[00:00:53] TESTING FOR WEBEX. TESTING FOR WEBEX. AND WE SPOKE. METRO TV, CAN YOU PLEASE CHANGE THE VOTES CAST SCREEN FOR US, PLEASE? THANK YOU. [00:05:06] METRO TV 30S. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON THE EFFICIENCY OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. IT'S WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4TH, 2025, AND THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CR 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE A, I AM THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, COUNCILWOMAN JENNIFER CHAPPELL, AND I AM JOINED TODAY IN CHAMBERS BY MY VICE CHAIR, COUNCILMAN KEVIN BRATCHER. WE'RE ALSO JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS. COUNCILMAN JP LEININGER, COUNCILMAN SCOTT REED, COUNCILMAN KEVIN CRAMER. AND WE'RE ALSO JOINED VIRTUALLY BY COUNCILMAN MARCUS WINKLER. OH, AND SO SORRY. WE'RE ALSO WE'RE ALSO JOINED TODAY IN CHAMBERS BY COUNCILWOMAN TAMMY HAWKINS. ITEM NUMBER TWO TODAY. DASH 8525 WILL BE HELD AT THE SPONSOR'S REQUEST. BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT EACH OF MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A HANDOUT FROM MY OFFICE THAT INCLUDES GROUPINGS FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR MEETINGS THROUGH THE REST OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. I'M GOING TO BE EMAILING THIS DRAFT TO YOU ALL DIRECTLY. AS IN, THAT DRAFT WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE MEETING DATES THAT COINCIDE WITH EACH OF THESE GROUPINGS. AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO JUST LOOK IT OVER. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND JUST GET BACK TO ME. AND I KNOW THAT A FEW PEOPLE, SUCH AS MY VICE CHAIR, HAVE SOME ADDITIONS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED IN AS WELL, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE THOSE. AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THESE MEETINGS WITH SOME SORT OF RHYME OR REASON, AND I THINK THAT TODAY'S MEETING WILL BE VERY OBVIOUS BECAUSE IT'S OUR FOCUS IS HOUSING. AND THIS IS PROBABLY A GREAT MEETING TO HAVE. COMING OFF THE HEELS OF OUR OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HOUSING, OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAD YESTERDAY. I ALSO JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR MOVING THIS, MOVING THIS MEETING TO BE A LITTLE LATER TO ACCOMMODATE THE HEFTY PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING THAT WAS BEFORE US. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VOLUNTEERING MORE OF YOUR EVENING WITH US. SO AGAIN TODAY OUR THEME IS HOUSING. AND SO WE HAVE SPEAKERS FROM THE LOUISVILLE METRO HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD, THE LOUISVILLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND, THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY AND THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION. I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE GOAL OF THIS COMMITTEE IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUNCTION OF THESE BOARDS ARE, AND HOW THEY'RE USING THAT FUNCTION TO CARRY OUT THEIR WORK. THIS IS BY NO MEANS YOU'RE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LEARN MORE FROM YOU. AND SINCE WE DO HAVE QUITE A FULL CALENDAR, EACH ONE OF THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL HAVE 15 MINUTES. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S A LOT TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE FITTING YOUR IMPACT INTO. BUT IF YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION, JUST BE MINDFUL THAT MAYBE 5 TO 7 MINUTES OF THAT IS PRESENTATION TIME LESS THE BETTER. SO COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AND I WILL HAVE A LITTLE TIMER GOING. SO FIRST UP WE HAVE THE LOUISVILLE METRO HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD. AND WE HAVE DIRECTOR STROJARNE HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT IT. AND BEFORE WE GET INTO IT, JUST THE QUICK OVERVIEW. THERE ARE THIS IS UNDER STATUTE AS WELL AS A LOCAL ORDINANCE. THEY MEET ON THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THERE IS ONE IMMEDIATE VACANCY. AND SO THERE'S SEVEN MEMBERS WITH A MAX, SEVEN MEMBERS RIGHT [00:10:04] NOW WITH A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT MEMBERS. AND WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DIRECTOR STURGEON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE. AS THE COUNCILWOMAN SAID, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH STROJARNE. I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LOUISVILLE METRO HOUSING AUTHORITY. I WANTED TO START WITH A QUICK BACKGROUND. I THINK MOST PEOPLE HERE ARE AWARE OF US AND OUR MISSION AND WHAT WE DO. OUR MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF FAMILIES IN NEED BY PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I ALSO WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON HOW WE'RE STRUCTURED, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT A CITY AGENCY, WE'RE AN AUTHORITY. SO I LIKE TO DESCRIBE US AS FEDERALLY FUNDED, STATE CHARTERED AND LOCALLY ACCOUNTABLE. AND SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE LOCALLY ACCOUNTABLE ARE THROUGH OUR BOARD IS 90% FEDERALLY FUNDED. THE REMAINING 10% COMES FROM RESIDENT RENTS. IT COMES FROM SOME PROGRAM INCOME EARNED THROUGH LAND SALES AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND SOME PRIVATE PHILANTHROPIC DOLLARS. AND LAST YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. WE RECEIVED SOME FUNDING FROM LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS SERVICES, OUR REGULATIONS THAT WE MUST FOLLOW ARE DETERMINED BY CONGRESS AND HUD. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING A LOT OF HOUSING TONIGHT. I WANTED TO DELINEATE HOW WE'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. IN ADDITION TO THE FEDERAL FUNDING AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS. WHAT WE DO IS CALLED SAFETY NET HOUSING BECAUSE WE SERVE SOME OF THE LOWEST INCOME LOUISVILLIANS RIGHT NOW, ABOUT 30,000 PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY BENEFIT FROM PUBLIC HOUSING IN SECTION EIGHT. THESE ARE FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER. SO RESIDENTS PAY NO MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SAFETY NET. IF YOUR INCOME IS ZERO, YOUR RENT IS ZERO. IF YOUR INCOME GOES DOWN, WE CAN ADJUST YOUR RENT DOWNWARD. THE RULES GOVERNING OUR BOARD ARE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL. AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE HOUSING ACT OF 1937, WHICH WAS PART OF THE NEW DEAL, ESTABLISHED PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES TO ADMINISTER FEDERAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE STATES. AT THE STATE LEVEL, CRS CHAPTER 80 AUTHORIZES LOCAL PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND ESTABLISHES GENERAL POWERS AND AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE METRO COUNCIL MERGED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF LOUISVILLE WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY IN 2003, SO AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE HOUSING ACT STATES THAT PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES OF A CERTAIN SIZE, WHICH WE ARE, IT'S ANYWHERE OVER 350 UNITS, MUST HAVE A BOARD. THOSE BOARDS MUST HAVE A CONSUMER SEAT. THAT MEANS THAT SOMEONE ON OUR BOARD MUST BE ACTIVELY RECEIVING SERVICES