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>>> WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, WE WEREN'T
ABLE TO GET A FULL HOUSE OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD GROUP HERE.
I WANT TO WELCOME ROSE HARRINGTON, THIS IS YOUR FIRST
MEETING WITH CITY COUNCIL. JUST KEEP YOUR EYE ON THAT GUY
RIGHT OVER THERE AND EVERYTHING WILL BEá-- WE'LL BE OKAY.
WHY DON'T I CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AND THEN AGAIN WELCOME ALL
THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO BE WITH US TODAY.
APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE. MR.áMONTGOMERY, ARE YOU PREPARED
TO TAKE THE LEAD HERE? >> MR.áMAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE
COUNCIL, WE'D LIKE TO COVER TWO TOPICS TODAY.
THE FIRST TOPIC WOULD BE BUDGET CHALLENGES THAT NRHA WILL BE
FACING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SECONDLY, WE WANT TO GIVE AN
OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF THE CNI GRANT OF WHICH I KNOW BOTH
THESE TOPICS ARE BOTH IMPORTANT TO OUR BOARD AND TO THE COUNCIL.
WHAT LIED LIKE TO DO IS REVIEWá-- I'D LIKE TO DO IS
REVIEW WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION THAT
UPDATES YOU SINCE OUR LAST MEETING IN MARCH AND ALSO TALK
ABOUT SOME SHORT-TERM CHALLENGES WE FACE CURRENTLY IN THIS YEAR
AND ALSO TRY TO GIVE YOU A LOOK AT SOME FUTURE YEARS.
OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE WITH US TODAY, WE HAVE A COUPLE THAT HAD
CONFLICTING SCHEDULES THAT COULDN'T BE WITH US, BUT THOSE
THAT ARE WITH US TODAY, I'M SURE WILL TAKE BACK FOR OUR NEXT
MEETING THE DISCUSSION OF TODAY'S MEETING.
NRHA, AS YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO CREATED A STRATEGIC PLAN
WHERE WE CREATED A VISION AND A MISSION FOR THE ORGANIZATION,
INCLUDING FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS. THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR OF THAT
STRATEGIC PLAN. THIS CURRENT YEAR, WE PLAN ON
UPDATING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS AND THAT WILL
BE UNDERWAY VERY SHORTLY WITH THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
JUST TO UPDATE YOU, IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR IN MARCH, WE
WERE EXPECTING SOME BUDGET REDUCTIONS OVERALL BECAUSE OF
FEDERAL CUTS TO THE BUDGET. AS YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO, OUR
BUDGET WAS APPROXIMATELY 103áMILLION AND IT PRESENTLY IS
$89áMILLION. AND OUR VARIOUS PROGRAMS THAT
WE'VE HAD THROUGH 2012 AND 2013, THIS INDICATES THAT MOST OF OUR
PROGRAMS, AGAIN, ARE REDUCTIONS IN FEDERAL HUD GRANTS TO NRHA.
EXPENDITURES GENERALLY ABOUT 80% OF OUR BUCKET NOW DIRECTED TO
OUR PUBLIC HOUSING AND ASSISTED HOUSING PROGRAMS, AND ABOUT 16%
GOES TO DEVELOPMENT ON A CITY WIDE BASIS.
SOME OF THE SHORT-TERM CHALLENGES.
LAST YEAR IN MARCH, WE DID TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE ACTIONS THAT
WE FELT WERE NECESSARY TO REDUCE THE $4áMILLION BUDGET DEFICIT,
WHICH INCLUDED THE REDUCTION OF 23 FULL-TIME POSITIONS WITH THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY. WE REQUESTED FULL FUNDING OF
CITY NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH THE COUNCIL APPROPRIATED IN THE
BUDGET FOR 2013, AND WE ALSO ASKED FOR A GENERAL INCREASE OF
ABOUT $450,000 FROM THE CITY TO HELP SUPPORT OUR INITIATIVES,
WHICH WAS ALSO APPROVED IN THE BUDGET.
NRHA, ALSO TO CLOSE THE $4áMILLION GAP, IT ALLOWED
2.2áMILLION FROM VARIOUS RESERVES AND OPERATING FUNDS AND
REVENUES GENERATED BY THE AUTHORITY TO CLOSE THAT
$4áMILLION GAP, SO I THINK THIS WAS A TRUE EFFORT, A PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO MEET THAT
$4áMILLION DEFICIT. ONE OF THE OTHER PIECES THAT WE
TALKED ABOUT WAS WHAT COULD WE DO TO INCREASE THE RELATIONSHIP
ESSENTIALLY WORKING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND ONE OF THE FIRST
GOALS THAT WE HAD TALKED TO COUNCIL ABOUT WAS APPROVINGá--
IMPROVING ON OUR COMMUNICATIONS. THOSE COMMUNICATIONS HAVE
OCCURRED. I THINK THE CITY MANAGER
REPORTED A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITH SHARED
SERVICES AND WORKING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND BELIEVE
ME, THOSE COMMUNICATIONS COULD NOT BE BETTER THAN THEY ARE
TODAY. THERE'S A NUMBER OF
COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON AND CONTINUE TO GO ON BETWEEN
CITY DEPARTMENTS, ESPECIALLY PUBLIC WORKS AND PLANNING, PARKS
AND REC AND OPEN SPACE, AND OTHERS IN THE CITY, WHICH IS
VITAL TO OUR COMMUNICATION ROLES.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF SHARED SERVICES THAT HAS BEEN TALKED
ABOUT AND ALSO IMPLEMENTED. SOME OF THE VERY LARGE ONES IS
IN RELATION TO PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, THE ACQUISITION AND
DEMOLITION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY.
ALSO, THIS PAST YEAR, AS WE COMMITTED TO CLEANING UP A LOT
OF ACCOUNTING PROCESSES, RETURNED APPROXIMATELY
$4.8áMILLION TO CDBG AND CIP PROJECTS THAT WERE COMPLETE AND
THESE WERE FUND BALANCES RETURNED TO THE CITY FOR
REAPPROPRIATION. ALSO, WE BOUGHT INTO THE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CITY.
OUR MEMBERS OF STAFF WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH CITY TEAMS BOTH ON
STEERING COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES.
FUTURE BUDGET CHALLENGES WE SEE COMING OUR WAY.
ONE OF THE LARGE GRANTS, THE CDBG, WHICH WE'VE BEEN VERY
INSTRUMENTAL IN IMPLEMENTING THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY,
AS YOU CAN SEE, THOSE FUNDS CONTINUED TO DWINDLE, PARTIALLY
ON THE NRHA PERSPECTIVE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL FUNDS THAT
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE EACH YEAR, AND THAT'S NOT BASED UPON
ANYTHING OTHER THAN FEDERAL REDUCTIONS OF THE PROGRAM.
ALSO, THE HOME PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR US TO REHAB
HOUSES ACROSS THE CITY, JUST FROM A PERSPECTIVE THAT SEVERAL
OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL RECALL, THE PROGRAM WAS BROUGHT
ABOUT IN 1992 AND SO SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE ASSISTED OVER 600
FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS IN THE CITY, AND THE OTHER PIECE OF
GOOD NEWS IS THAT THOSE THAT CAME THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, WE'VE
ONLY LOOKED AT ABOUT 5% FORECLOSURES OUT OF THOSE
NUMBERS AND THAT'S VERY GOOD, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT THE
ECONOMY AND HOME CLOSURES UNDER FORECHOESH INSURE ACROSS THE
CITYá-- FORECLOSURE ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
75áMILLION WAS THE PRODUCT OF THAT COMMITMENT AND, AGAIN, YOU
CAN SEE THAT THE CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM
IS ALMOST DECREASED BY ALMOST 50% OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NOTE BOTH TO US AND TO THE CITY UTILIZING
FUNDS OVER THE LAST 20-PLUS YEARS.
ALSO, WE WANT TO SHOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS.
WE TALKED IN MARCH ABOUT WHAT WE WERE ACTUALLY DOING IN 2012 IN
THESE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, AND AS YOU WILL SEE, WHERE WE'RE
TAKING THE HIT IS ACQUISITION MONEY, DEMOLITION OF STRUCTURES.
WE SEEM TO BE PREPARING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DEVELOPING MORE
HOMES, A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THAT.
REHAB ASSISTANCE IS DOWN SOMEWHAT BECAUSE THE FEDERAL
FUND REDUCTION, HOMEBUYERS ASSISTANCE, WE'RE STILL WORKING
WITH A NUMBER OF FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO GET THEM
IN HOMES, AND WE ALSO SHOWED, OF THOSE NET DECREASES, 23
POSITIONS, TEN OF THOSE WERE IN THE DEVELOPMENT STAFF AREA.
SO WE CONTINUE TO SEE REDUCTIONS AGAIN AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND
THE STAFF CAPACITY WE HAVE PRESENTLY TO WORK ON THESE
PROGRAMS IS REDUCED, SO THE WORKLOAD IS CONSIDERABLE ALSO.
>> SHURL. >> YES, SIR.
[ INAUDIBLE COMMENTS ] >> DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE
BACKLOG IS ON REQUESTS? >> WE HAVEá-- FOR INSTANCE,
MAYOR, ONE OF THE AREAS IS REHAB ASSISTANCE.
TYPICALLY WHEN THE FISCAL YEAR STARTS JULY 1, IF WE DO 30
REHABS, THEY'RE ALL ASSIGNED RIGHT AWAY.
THERE'S A LIST THAT STARTS TO BUILD ON A CITYWIDE BASIS, SO
TYPICALLY, WE'RE ABOUT PROBABLY DOUBLE THE WORKLOAD FROM WHAT WE
DO. >> IF YOU'RE DOING 90, YOU COULD
DO 180 IF YOU HAD THE MONEY. >> YES.
>> AND THE HOMEBUYERS ASSISTANCE, THAT'S JUST THE
MAGNITUDE OF HOW SHORT THE FUNDS ARE.
>> VERY. >> WHERE DOES THE EMERGENCY
GRANT FALL IN HERE? >> THAT IS UNDER THE REHAB
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. AND THAT'S ANOTHER ONE FOR
REPAIRS TO THE HOUSES THAT I KNOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
THAT'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM
FALLS SHORT. WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, THE
FOCUS ON WHAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON HOPEFULLY AS FUNDS ARE
REALIZED TO MOVE FORWARD, BOTH FROM OUR BOARD'S ACTIONS AND
CITY COUNCIL, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY
THAT WE CONTINUE TO AT LEAST HAVE ON A WORK PROGRAM AND
IDENTIFYING RESOURCES TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE
CITY. AS YOU KNOW, CENTRAL BRAMBLETON,
MIDTOWN AND PARK PLACE HAS BEEN ON NRHA'S WORK PROGRAM FOR MORE
THAN 30 YEARS MANY TIMES, AND, OF COURSE, THE SUPPORT THAT WE
WORK ON PROJECTS IN EAST OCEAN VIEW REDEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING
EAST BEACH, CONTINUES. 5th TO 7th BAY IS A, AS YOU'RE
AWARE, IS A PARCEL THAT IS PREPARED AND READY FOR SOME
REDEVELOPMENT IDEAS AND WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THE DEMOLITION OF SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES HAS BECOME A PRIORITY OF
THE WILLOUGHBY COMMUNITY AND OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS,
WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS ON DEMOLITION AND ALSO NEW HOUSING
CONSTRUCTION IN WILLOUGHBY. ON OUR OWN PROPERTY AT GRANBY
VILLAGE, AS AN EXAMPLE, COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED WITH OUR BOARD
PUTTING 16 NEW APARTMENT BUILDINGS ON THE GRANBY
PROPERTY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY NOW.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO COMPLETE THE FUNDING MECHANISM FOR
PARTREA FOR ADDING 47 UNITS OF NEW APARTMENTS, WHICH IS ALSO
LOCATED ON NRHA PROPERTY. >> SHURL.
>> YES, SIR. >> IN THE GRANDY VILLAGE, THE
OPERATION OF PROJECT WE HAVE GOING ON, HOW WILL THE
DEMOGRAPHICS CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE AGE OF CHILDREN AND SENIORS
AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, HOW ARE THE DIFFERENT CHANGES AND
ALSO WILL THESE PARTICULAR APARTMENTS BE AT MARKET RATES?
>> YEAH, THESE UNITS WILL BEá-- IT WILL BE AT AN ASSISTED LEVEL,
NOT QUITE MARKET, BUT IT WILL BE HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL
ASSISTANCE RENTAL UNITS. THE IMPACT WE SEE IN THE
COMMUNITY, THERE IS A SENIOR COMPONENT THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
PART OF OUR PLAN, WHICH IS IN THE OUT YEARS, IS TO ADD A
SENIOR FACILITY ONSITE WHERE THOSE SENIORS COULD RESIDE.
WE STILL FEEL THAT THERE CONTINUE TO BE FAMILIES, FAMILY
SIZE RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 2.5 PER UNIT IN THE FAMILY.
SO WE DON'T SEE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF FAMILIES CHANGING.
SENIORS, AS WE ALL KNOW, THAT AGE GROUP CONTINUES TO INCREASE,
BUT ALSO A PART OF THE PLAN IS TO HAVE SOME SENIOR HOUSING
THERE. ALSO, IN VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS,
OF COURSE, BROAD CREEK, WHICH HAS BEEN A MATTER PROPOSED BY
OUR BOARD, THE COUNCIL AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE'RE REVISITING
THE MASTER PLAN FOR BROAD CREEK, ESPECIALLY WHERE RECENTLY NRHA
REMOVED 136 SITES FROM MOTON AND THE REMOVAL OF THOSE HAS GIVEN
US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD NEW HOUSING THERE AND THOSE PLANNING
EFFORTS GO ON, AS A MATTER OF FACT, LATER THIS MONTH WE HAVE A
WORK SESSION IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE 22nd AND 23rd OF OCTOBER TO
START SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, AND THAT AGAIN IS JOINTLY WITH
THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY ON THAT.
ALSO, WE'RE WORKING WITH CITY ON A CONCEPT AT OAKMONT NORTH TO
POSSIBLY ADD SOME NEW APARTMENTS THERE, AND THAT AGAIN
INVOLVESá-- AND I SEE THAT HOPEFULLY COMING ABOUT THIS
COMING YEAR. CURRENTLY, COUNCIL IS AWARE THAT
WE'RE WORKING AS THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE MONROE
BUILDING. THAT'S GOING VERY WELL AND,
AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO OPEN FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR ON THAT
PROJECT. CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS, WE'RE
GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THAT AS THE SECOND PART OF OUR
PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON, AND WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT BOTH THE
PLANNING GRANT THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF
A TRANSFORMATION PLAN AFTER THAT ALSO, COVER THAT IN A FEW
MINUTES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED
TO HIGHLIGHT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S WORK, ESPECIALLY
CURRENTLY, THIS IS THE 2010 POVERTY MAP OF THE CITY SHOWING
US THE DENSITIES OF RATES OF POVERTY ON A CITYWIDE BASIS.
THE AREAS OUTLINED WITH A BLACK OUTLINE WHICH ARE 5s ARE PUBLIC
HOUSING COMMUNITIES. MOST OF OUR ASSISTED HOUSING,
PUBLIC HOUSING, AND INITIATIVES GENERALLY LAND IN THESE HIGH
POVERTY AREAS, SO THE WORK OF NRHA OCCURS IN THESE HIGH
POVERTY AREAS ON A CITYWIDE BASIS AND WE ALL KNOW FROM THE
ACTIVITIES BOTH IN THE COMMUNITY AND BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND
THE CITY, THAT THESE HIGH POVERTY AREAS ARE AREAS OF
SPECIAL INTEREST TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN.
>> HOW MUCH OF OUR FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES COME
FROM HUD AND HOW MUCH DOES THE CITY CONTRIBUTE TO THAT?
>> PUBLIC HOUSING FUNDS IS APPROXIMATELY CLOSE TO 100% FROM
HUD. >> HUD.
>> YES, SIR. >> OKAY.
>> THE PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND, I WANT TO TALK GENERALLY
ABOUT THAT. THE BULLETS REALLY TELL THE
STORY. THERE'S OVER 3500 FAMILIES THAT
WE ASSIST IN OUR 12 COMMUNITIES. AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD AS YOU CAN
SEE, $8400 IS A VERY LOW NUMBER AS FAR AS AN INCOME, AND WE
PRESENTLY HAVE A COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR
THESE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR TURNOVER
RATE IS PROBABLY LESS THAN 2% A YEAR IN PUBLIC HOUSING, AND
THERE'S BEEN NO NEW PUBLIC HOUSING BUILT GENERALLY AROUND
THE COUNTRY. PUBLIC HOUSING BY ACTIONS OF
CONGRESS BASICALLY IS BEING DONE AWAY WITH AND ALL THESE OTHER
OPTIONS FOR FUNDING HOUSING PROGRAMS IS COMING FORWARD WITH
FUNDS FROM HUD AND SO FORTH. SO EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS
GENERATE A NEED TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR THOSE THAT NEED IT,
BUT ALSO FALLS VERY SHORT OF THE FUNDING THAT'S NECESSARY.
