MHA Management Committee Minutes, March 14, 2005

Summary Management Committee Minutes, March 14, 2005. Present: Jonathan Machen, Kathryn Alexander, Kabir, Alex Wilson, Maria Downing.

MHA is going to find a solution to re-installing a secure (metal) box in the laundry room, where the old wooden box was, for rent drop-off. See above. The aim is to make it a more secure system, with bolts drilled through the wall. This will help solve several problems: an end to people bringing money to Julie (the park manager) or Enzo as well as re-establishing the convenient, and perhaps more effective, way for folks to drop their checks off. The box below costs $203. Shall we buy it?

The committee discussed the roadway with the overhanging branches that need to be removed. A decision was taken to proceed with this action out of concern for residents' cars that are a target for racing dump-truck operators who swerve to avoid the branches.

We also discussed "what to do with overflowing recycle bins" We would
like more recycle bins to be put out in areas that there are only two.
For instance, there are only two bins on the road just east of Folsom
St. At least two paper and mixed-metal bins per station seem necessary,
if not more. We will re-address guidelines like this in the next
mobilizer - For example, we would like folks not to stack recyclables
on the street; instead, just throw them away in the dumpster if the
bins are full. Since we don't have bins for cardboard recycling, people
should just throw cardboard away. It is our understanding that
cardboard can't be included in mixed paper.

Enzo plans to fix the bollard at #77 and the bike racks. We are also
hoping he will fix the retaining wall at #70.

A discussion was had about a resident who has items in storage. His
yard was messy when the city owned the park, they cleaned it up for him
after leaving numerous notes, and now there is a fee. The consensus at
the meeting was to proceed with requests for payment; if he cannot pay
the back fees, his materials should be scrapped, with the reasoning
that we cannot bail him out. He is uncommunicative, and this has led
to his current situation.

Jonathan's suggestion of getting another storage shed, to possibly
address the above item, was dropped. ("Having a shed is an invitation
to fill it up" said Alex.)

The issue was brought up about the process by which people in arrears,
who owe back rent to the MHA, will be allowed to make a credit
arrangement with the MHA that involves signing over the title of their
home in addition to making arrangements about payment. If payments are
not made faithfully, the MHA will have the option of eviction and
selling the home for the back rent. This policy is still in flux;
details still to be worked out, especially for those residents who have
never responded to any of the MHA's or Thistle's policies.

The question was raised again: Can our park, which is within the city
limits, evict people without moving their home off the grounds of the
park? In parks outside the city limits, a judge can be asked for the
right to keep the home in exchange for the arrears that one owes - with
the remainder of money going to that resident. We still wonder if this
a city law only.

We did agree that some people need to see what will happen if one
doesn't follow the rules and regs. The City was far too lax in
enforcement of the basic rules, hence, people have lived without fear
of ramification for their actions - in some cases, some residents are
thousands of dollars behind in their rent. Unfortunately, we don't have
a way of dealing with people who don't, or can't, initiate social
services to help themselves. This is something Hast has told us many
times. One of the management committee followed up on that by calling
someone in social services:

> Just spoke with a few people at Boulder County Social Services.
> Basically the only way that they can help is if the person in need
> calls them. If the person is over 55, or has children or is
> receiving disability they can offer assistance. They encouraged us to
> refer anyone however. They declined attending a meeting saying that
> unless the individual asks for assistance their is really nothing they
> can do. She said that the homeless shelter on N Broadway could be an
> option.
>

The MHA is formulating a letter to a resident who has challenged
Mapleton LLC's rental structure and who also gave a comprehensive
presentation to members of the management committee and the Thistle
board earlier this month. The process now is to receive from Thistle
their recommendation, a 'response' if you will, to this resident's
presentation. Once we have that info, and have reviewed it, the
Management committee will direct Hast to craft a letter to the resident
via certified mail. The letter will reflect the extent to which MHA
can influence the agreements that were made over the period of 5 years
with Thistle and the City.

It looks like, at this time, all expenses for maintaining the new home
in spot #81 will fall under MHA's books. We are going to be talking
more to CU About this, but it seems clear that we should track expenses
for this project on MHA's books. We are hoping for grant money on this
project.

Jonathan has asked Roger of Mobile Maintenance to give us a bid on
temporary tie-downs for home #81. As of this writing, he has been asked
twice, but with no results. Another person may be chosen to help us
out.

Devising parking tags for the parks residents is now on our priority
list. Two stickers per household, and a guest tag that will hang from
the rear-view mirror.

submitted by Jonathan Machen, MHA management committee chair