FROM. AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE RULE SAYS THAT EACH AUTHORITY MAY ESTABLISH ITS OWN BYLAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ITS OWN GOVERNMENT, AND ALSO THAT NO MORE THAN HALF OF THE APPOINTEES PLUS ONE MEMBER SHALL BE AFFILIATED WITH THE SAME POLITICAL PARTY. SO WE HAVE A BIPARTISAN BOARD AS WELL. AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE LOUISVILLE METRO CODE OF ORDINANCES LAYS OUT HOW OUR BOARD IS MADE UP. IT'S MADE UP OF THE MAYOR OR THE MAYOR'S DESIGNEE, EIGHT OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OF AGE, A RESIDENT OF JEFFERSON COUNTY AND SERVE A TERM OF THREE YEARS. SO OUR BOARD IS APPOINTED AND THEN I'M THE SECRETARY. SO OUR BOARD IS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND APPROVED BY METRO COUNCIL. THAT'S PART OF THE LOCAL ACCOUNTABILITY THAT I DESCRIBED EARLIER. A BIT ABOUT OUR BOARD. RIGHT NOW, WE ARE A VERY LARGE ENTITY. THERE ARE ALMOST 3000 PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN THE COUNTRY. WE'RE PROBABLY AT LEAST TOP 20 IN TERMS OF OUR SIZE. WE HAVE A LARGE MANDATE. WE ARE A COMPLICATED ORGANIZATION, SO WE NEED A WIDE VARIETY OF SKILL SETS REPRESENTED ON OUR BOARD, INCLUDING FINANCE, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, INTERNAL OPERATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, LEGAL AND FEDERAL GRANT COMPLIANCE. THOSE ARE SOME KEY SKILL SETS THAT ARE REPRESENTED BY OUR CURRENT BOARD. SEVERAL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, SIMILAR TO SEVERAL MEMBERS OF OUR SENIOR STAFF AND EXECUTIVE STAFF AT, HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH HOUSING ASSISTANCE, WHICH IS INVALUABLE. AND AS THE COUNCILWOMAN SAID, WE DO HAVE ONE VACANCY ON OUR BOARD. IT'S THE CONSUMER SEAT. WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE FORMERLY SERVED BY MHA, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO FIND A NEW REPLACEMENT FOR OUR CONSUMER SEAT THAT'S BEEN VACANT FOR, I THINK, ABOUT SIX WEEKS. AS WAS ALSO MENTIONED, JUST SOME MEETING LOGISTICS. OUR BOARD MEETS THE THIRD TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 330 AT OUR OFFICE. THE MEETINGS ARE LIVE STREAMED ON FACEBOOK. RECORDINGS AND MINUTES ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE IN YOUTUBE. EACH MEETING BEGINS WITH A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. PEOPLE CAN ALSO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION FROM THE BOARD. WE ALSO MONITOR THE [00:15:02] FACEBOOK COMMENTS FROM THE LIVE STREAM, SO THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO WEIGH IN WITH BOARD. OUR BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE APPROVING OUR AGENCY'S ANNUAL BUDGET, REVIEWING AND APPROVING KEY PLANNING DOCUMENTS. WE HAVE THREE PLANNING DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY HUD EVERY YEAR. ONE IS OUR ANNUAL MOVING TO WORK PLAN. WE ARE A DESIGNATED A MOVING TO WORK AGENCY BY HUD. THAT MEANS WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WE CAN BUDGET AND HOW WE CAN INNOVATE PROGRAMS ANNUALLY. WE HAVE TO UPDATE OUR PLAN. THAT'S REALLY THE OVERARCHING PLAN FOR THE WHOLE AGENCY IN TERMS OF OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION. WE ALSO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN THAT LAYS OUT HOW THINGS WORK IN OUR SECTION EIGHT HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM. AND ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING SIDE, OUR PLAN IS CALLED THE ADMISSIONS AND CONTINUED OCCUPANCY POLICY. SO OUR BOARD APPROVES ALL OF THOSE PLANS BEFORE THEY'RE SUBMITTED TO HUD FOR ULTIMATE APPROVAL. OUR BOARD AUTHORIZES CONTRACTS EXCEEDING $40,000. THEY ALSO APPROVE LOANS, FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS, AND PROPERTY DISPOSITIONS. WE FOLLOW FEDERAL PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES, BUT THAT $40,000 CUTOFF IS A STATE REGULATION. AND SO OUR BOARD IS VERY BUSY. AND I WANTED TO JUST UNDERSCORE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW OUR BOARD ADDITIONALLY WEIGHS IN ON OUR POLICY DIRECTION. SINCE I STARTED, THE BOARD HAS GUIDED ME TO FOCUS ON REINVIGORATING OUR RESIDENT COUNCILS, WHICH ARE RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVES AT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HOUSING SITES. WE HIRED SOMEBODY SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON WORKING WITH THOSE RESIDENT COUNCILS. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FEEDBACK LOOP BETWEEN THE AGENCY AND OUR RESIDENTS. THEY ALSO PROVIDE PROGRAMING FOR OUR SITES. SAFETY AND SECURITY HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE FOR OUR BOARD BECAUSE IT'S A BIG ISSUE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. OUR BOARD IS VERY INTERESTED IN THE RESIDENT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. WE ARE NOT A SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY, BUT WE DO TRY TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS. AND INCREASINGLY, OUR RESIDENTS NEED A HIGHER LEVEL OF CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AS THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND OTHER BARRIERS. AND OUR BOARD IS ALSO LASER FOCUSED ON OUR AGENCY'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED. SO EACH YEAR WE'RE AT THE WHIMS OF CONGRESS AND THEN HUD TO APPROPRIATE OR TO ALLOCATE FROM US THEIR APPROPRIATION, OUR SHARE OF THE APPROPRIATION FROM CONGRESS. BUT WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON IS BECOMING MORE EFFICIENT, LOWERING THE COST OF OPERATING AS AN AGENCY AND ALSO REPOSITIONING OUR PORTFOLIO TO BE MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE. SO HERE, JUST FOR THE RECORD, IS OUR UPCOMING MEETING DATES. WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU. IF YOU'RE COMING, PLEASE DO GO AHEAD AND RSVP AND THEN FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA. YOU CAN STREAM OUR BOARD MEETINGS RIGHT THERE ON FACEBOOK. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION. YOU DID A REALLY, REALLY GREAT JOB. YEAH. AND WE STILL HAVE OVER SEVEN MINUTES. GREAT. SO I JUST GOT TWO QUESTIONS RIGHT OFF THE BAT FOR YOU. OUR MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD ARE COMPENSATED FINANCIALLY. THERE'S AN OPTION THEY CAN OPT TO BE COMPENSATED. IT'S LIKE $100 PER MEETING. AND HOW IS THAT MONEY? BECAUSE YOU ALL DON'T RECEIVE ANY MONEY IN THE BUDGET. IT COMES FROM OUR BUDGET. OPERATING BUDGET. AND THEN IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID THAT YOU ALL WERE REINVIGORATING THE RESIDENT COUNCILS. COULD YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME RECENT ONES? SURE. SO I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS DURING COVID, SOME OF OUR RESIDENT COUNCILS BECAME LESS ACTIVE AND WE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ENGAGE WITH THEM. SO WE JUST HAD OUR FIRST EVER RESIDENT COUNCIL RETREAT THAT WAS HOSTED AT THE LIBERTY GREEN RESIDENCE CENTER. THE LIBERTY GREEN PROPERTY HAS A VERY ACTIVE RESIDENT COUNCIL. WE HAD 20 MEMBERS OF RESIDENT COUNCILS FROM ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS COME TOGETHER. SO WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS EMPOWERING EACH DEVELOPMENT TO HAVE ITS RESIDENT COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE. AND SO THAT'S SOME EXAMPLES OF HELPFUL. AND HOW MANY PROJECTS ARE THERE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE 36 DEVELOPMENTS, BUT SOME OF THOSE ARE SMALL SCATTER SITES. SO IN TERMS OF LARGE CONGREGATE SITES LET'S SEE. WE HAVE FOUR MIXED FINANCE PROPERTIES, PROBABLY TEN OR SO LARGE CONGREGATE SITES. OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES OKAY. VICE CHAIR BRASHER. THANK YOU. CHAIR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND AN AGENCY. YOU SAID EARLIER WELL, WE'RE NOT A CITY AGENCY. THEY CALL US AUTHORITIES BECAUSE WE'RE SEPARATE OR QUASI GOVERNMENTAL. AND IT'S THE STRUCTURE OF BEING FEDERALLY FUNDED, STATE CHARTERED AND LOCALLY ACCOUNTABLE, LIKE THE AIR POLLUTION BOARD, I GUESS. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THEIR STRUCTURE, BUT, WELL, I'LL MAKE A STATEMENT. YOU TELL ME IF IT'S [00:20:01] TRUE. THE FEDS GIVE THE MONEY THROUGH HUD DOWN TO THE STATE EQUIVALENT, AND THEN IT COMES TO YOU. IT GOES FROM CONGRESS TO HUD TO US. SO WE'RE SET UP TO GET THAT MONEY DIRECTLY FROM HUD FOR SECTION EIGHT AND PUBLIC HOUSING. SO WHAT ABOUT KENTUCKY HOUSING AUTHORITY? SO THE KENTUCKY HOUSING CORPORATION WORKS WITH THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ALLOCATION OF SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS THAT THEY RUN STATEWIDE. ALL THE VOUCHERS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY ARE ADMINISTERED BY US. BUT OUTSIDE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY WHERE THERE'S NOT A PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY DOING THEIR OWN VOUCHERS, THE KENTUCKY HOUSING CORPORATION DOES THAT. THEY ALSO WORK WITH A RESOURCES FROM THE TAX CODE. SO THEY'RE WORKING WITH LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS AND PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS. SO THEY OPERATE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY FROM US. WE PARTNER WITH THEM ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. WELL, I KNOW THAT THAT SOME LIKE ASSISTED. IT'S LATE IN THE DAY. WHAT DO YOU CALL THEM. ASSISTED. YOU KNOW WERE YOU A SUBSIDY HOUSING. SUBSIDIZED HOUSING. YEAH SUBSIDIZED HOUSING I KNOW A LOT OF THEM ARE GOING THROUGH THE STATE. YEAH. WE DO HAVE THEIR HOUSING IS JUST SO COMPLICATED. THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO HERE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, THE TENANT BASED VOUCHERS AND WHAT WE CALL PROJECT BASED VOUCHERS COME FROM US. THE STATE DOES HAVE PROJECT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE HERE IN THE COUNTY, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN PROPERTIES THAT ARE ADMINISTERED DIRECTLY BY HUD AS WELL. SO IT'S PRETTY COMPLICATED AND I'M HAPPY TO CHAT MORE ABOUT WHY DOES THE BOARD GET INTO THE WEEDS ON LIKE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS OR IS THAT YOUR, YOUR JOB. THEY, THEY GET INTO THE WEEDS ON EACH CONTRACT THAT WE DO OVER $40,000. SO AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, WE WENT TO THEM TO ASK FOR PERMISSION FROM ME, FOR THEIR APPROVAL FOR ME TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH TOSHIBA FOR NEW PRINTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, SO THAT IT CAN BE THAT SPECIFIC, AND THEN IT CAN BE AS LARGE AS WE WANT TO REDEVELOP A PROPERTY. THEY APPROVE THE TERMS OF OUR DEVELOPER AGREEMENT, THEY APPROVE THE TERMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN OUR APPLICATION TO HUD. IF WE WANT TO SELL A PROPERTY, THEY HAVE TO APPROVE THAT. IT'S REALLY IT'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY. WOULD IT BE YOUR GROUP THAT WE WOULD BLAME WHEN THOSE NASTY PICTURES OF DUSK OR MANNER ARE SHOWN ON TV? THAT'S US. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THERE. IT'S HORRIBLE. IT'S ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. SO WE ARE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY ON IF I CAN SAY ONE THING ABOUT OSCAR, WE'RE DOWN TO 37% OCCUPANCY OF THAT PROPERTY. SO WE HAVE A FEW MORE PEOPLE. WHAT WE HAVE 250 PEOPLE LEFT TO RELOCATE. AND THEN OUR PLAN IS TO DEMOLISH THAT PROPERTY AND TO REBUILD SAFETY AND HOUSING. SO WHEN YOU'RE AT THE OSCAR MANOR SITE, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE BEFORE PICTURE. ACROSS THE STREET IS LIBERTY GREEN, WHICH IS A RELATIVELY NEW, BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO THERE. WE WANT TO BUILD SAFE, DECENT HOUSING. DOSSER MANOR IS A SHAME AND IT'S PAST ITS USEFUL LIFE. AND THAT'S WHY WHEN I STARTED, PRETTY SOON AFTER I ANNOUNCED THAT WE WOULD BE RELOCATING PEOPLE OUT OF THERE. COUNCILMAN LINENGER THANK YOU CHAIR. SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE REVITALIZED RESIDENT COUNCIL IS, IS AT PARKWAY PLACE. AND THAT'S A LOT OF EFFORT OF A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER OF MY DISTRICT AND HAPPY TO HAVE HER DOING THAT WORK. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITIES, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S MOSTLY FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT. IS THERE ANY POLICY DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE AT THE BOARD LEVEL? THEY APPROVE ALL OF OUR POLICY DOCUMENTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED TO HUD, SO THEY APPROVE THE POLICIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR A SECTION EIGHT PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE OVERALL DIRECTION OF THE AGENCY. SO, YES, THEY'RE VERY INVOLVED IN POLICY ALSO. BUT BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S MORE OF A QUESTION OF THE POLICY IS PRESENTED BY STAFF. AND THEN IT'S THEN IT'S THEN PASSED ON WITH APPROVAL. I DO THEY GET IN THE WEEDS MUCH. YEAH ABSOLUTELY. THEY ASK PRETTY DETAILED QUESTIONS. AND WE HAVE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS IN BETWEEN BOARD MEETINGS. I'LL GET QUESTIONS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT. SO THEY'RE PRETTY WELL INFORMED. WE HAD A GREAT BOARD RETREAT LAST YEAR SO THEY COULD GET REALLY UP TO SPEED. A LOT OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE RELATIVELY NEW, SO I WOULD SAY THEY'RE INTIMATELY INVOLVED. THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED IN OUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. THEY'RE NOT AN OPERATIONAL BOARD, BUT THEY'RE VERY MUCH A POLICY BOARD. RIGHT. SO IF THE POLICY WISE, IF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE BEFORE THE BOARD, IF WE WANTED TO SAY, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS AVAILABLE, THAT THAT WOULD GO BEFORE THE BOARD AND THE BOARD WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION. THE BOARD, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MONEY TO INCREASE IT. NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING. LIKE IF THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, AN EFFORT TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK FOR NEW SITES, FOR A NEW FOR A NEW CONGREGATE FACILITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD GO BEFORE THE BOARD. RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. WELL, THANK [00:25:09] YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. AND NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE LOUISVILLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND. AND AS THEY SETTLE IN, I'LL JUST SAY THAT THEY'RE UNDER A STATUTE AS WELL AS A LOCAL ORDINANCE. THEY MEET ON THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. MEMBERS ARE NOT COMPENSATED. HOWEVER, THERE IS $1,000 IN THE BUDGET FROM FOR THEM LAST YEAR. THEY GENERATE REVENUE MAXIMUM OF 13 MEMBERS AND THEY HAVE ONE IMMEDIATE VACANCY AND IN FULL TRANSPARENCY. COUNCILWOMAN TAMMY HAWKINS SERVES ON THIS BOARD AND SHE'S, I