>> SHURL, POINT OUT ALSO THAT WE TEND TO MANAGE OUR WAITING LIST,
IT'S NOT ALWAYS OPEN, SO IT'S NOT AS IFá-- WHEN YOU REPORT
NUMBERS LIKE THIS, THIS IS THE TOTAL DEMAND.
THIS IS THE DEMAND THAT WE'VE ALLOWED, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO
NOTE. SO IT'S NOT TOTAL DEMAND.
>> IT'S ALLOWED DEMAND. >> RIGHT.
>> AND WE'LL CLOSE THE LIST AND NOBODY CANá--
>> AND THERE'S INDIVIDUALS THAT BOTH APPLIED FOR WAITING LISTS
FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND SECTION 8, AND ALSO APPLY IN OTHER
CITIES ON GET ON AS MANY LISTS AS THEY CAN JUST TO TRY TO
OBTAIN HOUSING, AND THEN THERE'S A KIND OF A REVIEW PROCESS THAT
GOES THROUGH THAT HAS TO REVIEW ALL THE APPLICATIONS, SEE IF
THEY'RE QUALIFIED AND SO FORTH BY INCOME, SO IT'S A PRETTY
ARDUOUS PROCESS ALSO WHEN YOU OPEN A WAITING LIST.
YOU MAY HAVE 100 OR 200 PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO
LOCATE, BUT ONLY MAYBE WHEN YOU FINISH THE PROCESS, 50 OF THEM
QUALIFY AND THEN THOSE ARE HOUSED WITH THE VACANCIES.
>> AND THE SAME THING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IT GOES BACK
TO THE MAYOR'S QUESTION BEFORE WHAT SORT OF THE BACKLOG IN SOME
OF THOSE HOUSING REHAB PROGRAMS AND HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY FRANK
WITH PEOPLE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH
THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE, SO PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO COME
APPLY IF THEY KNOW THERE'S NO MONEY AND THERE'S NO PROSPECT,
OR SOME PEOPLE WON'T COME APPLY, SO IT'S NOT TRUE DEMAND WHEN WE
LOOK AT NUMBERS OF BACKLOG. IT'S SORT OF WHAT I CALL MANAGED
DEMAND. >> SHURL, ARE YOU GOING TO TELL
USá-- [ INAUDIBLE COMMENTS ]
>> GENERALLY LESS THAN 2% A YEAR.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT TURNOVER GO DOWN BECAUSE FOLKS ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE, SO THEY'RE KIND
OF STAYING PUT. THAT ALSO AFFECTS THEIR MOBILITY
TO MOVE AROUND OR LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS.
>> IS THAT IN THE PUBLIC HOUSING UNIT AS WELL AS SECTION 8
TURNOVER? >> SECTION 8 VOUCHER TURNOVER IS
PROBABLYá-- IS IT ABOUT THE SAME ORá--
>> NO, IT'S NOTá-- >> WE GET AN ATTRITION OF ABOUT
MAYBE TEN A MONTH OF PEOPLE LEAVING THE PROGRAM.
>> THAT'S 120 A YEAR OUT OF ABOUT 2900.
THAT'S A VERY SMALL TURNOVER. THIS IS ONE THAT WE'RE PRESENTLY
WORKING WITH THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ON NOW.
THE CAPITAL FUND FOR OUR PUBLIC HOUSING, WE HAVE SEEN A PRETTY
DRASTIC DECREASE IN CAPITAL FUNDING AS YOU CAN SEE.
TYPICALLY FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS OR SO, IT'S BEEN HOVERING AROUND
$6áMILLION A YEAR. IN '11, IT WENT DOWN TO 5.5 AND
THIS YEAR IT WENT DOWN TO 4.9, AND WE JUST COMPLETED A STUDY OF
ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES, AND THE NUMBER AS
POINTED OUT THERE, 10.7, THAT'S WHAT OUR AGE OF OUR HOUSING
STOCK IS TELLING US WE SHOULD BE COMMITTING TO PUBLIC HOUSING ON
AN ANNUAL BASIS TO KEEP PROPERTIES UP AS FAR AS
MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS AND LIVING CONDITIONS, BOTH INSIDE
AND OUTSIDE THE BUILDINGS. SO WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY IN THOSE
FUNDING AMOUNTS, AND AGAIN, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH OUR BOARD
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS TO GET INTO THIS 20-YEAR PLAN FOR
CAPITAL NEEDS FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.
>> IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE
ARE NOT IN CONSTANT DOLLARS, OR HARD DOLLARS.
THEY'RE NOT INFLATION ADJUSTED, SO WHEN HE SAYS TEN YEARS BACK,
WE'RE GETTING X-AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, THAT'S ONá-- YOU GOT TO
DO THE INFLATION ADJUSTMENT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THE
MONEY HAS COME DOWN, SO ALL THE NUMBERS THAT WE GIVE TO YOU ARE
NOT ANY WAY INFLATION-ADJUSTED, THEY'RE JUST THE REAL NUMBERS IN
TIME. >> BEFORE WE GET TOá-- HOW ARE
WE RATED AS FAR AS HUD IS CONCERNED IN OUR PUBLIC HOUSING
COMMUNITY? >> STANDARD PERFORMER.
>> I'M SORRY? >> STANDARD PERFORMER.
>> SO WHAT'S ABOVE STANDARD? >> HIGH PERFORMER.
>> AND BELOW THAT? >> YOU ARE IN TROUBLE.
>> YES. NOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE GOT
A PRETTY SCATHING REPORT AS FAR AS FOX WAS CONCERNED AND AT THAT
TIME WE WERE BELOW STANDARD? >> YES, FOR THAT PARTICULAR
HOUSING, AND A LOT OF IT IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE AGE OF THE
HOUSING COMMUNITY AND THE LACK OF CAPITAL MONEY TO MAKE CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS. >> SO WE JUST PUT
20-SOMEáMILLION DOLLARS INTO THE FUND AT THAT TIME.
>> AND WE'VE PUT $6áMILLION A YEAR OVERALL IN ALL 12 PUBLIC
HOUSING COMMUNITIES. >> LET ME POINT SOMETHING OUT
ABOUT THAT, COUNCILMAN RIDDICK, BECAUSE IT FRUSTRATED US A LOT
AT THE BOARD LEVEL. >> WE'VE GOTá-- WE ARE NOT
WITHOUT OUR PROBLEMS IN VARIOUS PLACES.
DICKS PARK WAS AN EXAMPLE WHERE WE WERE DOING AN ARRA PROJECT
AND WE WERE TEARING I WANT THEá-- TEARING UP THE ROADS AND
RENOVATING AND SO FORTH, BUT WE GOT MARKED DOWN BECAUSE WE WERE
TEARING UP THE ROADS TO REBUILD THEM, LITERALLY.
WE GOT MARKED UP BECAUSE THE HALLWAY WAS TORN UP BECAUSE WE
WERE PUTTING NEW STUFF IN THERE. I'M NOT HERE TO SAY WE DON'T
HAVE ISSUES, BUTá-- AND WE JUST LOOKED IT OVER SOME AT OUR LAST
MEETING, OR NEXT TO LAST BOARD MEETING WHERE WE LOOKED AT OUR
SCORES FOR EVERY SINGLE ENTITY WE'RE INVOLVED WITH, EVERY
HOUSING AREA, AND SOME OF THEM WERE NOT WHERE WE WANT THEM TO
BE, BUT I WILL ALSO TELL YOU THAT IT'S A CRACK IN THE
SIDEWALK THAT'S LIKE THIS TO GET WRITTEN UP.
IF THERE'S SOME GLASS ON THE GROUND FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE AND
IT HAPPENED TO BE, YOU KNOW, NOT AN EXCUSE BUT JUST A FACT, IT
HAPPENED TO BE THE MORNING OF TRASH PICK-UP, LOTS OF STUFF OUT
THERE, SO WE GOT WRITTEN UP FOR THAT.
SOME OF THIS STUFF WE'RE LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THAN OTHER
THINGS. WE TRY TO GET DEEP DOWN IN THE
NUMBERS TO UNDERSTAND REALLY WHAT OUR SITUATION IS, BUT THERE
IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN SOME OF OUR AREAS FOR SURE.
[ INAUDIBLE COMMENTS ] >> SHURL WASN'T THERE, HE WASN'T
THERE AS DIRECTOR AT THE TIME, BUT THEY HAD SPENT ABOUT
6áMILLION OR SO AND SAID THEY HADN'T DONE ANYTHING TO IMPROVE
THE UNITS THEMSELVES. I THINK THAT WAS A PART OF THE
CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF GRADING BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT DONE
ANYTHING TO THE UNITS, BUT THEY HAD SPENT MONEY TO PUT THOSE
FENCES UP, TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 6áMILLION, BUT I RECALL THAT,
AND THENá-- >> AND THE ARRA SITUATION I
MENTIONED WAS ACTUALLY ACROSS THE STREET, BUT IT'S INDICATIVE
OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE BATTLE WITH THAT WE DON'T THINK ARE AS
IMPORTANT AS SOME OTHER THINGS. WE HAVE TO LIVE BY THE RULES
THAT ARE SET. >> ON HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS,
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S OVER 2800 VOUCHERS SERVING ABOUT 6800
RESIDENTS, WHICH IS ABOUT 3% OF THE POPULATION, AND THE AVERAGE
INCOME OF VOUCHER HOLDERS IS $16,419, WHICH IS ABOUT DOUBLE
WHAT THE AVERAGE PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENT'S INCOME IS.
THE WAITING LIST ON THE VOUCHERS, AGAIN, IS A HUGE
NUMBER, AND WE CONTINUE TO FACE DIFFICULTY EVEN WITH FUNDING FOR
THE VOUCHER PROGRAM VERSUS WHAT OUR NEED IS AND WHAT THE COST
IS. ONE OF THE HUGE CHALLENGES FOR
US IS HOW WE MANAGE THE PROGRAM. HUD HAS ACTUALLY GIVEN US MONEY
FOR VOUCHERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT GIVING US MONEY TO MANAGE THE
PROGRAM. THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST DOWN
SIDES RIGHT NOW. THAT'S WHAT IS ABOUT STAFFING
BECAUSE ANY TIME A PERSON'S INCOME CHANGES, ONE IS ADDED OR
DELETED FROM THE FAMILY, THEY HAVE TO COME IN AND SO IT
REQUIRES A LOT MORE ADMINISTRATION NOW OF THESE
INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIOS OF THESE OVER 3,000 INDIVIDUALS, SO IT
DOES TAKE A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK AND, OF
COURSE, THE PAYMENTS THAT ARE DUE TO US FROM HUD, AGAIN, THIS
IS ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE IT'S DECREASED AND THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY HAS SET ASIDE OVER THE YEARS AND WORKED WITH HUD ON
RESERVES ALL THOSE AS WE'VE MENTIONED THAT WERE DEPLETED
THIS YEAR. WE HAVE NO MORE RESERVES TO
COVER ANY CHARGES THAT WE RUN INTO IN THE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE WAITING FOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION ON THE
HOUSING PROGRAM, BOTH FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE VOUCHER SYSTEM,
TO SEE HOW WE STAND UP. IN REGARDS TO MR. RIDDICK'S
QUESTION ABOUT OUR PERFORMANCE, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, OUR
VOUCHER PROGRAM HAS BEEN A HIGH PERFORMER, SO WE FELT THAT THIS
PROGRAM IS WELL-RUN. WE'VE HAD TO MAKE SOME VERY
DIFFICULT CHOICES IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS ABOUT FUNDING THE
PROGRAM AND WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY MORE INDIVIDUALS TO THIS
PROGRAM, AND THE WAITING LIST CONTINUES TO GROW.
THIS CHART DEPICTS THE MOVEMENT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDING.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR NEEDS ARE MUCH GREATER, PROBABLY A
HALFáMILLION DOLLARS, AND THE HALFáMILLION DOLLARS, AGAIN, WE
LOOKED AT SOME OF OUR OWN FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PAY FOR
THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS, WHICH SHOULD BE DIRECTED IN ANOTHER
DIRECTION OTHER THAN WHAT WE HAVE TO SPEND IT ON, BUT IT'S
THE PRIORITY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO FUPD THESE VOUCHERS
TOá-- FUND THESE VOUCHERS TO KEEP THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR
HOMES. SOME OF THE CONTINUING
CHALLENGES, AGAIN, WE SEE THAT A LOT OF THESE SERVICES THAT ARE
ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW, OUR BUDGET IS BALANCED THIS YEAR AT
$89áMILLION. WE KNOW THAT GOING FORWARD, THE
NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS IS REALLY GOING TO SHAPE WHAT KIND OF
ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS WE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT, AND THE
MAIN THING TO STAY WITH OUR MISSION, WE'RE TRYING TO
MAINTAIN OUR CAPACITY TO CONTINUE TO SERVE THOSE THAT WE
SERVE TODAY, INCREASING THOSE SERVICES LOOKS LIKE MISSION
IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE RIGHT NOW BASED ON FUNDING.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, MR.áMAYOR, I'LL BE GLAD TOá--
>> I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. MY FIRST QUESTION IS CONCERNING
THE SECTION 8 VOUCHERS. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T DIRECT
FOLKS WHERE TO LOOKá-- WHERE TO LIVE BASED ON THE VOUCHERS, BUT
YOU DO HAVE PEOPLE TO CALL IN FROM TIME TO TIME, LANDLORDS TO
TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PUT THEIR HOUSE UP AS A
SECTION 8 UNIT. I JUST WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK
THAT YOU GUYS LOOK AT THE POVERTY TRACTS AND MAKE SURE
THAT WHEN FOLKS DO THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING MORE
POVERTYá-- I KNOW WE NEED HOUSING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
WHEN YOU BEGIN TO CONCENTRATE, BEGIN TO CREATE THAT WHEEL ALL
OVER AGAIN IN A DIFFERENT AREA. >> I WISH WE HAD BROUGHTá-- WE
HAVE A SCATTER PLOT OF WHERE OUR SECTION 8 HOUSING IS OR THE
VOUCHERS CHOICE PROGRAM HOUSING IS, THAT'S THE NEWER NAME FOR
THE PROGRAM. IT IS DIVERSE, GEOGRAPHICALLY
DIVERSE. WE CAN SEND YOU A COPY OF THAT.
IT'S RELATIVE TO THAT QUESTION OR THAT POINT, IS PRETTY
IMPRESSIVE HOW DIVERSE IT IS. IT IS NOT CONCENTRATED, NOT NEAR
AS MUCH OBVIOUSLY AS THE PUBLIC HOUSING IS BECAUSE THEY WERE
CONCENTRATED WHEN THEY BUILT THEM.
THEY BUILT THEM ALL IN ONE PLACE BY DEFINITION, BUT YEAH,
ABSOLUTELY. >> MY SECOND QUESTION IS, AS
RELATES TO THE CHALLENGES. YOU GUYS HAVE CHALLENGES THAT
YOU HAVE WITH FUNDING FOR YOUR PUBLIC HOUSING AS RELATES TO THE
RENT. WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE TALKED
ABOUT SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS, EVERY
DOLLARá-- YOU USED TO GET A DOLLAR OR ABOUT 87 CENTS ON THE
DOLLAR THAT YOU GET FROM HUD AND SO EVERY YEAR, YOU'RE GETTING
LESS MONEY, BUT YOU'RE ASKED TO MAINTAIN THE SAME STANDARDS, AND
SO IN TERMS OF YOUR LONG-TERM PLAN, WHETHER IT BE FIVE YEARS
OR TEN YEARS, HOW DO YOU SEE YOU GUYS MITIGATING THAT GAP?
>> WELL, LET ME SAY SOMETHING. SHURL, STOP ME IF I MISSTATE.
WE PROBABLY HAVE TWO MAJOR STRATEGIC ISSUES GOING FORWARD
AND THAT'S ONE OF THEM. AND ANNUALLY, AS YOU KNOW, HUD
DETERMINES HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO RUN A UNIT OR THE NUMBERS OF
UNITS THAT WE HAVE, AND THEY COME UP WITH THAT IRRESPECTIVE
OF US MAKING A DECISION. THEY SAY IT COSTS A DOLLAR TO
RUN THIS UNIT. AND THEN AT SOME POINT IN THE
YEAR, AND THAT'S A KEY SITUATION, AT SOME POINT IN THE
YEAR, AND WE'RE ON A FISCAL YEAR BASIS STARTING JULY, SOME POINT
IN THE YEAR THEY TELL US HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE
US OF THAT DOLLAR TO RUN THE UNIT, AND IT'S NOT ON JULY 1.
