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HRA Meeting <br />Minutes – Tuesday, May 15, 2012 <br />Page 3 <br />1 <br />Member Majerus suggested that the Strategic Plan not be too narrow, with the intent to <br />2 <br />“create” and “maintain high quality” housing options enough, with “unique” and “invest” <br />3 <br />being too restrictive. Member Majerus suggested similar revisions to the Heading for Goal III <br />4 <br />5 <br />Chair Maschka concurred with Member Majerus’ observation; noting that there were other <br />6 <br />ways to achieve the same goal. <br />7 <br />8 <br />Goal III – Create, and Maintain High-Quality, Sustainable Single-Family <br />Invest,Unique, <br />9 <br />Housing Options <br />10 <br />Ms. Raye duly noted Member Majerus proposed changes to the title, removing “invest” and <br />11 <br />“unique,” to allow more flexibility. <br />12 <br />13 <br />Chair Maschka sought to ensure that Member Lee’s idea of neighborhoods was incorporated <br />14 <br />into Goal II and/or Goal III. <br />15 <br />16 <br />Ms. Raye responded that it was actually incorporated into Goal IV. <br />17 <br />18 <br />Chair Maschka questioned if the HRA wanted to concentrate on rehabilitating housing stock, <br />19 <br />as it had done so somewhat unsuccessfully in the past. <br />20 <br />21 <br />Ms. Kelsey responded that the previous program was the Senior Regeneration Program <br />22 <br />concentrating on rehabilitation of existing homes. Ms. Kelsey referenced her discussions with <br />23 <br />staff at the City of Richfield, and their success with purchasing one home in a neighborhood <br />24 <br />and realizing the reinvestment of other private homes in the neighborhood, affecting the entire <br />25 <br />neighborhood. Ms. Kelsey clarified that the intent was to demolish an existing home and make <br />26 <br />the lot available for infill, with the City (HRA) not getting into rehabilitation itself. <br />27 <br />28 <br />Member Majerus questioned if the HRA would foster demolition and infill or do it itself; with <br />29 <br />Chair Maschka opining that each situation could have different circumstances. <br />30 <br />31 <br />Mr. Trudgeon reminded the Board that interviews and discussions with various stakeholders <br />32 <br />had indicated a strong suggestion that the HRA start using the “R” for redevelopment in the <br />33 <br />HRA’s title. Mr. Trudgeon noted that, as the proposed Strategic Plan filtered up to the City <br />34 <br />Council, any controversy would be clearly identified at that level. However, Mr. Trudgeon <br />35 <br />noted that staff had heard from the majority of the Board that the “redevelopment” step was the <br />36 <br />next step. <br />37 <br />38 <br />Member Majerus opined that the HRA Board needed to make it clear to the City Council their <br />39 <br />intended to head in that direction to get their participation and support. <br />40 <br />41 <br />Member Lee noted that this was just one tool in the toolbox. <br />42 <br />43 <br />Ms. Kelsey clarified that, while the City may not recoup 100% of the cost of a lot and home <br />44 <br />demolition under this concept, the City would benefit from increased property taxes, not <br />45 <br />directly reflected in the HRA Budget, but in the City’s Budget as it was further evaluated. <br />46 <br />47 <br />Ms. Raye clarified that the intent was not for the HRA to supplant the market; with Chair <br />48 <br />Maschka noting that this would apply to homes that were beyond rehabilitation and needing to <br />49 <br />be demolished for the benefit of the neighborhood and the community as a whole. <br />50 <br />51 <br />Goal #IV- Prevent and Eliminate Blight on Individual Properties, <br />Physical and Social <br />52 <br />Neighborhoods and the Entire Communities <br />53 <br />While understanding the definition of “physical” blight, Member Quam requested a definition <br />54 <br />of “social” blight. <br />55 <br /> <br />