BELIEVE, STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM FOR A MOMENT. BUT WITH THAT, I WILL HAND THIS OVER TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTINE MCCREEVY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. SO YES, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OUR FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. WE'RE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR BOARD, WHICH IS TOTALLY LOCAL, FULLY OPERATING AND FUNCTIONAL IN JEFFERSON COUNTY VERSUS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. SO WITH THAT, JUST WANT TO FIRST GIVE YOU A DEFINITION OF A HOUSING TRUST FUND. IT IS A AN ENTITY WHERE THAT IS ESTABLISHED BY CITIES, COUNTIES AND STATES TO PROVIDE DEDICATED, ONGOING PUBLIC REVENUE TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF FINANCING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH MAY NOT OTHERWISE BE RELIABLY FUNDED BY A JURISDICTION'S BUDGET, SO IT IS DEFINITELY A COMMITMENT BY THE MUNICIPALITY. THE LOUISVILLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2008 BY METRO COUNCIL, AND IT IS A WAY FOR US TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, TO PROVIDE A PLACE TO CALL HOME THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO OPPORTUNITY SO THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY CAN BENEFIT WHEN EVERYONE HAS A DECENT, SAFE PLACE TO CALL HOME. SO WE ARE A PUBLIC 501 C3 AGENCY. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE MAYOR APPOINTS OUR BOARD, WE ARE ALSO A PUBLIC AGENCY. BEING A QUASI GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY, WE ARE OVER. WE HAVE OVERSIGHT BY THE LOUISVILLE METRO OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS OUR ORG CHART. CURRENTLY WE HAVE NINE EMPLOYEES. BUT AT AT THE TOP, AS YOU SEE, IS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WHO IS OUR PRIMARY GOVERNANCE BODY. SOME REALLY PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR BOARD INCLUDE THE FACT THAT HALF OF OUR BOARD MUST RESIDE WEST OF I-65. HALF OF THE BOARD MUST RESIDE EAST OF 65. WE HAVE TO HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM BOTH MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES. WE ALSO HAVE A VERY DEFINED. CATEGORY OF MEMBERS. SO AND THIS IS ALL IN THE ORDINANCE. ONE MEMBER MUST COME FROM THE BANKING COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A MEMBER AT LARGE. WE ALSO HAVE A CONSUMER. THEY EITHER HAVE TO BE A RENTER OR AN OWNER. SO IN MANY CASES THEY MAY BE A CLIENT. THEY MAY BE SOMEONE THAT LIVES IN HOUSING THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BY ONE OF OUR NONPROFIT OR OTHER DEVELOPERS. WE HAVE A LOW INCOME HOUSING ADVOCATE, METRO COUNCIL PERSON, AS SHE MENTIONED. THAT IS COUNCILWOMAN TAMMY HAWKINS, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REP AND ONE MEMBER FROM THE METRO GOVERNMENT THAT IS REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE MAYOR THAT HAS HOUSING EXPERTISE. CURRENTLY, THAT IS LAURA GRABOWSKI, AND OUR MEMBER AT LARGE IS CURRENTLY MARILYN HARRIS. WE HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF A NONPROFIT DEVELOPER SUCH AS NEW DIRECTIONS, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, THE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP. IT COULD BE REBOUND ANY OF THOSE ENTITIES. WE HAVE A SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDER. WE HAVE ONE MEMBER. AND IT STILL SAYS HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF LOUISVILLE IN THE ORDINANCE. BUT OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT NAME HAS CHANGED TO BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION. SO BIA ONE REP WHO REPRESENTS HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND THEN ONE MEMBER FROM THE GREATER LOUISVILLE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. AND THEN THE MAYOR, UPON SUBMITTING A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL THAT APPOINTS TO THE TRUST FUND. THAT IS WHERE WE REALIZE THAT. WELL, LET ME START OVER. THE MAYOR, UPON SUBMITTING A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL, CAN MAKE APPOINTMENTS THAT CAN GO OUTSIDE OF THE REQUIRED GEOGRAPHIC SECTION. IF THOSE PERSONS ARE APPOINTED AND APPROVED BY METRO COUNCIL. SO [00:30:07] WHAT ARE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES? WHAT WE EXPECT FROM OUR BOARD IS TO ATTEND BOARD MEETINGS, AS WE NOTE, SERVE ON A WORKGROUP OR A COMMITTEE. WE HAVE THREE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS OUR OFFICERS PROGRAM WORKGROUP OR THE ADVOCACY WORK GROUP, PROVIDE INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE AND GUIDANCE TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS AND OTHER OCCASIONS AS REQUESTED, AND THEN TO PUBLICLY SUPPORT THE TRUST FUND AND ALSO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE TRUST FUND DURING SPECIAL CAMPAIGNS AND FUNDRAISERS. ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ATTEND ORIENTATION, WHICH IS WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF THEIR APPOINTMENT. OF COURSE, THEY SIGN ALL OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BY. FROM THE ASPECT OF US BEING A PUBLIC AGENCY, AND THEN THEY MUST ADHERE TO THE BYLAWS CONCERNING ALL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND PROCESSES OUTLINING OR CONCERNING ACTION WHERE CONFLICTS MAY EXIST. SO THE DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ARE BOARD. THEY EVALUATE THE TRUST FUND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THEY MAKE OTHER CORPORATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL BOARD AS NEEDED. THE DUTIES OF THE WORK GROUPS, ESPECIALLY THE PROGRAM WORK GROUP. THEY ARE COMPRISED OF TRUST FUND BOARD MEMBERS AND SOME PAST BOARD MEMBERS. NOT ALL OF THESE MEMBERS ARE CURRENTLY ON THE BOARD, BUT BECAUSE OF THE EXPERTISE THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE, THEY WILL REMAIN ON THAT COMMITTEE. THEY ATTEND WORKGROUP MEETINGS, THEY PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON ANNUAL FUNDING GUIDELINES AND WHAT WE ESTABLISH TO BE OUR POLICY. THEY MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD, AND THEN THE BOARD ITSELF MAKES DECISIONS WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY ALSO REVIEW THE MATERIALS SENT OUT BY MYSELF IN REFERENCE TO FUNDING PROJECTS. THEY WILL ANALYZE THE FEASIBILITY AND THE REASONABLENESS OF ALL REQUESTS BASED ON THOSE GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED FOR THE YEAR. THEY WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO STAFF AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONCERNING LOAN STRUCTURES AND THEY, OF COURSE, WILL PUBLICLY AND FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE TRUST FUND. THE ADVOCACY WORK GROUP ATTENDS MEETINGS. THEY PARTICIPATE IN ACTIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE WORK GROUP AND OF COURSE, ONCE AGAIN PUBLICLY SUPPORT AND FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE TRUST FUND. THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT LISTED, ABOUT 98% OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT. IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LESS ABOUT BETWEEN 95 AND 98%, AND WE ONLY USE ABOUT 7% OF THAT TO RUN THE OPERATION. ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE VOLUNTEERS. AGAIN, THEY BRING A WEALTH OF EXPERTISE WITH THEM BY SERVING ON OUR BOARD AND SOME OF THOSE WORK GROUPS, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THEM THAT SERVE YOUR QUESTIONS, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I'M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO VICE CHAIR BRADSHAW. THERE'S SOME MEMBERS THAT WANTED A QUESTION ASKED. ONE, DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE COMMITTEES THAT MAKE EACH DECISION OR HOW DOES IT WORK THAT YOU MAKE A DECISION? NONE OF OUR COMMITTEES MAKE A DECISION. OUR COMMITTEES ONLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ONLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE A DECISION. OKAY. AND THEN DO YOU GET AUDITED? YES, YES WE DO. WE HAVE AN ANNUAL AUDIT. OUR AUDIT ROLLS INTO LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT'S AUDIT. OKAY. WE JUST SWITCHED AUDITORS AND SIGNED ENGAGEMENT LETTERS TODAY WITH AMICK AND COMPANY. ANY WAY YOU COULD SEND THE LAST TWO FINANCIAL AUDITS TO EACH MEMBER OF METRO COUNCIL? ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND I FORGOT TO SAY GREAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN REED. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THE I'M A LITTLE PERPLEXED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO YOUR BOARD MEMBERS, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, METRO GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO THE TUNE OF TEN, $15 MILLION. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I MEAN, YOU SAID FOR FUNDRAISERS, ARE WE TALKING, LIKE $100 CONTRIBUTIONS? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ANNUAL MEETING. NOT IT'S NOT AN ANNUAL MEETING. IT'S AN ANNUAL FUNDRAISER. WE USED TO CALL IT AN ANNUAL MEETING, BUT IT'S AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION CALLED THE CHAMPION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHERE WE NAME SOMEONE AND WE HAVE A LUNCHEON. WE ASK OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO ATTEND, OKAY, TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, TO NOT SELL TICKETS, BUT TO ASK COLLEAGUES IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND. [00:35:07] BUT WE RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN OVER AND WHO HAS PERFORMED OVER AND ABOVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR CITY. OKAY, BECAUSE YOU HAD ONE OF YOUR BOARD MEMBERS IS A BASICALLY A RESIDENT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BE A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THEY COULD AFFORD TO WRITE A CHECK IF IT WAS A PREREQUISITE. WE HAVE NO REQUIREMENTS, OKAY. FOR CONTRIBUTIONS. WE ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD BUY TICKETS. NOT ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS DO, BUT THERE IS NO FINANCIAL REQUIREMENT TO SERVE ON OUR BOARD LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER BOARDS. AS YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO RAISE SO MUCH MONEY OR CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH. WE DON'T HAVE THAT REQUIREMENT. YEAH, I'M NOT SO SURE I AGREE WITH THAT. BUT SO THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER. AND DO YOU NORMALLY HAVE A ACHIEVE A QUORUM FOR YOUR MEETINGS? WE DO. LAST MONTH FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, AND IT JUST HAPPENED TO COINCIDE WITH THE LAST WEEK OF APRIL WHEN A LOT WAS GOING ON. WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM. I THINK THAT'S ONLY HAPPENED PROBABLY THREE TIMES IN THE IN THE NINE YEARS THAT I HAVE MEETINGS IN PERSON, ARE THEY LIVE OR ARE THEY VIRTUAL OR IS IT A HYBRID? WE HAVE A HYBRID MEETING ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO JOIN OUR MEETINGS IS ON OUR WEBSITE. WE MEET THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THE ZOOM LINK IS ON THE WEBSITE. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO JOIN. EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, WE'LL PUT THAT OUT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES. BUT ANYONE CAN JOIN. THEY CAN ALSO COME IN PERSON BECAUSE THEY ARE HYBRID. STAFF IS ALWAYS. IN PERSON. USUALLY THE BOARD CHAIR COMES IN PERSON, BUT OTHER MEMBERS, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT QUORUM, WE GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN VIA VIRTUAL. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN HENNINGER. THANK YOU. CHAIR. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE PROGRAM WORK GROUP. SO IN THE PRESENTATION YOU SAY THAT THERE'S A FORMAL ROLE, FORMAL ROLE FOR PAST MEMBERS. HOW HOW MANY PAST MEMBERS ARE SERVING IN THAT WORK GROUP? AND I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS FORMAL. AND IF I SAID THAT, I'M SORRY, BUT I GUESS THAT WAS THAT WAS MY OWN EDITORIALIZING. BUT BUT THE WORK GROUP IS COMPRISED IN THE PRESENTATION THAT THERE'S PRESENT AND PAST MEMBERS. CORRECT. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT. 13 MEMBERS ON MIGHT BE 1414 MEMBERS ON OUR WORK GROUP. HALF AND HALF. OKAY. AND WHAT WHAT SORT OF ROLES DID THEY WERE THEY FILLING IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE DELINEATED ROLES IN THE PREVIOUS TERMS? ONE WAS A BANKER THAT ALSO HAD LEGAL EXPERIENCE. ONE WAS A IS A NONPROFIT DEVELOPER. ONE IS ANOTHER REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY THAT COULD HELP A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS AND ANALYZING THOSE KINDS OF DEALS. LET'S SEE WHO ELSE. ONE WAS A SOCIAL SERVICE PROVIDER SO SHE COULD GIVE US HER SHARE, HER EXPERTISE ABOUT WHAT THE CLIENTS ACTUALLY NEED, OR IF THE CLIENTS ACTUALLY HAD A NEED FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAY BE INCLUDED IN AN APPLICATION. IT'S LIKE WHEN WE'RE STUDYING FEASIBILITY, IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. BUT THOSE ARE THE PERSONS THAT WOULD BE ASKED TO STAY OR EVEN SOME, YOU KNOW, MAY EXPRESS, YOU KNOW, AN INTEREST. ONE IS A PROPERTY MANAGER AT THIS TIME AND PROPERTY MANAGER AND DEVELOPER AND HAS A LOT OF EXPERTISE. OKAY. AND SO THAT THAT WORK GROUP THEN IT KIND OF IT LEANS TOWARDS SUPPLY SIDE OF THE BOARD THEN. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. AND ANYONE ELSE QUESTIONS. I'LL TAKE THE LAST ONE THEN. IN JUNE 2024, LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED $15 MILLION TO THE LOUISVILLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND TO BE USED FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO DATE? YES. THAT MONEY. SO WITH THAT 15 MILLION WE HAD, WE ALSO CARRIED OVER TWO, A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. AND THAT WAS BECAUSE TWO PROJECTS FELL THROUGH. SO TO DATE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAD A TOTAL OF $17 MILLION FOR. ACTIVITIES, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. WE ARE AT. [00:40:04] $16,095,000 SUBSCRIBED AND ALLOCATED. IF YOU KNOW, YOU WILL NOTE THAT EVERY MONTH YOU RECEIVE A REPORT FROM US. AT THE BOTTOM, IT GIVES YOU A COLUMN THAT SAYS TOTAL LOANS APPROVED. AND THEN THERE'S A COLUMN THAT SAYS TOTAL AMOUNT DISBURSED. SO WE ARE WAITING FOR A COUPLE OF LOANS. SOME LOANS ARE BEING DRAWN DOWN. WE DON'T WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM ALL THE MONEY AT ONE TIME. SO THEY'RE DOING DRAWS. THEY HAVEN'T DRAWN ALL THAT MONEY DOWN. BUT AT THIS TIME WE ONLY HAVE $380,000 THAT HAS NOT BEEN ALLOCATED. AND PART OF THAT WAS TO REHAB AND REUSE VACANT ABANDONED PROPERTIES. DO YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, HOW MANY OF THOSE IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE GONE FROM VACANT, ABANDONED INTO THE ACTIVE MARKET? I'D HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THIS SPECIFIC NUMBER. I'D HATE TO GIVE IT TO GIVE YOU THE WRONG INFORMATION. SURE. AND THE BOARD HELPS OVERSEE ALL OF THAT MONEY THEY DO DURING OUR BOARD MEMBERS, ALL OF OUR STAFF PRESENT, SO THEY GET A PROGRESS REPORT ON ALL OF THE LOANS. WE HAVE A COMPLETED REPORT AND A AND IN PROCESS REPORT. TO DATE, SEVERAL OF THOSE REPORTS HAVE MOVED OVER TO THE OF COURSE, COMPLETION SIDE. AND THEN FOR THOSE THAT ARE STILL MOVING ALONG, WE WILL REPORT OUT WHAT PERCENTAGE COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS ARE. OUR BOARD IS A VERY HANDS ON BOARD JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THEY THEY REALLY WORK. THEY REALLY DELVE INTO OUR NUMBERS. THEY ESTABLISH POLICIES WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. THEY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH NOT ONLY ME, BUT WITH SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS. IF THE NEED IS THERE. USUALLY THEY ONLY WORK HAND IN HAND WITH MYSELF OR MY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, BUT WE HAVE A VERY HANDS ON BOARD. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND THAT'S OUR TIME. AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THEN NEXT UP WE ARE GOING TO WELCOME THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY AND THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION. THEY ARE BOTH COMING UP AT THE SAME TIME, AND THEY WILL PROBABLY DIVE INTO THIS. BUT WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED VAP STAT AND THAT CONSISTS OF THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD, THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY AND THE VACANT PROPERTY REVIEW COMMISSION. NOW, IF YOU ASK ME IF THAT LAST ONE EXISTS, I DON'T THINK THAT IT DOES. AND SO I'M INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO SAY. AND BEFORE THEY GET STARTED. THE LET'S SEE LAND BANK AUTHORITY IS UNDER CRS STATUTE AND LOUISVILLE ORDINANCE. THEY MEET ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THEY HAVE THREE MEMBERS, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR SMALLEST BOARDS. AND THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION IS NOT UNDER LOCAL ORDINANCE, BUT IT IS UNDER CRS STATUTE. THEY MEET ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH, AND THEY HAVE A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MEMBERS, BUT THEY HAVE THREE IMMEDIATE VACANCIES RIGHT NOW. SO I'M GOING TO LET YOU ALL TAKE IT OVER AND KIND OF EXPLAIN THIS WEIRD LITTLE GROUP WE'VE GOT GOING. SO TAKE IT OVER. THAT'S GREAT. GOOD AFTERNOON. EVENING I'M LAURA GRABOWSKI I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS THEA BOWMAN, EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR IN THE SAME OFFICE. WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION. I HAVE IT PULLED UP ON THIS SCREEN. OH, I'M SEEING IT OVER THERE. OKAY, GREAT. SORRY. THANK YOU. I WAS LOOKING UP THERE. ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING. I'VE GOT MY TIMER SET, SO. YES. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VACANT PROPERTY RELATED BOARDS, I UNDERSTAND, CAN BE KIND OF CONFUSING. BEFORE I START GETTING INTO THE ACTUAL LAND BANK, I THINK THE, LIKE THE BIG PICTURE IS BACK IN 2013, 2012 THE CITY. CONDUCTED A AN ENGAGEMENT WITH A CONSULTANT AND IT WAS FOR A VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTY REPORT. I'M NOT GOING TO BORE YOU WITH ALL OF THOSE DETAILS. THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXCERPT IN HERE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT REPORT SAID WAS THAT THE CITY HAD TOO MANY VACANT PROPERTY BOARDS, AND IT HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT COMBINING BOARDS, KEEPING THE POWERS, AND TRYING TO MAKE THAT MORE EFFICIENT. SO TO THE INTRODUCTION, THAT IS ACTUALLY WHERE THAT STAT CAME FROM. IT USED TO BE A WELL, IT WAS WHEN THOSE THREE BOARDS STARTED [00:45:01] MEETING TOGETHER AND IT WAS CALLED VAP STATISTICS ESSENTIALLY, OR VAP STAT FOR SHORT. SO BUT SINCE THEN WE'VE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES AND I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE TODAY. SO THIS PRESENTATION HAVE THIS TIMER. YOU ALL HAVE AA1 PAGER PREPARED BY TIA THAT HAS SOME INFORMATION AS WELL. AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH ANY OTHER INFORMATION SLASH QUESTIONS THAT THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. BUT LET ME GET STARTED HERE. ALRIGHT. WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT THE LAND BANK WITHOUT BRIEFLY TALKING ABOUT VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTIES. THERE IS A CYCLE OF ABANDONMENT. IT IS A COMPLEX SITUATION AND A COMPLEX, A COMPLEX PROBLEM. BUT WE HAVE WE, THE CITY HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS IN OUR TOOLBOX TO ADDRESS VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTIES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TODAY, BUT OF COURSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHERS ON HERE. SO JUST JUST TO PUT THIS A LITTLE BIT IN CONTEXT, THE LAND BANK ESPECIALLY IS A KEY PARTNER OR KEY RESOURCE TO REPURPOSING VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTIES. TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOARD, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS. IT IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY, THE STATE AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. THESE ARE THE THREE TAXING ENTITIES, THE THREE MAJOR TAXING AUTHORITIES. THEY GOT TOGETHER IN THE LATE 80S AND THEY SAID, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PROPERTIES BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS. LET'S LET'S DO THIS. SO THERE ARE POWERS LIKE. ACQUISITION. WHEN PROPERTIES COME INTO THE LAND BANK, THEIR TITLE IS CLEARED, CAN CAN BE CLEARED OF DELINQUENT TAXES. IT. SO IN THAT THREE PERSON BOARD WHICH WE WOULD LOVE TO MAKE A LITTLE BIT LARGER, WE HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY RIGHT NOW THAT IS REVEREND DOCTOR JAMES FERGUSON, WHO IS OUR CHAIRPERSON. WE HAVE AMANDA SATTERLEE, WHO IS THE REPRESENTATIVE, AND THEN WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVED, I THINK JUST MAYBE LAST MONTH, ELAINE DUNCAN. IT'S SUPPORTED BY ABOUT TWO OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS. AND ESSENTIALLY THEY ACQUIRE PROPERTIES AND MOSTLY DISPOSE OF PROPERTIES THAT WERE FORMERLY ABANDONED. HERE'S A BRIEF LOOK AT OUR INVENTORY. WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS LATER. WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. BUT JUST TO JUST TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF VACANT PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE, THE ONE BIG MYTH WE ALWAYS SAY IS THAT WE, THE LAND BANK, DOES NOT OWN ALL OF THEM. SO THIS IS WHAT WE DO OWN. I'M GOING TO BREEZE THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF THINGS, BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK QUICKLY ABOUT THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION AS WELL. THE LAND BANK IS GOING THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHANGES RIGHT NOW AND HAS GONE THROUGH CHANGES. SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEING STARTED IN THE LATE 80S, IN 2013, WHEN THAT REPORT CAME OUT, WAS REALLY WHEN THE LAND BANK IN THE MODERN, YOU KNOW, 21ST CENTURY REALLY STARTED GETTING STARTED. WE STARTED WITH DISPOSITION PROGRAMS, MARKETING OUR PROPERTIES. IN 2016, THE STATE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSED SOME LEGISLATION THAT TRANSFERRED THE THAT COULD THAT ALLOWED US