IT'S SOMETIMES BEEN THE FOLLOWING CALENDAR YEARS, AS
LATE AS JANUARY, BUT CERTAINLY IT'S MONTHS LATER.
SO WE START THE YEAR OFF KNOWING IT'S GOING TO COST US A DOLLAR
TO RUN THIS MONEY, BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'RE
GOING TO GIVE US UNTIL THEY DECIDE THAT AND IT'S RANGED FROM
94 TO 92 AND WHAT IS IT THIS YEAR?
87, 88, 89? >> 92.
>> 92 THIS YEAR, SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT'S BEEN COMING
DOWN, COMING DOWN, COMING DOWN, BUT IT VARIES.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WITH YOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY, IT DOES
NOT HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL, DOES NOT HAVE THEá-- DOES NOT HAVE
MONIES TO COVER THAT AND WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO RAISE MONEY.
WE DO HAVEá-- WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SQUIRREL AWAY RESERVES OVER
TIME AND YOU HEARD SHURL SAY THAT THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER
RESERVE WAS TAKEN BACK BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SO WE HAD
SOME MONEY THERE TO COVER SITUATIONS, BUT THAT'S GONE.
OUR RESERVES ARE VERY, VERY, VERY SLIM AND WE DO HAVE A
COUPLE OF INCOME-PRODUCING PROPERTIES THAT WE'VE USED TO
HELP OUT THE BUDGET, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, MR.áVICE MAYOR,
THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM FOR THIS CITY.
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN ABILITY TO GENERATE REVENUE.
ALL WE CAN DO IS ASK FOR, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR IT FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR FROM ANOTHER SOURCE, INCLUDING THE
CITY. >> OR, OR, REDUCING THE GAP ON A
SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT APPROACH WHERE WE KNOW THAT REVENUE IS
DECLINING EVERY YEAR AND AT SOME POINT WE GOT TO CREATE A
STRATEGY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT LEVELS OFF THE LOW 90 OR THEY
GIVING US 92% AND EACH YEAR THAT COMES DOWN, BUT WE NEED TO
BUDGET FOR 87% OR 80%, YOU KNOW, FROM THE YEAR BEFORE AND THEY
MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. IF THEY GIVE US MORE, YOU HAVE
MORE TO WORK WITH, BUT YOU GOT A POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT YOU
GOT TO TAKE CARE OF. YOU GOT SENIOR CITIZENS, THESE
FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IN PUBLIC HOUSING FOR 30, 40 YEARS, THAT
YOU CAN'T ASK TO GO TO WORK TOMORROW, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE
CARE OF THEM. YOU HAVE FOLKS WITH DISABILITY
THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF. BUT YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMUNITY
OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE-BODIED, THAT CAN GET UP AND GO TO WORK
EVERY DAY, AND SO WHILE WE MOVE TO THE SITE-BASED PLAN AS WE TRY
TO INTEGRATE THESE COMMUNITIES WITH SOME MODERATE, 20%, 30%,
40% OF AMI, THEN WE CAN START THAT PROCESS OF INSTEAD OF
CHARGING SOMEONE $54 A MONTH FOR RENT, $150 A MONTH FOR RENT,
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE
SENIOR CITIZENS AND THOSE FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES, NOT ONLY HAVE
A PLACE TO STAY, BUT HAVE A DECENT PLACE TO STAY AND SO I
THINK AT SOME POINT, OUR MODEL HAS TO TURN WHEREAS WE ADDRESS
THIS SOONER THAN LATER, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE
GOVERNMENT, AGAIN, IS GIVING LESS MONEY TO DO WHAT YOU GUYS
NEED TO DO, AND SO IT WON'T COME UPON THIS BODY LIKE WE NEVER HAD
THE CONVERSATION, I JUST THINK THAT STRATEGICALLY, WE NEED TO
AGAIN GET OUR CITIZENS READY FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR PUBLIC HOUSING
PROGRAM. JUST LIKEá-- YOU JUST TAKE THE
BROAD CREEK MODEL AS YOU MOVE TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY, PEOPLE THAT
LIVEDá-- THAT WERE 100% OUT OF THE EQUATION, NOW THEY'RE PAYING
SOMETHING INTO THE EQUATION. SO AGAIN, AS LONG AS YOU CREATE
THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND THE RULES UP
FRONT, EARLY ON, A NEW GENERATION OF PEOPLE TO BE ABLE
TO ADAPT TO IT, I THINK THAT WOULD MITIGATE THAT PROBLEM, BUT
I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THAT AND IF YOU NEED
TO BRING IT INTO THIS BODY AND WE NEED TO, AGAIN, ADAPT A
POLICY, BEGIN TO WORK WITH OUR CITIZENS, PUTTING INFRASTRUCTURE
IN PLACE, LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE WHERE PEOPLE CAN
ADAPT AND HAVE A DECENT PLACE TO LIVE 5, 10, 15 YEARS DOWN THE
ROAD, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT.
>> THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, TALKING ABOUT ACQUISITION AND
DEMOLITION AND I APPRECIATE THE MANAGER WORKING WITH NORFOLK
REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY TO LOOK AT REVENUES
BEING SHORT THAT WE, AGAIN, LOOK AT EACH OTHER'S STRENGTHS AND
WORK COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT WHAT NRHA
DOES WELL AND WHAT THE CITY DOES WELL AND, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO
WORK IN TERMS OF ACQUISITION AND DEMOLITION.
THE PROJECTS YOU ALLUDED TO, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE
BEEN IN SOME COMMUNITIES 30, 40 YEARS, 25 YEARS, AT SOME POINT
WE HAVE TO HAVE A CLOSE-OUT STRATEGY.
WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE CLOSING OUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS?
WE'RE READY TO OPEN UP NEW PROJECTS, BUT WE GOT A FEW OTHER
PROJECTS OPENED, SO AT SOME POINT YOU GOT TO CLOSE OUT THOSE
OTHER PROJECTS SO WE CAN BEGIN TO PUT MONEY IN THE PROJECTS
WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED. >> IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN
ANSWER, THE ANSWER IS WE DON'T KNOW.
WE LIVE BY THEá-- UNFORTUNATELY, WE LIVE BY THE NATURE OF GRANTS,
WHETHER THEY COME FROM THE CITY OR SOMEWHERE ELSE, OR THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE AS WELL VERSED AS ANYBODY IN THE ROOM ON BROAD
CREEK AND WHERE THAT MONEY CAME FROM AND UNLESS WE GOT THAT
MONEY TO DO THAT, EITHER FROM HUD OR FROM THE CITY OR SOME OF
THE PRIVATE MONEY THAT WE'VE LEVERAGED, IT COULDN'T HAPPEN.
WE'RE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW WITH THE CAPITAL FUNDS JUST TO KEEP
THE PLACES THAT WE HAVE REASONABLE, SO IT'S A HUGE
ISSUE, ANTHONY. IT'S A HUGE ISSUE NATIONALLY.
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES. YOU'RE SEEING HOUSING
AUTHORITIES CLOSE. WE GOT TO FIND A NEW MODEL
BECAUSE THE CURRENT MODEL ISN'T BEING FUNDED TO BE SUSTAINABLE,
SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, AND UNFORTUNATELY, AND I'VE HEARD MY
MAYOR TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE, IT'S ALL GETTING PUSHED DOWN TO THE
LOCALITIES. WHETHER IT'S THE STATE PSHING
STUFF TO LOCALITIES OR WHETHER IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
PUSHING STUFF TO LOCALITIES, THEY'RE BACKING AWAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION LOCALLY IF WE'RE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT OR NOT.
SO I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP
AND IT'S A HUGE ISSUE FOR US, AND WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER.
>> ARE WE AWARE OF OTHER MODELS IN OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DEALING
WITH THE SAME PROBLEM? >> IT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
>> BUT ARE THERE CITIES THAT APPEAR TO BE MORE PROGRESSIVE OR
SOMETHING, SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT OR SOMETHING TO ADAPT?
OBVIOUSLY THIS THING COMING AT US.
>> THERE ARE AREAS THAT HAVE ADOPTED A SITE-BASED
MANAGEMENTá-- >> WHAT IS SITE-BASED
MANAGEMENT? WHAT IS IT?
>> IT'S BASICALLY THAT WHEN PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY
MORE INTO THE POT PAY MORE INTO THE POT IN RENT BECAUSE LESS
MONEY IS COMING IN TO NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING
AUTHORITY, AND SO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, THEY BASICALLY SAID YOU
GOT TO FIND THAT MONEY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO
YOU, AND SO NOW YOU CAN CREATE THIS FORMULA AND WHAT THEY TRIED
TO DO IS CREATE NEW UNITS, CREATE MIXED INCOME
OPPORTUNITIES, LOOK AT THE MEDIAN INCOME.
FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE GRANDY VILLAGE FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY PUT UNITS IN THERE, THEY'RE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS, BUT
THEY'RE ASSISTED PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS SO NOW YOU'RE ABLE TO GET
20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, EVEN 60% OF AMI, SO THAT MEANS THEY GET
CHARGED MORE MONEY FOR THE RENT. THEN THEY COME IN AND THEY BUILD
THE UNITS USING LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT TO TRY TO
MAXIMIZE THE MONEY THEY CAN GET FROM THE UNIT AND TRY TO CREATE
A BLEND TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY THAT ARE
WORKING, BUT BELOW THE POVERTY LINE BUT ARE WORKING, THAT THEY
CAN GET MORE RENT AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU KIND OF OFFSET THAT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS WHO CAN'T PAY CONTINUE TO HAVE A
DECENT PLACE TO LIVE AND RAISE THEIR KIDS.
SO THAT'S ONE MODEL OF SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT.
SO IT'S NOT TO TAKE FOLKS THAT AREá-- THAT CAN'T PAY OR PEOPLE
THAT ARE WORKING HARD EVERY DAY AND THIS IS WHAT THEY MAKE TO
TRY TO SAY TO THEM, NO, YOU GOT TO PAY MORE.
NO, IT'S TO TRY TO CREATE A BLEND TO BRING MORE PEOPLE IN AT
HIGHER RENT, BUT THAT REQUIRES YOU TO DO MORE AESTHETICALLY AND
FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE
IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. SO THAT'S WHAT FOLK HAVE DONE IN
OTHER COMMUNITIES TO TRY TO MITIGATE THAT SHORTFALL.
>> MR.áVICE MAYOR, WE HAVE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, USED
LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS AS A VEHICLE FOR SOME OF OUR
PROJECTS AND EVEN THOSE FUNDS ARE BEING REDUCED, SO YOU KNOW,
I THINK THE OPTIONS ARE DECREASING FOR FUNDING STREAMS
AND THAT IS A RESOLUTION THAT EVEN IN THAT AREA, FUNDS ARE
BEING IMPACTED. >> I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
YOU SAID THAT WE GOTá-- IF YOU SCRUBBED YOUR BOOKS, YOU HAD
$4.5áMILLION THAT YOU SENT BACK TO THE CITY.
THOSE FUNDS WERE REPROGRAMMED WHEN THEY WERE SENT BACK OVER TO
HELP OUT OTHER PROGRAMS? WHAT DID WE DO WITH IT?
>> IT WAS A MIXTURE. >> YEAH, THERE WAS A MIXTURE OF
FUNDING OPTIONS BOTH IN THE CIP AND CDBG FUNDS.
>> I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR. WHAT WAS IT YOU DID WITH THE
MONEY? >> THE QUESTION WAS, THE MONEY
WE SENT BACK TO THE CITY, I WAS REPROGRAMMED IN BOTH CIP AND
OTHER CDBG PROJECTS. SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FLOAT BACK
TO NRHA TO DO EXISTING PROJECTS FOR THIS YEAR CALENDAR.
>> IT WAS ABOUT HALF. >> I DON'T RECALL THE PERCENT,
BUTá-- >> SOME OF THE FUNDS WERE ABLE,
YOU KNOW, JUST TO FUND CAPITAL PROGRAMS AND APPROPRIATING SOME
MONEY TO COME FROM BONDS, SOME MONEY TO COME FROM YOUR FUND
BALANCE, SO PART OF OUR FEW FUNDING IN FY 13 REALLY DID COME
FROM THE ABILITY THAT THE CITY HAD TO APPROVE MONEY FROM FUND
BALANCE AND THE CDBG PROGRAM, I THINK BECAUSE OF TIMELINESS
ISSUES AND HUD CONCERNS ABOUT EXPENDITURE RATES, A LOT OF THAT
WAS PROGRAMMED FOR SITE IMPROVEMENTS AND SOME OF THOSE
FELL WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS POT, BUT WE GOT
SOME OF THAT BACK IN PART OF OUR FY 13 PROGRAM.
>> MY LAST QUESTION. YOU GUYS ALLUDED TO APARTMENTS
IN GRANDY VILLAGE, THE RENTALS. ARE THESE UNITS 30, 40, 50, 60%
AMI? WHAT ARE THESE UNITS?
>> THE 16 NEW UNITS ARE PART OF OUR TRANSITION PROGRAM WHERE
THERE WILL BEá-- AGAIN, TO CLARIFY, RATHER THAN RAISE THE
RENT, EVERYBODY IN PUBLIC HOUSING WHO HAS ASSISTED HOUSING
PAYS 30% OR ROUGHLY 30% OF THEIR INCOME, SO WE DON'T RAISE RENT
ON TENANTS. IT'S CALCULATED BASED ON THEIR
ABILITY TO PAY. BUT IN TERMS OF THOSE NEW HOMES
AS WELL ALWAYS THE 22 HOMES WE BUILT FOUR YEARS AGO IN GRANDY
VILLAGE, THAT'S PART OF A TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM WHERE I
THINK FOLKS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD A RENT OF ABOUT $400 A
MONTH. SO IT'Sá-- SO FOLKS WHO GO INTO
THOSE NEW UNITS ARE CLOSER TO BEING ABLE TO LEAVE THE
COMMUNITY AND WORK OUTá-- >> BUT ARE THEYá-- WHAT I'M
SAYING IS, ARE THEY 20%? >> ABOUT 45%.
>> 45% AMI, STARTING FROM WHAT? A BLEND, OR JUSTá--
>> THAT'S THE MINIMUM REQUIRED. >> THAT'S THE MINIMUM REQUIRED,
45? AND CAPPING AT WHAT?
>> THERE'S NO CAP. >> NO CAPS?
>> THE OPERATING SUBSIDY REDUCES AS THEIR ABILITY TO PAY GOES UP.
>> OKAY. >> SO ARE SOME OF THE HIGHEST
RENTS YOU HAVE AT GRANDY? >> IT WOULD BE IN THE 450 RANGE.
>> THAT'S THE HIGHEST RENT YOU EVER HAVE?
>> AT SOME POINT WHEN WE REACH FOR MOST OF OUR UNITS, WE HAVE
WHAT'S CALLED A CEILING RENT OR FLAT RENT AND THAT HAS TO BE
ADJUSTED EACH YEAR AND APPROVED BY HUD AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL
PLAN, SO FOLKS, ONCE THEY COME INTO PUBLIC HOUSING, THEY CAN
MAKE $100,000 A YEAR AND STILL STAY THERE, BUT THEIR 30% RENT
CAPS OUT AT ABOUT $450 A MONTH AS A MAX.
IT DOESN'T GO UP AFTER THAT. >> AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE
ANYBODY LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING THAT MAKES $100,000 A YEAR.
>> BUT THEY COULD IF THEY WANTED TO.
>> IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME YOU'RE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD AT
SOME POINT WITH LESS MONEY AND YOU HAVE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP
IN ALL OF THESE UNITS. AT SOME POINT, YOU HAVE TO SEE
IN THE NEAR FUTURE WHERE THIS BODY MAY BE ABLE TO PUT FORWARD
THE -- MAY BE ON THE HOOK FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP OF
THESE UNITS, AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S SO CRITICAL TO COME
UP WITH A PLAN BECAUSE WITH ALL THE THINGS THATá-- EDUCATION AND
PUBLIC SAFETY AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS, ONE OTHER ADDING
MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC HOUSING IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR CHALLENGE.
UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DESERVE TO LIVE IN A
DECENT PLACE AND SO WE CAN'T GO BACKWARDS IN TERMS OF HAVING
DEPLORABLE HOUSING, IN TERMS THAT WE CAN'T ATTRACT PEOPLE AND
THEN CONTINUEá-- I MEAN CREATE ANOTHER CYCLE OF POVERTY WITHIN
THE CITY, SO I WOULD JUST SAY TO, YOU KNOW, THE
ADMINISTRATIONS AROUND THE TABLE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WE DID
WITH ANY OTHER CRISIS OR MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUT IN FRONT OF
THEM, THIS ISSUE, THAT WE COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT WE CAN LOOK
LONG-TERM THAT WILL GIVE US THE RESULTS THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE
TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE QUALITY AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
>> I AGREE WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE
THAT THE WOLF IS AT THE DOOR IN TERMS OF THE CITY HAVING TO
SUBSIDIZE MAINTENANCE. I THINK THE HOUSING AUTHORITY
NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT A LOT OF THINGS THEY HAVE, SUCH AS
LEGAL FEES. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED, YOU KNOW B
YOUR RETAINERS AND HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SPEND IN LEGAL FEES,
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO.
BUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME GOALS AS IT
DID WHEN IT WAS FIRST CREATED BACK IN THE '40s WHEN THEY
RECOGNIZED, YOU KNOW, THE DEPLORABLE STANDARDS OF PEOPLE
LIVING IN WHAT USED TO BE OLD DOWNTOWN NORFOLK, AND NOW, WITH
REDEVELOPMENT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH REDEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE THE HUNTERSVILLE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, THREE OR
FOUR PHASES OF THAT, BUT WITH EMINENT DOMAIN, THINGS CHANGING
OR LAWS THE WAY THEY CHANGE, A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY DID IN TERMS OF REDEVELOPMENT, WE WON'T BE DOING
ANYMORE. AND SO BLIGHT REMOVAL, WE MIGHT
HAVE SOME SITES THAT WE NEED TO REMOVE, NOT NECESSARILY AS FAR
AS BLIGHT IS CONCERN, BUT AS FAR AS CRIME IS CONCERNED.
ALEXANDER STREET, A PRIME EXAMPLE THAT THE HOUSING
AUTHORITY NEEDS TO GO IN AND ACQUIRE THAT WHOLE QUADRANT AND
GET RID OF THAT ELEMENT OVER THERE THAT'S BRINGING DOWN THAT
COMMUNITY. SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, I
THINK IF THEYá-- FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT, LIKE
AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT IS CONCERNED, WITH THINGS BEING THE
WAY THEY ARE NOW DO, WE NEED A DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AT THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY AND A DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AT THE
CITY? HUMAN RESOURCES, DO WE NEED
BOTH. WE MENTIONED SHARED SERVICES, SO
I'M JUST WONDERINGá-- AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT PUTTING PEOPLE
OUT OF JOBS, YOU KNOW. DO IT THROUGH ATTRITION ON BOTH
SIDES, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY COULD
DO TO TIGHTEN ITS BELT SO THAT IF IT DOES COME TO A POINT THAT
THEY ARE NOT GETTING THE FUNDS THEY NEED FOR MAINTENANCE FROM
HUD, THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO STAND ON THEIR OWN FEET.
EDUCATION AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE TABLE,
PUBLIC SAFETY, I WOULD HATE TOá-- FOR THEM TO BE IN THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY BELIEVING THEY HAVE A HAVEN.
THERE'S NOBODY THAT BELIEVES IN SAFE CENTERS OF LIVING FOR
CITIZENS ANY MORE THAN ME, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT
THEY CAN COME HERE AND FIND A HAVEN, WHEN ACTUALLY IF THEY
TIGHTEN THEIR BELT, IF THEY LOOK WITHIN, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO
FIND HOW MUCH MONEY THEY CAN SAVE WITHIN AS OPPOSED TO LET'S
THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. >> MR. RIDDICK, WE'RE WORKING
HARD IN THAT REGARD. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TREND THAT
WE'VE BEEN UNDER FOR THE LAST FIVE OR TEN YEARS, LAST YEAR WE
WERE AT 102áMILLION AND THIS YEAR WE'RE AT 89áMILLION.
THAT'S OVER A 10% CUT. THE DEPARTMENTá-- NOT THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT DOES
SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE DEVELOPMENT DIVISION AT
NRHA, BUT THERE IS OVERLAP WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT
WE'VE CUT OUR STAFF THERE FROM 40 TO 30, SO WE AREá-- WE CAN'T
DO SOMETHING WITH SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE.
WE HAVE NO ABILITY TO RAISE REVENUE PER SE, SO WE'VE BEEN
CUTTING AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO CUT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE
DAY, WE HAVE TO PAY THE BILLS. BUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'LL
CONTINUE TO LOOK HARD AND THE MORE PLACES WE CAN SHARE THINGS
TOGETHER AND THE MORE DUPLICATION THAT WE CAN GET RID
OF AND CERTAINLY THE MORE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE CAN
REALIZE, WE WANT TO DO THAT AND WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO DO
THAT. >> YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'VE BEEN
IN EVERY PUBLIC HOUSING EXCEPT MOTON WHEN IT COMES BACKá--
>> WE'RE GOING TO GO USE THE SAME METHODOLOGY THAT WE USED
FOR BRINGING IT BACK, 50 ASSISTED UNITS, 50 MARKET RATE
RENTALS, 37 SINGLE-FAMILY HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GETS ME IS THAT OUR RESIDENTS THAT
LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING LIVE IN FEAR OF BEING EVICTED.
I KNOW OF A CASE WHERE SUMMER BEFORE LAST, A WOMAN WHO LIVED
IN YOUNG PARK AND WORKED OVER AT THE OLD SHELL AND MADE $50 AND
WAS EVICTED, AND A LOT OF THE PARTICIPANTS, WE HAVE THE
SOUTHSIDE TASK FORCE AND SO WE WENT IN, AND WE USED TO HAVE IT
DOWNTOWN, BUT WE HAVE IT ALL IN THE COMMUNITIES ON THE SOUTHSIDE
IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING TO
PARTICIPATE. THEY'RE AFRAID TO COME THAT THEY
WILL BE EVICTED. IF THEY COME AND EXPRESS
THEMSELVES IN TERMS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEY ARE AFRAID THAT
THEY WILL BE EVICTED. THE CITY OF NORFOLK IS FIGHTING
HOMELESSNESS, BUT BECAUSE THE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING MARKET IS SO
TIGHT AND COMPETITIVE, SOMETIMES WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS
DOING IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SOME OF THE PERSONS WHO MOST NEED THE HOUSE, YOU'RE PUTTING
THEM OUT. >> MR. RIDDICK, I DON'T THINK
WE'RE PUTTING ANYBODY OUT. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE
STRUGGLEDá-- IN FACT, WE WERE IN A MEETING LAST WEEK WHERE WE
TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THIS AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UNDER THE FEDERAL LAW, IF YOU DON'T DECLARE YOUR TOTAL INCOME
ACCORDING TO CERTAIN CRITERIA, CERTAIN TIME AND SO FORTH AND SO
ON, YOU'RE CONSIDERED TO BE COMMITTING FRAUD.
AND WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES AND TELLS US THAT SOME
RESIDENT HAS UNDERREPORTED THEIR INCOME AND THEY DO THATá-- IT
DOESN'T MATTER, IT'S A FEDERAL LAW.
LET ME FINISH IF YOU DON'T MIND, LET ME FINISH.
WE'RE NOT MAKING UP THOSE RULES. WE'RE MERELY FOLLOWING THE
FEDERAL LAW AND THE FEDS HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR TO US, THAT WE
EITHER FOLLOW FEDERAL LAW OR WE'LL HAVE OUR OWN PROBLEMS.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING, IN FACT, WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE
NOT ALLOWING US TO USE CURRENTLY WHERE WE HAVE LET PEOPLE WORK
OUT THEIR FRAUD, WHAT THE FEDS CALL IT, WORK OUT THEIR FRAUD BY
BASICALLY LETTING THEM BACK IT BACK OVER TIME.
THE FEDS HAVE COME BACK TO US RECENTLY AND SAID DON'T DO THAT
ANYMORE. IF THEY COMMIT FRAUD, AND YOU
DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE FOR THEM, THEY'RE OUT, PERIOD.
AND IT'S NOT RULES THAT WE MAKE AS A BOARD.
IT'S NOT OUR ADMINISTRATION SETTING POLICIES.
IT'S THE FEDERAL LAW AND WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO.
SO WHETHER WE LIKE IT, AND I CAN TELL YOU WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME
TALKING ABOUT IT, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST MONTH, OR WHETHER WE
DON'T, WE'RE SORT OF IN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE AND THE
GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS PEOPLE THAT UNDERREPORT THEIR INCOME BY $50
OR $500, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THEM, THERE IS NO SORT OF
DEGREE, IN THE LAW THEY SAID THEY COMMITTED FRAUD AND YOU'RE
GOING TO LET THEM OUT OF THE PROGRAM.
SO I HEAR YOU AND I NATZ CONSEQUENCE OF THAT ANDá--
UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT AND WE STRUGGLE WITH THAT,
BUT WE'RE IN A POSITION WHERE WE EITHER THUMB OUR NOSE AT THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND TAKE THE RISK OF WHAT THEY WOULD DO WITH
THAT OR WE FOLLOW THE LAW. I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER DONE
ANYTHING, IN MY TENURE, AND THAT'S BEEN 11 YEARS, THAT I'VE
EVER HEARD OF AND IF I EVER HEARD OF IT AND IF IT'S TRUE I'D
JUMP UP AND DOWN, WHERE WE THREATENING PEOPLE WHO COME TO A
MEETING TO SPEAK OUT. I CAN TELL YOU THE BOARD DOESN'T
EXEMPLIFY THAT SORT OF BEHAVIOR. THAT'S NOT HOW WE OPERATE.
I DON'T THINK THE STAFF IS DOING THAT.
WE HAVE 300 PEOPLE AND IF SOMEBODY HAS DONE THAT AT SOME
POINT, I CAN'T KNOW EVERYTHING, BUT THAT'S NOT OUR M.O.
WE HAVE 300 CARING PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THEIR JOBS EVERY DAY
TO TRY TO HELP THESE FOLKS AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN THE
BUSINESS OF THREATENING ANYBODY AND IF WE ARE, I CERTAINLY WOULD
LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT IT. >> OKAY.
PAUL, AND THEN WE'LL GO TOá-- >> MY QUESTION KIND OF
PIGGYBACKS OFF OF PAUL'S IN THAT FROM TIME TO TIME, PERIODICALLY,
DO YOU ALL EITHER SEND OUT NOTIFICATIONS OR REMINDERS OR
ANYTHING LIKE THAT JUST TO LET PEOPLE KNOWá-- I MEAN, I KNOW
THEY PROBABLY SIGN A BUNCH OF STUFF WHEN THEY FIRST GO IN JUST
LIKE EVERYBODY DOES WHEN THEY'RE FIRST HIRED AND THEN YOU COMMIT
A CRIME OR COMMIT FRAUD OR WHATEVER AND YOU GO, I DIDN'T
KNOW THAT. AND THEN SOMEWHERE TEN YEARS
AGO, THEY SIGNED SOMETHING. SO PERIODICALLY, DO YOU REMIND
PEOPLE THAT THESE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS AND THIS IS WHAT
YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO? >> YES, MA'AM.
EVERY YEAR, THEY'RE ALL RECERTIFIED.
WE HAVE A LOT OF TENANT-MANAGEMENT MEETINGS.
I THINK THE RESIDENTS SOMETIMES KNOW THE RULES BETTER THAN WE
DO. >> AND WE HAVE THE SAME
QUESTION. >> TERRI?
>> NOBODY CAN QUESTION THE HARD WORK AND THE EFFORTS THAT NRHA
HAS DONE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OBVIOUSLY A GREAT DEAL OF
RESOURCES FINANCIALLY BOTH FROM THE FEDS AND OTHERWISE HAVE COME
IN, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ALL THIS GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE
DOING, AND IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME
REPORTS BACK ON HOW THAT'S WORKED OUT, THAT THERE SHOULD BE
BENCH MARKS THAT YOU'VE ESTABLISHED, POVERTY LEVEL IN
THE NEIGHBORHOODS YOU'VE INVESTED IN, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL,
CRIME STATS, WHAT THE PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THESE RESIDENTS HAS
BEEN, VOCATIONAL TRAINING. I MEAN, AREN'T WE ABOUT THAT
WE'RE HOPING TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THESE AREAS, OUT OF THE
POCKETS? SO WHAT I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM
YOU ALL IS, IN THIS REPORT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PUT ALL THIS
MONEY INTO REHABBING THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AND LOOK WHAT IT'S
DONE OR IT HASN'T DONE, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT.
AND IF IT'S THERE, I'D LOVE TO SEE IT SOMETIME BECAUSE I'D LIKE
TO KNOW WHAT THE POVERTY LEVEL IS AFTER X-AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IN
ENERGIES HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE
THAT'S THE BENCHMARK THAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING
AT INSTEAD OF, OH MY GOSH, THE MONEY IS LEAVING.
MAYBE THEá-- I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING MAYBE THE MONEY
SHOULD BE LEAVING BECAUSE THE MONEY THAT'S BEEN PUT IN HASN'T
HELPED. >> WE HAVEá--
>> OR HAS HELPED. >> OR HAS HELPED AND IT'Sá--
THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE. >> WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE AREAS
THAT WE SORT OF WORK IN IN THAT REGARD.
AND WHEN WE DO REDEVELOPMENT IN NEIGHBORHOODS, WE MEASURE OUR
SUCCESS DIFFERENTLY THAN WHEN WE SPEND MONEY IN PUBLIC HOUSING
UNITS. WE SPEND MONEY IN PUBLIC HOUSING
COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS AND I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK
AT THEM AND SHARE WITH THEM. WE LOOK AT GRADUATION RATES FROM
SCHOOL, JOB RATES, HOME OWNERSHIP RATES OF PEOPLE COMING
OUT AND ALL THOSE THINGS AND WE CELEBRATE THEM AT LEAST ONCE IN
A BIG WAY EACH YEAR TO SORT OF RECOGNIZE PEOPLE THAT GOT GEDs,
GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, MOVED TO
A HOME OWNERSHIP SITUATION OR WHATEVER.
THAT'S HOW WE MEASURE AND LOOK AT METRICS IN THAT AREA.
IN THE REDEVELOPMENT SIDE, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
WE'RE NOT IN THE SAME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD AS WE ARE WITH THE PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITIES THAT
WE'RE FUNCTIONALLY FIDUCIARY OF. SO WE LOOK MORE AT PHYSICAL
THINGS. WE DON'T MEASURE DID SOMEBODY
GET A COLLEGE DEGREE, DID SOMEBODY GRADUATE FROM HIGH
SCHOOL, DID SOMEBODY GET A GED. WE LOOK AT THE PHYSICAL
PROPERTIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SAY, DID WE CHANGE THE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD?
IS THE INCOME LEVEL HIGHER, ARE THE HOUSES BETTER, ARE THEY MORE
ATTRACTIVE DEMAND? SO WE DON'T NECESSARILYá-- WE'RE
NOT WORKING WITH THOSE PEOPLE ON THEIR JOB SKILLS OR ON THEIR
OTHER SKILLS THAT MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE.
WE'RE REALLY DOING MORE ABOUT THE BRICKS AND MORTAR IN
REDEVELOPMENT NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE
CHARGED TO DO. WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO
PROGRAMMATIC STUFF, BUT WE HAVE THAT.
>> BUT MY ARGUMENT WOULD BE THAT YOU ARE PUTTING MONEY INTO A
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON ON PARK PLACE, IS THAT IF YOU JUST
KEEP MONEY INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE MARKET VALUE OF THOSE
HOMES, IF THE POVERTY LEVEL OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS, IF CRIME
ISN'T ANY BETTER, BRICKS AND MORTAR HAVE GOTTEN US NOWHERE
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WITH SOME OF THIS LOWER THAN MARKET LEVEL
HOUSING THAT GOES IN THAT IS RELATIVELY CHEAPLY BUILT, WITHIN
A DECADE, IT'S NO LONGER ATTRACTIVE AS BRICKS AND MORTAR.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A REAL THOUGHT ON TO WHERE THAT MONEY
IS GOING. WHAT DO WE CARE ABOUT?
DO WE CARE ABOUT BRICKS AND MORTAR, OR DO WE CARE ABOUT THE
HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY? AND I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON US
TO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR THESE REHAB PROJECTS AND FOR OUR
ACQUISITION AND REDEVELOPMENT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY
PUSHING THE ENVELOPE. WE'RE PUSHING THAT METER, AND
I'M HOPING THATá-- I THINK ANTHONY IS GETTING THERE, I KNOW
SHURL IS PART OF THIS, WORKING WITH THIS ON SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT WE'RE DOING AT PARK PLACE AND HAMPTON ROADS COMMUNITY
FOUNDATION, THAT WE HAD TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THIS AND
I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO KEEP THIS MOVEMENT GOING.
