25,000 — approved
- 10:12 · Award of a one-year on-call cement and asphalt services contract to Industrial Concrete Solutions not to exceed $25,000 — approved
- 11:11 · Ratification of utility easement granted to National Grid at Maple Gardens — approved
- 11:15 · Public Housing Tenant Transfer Policy — approved
Revision of the transfer schedule to move in more outside applicants to increase HUD occupancy figures. - 13:05 · Security Contractor Wage Adjustment — approved
Approval to increase RBI Security’s hourly rate by $1.21 to offset state minimum wage increases while extending their contract term. - 17:07 · Approval and ratification of out-of-state travel for commissioners and staff to the NERC/NAHRO Winter Conference at Mohegan Sun — approved
- 17:14 · Staff Appointments and Executive Search Committee — approved
Appointments for internal positions and authorization to advertise for a Deputy Executive Director of Finance and Leased Housing. - 17:37 · Ratification of appointment for temporary warehouse worker and maintenance custodian — approved
- 18:26 · Ratification of Attorney Michael Sullivan as ADA/Fair Housing Coordinator — approved
- 19:39 · Approval to advertise for Deputy Executive Director for Finance and Leased Housing at 40 hours per week and salary range of $115,000 to $130,000 — approved
- 19:50 · Executive Director Contract Renewal — approved
Approval of a three-year contract renewal for Executive Director Timothy Barrow. - 20:15 · Approval of a three-year contract for Executive Director Timothy Barrow — approved
- 21:19 · Election of the current slate of Housing Authority board officers to remain in office for 2019 — approved