SO I'Má-- AND VERY FRANKLY, I WILL TELL YOU THOSE STATS ARE
ALL THERE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT, EVEN
JUST THE PLANNING COUNCIL PUTS OUT, THEY CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE
POVERTY LEVELS ARE IN EACH NEIGHBORHOOD, SOá-- AND
EDUCATIONAL LEVELS AND ALL. THE SECOND QUESTION IS, YOU
KNOW, WE'VE GOT A NEW HEAD OF HOUSING UP AT HUD.
SOMEBODY NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS, AND HE'S PRETTY EXCITED
ABOUT IT. I KNOW BEFORE HE LEFT, ARE WE
AWARE OF CHANGES AS FAR ASá-- >> NOW, WE'VE HAD HIM DOWN FOR A
VISIT. >> I JUST WONDERED IF THAT WAS
CHANGE OUR APPROACH OR OUR DIRECTION.
MARCUS, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANYTHING YET?
I KNOW IT'S EARLY. >> WE'VE BEEN REACHING OUT AND
HAVING DISCUSSIONS. >> I'M HOPEFUL THAT YOU WILL
KEEP UP WITH THAT, WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS TO
APPROACH HOUSING AND, YOU KNOW, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND
ELSEWHERE. >> WE KEEP THATá-- I CAN TELL
YOU THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, JUST TO KIND OF SPEAK TOá-- I CAN SPEAK
TO BROAD CREEK MORE THAN I CAN SPEAK TO ANYTHING ELSE.
I DO KNOW WHEN WE WENT IN THERE, IT WASN'T ABOUT BRICKS OR
MORTAR, IT WAS ABOUT PEOPLE. THE FIRST THING WE DID DO IS PUT
THE EMPHASIS IN TERMS OF NOT SO MUCH WORRIED ABOUT, AGAIN, THE
BRICKS AND MORTAR, MORE SO BEING CONSUMED WITH LETTING PEOPLE
MAKE THEIR OWN LIFE CHOICES. IF WE WERE TO INVEST IN PEOPLE
SO THEY CAN MAKE THE DECISION WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE, WHERE
THEY WANT TO WORKS, AND THEY WEREN'T UNDER THE THUMB OF THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY OR ANY OTHER AUTHORITY FOR THAT MATTER, AND
SO WE MET PEOPLE WHERE THEY WERE AND GAVE THEM THE CHOICE WHETHER
OR NOT THEY WANTED TO COME BACK. BUT I CAN TELL YOU, CRIME IS
DOWN IN THAT COMMUNITY OVER 100%.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF WE CONTINUE THE WORK THAT WE'RE
DOING, THAT INSTEAD OF THAT NEW SCHOOL OVER A PERIOD OF TIME
WILL NOT BE A TITLE ONE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE INCOMES THAT WE
WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTRACT. >> THAT'S CLEARLY BREAKING UP
THE CONCENTRATION. I DO THINK THAT EVERYTHING WE DO
SHOULD HAVE BENCHMARKS AND WE SHOULD BEá-- GO BACK EVERY YEAR
AND LOOK AT HOW WE'RE DOING. WE SHOULD HAVE A SCORE CARD ON
ALL OF THIS BECAUSE JUST TO KEEP DOING IT WITHOUT SEEING HOW
WE'RE GETTING ALONG IS NOTá-- >> IT'S A LITTLE HARDER WHEN
YOU'RE DOING INFILL THAN WHEN YOU'RE TEARING DOWN 90 ACRES.
THE OTHER THING IS IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN YOU HAVE PUBLIC
HOUSING, LIKE SOME OF OUR PUBLIC HOUSING COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE A
MANDATE IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO, IN TERMS OF THE
UPKEEP AND THE MAINTAINING, YOU HAVE MANAGEMENT STAFF, YOU HAVE
INTERNAL STAFF WITHIN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT ARE
SUPPOSEDLY TO BE WORKING WITH THE RESIDENTS.
BUT I WENT TO HUD, I WENT TO STATE, TO RICHMOND, AND I WENT
TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO SUPPORT FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO PUT SOME
OF THE RULES AM PLACE THAT WE HAVE IN THAT COMMUNITY BECAUSE
THIS IS NOT THE TRADITIONAL RULES THAT YOU HAVE IN PUBLIC
HOUSING. SO WE ASKED FOR SOME THINGS TO
ALLOW US TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THAT WE COULDN'T DOá-- WE COULDN'T DO
TOMORROW BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T LET US DO IT, BUT WE
WERE ABLE TO CREATE A PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BE SUCCESSFUL
IN TERMS OF HOLDING PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE, MAKING SURE KIDS
WERE IN SCHOOL. IF THEY WEREN'T IN SCHOOL, YOU
JEOPARDIZE YOUR LEASE. IF YOU LOST YOUR JOB, YOU HAVE
30 DAYS TO FIND A JOB, SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE IMPORTANT IN
TERMS OF TRYING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO JUST
BUILDING HOUSES. AND SO I HOPE YOU GUYSá-- I HOPE
THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME REAL CONVERSATIONS WITH MAURICE AS
RELATES TO UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN
THE CITY OF NORFOLK AND ALLOWING US TO MOVE OUR CITIZENS TO
SELF-SUFFICIENCY. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO
TALK ABOUT THE ST.áPAUL'S QUADRANT NEXT, BUT AGAIN, YOU
GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE AN IDEOLOGY AND A PHILOSOPHY IN
TERMS OF DEALING WITH TRYING TO CREATE A COMMUNITY THERE, AND
SOá-- AND I'LL BE GLAD, WHEN WE BEGIN THAT, I HOPE TODAY THAT WE
HAVE THAT PHILOSOPHICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
WHAT WE, INSTEAD OF THE BRICKS AND MORTAR, HOW WE'RE GOING TO
ACCOMPLISH THIS AND WHAT THE CRITERIA WILL BE AS RELATES TO
THE PEOPLE. WE TALK ABOUT THE BRICKS AND
MORTAR, BUT I DON'T THINK WE REALLY HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT
THE PEOPLE AND WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE AND WHAT DOES
IT LOOK LIKE IN THAT COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE.
>> ALL RIGHT. >> QUICKLY, I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ON TRYING TO PUSH SOME
OF THIS PROPER THAT'S BEEN IN OCEAN VIEWá-- PROPERTY THAT'S
DOWN IN OCEAN VIEW THAT'S JUST BEEN SITTING THERE AND I THINK
THIS IS MONEY THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, HELP YOU WITH SOME OF YOUR
PROBLEMS, HELP US WITH SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS.
BUT I'M JUSTá-- I GUESS FRUSTRATED.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS ON COUNCIL, AND THESE PROPERTIES
ARE STILL OPEN AND I KNOW THERE WAS SOME DEBT AND SOME THINGS
THAT NEEDED TO BE PAID OFF TO FIX THEM AND ISSUES THERE, BUT
WHAT CAN THE CITY DO ON OUR SIDE TO HELP PUSH THIS SO THAT WE CAN
HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS? I MEAN, THE 5th THROUGH 7th BAY
AREA WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT AT HOME-A-RAMA ON FRIDAY NIGHT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THAT AREA, SO LETS GET THAT
TAKEN CARE OF. WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP WITH THAT
AND PUSH THAT CONVERSATION FORWARD AND START FILLING SOME
OF THOSE LOTS AND GETTING SOME TAX SELECTIONS ON IT AND INSTEAD
OF JUST A SIGN THAT SAYS "HOUSING AUTHORITY" ON IT.
I WANT TO GET THESE TAKEN CARE OF AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY IS
READY FOR IT. WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO?
>> INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT IS A HUGE INFRASTRUCTURE
HOLE RIGHT THERE. WE HAVE A PLAN AND WE KNEW AT
LEAST A FEW YEARS AGO WHAT IT WAS GOING TO COST TO DO THAT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
IT'S CHANGED OBVIOUSLY, IT WENT FROM 3rd TO 7th TO 5th TO 7th,
BUT THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE. >> AND THE CHESAPEAKE STREET
AREA DOESN'T NEED INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYWHERE SEEMS TO NEEDá--
>> NOT AS MUCH THOUGH. >> THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE
DID OVER IN BROAD CREEK. WHEN WE SWAPPED SOME LAND, WHICH
WAS A GREAT DEAL, I THINK FOR EVERYBODY, WE SWAPPED SOME LAND
WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CITY TO MOVE THE SCHOOL SITE,
AND ON THAT SITE WASN'T BEING DEVELOPED FOR EXACTLY THE SAME
REASON, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY TO PUT
IN TO DEVELOP THE HOME OWNERSHIP OR WHATEVER GOES THERE.
>> SO WHERE IS THE DISCONNECT THEN WITH, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT
A BUDGET AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR THREE YEARS NOW,
LOOKING AT A THREE-YEAR BUDGET, I DON'T SEE ANY MONEY IN THE
BUDGET. I LOOK AT LAST BUDGET BEFORE I
GOT ON COUNCIL, THERE ISN'T MONEY BEING BUDGETED FOR THIS,
KNOWING THAT THERE COULD BE SUCCESS HERE.
>> YOU ALL MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AT THIS LEVEL, AT THE CITY
MANAGEMENT LEVEL. >> RIGHT.
>> WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, WE MAKE REQUESTS, BUT AT THE END OF
THE DAY, IT'S THE COUNCIL THAT DECIDES HOW MUCH MONEY AND WHERE
THEY'RE GOING TO SPEND IT. WE BECOME THE CONTRACTOR, SO
WE'RE HAPPY, WE'RE BEGGING FOR WORK.
WE'VE GOT PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK AND I'M NOT LAYING THIS AT
ANYBODY'S DOORSTEP. IT'S A LACK OF MONEY, AND I
UNDERSTAND THAT. YOU ALLá-- AND THE
ADMINISTRATION HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO DO
THE WORK IF YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY TO DO IT.
WE'RE ALL IN. >> RIGHT.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THE NEXT THREE YEARS OF BUDGET.
THERE'S NO MONEY STILL ALLOCATED FOR THIS, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO
WAIT THREE MORE YEARS WHEN WE'RE MISSING OUT ON AN OPPORTUNITY
HERE TO DO A GREAT PROJECT? HOW DO WE PUSH THIS
CONVERSATION, LOOKING AT EAST BEACH AND SOME OF THE SUCCESS
THEY HAVE HAD, AND WE KNOW HOW THAT THAT MONEY HAS COME BACK TO
THE CITY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, SO WE'VE GOT TO START
LOOKING AT THESE PROPERTIES AND START MOVING ON THEM A LITTLE
BIT FASTER INSTEAD OF WAITING THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX YEARS AND
THEN WE LOSE THE MARKET. YOU KNOW, WE'RE BACK WHERE WE
WERE BEFORE. >> TOMMY, IF YOU WANT TO PULL
OUT THOSE PROPERTIES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE CAN ALL HAVE
THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT PROPERTIES AROUND THE CITY WHERE
WE PUT INFRASTRUCTURE IN, BUT MAYBE IT'S TIME TO KEY UP THAT
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT WON'T BE BUT A FEW MONTHS NOW THAT WE'LL
BE TALKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
>> WELL, AGAIN, THESE BUDGETS YOU GOT TO PUT AWAY EACH YEAR,
WE JOKE AND PLAY, BUT THE PREMISE DOESN'T CHANGE EVERY
YEAR ON THE BUDGET AND THAT'S WHY THERE WASN'T ANY FUNDS IN
THE CIP FOR YOU TO COME IN AND BEGIN TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO BE
ABLE TO GET A PROJECT STARTED LIKE THAT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, WE
DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS AS WE HAVE TODAY, AND SO,
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, MONEY WENT IN TWO
DIRECTIONS. NOW THAT WE'VE CREATED ALL THESE
OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE CITY
HOLISTICALLY AND TRY TO BRING THE ENTIRE CITY UP TO A LEVEL
WHERE YOU HAVE PARITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE THROUGHOUT THE
CITY AS OPPOSED SO JUST CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT'S A GOOD
THING, BUT THE CHALLENGES WITH THAT IS THAT YOU HAVE LESS MONEY
TO DOá-- TO BE AGGRESSIVE IN AREAS THAT YOU WERE ONCE
AGGRESSIVE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET AROUND THE TABLE AND
TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YIELDS THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES
FOR US AND BRING IN THE, YOU KNOW, THE DOLLARS A LOT FASTER
THANá-- YOU KNOW, WE DID FEEL ABOUT PROJECTS AND THEN WE
DIDá-- FEEL GOOD PROJECTS AND THEN WE DO PROJECTS THAT BRING
IN REAL REVENUE AND SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE
TO HAVE. >> AND I REALIZE THAT NOT EVERY
COMMUNITY HAS A TIFF EITHER. >> I KNEW THAT WE WOULD NEVER
GET THAT, THAT'S WHY I CREATEDá-- WE DID THAT.
WITHOUT THE REVENUE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUEá-- YOU HAVE A
TIF INá-- THEY GAVE THE MONEY FIRST AND THEN FUNDED ALL THEá--
>> NEVER MIND. LET'Sá-- OKAY.
ST.áPAUL'S. >> I HAVE A NEGATIVEá--
[ LAUGHTER ] >> MR.áMAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
AND BOARD, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO REVIEW WITH YOU TWO ITEMS
THAT I KNOW HAVE BEEN OF DISCUSSION BOTH WITH OUR COUNCIL
AND BOARD OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE ST.áPAUL AREA PLAN
AND THE CNI GRANT THAT NRHA AND THE CITY RECEIVED.
THESE TWO PROGRAMS HAVE BECOME, I WOULD CALL MARRIED SOMEWHAT IN
THE INITIATIVE. STARTING OUT WITH THE ST.áPAUL'S
AREA PLAN, THERE WAS THOUGHT THAT THE PROCESS WHICH INVOLVED
A LOT OF PLAYERS, A LOT OF PARTNERS TO CREATE A VISION FOR
ST.áPAUL'S, AND AS A PART OF THAT, PLANNING BEING AN ONGOING
PROCESS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE
GRANT ALSO CAME ALONG, WHAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE TOWARD THE END OF
THE AREA PLAN PROCESS, AND THEREFORE, THE PLANNING GRANT
WAS SUBMITTED TO HUD. AND WE WERE ONE OF 17 CITIES IN
THE COUNTRY THAT RECEIVED THE FIRST PLANNING GRANT OF THAT
TYPE. THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT,
AGAIN, IS THE PRECURSOR FOR THAT WAS THE HOPE 6 PROJECT, THEN
BROAD CREEK, AND IT WAS VERY SIMPLE.
IT'S ABOUT HOUSING PEOPLE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WHAT THIS
PLANNING GRANT PROVIDED US WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT A
BROAD SPECTRUM OF THE PROPERTY AND SEE WHAT PARTNERS COULD BE
BROUGHT TOGETHER TO CREATE AN INITIATIVE WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO
AN IMPLEMENTATION GRANT UNDER THE CNI OF ABOUT $30áMILLION.
THERE WAS AT LEAST SOME SOFT HOPES, I THINK, GENERATED A
COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT IF YOU GOT A PLANNING GRANT, THAT PUTS YOU
FIRST IN LINE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION GRANT.
WELL, AS SOON AS THAT WORD STARTED BEING SPREAD AROUND THE
COUNTRY, HUD CAME OUT VERY STRONGLY AND SAID THAT IT
DOESN'T NECESSARILY PUT YOU IN LINE FOR THE $30áMILLION
IMPLEMENTATION GRANT, BUT YOU WILL BE A LOT BETTER OFF THAN
OTHERS THAT HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, SO IT WAS STILL
SEEN AS A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS.
WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS TO OUTLINE HERE FOR TODAY'S
DISCUSSION WHAT OCCURRED BOTH DOVETAILING THE ST.áPAUL'S AREA
PLAN AND THE CNI PLANNING GRANT TOGETHER IN KIND OF A
CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SINCE THE
SUMMER OF 2005, MOVING THROUGH THE TIME PERIOD RIGHT NOW,
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS THAT WE'VE LISTED HERE OF THE
PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE CITY, NRHA AND THE COMMUNITY,
BUSINESSES, CHURCHES, AND SO FORTH, OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME,
WHICH HAS BROUGHT US TO TODAY. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK
DONE ON BOTH THE PART OF THE CITY WITH THE ST.áPAUL'S AREA
PLAN AND ALSO BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOINTLY WITH THE CITY
ON THE CNI PLANNING GRANT. >> LET PLEIAD SOMETHING.
I THINK PARTICULARLYá-- LET ME ADD SOMETHING.
PARTICULARLY BASED ON COMMENTS I HEARD EARLIER, THIS IS NOTá--
THIS IS JUST A FACT. NRHA WAS NOT THE LEADER OF THIS
PLANNING PROCESS. THIS IS A CITY-LED PLANNING
PROCESS AND WHEN IT STARTED IN SUMMER OF 2005, WE WERE MOSTLY
THE LARGE STAKEHOLDER THAT WAS THERE.
WE HAD CONCERN WHEN THAT STARTED AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE CONCERN,
AT LEAST DIE PERSONALLY, THAT WE ENSUREá-- I DO PERSONALLY, THAT
WE ENSURE, AND I HEARD THIS FROM SOME OF THE COUNCIL FOLKS, THAT
WE ENSURE THAT THE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE WE'RE
GOING THROUGH THIS VISIONING PROCESS AND THIS PLANNING
PROCESS, THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED ZERO REVENUE STREAM TO MAKE THE
PLAN HAPPEN. AND WE HAD A LADY I TALKED ABOUT
ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS NOW, I'LL BE QUIET IN A MINUTE, BUT I
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, WHO AT AN ANNUAL PLAN PUBLIC HEARING OVER
AT RUFFNER FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, STOOD UP AND SAID WHEN ARE
YOU GOING TO RIP DOWN TIDEWATER GARDENS?
THIS IS BEFORE THIS PROCESS EVEN STARTED.
SHE SAID I KNOW IT'S A VALUABLE PIECE OF PROPERTY, IT'S ADJACENT
TO DOWNTOWN. SHE WAS STRATEGICALLY THINKING
AND SHE WAS RIGHT, AND I SAID, THERE IS NO PLAN YET TO RIP IT
DOWN, BUT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. I THINK IT WILL HAPPEN.
ONE, IT'S OLD, AND TWO, IT NEEDS TO BE REFURBISHED AND WHERE IT
LOCATED IS STRATEGIC TO THE CITY'S GROWTH AND ITS
PROSPERITY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY TO DO THAT AND WE HAVE
TO PLANS. I CONTINUE TO SAY AS WE'VE GONE
THROUGH THIS PLANNING PROCESS WITH THE CITY, AND IT HAS BEEN
CITY-LED, NOT A NRHA PLANNING PROCESS, ALTHOUGH WE DID APPLY
FOR THE GRANT AND WE'RE GETTING IN A DIFFERENT ROLE NOW, BUT UP
UNTIL THIS POINT, UP UNTIL WE DID THAT, IT WAS TOá-- I
CONTINUE TO TELL THE RESIDENTS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY I HAVE, AND
THE BOARD, THAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND WE'RE GOING TO LET THEM
DOWN, AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE VERY FEEFL ABOUT IT AND
THEY'RE GOINGá-- FEARFUL ABOUT IT AND THEY'RE GOING TO CARRY
AROUND A LOT OF FEAR. AND I TRIED TO BE CLEAR OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT WHILE WE'RE
LOOKING AT DOING THIS, WHILE THERE'S A DESIRE TO DO IT, WHILE
WE WANT TO IMPROVE THAT AREA, THERE'S NO FUNDING SOURCE
IDENTIFIED TO DO THAT. WE'RE HOPEFUL THERE WILL BE ONE.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH THIS PLANNING GRANT,
THAT WE'LL GET A REAL GRANT, IF YOU WILL, THAT SHURL IS TALKING
ABOUT, BUT RIGHT NOW, UNLESS YOU ALL KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW,
THERE IS NO REAL STREAM OF REVENUE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, SO WE
NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT SO THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND IT. OKAY, SHURL.
>> YOU WILL NOTICE ON THEá-- WHAT WAS CALLED THE ST.áPAUL'S
PLAN AND THIS AREA HAD BOTH A MIXED USE AND A RESIDENTIAL
COMPONENT ALONG WITH SOME OPEN SPACE, WHICH ALSO ACCOMMODATED
THE POST OFFICE AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON THE SITE.
AS PART OF CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE, THE AREA TO THE
NORTH OF ST.áPAUL'S AREA, CALLED THE EXPANDED AREA, INCLUDED SOME
OF THE HUNTERSVILLE. AS YOU KNOW, ANY TIME WE WORKED
WITH A MAJOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS WE DID IN BROAD CREEK,
ALL THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS WANT TO KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM, IS THIS GOING TO
IMPACT THEM. AND FOR THAT REASON, THE NUMBER
OF PARTNERS WAS INCREASED IN THIS PLANNING INITIATIVE THAT
WAS SUBMITTED TO INCLUDE TRYING TO FIND PARTNERSHIPS AND
OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE ACTIONS WHEN THOSE CAME ABOUT
FOR ST.áPAUL'S AREA, SO THIS EXPANDED AREA REALLY BROUGHT IN
TWO PUBLIC HOUSING AREAS AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS THAT
HAD TO BE TALKED TO SO THAT THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT IMPACT IF
ANY ST.áPAUL'S WOULD HAVE ON THEM IN THE FUTURE.
AS A PART OF THAT, THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE PLANNING
GRANT REQUIRED A TIMELINE FOR US, AND SO IN JUNE OF 2011
THROUGH THE CURRENT TIME, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF
MEETINGS HELD, REPORTS BACK TO HUD, MEETINGS WITH THE
NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, TRYING TO DEFINE TO THEM WHAT THIS
PLANNING GRANT WOULD DO AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS WERE.
THERE'S STILL SEVERAL STEPS THROUGH THE PROCESS TO BE
COMPLETED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY IN THESE
COMMUNICATIONS. AS A PART OF THAT ENERGY WITH
CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ST.áPAUL'S, THERE'S NOW EVEN AN
INITIATIVE SURROUNDING P.B. YOUNG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT'S
NOT WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THIS, TRYING TO CREATE SOME
ENERGY SUCH AS THE HARLEM CHILDREN'S MODEL THAT WOULD
IMPACT THE LIVES OF THE SCHOOL CHILDREN AT THAT PARTICULAR SITE
AND THE FAMILIES LIVING WITHIN PUBLIC HOUSING.
SO ALL OF THIS ENERGY ON BOTH THE ST.áPAUL'S PLAN AND THE CNI
PLANNING GRANT HAS CREATED A LOT OF INTEREST, ONE, TO DO
SOMETHING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THIS ENTIRE AREA,
WHICH IS BOTH A RESIDENTIAL, A BUSINESS IMPACT, AND EVEN AN
EDUCATIONAL IMPACT, THAT MAYBE WE DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE FIRST
OF THIS PROCESS. BUT THAT'S WHAT IT'S EVOLVED
INTO. AS A PART OF THAT, THERE ARE
SEVERAL PIECES THAT ARE NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD.
AS WE KNOW, THE ST.áPAUL'S VISIONING AND HOUSING PROGRAM
CONTINUES TO BE DISCUSSED. IT NEEDS SOME AGREEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THAT CURRENTLY GO ON
WITH THE RESIDENTS AND OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THERE'S SOME LAND USE DECISIONS IN AND AROUND THAT
AREA THAT HAVE TO BE MADE AND WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT THERE ARE
INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS SUCH AS ANY MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT WILL
HAVE, AND ALSO WE NEED TO CREATE SOME CONSENSUS FOR FUNDING AND
HOW IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED. TIDEWATER, THE DEED FOR THAT
LAND IS OWNED BY HUD. IT IS NOT OWNED BY THE AUTHORITY
OR THE CITY. SO WHATEVER THE PLAN THAT'S
CREATED TO DEVELOP ST.áPAUL'S OR ANY OF THESE OTHER PUBLIC
HOUSING AREAS NEED THE FULL SUPPORT AND APPROVAL OF HUD
BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. AS AN EXAMPLE, I THINK THE VICE
MAYOR MENTIONED THIS SEVERAL TIMES.
THE BROAD CREEK, IT TOOK WELL OVER TEN YEARS TO MOVE FORWARD
WITH THAT PROJECT JUST BECAUSE OF HUD MONITORING, HUD RULES,
COMMUNITY MEETINGS, GETTING THE RESIDENTS READY TO MOVE OUT OF
THE COMMUNITY, AND DEMOLITION. SO IT IS A LONG AND ARDUOUS
PROCESS, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS STEPS TO TAKE TO MOVE
FORWARD. ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE FEEL
IS THE NEXT STEP IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO TALK TO HUD OVER THE
NEXT SIX MONTHS ABOUT THE GRANT REQUIREMENTS AND THE TIMELINES
WHICH RIGHT NOW IS JUNE OF 2013. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS
WITH OUR BOARD WHAT NRHA'S RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ON MOVING
FORWARD, AND THEN WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING THAT TO THE CITY
ADMINISTRATION FOR A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION WITH CITY
COUNCIL. BASICALLY, WE WANT TO DEVELOP
THIS ACTION PLAN JOINTLY WITH THE CITY AND MOVE FORWARD ON THE
REDEVELOPMENT OF THE ST.áPAUL'S AREA.
>> SHURL. >> YES, SIR.
>> THAT GRANT, THAT $30áMILLION GRANTá--
>> YES, SIR. >>á-- WHAT IS ATTACHED TO THAT
$30áMILLION GRANT? >> I CAN TELL YOU WHAT'S NOT
ATTACHED TO IT. NO INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY.
>> NO, NO. IN TERMS OF PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT FEDERAL DOLLARS, WHAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH
THE FEDERAL DOLLARS. WHAT'S ATTACHED TO THAT
$30áMILLION GRANT? >> THERE WILL BE SOME FUNDS IN
THERE FORá-- DONEL ALREADY HAS SELF SUFFICIENCY WITH THE
RESIDENTS, RELOCATE THEM AND MOVE THEM OUT.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE US ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR THAT.
THEY WILL GIVE US MONEY FOR RELOCATION.
THEY MAY GIVE THEM A CHOICE FOR VOUCHERS AND FUND THAT.
THERE WILL BE SOME CAPITAL MONEY AVAILABLE TO BUILD NEW HOUSING
UNITS. ONCE WE DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO
BUILD. SO IT WILL BE A COMBINATION OF
THOSE THINGS. VERY SIMILAR TO BROAD CREEK.
>> AND I SAY THAT TO SAY, ONCE YOU FILTER THROUGH THE
$30áMILLION, THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY IS ACTUALLY
AVAILABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION, IT'S REALLY NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY
THERE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
>> WE'LL HAVE TO PULL MORE AND MORE RESOURCES TOGETHER.
IT WILL NOT BE ALL THE MONEY THAT WE NEED TO COMPLETE
PROJECT. >> IF WE GET IT.
>> IF WE GET IT, YES. >> SHURL, HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST
TODAY TO MAYBE DUPLICATE A PUBLIC PLAN, ROUGHLY?
I KNOW THAT MIGHT BE A TOUGH QUESTION TO ANSWER, BUT I GUESS
MY POINT IS, AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR OVER TEN YEARS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SOME TYPE OF EITHER
RENOVATION OF TIDEWATER OR DEMOLITION OF TIDEWATER FOR OVER
TEN YEARS, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO START MOVING THE
RESIDENTS, LIKE BUILDING A SENIOR CITIZENS MID RISE OR
SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I CONTINUE TO SAY THAT WE
PROBABLY WILL BE AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS LIVING IN
TIDEWATER WHO JUST WONDER WHEN THE BULLDOZER IS COMING AND EACH
NIGHT, YOU KNOW, THEY WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR FUTURE IS
GOING TO BE. BUT I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHTá-- AND
THIS MIGHT NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS THISá-- TO GET AN INVENTORY OF
THE PERSONS WHO LIVE IN TIDEWATER.
THERE WAS AN ARTICLE, I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW OR REMEMBER, ABOUT
FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN THERE ARE MORE CHILDREN THAT
LIVE IN TIDEWATER PARK THAN ADULTS.
AND THEN WE NEED TO FIND A PLACE, YOU KNOW, TO CREATE A
NICE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR THOSE PERSONS, AND THEN THOSE PERSONS
WHO ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BEING HOMEOWNERS THAT THEY COME TO
YOUR PROJECTS AND BECOME HOMEOWNERS.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ANXIETY AMONG THE OLDER WOMEN AND MEN
WHO LIVE IN SWAURT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOWá-- TIDEWATER BECAUSE
THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO CHANGE.
I LOOK AT A COUPLE OF PIECES OF PROPERTY, LIKE AT TIDEWATER
DRIVE AND COMMUNITY BOULEVARD ADJACENT TO CALVARY TOWERS,
WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO MAYBE BUILD A SENIOR FACILITY
THERE AND SOMEHOW I BELIEVE THAT WHILE WE'RE SITTING AROUND
WAITING TO SEE WHAT HUD IS GOING TO DO, MAYBE WE CAN FIND SOME
OTHER GRANT MONEY, WHETHER IT'S WITH A CHURCH, THE CHURCH OF GOD
OF CHRIST WAS THE FIRST ORGANIZATION THAT BUILT A
HIGH-RISE HERE, 2400 VIRGINIA BEACH BOULEVARD, AND SO I'M JUST
WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP THAT WE CAN FORM
NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE
MONEY TO GET SOME SENIOR FACILITIES BUILT TO REMOVE THE
ANXIETY FROM THE SENIORS THAT ARE LIVING IN TIDEWATER, KNOWING
THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER.
>> MAYBE AS AN EXAMPLE, TO GO TO YOUR POINT, IF WE BUILD A
MID-RISE, SAY TWO STORIES, 15 UNITS TO EACH FLOOR, 100 UNITS
FOR SENIORS AND WE OPEN THE LAND, PROBABLY $11áMILLION.
THAT'S 5áMILLION FOR EACH 50 UNITS.
>> WHEN WE MOVE THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF TIDEWATER GARDEN, YOU CAN'T
JUST KEEP THOSE UNITS VACANT, WE HAVE TO REPLACE THEM WITH
SOMEONE, CORRECT IN WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM VACANT?
>> THAT'S WHAT HUD EXPECTS US TO DO BECAUSE WE HAVE A WAITING
LIST. IT HAS A LOT OF PEOPLE ON IT.
>> BUT WE STILL HAVE TO PUT PEOPLE BACK IN THEM THAT MAY
HAVE THE SAME KIND OF FEARS. >> YOU MEAN IN THE UNITS THAT WE
VACATE? >> YES.
IF YOU HAVE 100á-- IF WE DO AN INVENTORY AND FIND THAT WE HAVE
100 SENIOR CITIZENS THAT CAN GO INTO A SENIOR MID RISE AND WE
MOVE THOSE 100 PEOPLE OUT, WE CAN'T LEAVE THOSE UNITS VACANT.
WE HAVE TOá-- >> CAN WE TEAR THEM DOWN?
IF WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A REDEVELOPMENTá-- AND THIS WOULD
BE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO DEMOLISH THE
WHOLE AREA, AND SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT AS YOU MOVE ALONG,
IF YOU DO FIND THOSE 100 OR SO VACANCIES, AT THAT POINT, YOU
KNOW, YOU PULL THOSE UNITS DOWN AND YOU BEGIN YOUR DEMOLITION
AND START GETTING RID OF IT FOR WHATEVER PROJECT YOU WANT TO,
YOU KNOWá-- I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THOSE QUESTIONS AND
THAT'S WHYá-- >> AND IT'S A DIFFICULT ONE.
YOU LOOK AT EACH ONE OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS FOR MAYBE
EIGHT UNITS OR TEN UNITS THERE AND THERE MAYBE ONE SENIOR
THERE, SO MOVE THAT ONE SENIOR OUT, YOU STILL CAN'T TEAR THE
BUILDING DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S EIGHT OTHER FAMILIES STILL
LIVING THERE. >> UNLESS, UNLESS YOUá--
>> YOU START MOVING PEOPLE AROUND.
>> UNLESS THE COVENANT HAS RUN OUT ON TIDEWATER.
>> IT STILL REQUIRES THEá-- THEY STILL REQUIRE USá--
>> RIGHT, BUT YOU WOULD ESSENTIALLY GIVE UP ALL OF YOUR
PUBLIC HOUSING MONEY, BUT YOU COULD AT THIS TIMEá-- YOU'D HAVE
THE LAND TRANSFER BACK TO THE CITY, COULD YOU NOT?
>> UNIMPROVED? >> YEAH, YOU COULD HAVE
APPROVALá-- >> IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE REST IS
GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, WHERE THEY'RE GOING, THE RESIDENTS
AREá-- >> THAT'S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW
THAT YOU CAN BEGIN TO VACATE THOSE UNITS AND BEGIN TO MOVE
FOLK OUT AND NOT OCCUPY THE UNITS AGAIN.
>> SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT IF WE HAVE SIX UNITS IN A
BUILDING AND WE COULD, SAY, MOVE PEOPLE OUT A BUILDING AT A TIME,
TAKE ALL THE PEOPLE OUT, BOARD THE UNIT UP, WE COULD GET
THATá-- WE COULD TRANSFER THAT UNIT BACK, OR THAT BUILDING
BACK, DEMOLISH IT AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BUILDING?
>> IT'S NOT QUITE THAT SIMPLE BECAUSE YOU FORFEIT ALL YOUR
PUBLIC HOUSING MONEY. THE FEDERAL MONEY YOU GET
ANNUALLY TO SUPPORT YOUR PUBLIC HOUSING, IT WOULD STOP.
>> OKAY, FOR THAT PARTICULAR CONFERENCEá--
>> FOR TIDEWATER GARDENS. >> SO THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO
TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT PARTICULAR HOUSING COMPLEX,
BUT THEN WE COULD ALSO GO ABOUT MOVING THOSE PEOPLE OUT AND
TEARING THOSE UNITS DOWN. >> YEAH, WHICH WOULD BE A
NIGHTMARE BECAUSE YOU WOULD ESSENTIALLY CREATE WHAT PEOPLE
WERE AFRAID OF, THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY TO
BE ABLE TO SUPPORT TO MOVE ALL THE FOLKS RIGHT NOW FROM ALL THE
COMMUNITY. YOU COULD ACCOMMODATE SOME, YOU
COULD GIVE SECTION 8 VOUCHERS TO SOME, BUT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE
TO EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU
SHOULD BE ABLE TO. >> AND I DON'T MEAN MOVE THEM
ALL AT ONE TIME. I MEAN OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
>> BUT ONCE YOU DO I, ONCE YOU DIE, YOU LOSE YOUR MONEY.
>> OKAY. SO IT'S ALL OR NOTHING.
>> YES. >> OKAY, OKAY.
>> SOMEBODY NEEDED TO DO TIDEWATERá-- HOW MANY UNITS?
>> 618. >> MAYBE WE CAN FIND A TIME IN
JANUARY TO COME BACK AND REVISIT THIS.
IT SEEMS TO ME, AND I DON'T WANT TO BE TOO SIMPLISTIC ORá-- BUT
WE SEEM TOá-- IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OTHER MAP UP THERE, WE OUGHT
TO AT SOME POINT, WE OUGHT TO ALL AGREE ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING
TO DO. THE IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO
DO IS TO CREATE A MIXED USE PROJECT THERE AT ST.áPAUL'S,
THEN WE OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT WE WENT IN WITH THE
IDEA OF TRYING TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN TIDEWATER
PARK. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED TALKING
ABOUT THAT, IT WAS HOW CAN WE IMPROVEá-- IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT
THE CITY DID TO THESE PEOPLE YEARS AGO, WRAPPED THE HIGHWAYS
AND INTERSTATE AREN'T THEM AND TURN THE BACK OF DOWNTOWN PLAZA
AND BLOCKADED THE PEOPLE IN THERE, CHURCH STREET ONE WAY,
THIS GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY IMPROVEá-- I MEAN, HOW DO
WE IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE?
AND IF WE USE THE OPPORTUNITY, THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT THIS
PROPERTY TO DO IT, I THINK THEN WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE WORK
IN THAT DIRECTION AS OPPOSED TOá-- EVERY NOW AND THEN FRANK
WILL COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS.
I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL FIGURE OUT HOW WE IMPROVE THE LIVES OF
THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE AND WE HAVE JUST A VERY SIMPLE PLAN
AT ONE TIME. YOU CAME IN AND REBUILT CHURCH
STREET AND MAYBE YOU TOOK IT OVER TO ST.áPAUL'S AND OVER TO
FREEMASON AND YOU STARTED BUILDING HOUSES OR UNITS ON IN A
PHASED WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CHURCH STREET, ON THE ST.áPAUL'S
SIDE OF CHURCH STREET AND THEN MOVED SOME PEOPLE OVER THERE OR
CREATE, YOU KNOW, CARVE OUT BLOCKS OF PLACES AND THEN COME
BACK AND THEN TRY TO REDEVELOP ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE YOU CAN
CREATE A REAL NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET THERE
FROM HERE. BUT THAT WAS MY GOAL, THAT'S
WHAT I THOUGHT WE WANTED TO DO AS OPPOSED TO JUSTá-- AND I
THINK IT'S GREAT TO CREATE JOBS AND ALL THAT, I UNDERSTAND YOU
CAN HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO, BUT WHAT I REALLY WANT TO
DO IS TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO IMPROVE THE
LIVES OF THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVEá-- I MEAN, JUST LOOK WHAT
WE DID TO THEM IN THERE. WE OUGHT TO DO BETTER.
YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO FIGURE OUTá-- MAYBE THAT OUGHT TO BE
OUR GOAL AND EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS BEHIND THAT.
>> MAYBE SOME OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO SOME
SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE DONE JUST THAT.
YOU GO TO ATLANTAá-- >> TELL US WHAT THE OBSTACLES
ARE TO GET THERE ANDá-- OKAY. >> THEY BUILT PEOPLE AND THEY
DID IT BY HAVINGá-- THEY DID HOPE 6 PROJECTS, OKAY?
AND EVERY HOPE 6 PROJECT WAS DIFFERENT THROUGHOUT THAT CITY,
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY WERE ABLE TO CREATE HEALTHY
COMMUNITIES, DISPERSE POVERTY, GIVE PEOPLE REAL OPPORTUNITIES,
AND HAVE MIXED INCOME COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH RISES,
WITH GOLF COURSES RUNNING THROUGH THEM.
YOU COULDN'T TELL WHERE PUBLIC HOUSING STARTED AND WHERE MARKET
RATE BEGAN. AND WHETHER IT BE DOWNTOWN
BESIDE GEORGIA TECH OR, YOU KNOW, SPRAWLING OUTSIDE THE
BORDERS OF THE SUBURBS, THEY DID A GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF DOING
EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT WAS NOT ABOUT BRICKS AND MORTAR.
IT WAS ABOUT PEOPLE. >> AND Iá-- YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE
SOME NICE EXAMPLES, ANTHONY, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE
OPERATINGá-- ONCE WE GOT A PLANNING STAGE MOVED NORTH OUT
OF THE ST.áPAUL'S AREA, IT TOOK ON A DIFFERENT LIGHT AND IT TOOK
ON A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS RATHER THAN
PEOPLE IN TIDEWATER PARK DESERVE BETTER.
AND THE CITY WILL BE HEALTHIER IF THEIR LIVES OF HEALTHIER IN
TIDEWATER, AND HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT IN A PHASED
FASHION THAT DOESN'T SCARE THE HECK OUT OF THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW,
ACTUALLY WE CAN BUILD SOME TRUST WITH THEM.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO TRY TO EMPHASIZEá-- AND AGAIN, I DON'T
THINK WE CAN DO IT TODAY AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEND ANOTHER
COUPLE HOURS BECAUSE REALLY I'VE GOT THINKERS IN HERE TO DO THAT,
BUT THE CITY HAS TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY.
WE OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT. >> I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT
WITH PEOPLE LEAVING US IN AN AREA THAT DOES HAVE THE
INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES, THAT DOES HAVE THE FLOODING, THAT THE
SCHOOL, EVERY TIME THERE'S THREE DROPS OF RAIN, YOU KNOW, THE
KIDS NEED A BUCKET TO, YOU KNOWá-- I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO
THAT AND LEAVE THOSE, LEAVE PEOPLE IN THAT SAME AREA.
I THINK IT REQUIRES MOVING PEOPLE AND DISPERSING THEM,
MOVING CHILDREN SO THAT THEY SEE MORE THAN POVERTY ON A DAILY
BASIS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT TAKES PLANNING AND IT TAKES
MONEY. >> OKAY.
>> WHO IS DRIVING THE TRAIN? >> WELL, THAT'S JUSTá--
>> OF THIS PROJECT. >> MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE WE GOT
TWO DIFFERENTá-- WE GOT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH A PLAN
AND THE CITY WITH A PLAN AND IT ALL HAS TO BE MELDED.
>> WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE CITY DID DEVELOPMENT?
>> HUH? >> WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE
CITY DID HOUSING DEVELOPMENT? >> NEVER.
>> SO WHY ARE THEY DRIVING THE TRAIN?
I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A POPULATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE
UNDER NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY ANDá--
>> I GUESS THE QUESTION WAS WHO BOUGHT THE PROPERTY FIRST.
THEY BOUGHT IT WAY BACK THEN, AND WE THOUGHT WHEN YOU TORE
DOWN THE DOWNTOWN PLAZA, THE THOUGHT WAS THIS WAS A WAY WE
COULD HELP THE FOLKS WHO LIVE THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN,
THAT'S HOW THE CITYá-- BECAUSE WE OWN PROPERTY.
>> BUT THAT'S JUST HALF OF THE PROBLEM.
>> I KNOW THAT. I GUESS WE NEED TO WORK THAT
OUT. >> BUT WHO'S DRIVING THE TRAIN?
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHO'Sá-- WHO IS GOING TO BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANNING GOING FORWARD OF THE ST.áPAUL'S
QUADRANT? AND ARE WE OPEN, AND I GUESS THE
MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION, THE TYPES OF MONEY, HOW OPEN ARE
YOUá-- BECAUSE WE'VE DONE PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY AND
USED DIFFERENT POTS OF MONEY. THERE'S GOOD FEDERAL MONEY AND
NOT SO GOOD FEDERAL MONEY, SO THE QUESTION IS WHAT TYPES OF
MONEY ARE WE GOING TO USE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE DOWN AN ELEPHANT
LIKE THIS. BECAUSE THERE IS NO MORE HOPE 6.
YOU GOT THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT THAT DOESN'T
GET YOU THERE, SO THE CITY IS GOING TO HAVE TO PUT INá-- AND
YOU GOT OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL OPEN, WHETHER IT BE OCEAN
VIEW OR OTHER PLACES THAT STILL HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THAT
HAVE BEEN ON THE TABLE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT NOW YOU GOING TO
OPEN ANOTHER PROJECT UP WITHOUT FINISHING THE ONE THAT YOU
CURRENTLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH. AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF
QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ULTIMATELY PUT ON THE BACK
OF NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE GIVE THEM X-NUMBER OF DOLLARS, WHETHER IT BE CDBG
MONEY AND THESE OUR FUNDS, BUT THAT AIN'T ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO
DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE ISSUES. SO I'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND,
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHO'S DRIVING THE TRAIN BECAUSE PEOPLE
DO HAVE QUESTIONS AS RELATES TO THE ST.áPAUL'S QUADRANT.
IF I WAS TO TELL SOMEBODY TODAY BASED ON WHERE WE ARE, IT'S NOT
GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS BASED ON WHERE WE ARE
TODAY. >> ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
[ INAUDIBLE COMMENTS ] THE ST.áPAUL'S AREA PLAN AND TO
CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE. OKAY?
>> MR. MAYOR, I WANT TO SAY ONE LAST THING BEFORE YOU ADJOURN
US. WE'RE APPRECIATIVE OF THE
OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND DIALOGUE WITH YOU IN THIS FORMAT.
WE OBVIOUSLY WOULD LIKE MORE OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK THE FIRST
BULLET ON SHURL'S PIECE OF HOW WE CAN WORK BETTER TOGETHER IS
COMMUNICATION AND I WILL TELL YOU NOT TO SORT OF COMPARE IT,
BUT IT'S MUCH, MUCH BETTER TODAY, WE HAVE A LOT OF
COMMUNICATION HERE, A WORKING RELATIONSHIP, IT'S BETTER WITH
STAFF FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF DOING WORK FOR YOU AND FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR
BUSINESS. SO BACK TO YOUR POINT,
COUNCILMAN SMIGIEL AND OTHERS, WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU AND TO
DO YOUR WORK, AND WE THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
WE'VE GOT 300 DEDICATED EMPLOYEES AND NOT TO LOSE SIGHT
OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE, THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE AND WE'VE
LAID SOME OF THOSE OUT TO YOU TODAY.
I'VE GOT SOMETHING I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A COPY OF.
A MONTH OR SO AGO, ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES IN A YARD SALE BOUGHT
A BUNCH OF BOOKS AND CAME ACROSS AN ANNUAL REPORT FROM 1946.
THAT WAS THE YEAR THE NORFOLK HOUSING AUTHORITY BECAME THE
NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND IT HAS PICTURES IN HERE THAT WOULDá-- FOR MOST OF US WHO
WEREN'T HERE IN 1946, ARE SOMEWHAT DISTURBING, BUT IT DOES
DEMONSTRATE IN MANY WAYS HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN THE CITY FROM
THOSE DAYS TO TODAY, WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE THEN AND WHAT WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT NOW. WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT WHERE WE
NEED TO BE, BUT WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, SO I'M GOING TO GIVE
OUT SOME COPIES OF THIS JUST AS SOMETHING TO PERUSE AND GO
THROUGH. IT'S INTERESTING TO LOOK AT.
SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU. GOOD DISCUSSION, APPRECIATE IT.
OKAY. WE'LL LET YOU GUYS GO.
WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE WORK TO DO.
>>> VERY BRIEFLY, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
FRANKLY, I WOULD TAKE ISSUE WITHá-- I WANTED TO RAISE THESE
THINGS TO YOU AND LET YOU KNOW THAT CERTAIN AREAS OF CONCERN
THAT WE'RE LOOKING ATá-- >> WHAT'S THE ISSUE?
>> THE HIGHWAY SAFETY ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN 11 DEATHS SO FAR
THIS YEAR, WHICH IS A VERY HIGH RATE.
THERE'S SEVERAL ACCIDENTS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE COULD DO
BETTER AND WHEN WE EXAMINE THOSE IN THE JANUARY MEETING, AS THEY
CHANGED. ONE OF THEM INVOLVED TIDEWATER
DRIVE, THE RAMP FROM TIDEWATER DRIVE, THERE'S AN AREA THERE
THAT THEY'RE GOING TO EXAMINE GETTING RID OF THE ISLAND THAT
MAY BE AN AREA WHERE WE WOULD FINEá-- WE'RE GOING TO EXAMINE
IT OURSELVES AND BRING YOU THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION A
PARTICULAR REPORT THAT WOULD GO WITH THAT.
ALSO, WITH REGARD TOá-- MARCUS, JUST TO TAKE CARE OF QUICKLY,
YOU NOTICE AS YOU GO ACROSS FROM WHERE TCC IS, THE ENTRANCE TO
THE MALL, THERE'S SOME CRIME TAPE, YELLOW.
THAT WAS PUT UP BY THE OFFICER BECAUSE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS
PEOPLE WERE WALKING FROM TCC RIGHT THROUGH THE GARDEN THAT
THEY HAVE THERE, THAT COURTYARD, AND THEY WEREN'T CROSSING AT THE
CROSS WALK AND TRAINS WERE FORCED TO STOP.
THEY'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THEY'RE ON CELL PHONES OR
THEY'RE TEXTING AND THEY'RE WALKING RIGHT OUT INTO TRAFFIC.
BECAUSE IT'S SIMPLE. AND IT LOOKS NATURAL, SO ALSO
THE POLICE PUT UP CRIME TAPE AND SOME OF THE TAPE IS STILL UP.
SOMEBODY HAS CUT SOME DOWN, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WHAT
HIS RECOMMENDATION IS AND PERHAPS SOMETHING SOMETHING THAT
CAN BE DONE QUICKER THAN THE OTHER TWO, WHICH IT WILL COME
THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, THIS IS REALLY FOR
COUNCIL, IS TO PUT UP RAILING. WE HAVE RAILING THROUGHOUT LIGHT
RAIL AREAS, WOULD BE TO HAVE RAILING PUT UP THAT WOULD FORCE
YOU TO GO TO THE CROSS WALK. YOU JUST CAN'T CROSS FROM TCC TO
THE MALL, AND IT WOULDá-- I MEAN, THEY HAVE TOLD PEOPLE
DON'T DO IT, THE CRIME TAPE HAS STOPPED PEOPLE FROM DOING IT, IT
FORCES THEM TO GO LEFT OR RIGHT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED A
MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION AND SOME OF THAT REALLY ATTRACTIVE
RAILING, THAT MAY STOP THATá-- AGAIN, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE
DISCUSSED. LASTLY, WE DID TALK ABOUTá-- I
WILL SAY LASTLY, WE DISCUSSED THE SEEDING ON HAMPTON BOULEVARD
AND WE'VE ASKED IN THE JANUARY MEETING, WE'VE ASKED THATS A
LIAISON OFFICER COME FROM THE NAVAL BASE, THAT WE CAN SOMEHOW
GET TOGETHER WITH THEM AND TALK ABOUT AT LEAST AN EDUCATION
PROCESS FOR SAILORS, FOR CIVILIANS THAT WORK ON THE BASE,
ABOUT HAMPTON BOULEVARD AND THE SPEEDS ON HAMPTON BOULEVARD.
PERSONALLY, I'VE WITNESSED A LOT OF TAGS ARE OUT OF STATE, A LOT
OF PEOPLE ARE IN UNIFORM. NOT EVERYBODY, AND I DON'T WANT
TO INDICT WITH A BROAD BRUSH, BUT IT IS Aá-- I MEAN, IT'S A
THOROUGHFARE THAT CONNECTS TO PORTSMOUTH AND THE BAY AND IT IS
USED A LOT BY THE NAVY. WE'D LIKE TO DO AN EDUCATION
DISCUSSION ON THEM ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
ABOUT SPEEDS ON HAMPTON BOULEVARD.
THAT'S WHAT CAME ABOUT. I APOLOGIZE I DIDN'T DO IT IN
WRITING, BUT THAT'S MY REPORT TO YOU, AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL
HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS IN JANUARY ON THIS OTHER ISSUE, I
TALKED ABOUT, THE ACCIDENTS AND GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF THE
ACCIDENTS HAPPENING AT TCC, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION DID A VERY
FINE JOB IN ATTENDING AND TAKING CARE OF THAT.
THANK YOU, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. >> PAUL?
>> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. >> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING EXCEPT
I'M STILL WAITING FOR YOU TOá-- ANTHONY, I'M GIVING UP ON YOU.
SOMEBODY HAS TO GIVE ME THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS AMOUNT OF
TAX REFUNDSá-- THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS PASSED ON YOU.
[ ALL SPEAKING AT ONCE ] >> ANTHONY, DO YOU HAVE
ANYTHING? >> YES, TWO THINGS.
ONE, I KNOW WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE VIOLENCE THAT HAVE
BEEN TAKING PLACE IN OUR CITY. >> THE WHAT?
>> VIOLENCE. >> VIOLENCE.
>> I'M MORE SO CONCERNED ABOUT THEá-- YOU KNOW, I LISTEN TO
PEOPLE TALK AND I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO, FOR
ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, WANT TO ROB PEOPLE.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THAT GOING ON, BUT AGAIN, I DO
BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN LOOKING AT OUR
PROBLEMATIC AREAS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU LOOK AT CRIME STATS,
THAT GIVES YOU SOME DATA, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE GUYS THAT
ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY ON THE STREETS HAVE MORE INTELLIGENCE
TO BE ABLE TO TELL US WHERE THE MORE PROBLEMATIC AREAS ARE AND
WHERE WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE OUR EFFORTS IN TERMS OF COMBATTING
THIS ISSUE AS RELATES TO NOT ONLY YOUTH VIOLENCE, BUT THE
WEAPONS THAT ARE ON THE STREETS. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS THAT EXIST IN THEIR
CITY, BUT JUST LIKE WEá-- YOU KNOW, IT TOOK A WHILE FOR US TO
TALK ABOUT THE GANG SITUATION. ONCE WE TALKED ABOUT IT, OTHERS
NOT ONLY IMPLEMENTED LIKE STRATEGY, BUT THEY IS WENT A
STEP FURTHER AND IMPLEMENTED IT WITHIN THEIR CLASSROOM, MADE IT
PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM. SO I'M NOT AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT
THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR CITY BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, THEN
WE CAN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THE GOOD THINGS, BUT THESE GOOD THINGS
GET DEEP DOWN WHEN YOU HAVE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT OR INCIDENTS
LIKE THAT, IT MAKES PEOPLE THINK TWICE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT
TO LIVE IN THIS CITY, RAISE THEIR FAMILIES IN THIS CITY.
SO I WOULD RATHER BE ON THE FRONT END AND BE PROACTIVE AND
LOOK LONG-TERM AND SAY YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE, THE CITY AS LOT SAFER FOR IT, AND
FAMILIES ARE MOVING HERE. BECAUSE THE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS
THAT WE'RE MAKING, IN MY OWN, MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT
THESE INVESTMENTS AND SO WE HAVE ISSUES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN
COMMUNITIES, ISOLATED INCIDENTS THAT WE CAN DRAW A CIRCLE AROUND
IT, THEN WE NEED TO DEAL WITH IT.
AND SO I SAY IT AGAIN, I DON'T BITE MY TONGUE WHEN I SAY THIS,
BUT THERE HAS TO BE A WAY THAT WE BEGIN TO HOLD PARENTS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S ACTIONS.
AND AGAIN, IN CERTAIN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE NORFOLK
REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY, I KNOW THEY SAID
EARLIER THAT, YOU KNOW, NORFOLK REDEVELOPMENT HOUSING PUTS
PEOPLE OUT. THEY DON'T PUT PEOPLE OUT.
ANYBODY THAT HAS EVER GOTTEN PUT OUT OF PUBLIC HOUSING GOT PUT
OUT BY THE COURTS. THERE'S A PROCESS THAT ONE HAS
TO GO THROUGH. YOU CANNOT PUT THEM OUT, WHETHER
IT BE FOR FINANCIAL OR ANY OTHER, THEY CAN HAVE DRUG
CHARGES AND THEY CANNOT PUT THEM OUT.
THEY GET 72 HOURS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY GOT TO GO
TO COURT AND THE JUDGE PHYSICALLY REMOVES THEM FROM THE
PROPERTY, SO AGAIN, ALL I'M ASKING THAT IS WE LOOK AT
RESOURCES THAT WE DO HAVE, PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HAVE, AND
SERVICES THAT WE DO HAVE AND BEGIN TO, AGAIN, AT LEAST COME
BACK AND AREAS THAT WE KNOW THAT ARE PROBLEMATIC, AT LEAST COME
BACK AND SAY, LOOK, WE HAVE A PLAN.
THIS IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND, YOU KNOW, THREE,
SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS,
THIS. THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE. >> I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.
>> THREE THINGS. CAN WE GET AN UPDATE ON RED
LIGHT CAMERAS AND THE STATUS OF THAT?
I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED IT, IT WAS GOING OUT
ON CONTRACT OR SOMETHING WITH THAT.
ALSO, COUNCILMAN WINN AND I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN AN UPDATE
ON THE TRAVELERS INN AND WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS AND IF THE
PROPERTY OWNER IS NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH THE CITY, THEN WE NEED
TO GET A LITTLE BIT STRONGER AND MAYBE POSSIBLY LOOK AT EMINENT
DOMAIN WITH THAT. IT'S AN EYESORE, IT'S BEEN LIKE
THAT SINCE FEBRUARY, AND WHATEVER LEGALá-- WHAT ROUTE WE
NEED TO GO IF THAT PROPERTY OWNER IS NOT GOING TO WORK WITH
US, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. [ INAUDIBLE COMMENTS ]
>> YEAH, YEAH. AFFORDABLE, REASONABLE.
AND I SPOKE AT THE WARDS CORNER TASK FORCE MEETING AT A
DIFFERENT CAPACITY, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BROUGHT UP,
AND IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO TALK TO THE SCHOOL
SYSTEM ABOUT, THEY'RE USED TO BE A TRUANCY CENTER, A TRUANCY
LOCATION AT WARDS CORNER WHERE ALL KIDS THAT WERE CAUGHT BY
POLICE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, THEY WOULD BRING THEM TO THE
CENTER AND THEY WOULD BE PROCESSED THERE.
THE PARENTS WOULD HAVE TO COME AND PICK THEM UP, AND IT
ACTUALLY WAS A BENEFICIAL THING BECAUSE THE INCONVENIENCE TO THE
PARENTS, WHAT HAPPENED WITH BUDGET CUTS IS NOW THE POLICE
BRING THEM BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY
OPERATIONS OF THE SCHOOL AND WHAT'S HAPPENING, SOMETIMES
ITá-- THEY DON'T GET TO THOSE KIDS FAST ENOUGH AS THEY SHOULD,
SO REFERRALS IN OR SOMETHING WITH SKIPPING OR BEING CAUGHT BY
THE POLICE, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THAT ACTUALLY
COSTS, IF IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WAS EASY TO
GET RID OF IT AND WOULD IT HELP WITH SOME OF THE DAY CRIME THAT
WE HAVE. I BELIEVE THAT WAS ONE OF THE
ISSUES THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT WARDS CORNER WAS STUDENTS THAT
WERE OUT THERE AND COULD BE CAUSING PROBLEMS AND, YOU KNOW,
THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN WITH IT AND SOMETIMES YOU
CAN'T CONTROL THAT, BUT IT WAS A BENEFIT FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS PAYING FOR THAT, IF IT WAS A SCHOOL
SYSTEM ITEM OR IF IT WAS THROUGH THE CITY, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED
IN HEARING, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH THAT REALLY COST AND WHETHER OR
NOT THE IMPACT OF LOSING IT WAS AFFECTING OUR CRIME DAY TO DAY.
>> THANK YOU, TOMMY. >> I HOPE EVERYBODY GOT A COPY
OF THIS AMTRAK INAUGURAL SCHEDULE.
YOU OUGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION, RAY LaHOOD IS GOING TO BE ON
THERE. WHICH I MEAN, AS WELL AS THE
GOVERNOR, AND IF YOU COULD COME NOVEMBER 11th, PLEASE DO IT.
SELMA DRAKE OBVIOUSLY IS GOING TO BE THERE, BUT THE AMTRAK
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CEOs OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN AND CSX.
THERE'S A SCHEDULE ON HERE, BUT PART OF THE IDEA IS TO MAKE SURE
WE GET EVERYBODY'S EAR ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE NEED A DEDICATED
FUNDING SOURCE AND WE'VE ONLY GOT A COUPLE YEARS WORTH OF
FUNDING FOR OPERATIONS AND WE NEED MORE TRAINS, NEED IT SOONER
RATHER THAN LATER. THIS WILL BE A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY SPEAK FOR THE RIGHT GUY.
SECONDLY, I HANDED OUT THISá-- I SAW IT IN THE RICHMOND PAPER
YESTERDAY. THEY HAD ANOTHER ANTI-POVERTY
EVENT WHICH WE'LL GET UP AND RUNNING HERE SHORTLY, BUT THEY
LINK POVERTY TO TRANSIT WAS DROPPED, BUT ALSO THEY PROVIDED
THE SAFE BED COMMUNITY IF THEIR ATTEMPTS TO ERADICATE POVERTY IN
RICHMOND, SO I THINK WE'VE GOT FAITH-BASED PARTICIPATION ON OUR
POVERTY COMMISSION AS WELL. TOMORROW MORNING AT 8:00 AT
SCOPE, IF YOU'VE GOT A CHANCE, COME OUT.
THERE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 600 VOLUNTEERS TOMORROW MORNING AT
SCOPE, GET THERE BEFORE 8:00. WE EXPECT TO HAVE ABOUT 500
HOMELESS PEOPLE COME. WE MAY HAVE MORE.
WE'LL HAVE ONE VOLUNTEER AT LEAST FOR EVERY HOMELESS PERSON
WHO WAX THROUGH THE BUYER PROCESS, BUT IT WILL DO YOUR
HEART GOOD TO BE THERE AND SEE THE GOOD WORK THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING AND ALSO WE'RE GOING TO THANK THE
FOUNDATION, THE HAMPTON ROADS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THEIR
SUPPORT AND THEY ALSO GOT A NATIONAL AWARD FOR THEIR
PARTICIPATION WITH US IN THIS HOMELESS CONNECT, IN THEIR
HOMELESS CONNECT ACTIVITIES. SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE, IF YOU
DON'T DO ANYTHING, YOU OUGHT TO COME AND SEE THIS WHEREá--
>> IT GOES ON ALL DAY. >> YEAH, BUT BASICALLY WE SORT
OF OPEN THE DOORS AT 8:00 AND THE LINE STARTS FORMING BEFORE
THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS, THEY GET DENTAL WORK, THEY
GETá-- YOU NAME IT. NOT ONLY HAIRCUTS, BUT THEY GET
HEALTH CHECKUPS. SOME GET JOBS.
13 OF THEM LAST YEAR GOT HOUSING.
THEY GET I.D.s AND THEY GET INTO OUR SYSTEM AND WE FIND OUT WHAT
THEIR ISSUES ARE, THEY GET TO PHONE HOME FOR FREE.
I MEAN, IT WILL DO YOUR HEART GOOD IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO COME
OUT AT 8:00 TOMORROW MORNING. ANDY MENTIONED PUTTING A RAIL UP
THERE OVER BY TCC. I STILL THINK WE NEED A RAIL ON
ST.áPAUL'S ACROSS FROM WHERE THE NEW COURTHOUSE, IN BETWEEN THERE
AND THE BUS STATION. JUST ONE OF THOSE RAILS THERE
THAT WOULD PUSH PEOPLE BACK TO THE INTERSECTION.
AND THEN ANTHONY, THIS IS NOT A RESPONSE TO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT
THE VIOLENCE PIECE BECAUSE I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE NEED TO
DO MORE, BUT THE LAST TIME I SAW SOME STATS ON VIOLENCE IN THE
CITY, VIOLENCE, WE'VE HAD JUST ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL OF VIOLENT
ACTS COMMITTED THIS YEAR AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
ACTUALLY THREE OR FOUR FEWER AS OF THE END OF SEPTEMBER, AND
THAT WAS DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE YEAR BEFORE AND DOWNá--
WE'VE ACTUALLY IN ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS, PRETTY GOOD RATES OF
DROP OF VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY WE COULDN'T DO MORE.
THE OTHER THING WE DID DO, AND THIS WILL SORT OF SPEAK TO ONE
OF YOUR QUESTIONS, IS THERE WERE 30 POLICE OFFICERS TAKEN OUT OF
BOOKING AND THOSE POLICE OFFICERS, WHEN WE ASKED THE
CHIEF WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH THEM, HE DIVIDED THEM
BASICALLY INTO GROUPS OF SEVEN OR EIGHT AND THEY WERE GOING TO
BE MOVED INTO SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU TALKED
ABOUT TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE AND FIGHTS ANDá--
>> I RESPECT YOURá-- >> IT WASN'T A RESPONSE TO WHAT
YOU SAID. >> I KNOW, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT,
WITHIN A THREE-MILE RADIUS, TO LOSE OVER SEVEN OR EIGHT YOUNG
PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGE OF 18 TO 25, IN MY WARD, THAT'S ALARMING
TO ME. WHEN I LOOK AT THE TYPES OF
WEAPONS THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE, IT'S ALARMING TO ME
BECAUSE THESE ARE THE STREETS THAT I WALK.
THESE ARE THE COMMUNITIES THAT I WALK, AND THESE ARE THE FOLKS
THAT WE ALL SERVE. AND SO I TRULYá-- IT'S ISOLATED.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, IT'S NOT HAPPENING THROUGHOUT
THE ENTIRE CITY. IT IS HAPPENING IN AREAS THAT WE
CAN PINPOINT THE SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES THAT DRIVE THOSE
COMMUNITIES, SO TO ME, IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I GET TIRED
OF TURNING ON THE TV, WHETHER IT BE NORFOLK OR ANY OTHER
COMMUNITY, THAT THERE'S A YOUNG PERSON WHO LOOKS LIKE ME WHO IS
LOSING HIS OR HER LIFE EVERY DAY.
SENSELESS VIOLENCE, WHETHER SOMEBODY IS PULLING THE TRIGGER
THAT HAS NO ORIENTATION OF HOW TO USE A WEAPON, OR WHETHER OR
NOT IT'S SOMEONE TRYING TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT BELONG
TO THEM, AND SO I'Má-- I HEAR WHAT FOLK ARE SAYING ON THE
STREET, SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE
CITY I SERVE AND THE COMMUNITY I SERVE.
>> I SHARE YOUR CONCERN, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME WHEREVER
IT OCCURS. AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE IT
OCCURS OR TO WHOM IT OCCURS. WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME
WHEREVER IT HAPPENS. I JUST SAW THAT AND I THOUGHT I
WOULD BRING IT UP. ALL RIGHT.
UNLESS THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE, WE'LL STAND ADJOURNED.
WAIT, WAIT, WHAT? >> IS THIS YEAR TO DATE ORá--
>> OCTOBER 30th, WE HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE DINNER AND FROM 4:30
TO 6:30, RIGHT HERE ON THE TENTH FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOME FANCY RESTAURANT, WE'RE GOING TO BE
RIGHT HERE, OCTOBER 30th. PLEASE COME IF YOU CAN.
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