TO TRANSFER THE POWERS OF THE VACANT PROPERTY REVIEW COMMISSION OVER TO THE LAND BANK. SO THAT IS WHEN, TO YOUR POINT, THE VRC IS STILL TECHNICALLY ON THE BOOKS, BUT IT IS DORMANT. IT IS NOT. WE ARE NOT FILLING. IT ESSENTIALLY HAS NO POWERS AT THIS POINT. AND AT THAT SAME TIME, BECAUSE OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION'S INVENTORY, WHICH WAS AT THE TIME MAYBE OVER A LITTLE BIT OVER 100. AND WE'VE STARTED SLOWLY BUT SURELY DECREASING THAT INVENTORY. SO THE GOAL HERE IS THAT AT THE END OF THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION'S INVENTORY, WHEN WE GET THAT DOWN, WHEN WE GET THAT DOWN TO CLOSER TO ZERO, WE WILL HAVE ONE MAIN FUNCTIONING BOARD, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. IT IS THE LAND BANK WITH THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES THAT THAT COME WITH BEING A LAND BANK. HERE'S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MOST RECENT HISTORY OF THE LAND BANK. IT IS REALLY A PRETTY HIGH FUNCTIONING BOARD. IT'S ONE SOME SOME ACCOLADES NATIONALLY. WE ARE ONE OF THE THIRD. I THINK WE'RE THE THIRD OLDEST LAND BANKS IN THE COUNTRY. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL NONPROFIT CALLED CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PROGRESS. THEY DO GREAT WORK AROUND VACANT AND ABANDONED, HELPING CITIES ON VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTY. SO WE HAVE SOME LINKS IN HERE TO SOME REPORTS AND AN INNOVATIVE AWARD THAT WE'VE WON FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED. AND I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO STATE MAYBE 30S AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING NEXT WITH LAND BANK. AS YOU SAW, WE HAVE A LOT OF INVENTORY, AND I ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT [00:50:03] THIS ON MONDAY AT THE BUDGET HEARING. BUT WE ARE WE HAVE PRESENTED TO THE LAND BANK SOME NEW PROGRAMS THAT WILL ALLOW DEVELOPERS, NONPROFIT, FOR PROFIT DEVELOPERS TO PURCHASE OR TO ACQUIRE MULTIPLE PROPERTIES AT THE SAME TIME. PEOPLE, THEY'VE BEEN ASKING THIS FOR A WHILE. WE WILL STILL HAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BASED PROGRAMS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS, BUT THIS WILL ALLOW DEVELOPERS TO REALLY HOPEFULLY MAKE SOME MAKE SOME IMPACT. WE'RE. TIA AND HER TEAM ARE BEEFING UP THE OUR COMPLIANCE, OVERSIGHT AND OUR EDUCATION. WE'RE PLANNING TO HOST A DEVELOPERS FORUM AND DO A LAND BANK OF SORTS TO TRY TO GET SOME OF OUR HOUSES OUT THE OUT THE DOOR. AND ONE THING THAT IS LAUNCHING SOON THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LAND BANK LOTS, THEY ARE, THEY ARE VERY A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY NARROW, 25FT, 30FT. SO IT'S HARD TO HARD TO BUILD ON THAT. AND SO WE'RE LAUNCHING A DESIGN COMPETITION OF SORTS OR OTHERWISE KNOWN AS AN RFP, TO FIND INTERESTED DESIGNERS THAT CAN HELP US WITH SOME PLANS THAT WOULD BE READY MADE FOR, FOR DEVELOPERS. SO WITH THAT, I YEAH, THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION IS STILL IN EXISTENCE. IT HAS SOME VACANCIES. LIKE I SAID, IT HAS ABOUT 30 PROPERTIES LEFT. WE NEED TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES. WE NEED TO PULL THE BOARD TOGETHER FOR PROBABLY SIX MONTHS IN ORDER TO TRANSFER THOSE PROPERTIES OUT. WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN COMPLETELY SUNSETTING THAT URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE SOME POWERS. BUT I THINK AS EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, THOSE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION WAS SET UP TO OVERSEE URBAN RENEWAL PLANS, OUR LAST URBAN RENEWAL PLAN EXPIRED IN 2010, I THINK. SO THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST NOT. URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION IS NOT IS NOT THE ANSWER TO VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTIES RIGHT THIS SECOND. THAT IS CERTAINLY THE LAND BANK. SO I KNOW I WENT OVER MY TIME, WAS TRYING TO COVER A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, AS IS TIA HERE. SURE. LOTS OF INFORMATION. SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE LAND BANK AND THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION ALL IN ONE. OKAY, SO WITH THE. THAT STAT, THEN IF THE VACANT PROPERTY REVENUE REVIEW COMMISSION HAS BEEN DISSOLVED, THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION HAS A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MEMBERS, AND THEN THE LAND BANK HAS THREE PEOPLE. DOES THAT MEAN THAT STAT OPERATES WITH A BOARD TOTAL BOARD OF EIGHT? NO, THAT STAT IS AN UMBRELLA WORD. THAT MEANT WE'RE GOING TO GET ALL THOSE THREE BOARDS TOGETHER, AND THEY'RE GOING TO MEET AT ONE AFTER EACH OTHER. SO THAT WAS THE INITIAL WHEN WE HAD THAT RECOMMENDATION FROM THAT CONSULTANT TO START COMBINING THE BOARDS. AT THE TIME, THEY WERE MEETING ALL DIFFERENT PLACES AND TIMES. SO THAT STAT WAS CREATED AS A AS A I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, BUT JUST LIKE AN UMBRELLA. ENTITY, THAT MEANT THAT THE LAND BANK MET FIRST VACANT, PROPERTY REVIEW COMMISSION MET, AND THEN URBAN RENEWAL. BUT THEY ALL STARTED. THEY ALL MET THE SECOND MONDAY OF THE MONTH, AND THERE WAS ALSO SOME REPORTS, DATA RELATED, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS CALLED STAT. SO VAP STAT IS A CONSTRUCT. THAT WAS THE WORD I WAS LOOKING FOR. BUT THE VACANT PROPERTY REVIEW COMMISSION STILL EXISTS BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT, YET IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY MEMBERS. THAT'S RIGHT. AND IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY POWER. AND SO WHEN THAT WAS DISLVED WHAT WAS DONE TO DISSOLVE THAT BOARD? WAS THERE AN ORDINANCE? WAS THERE? NO. AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. IT, IT I WHAT I WAS SAYING WAS THAT IT WENT DORMANT. AND SO YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS STILL ON THE BOOKS. IT CAN BE DISSOLVED. WE JUST DIDN'T YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT NEXT STEP. IT AT THE TIME DIDN'T NEED TO BE DONE, I GUESS. SO WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T FILL THE BOARD AND I'M T SURE EXACTLY WHY THAT THAT HAPPENED, BUT. SO THAT WASN'T UNDER A KRS STATUTE LIKE THAT IT EXISTED OR THERE IS IT HAD ENABLING LEGISLATION, BUT IT THE POWER THAT IT HAD. THE STATE LAW WAS CHANGED IN 16 TO TRANSFER THAT POWER TO ANOTHER AUTHORITY. AND WE WHAT WE WELL, WHAT YOU ALL DID WAS TRANSFER IT TO THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY. SO AND IS YOUR BOARD SIZE EFFECTIVE WITH THREE PEOPLE OR I GUESS LET ME [00:55:06] BE CLEAR. IS THE LAND BANK AUTHORITY EFFECTIVE WITH THREE PEOPLE? AND CAN THAT BE INCREASED? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S UNDER KRS STATUTE THAT SAYS THREE PEOPLE, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT GOING ABOVE THAT. RIGHT. WE'VE WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT SO MANY YEARS AND THAT THAT IS WHY I, I KNOW ON THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THIS, I BELIEVE YOU REFERENCED THE MAYOR'S AGENDA, THE STATE AGENDA FOR THIS, AND THAT WAS ON THAT AGENDA, WHICH WAS TO LOBBY THE STATE TO MOVE THAT TO A MINIMUM OF FIVE. THAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE THAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THREE WHEN IT WHEN WE CAN GET EVERYBODY THERE. IT IS AN EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE BOARD. BUT IT IS YOU KNOW, WHEN ONE PERSON IS ON VACATION OR HAS, YOU KNOW, IS SICK, WE HAVE TO CANCEL. AND THAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES. WE WILL LITERALLY GET TO THE OLD JAIL BUILDING. WE WILL SET UP EVERYTHING AND THEN SOMEBODY DOESN'T MAKE IT AND WE HAVE TO SEND EVERYBODY HOME. SO YES, NEED MORE MEMBERS. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS IN THE QUEUE, SO. COUNCILMAN LEININGER, THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND SEVERAL OF MY QUESTIONS WERE ADDRESSED. I DID WANT TO ASK, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SLIDES FOUR AND FIVE, THESE ARE THESE ARE UNIT RAW NUMBERS, RIGHT. NOT BY ACREAGE. YES. IF IT WERE BY ACREAGE, WOULD IT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE RATIOS. NO, NO. IT IS MOST OF THE PROPERTIES THAT THAT WE ARE ACQUIRG AND DISPOSING OF ARE SINGLE FAMILY LOTS AND THEY'RE SMALL. SO IT'S I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD I DON'T KNOW YOU CAN. DO YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER TO THAT. NO, NO OKAY I DID NOT. OKAY. YEAH. AND THE SAME THEN FOR THE INVENTORY LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE UNAVAILABLE VACANT YOU KNOW OBVIOUSLY THERE'S THOSE ARE GOING TO BE LARGER PROPERTIES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BROWNFIELDS. BUT YOU DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE OKAY. SOME OF THEM ARE SMALL. YEAH. SOME OF THEM ARE JUST PARCELS, YOU KNOW, LIKE SHOTGUN STYLE PARCELS, LIKE A DRY CLEANER ON IT OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. YEAH, YEAH. AND THEN IS THERE ANY BREAKDOWN ANYWHERE OF BOTH OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIONS OF NUMBERS BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA? OKAY. SURE. WE CAN GET THAT. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN AND THANK YOU, LAURA. I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A LONG TIME. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. SEE YOU. SO I THINK WHEN WE MET THE FIRST 5000 VACANT AND ABANDONED SE? NO. THE. YOU'RE RIGHT. A LONG TIME AGO, WE HAD A NUMBER OF VACANT PROPERTIES THAT WERE IN THE CITY, BUT THE, THE LAND BANK ITSELF DIDN'T OWN ALL THOSE PROPERTIES. SO NOW THANKFULLY, I MEAN, YEARS LATER, WE HAVE BETTER DATA. AND SO NOW WE, WE GENERALLY SAY WE HAVE AROUND 1700. WE BEING THE CITY, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABANDONED STRUCTURES THAT ARE THAT THE CITY IS CUTTING. SO THAT NUMBER HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT WE'RE TRACKING IT. BUT WE'VE NEVER OWNED THAT MANY PARCELS. WELL, AT LEAST NOT NOT SINCE. NOT THAT I KNOW OF. OKAY. SO FROM THE TIME THAT YOU GET A PROPERTY, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE USUALLY FOR YOU TO FLIP IT. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR INVENTORY YOU CAN SEE THIS HERE. IT'S YOU KNOW, 900. THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN IN MOST RECENTLY ARE GENERALLY THE PROPERTIES THAT WE GET OUT PRETTY QUICKLY. AND WHEN I SAY PRETTY QUICKLY, I MEAN WITHIN TWO YEARS, WE HAVE SOME PROPERTIES THAT WE'VE HAD FOR 30 YEARS. THEY AR MOSTLY IN THESE THE UNAVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, LOTS THAT ARE THEY HAVE AN ENCROACHMENT ON IT OR IT'S A BROWNFIELD OR IT'S COMPLETELY UNBUILDABLE. AND SHE AND HER TEAM ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THAT? BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST OWN THESE THINGS IN PERPETUITY. BUT ANYWAY, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IF YOU SPLIT UP THE INVENTORY TO WHAT WE'VE WHAT WE'VE ACQUIRED IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I THINK OUR AVERAGE IS AROUND 27 MONTHS. WE OF COURSE, WANT TO SEE IT LOWER. BUT WHEN I STARTED IN THIS POSITION IN 2016, THE AVERAGE WAS 37 YEARS. SO WE'VE CERTAINLY GOTTEN IT DOWN. YEAH. SO KENTUCKY, THE STATE OF KENTUCKY IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS A JUDICIAL STATE. AND IT'S ONE OF 22 JUDICIAL STATES, WHICH MEANS THAT ANY SORT OF FORECLOSURE PROCESS HAS TO GO THROUGH THE COURTS, AND IT SLOWS THE PROCESS DOWN. THE AVERAGE TIME TO [01:00:06] ADJUDICATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS NORMALLY AROUND 2000 DAYS. THERE ARE SOME OF US THAT WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASS A LAW THAT WOULD MAKE US A NON-JUDICIAL STATE, WHICH 29 STATES ARE CURRENTLY, AND THAT TIME TO ADJUDICATE OR TO ACTUALLY TAKE CONTROL IS MORE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 200. I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS IF THE STATE OF KENTUCKY DID THAT AND THE LAND BANK WERE SUDDENLY HIT WITH AN INFLUX OF VACANT, ABANDONED PROPERTIES, IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD PROCESS OR IS IT WOULD IT BE TOO MUCH? WE CAN. YEAH. LET ME I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO TIA TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE JUDICIAL. I DIDN'T GIVE YOU A NUMBER, BUT I'M JUST. YEAH. NO, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME OF US THAT ARE REALLY LOBBYING HARD FOR THIS. YES. YOU KNOW, WE CAN WE CAN HANDLE AND WE CAN PROCESS ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE GET. I MEAN, WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION. EXCUSE ME, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK TIA JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE JUDICIAL VERSUS NON-JUDICIAL, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN SO MANY, SO MANY CONFERENCES AND EDUCATION PIECES AROUND VACANT AND ABANDONED PROPERTIES THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM NON-JUDICIAL STATES. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME OTHER HOOPS THAT HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GET RID OF THE, THE JUDICIAL HOOPS. SO WHAT I WILL SAY IS BECAUSE WE ARE JUDICIAL STATE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CLEAR THE TITLE. WE'RE ABLE TO NAME EVERYONE IN THE FORECLOSURE ACTION AND GIVE THEM THAT DUE PROCESS. SO THEN THEY CAN BRING THEIR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THEIR STATEMENT FORWARD TO THE TO THE OR THEIR ANSWERS, THE PROPER WORD NON-JUL STATES, WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THAT ENTITIES THEN HAVE TO GO BACK AND CLEAR A TITLE, DO A QUIET TITLE MOTION SO IT DOES NOT CLEAR THE TITLE. THERE CAN BE OTHER LIEN HOLDERS THAT ARE LEFT ON THE TITLE, THEREFORE SLOWING DOWN THE DEVELOPMENT. NOBODY WANTS TO GO AND SEEK A LOAN WITH OTHER LIEN HOLDERS ON THERE. SO I KNOW THAT THAT CONVERSATION HAS CAME UP. I HAVE RAISED THE QUESTION WITH THE ATTORNEYS BECAUSE WE HAVE TALKED TO OTHER STATES. WE, YOU KNOW, TALKED TO OTHER LAND BANKS. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM INFORMATION THAT I HAVE PULLED UP, I AM SHOWING THAT WE WOULD THEN HAVE TO SEEK A QUIET TITLE MOTION, WHICH WOULD THEN PROLONG THE ACTION. SO I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO LOOK AT THAT FIRST. ONE THING I WILL ADD TOO IS WHEN ON THE CITY INITIATED FORECLOSURES ON THE VACANT PROPERTIES AND THIS MAY, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THIS NUMBER IS DIFFERENT THAN THE 2000 DAYS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OR THE PRESUMED ABANDONMENT. RIGHT? THE LACK OF ANSWERING. WE'RE SEEING THAT ONCE WE CAN GET IT FILED, IT'S AROUND SIX MONTHS AND IT AND IT USED TO BE 24. THE LEGISLATURE HAS DONE SOME GREAT WORK OVER THE YEARS TO GET THAT DOWN. NOW, YOU KNOW, THE CAPACITY OF FILING IS YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE PROBLEMATIC. BUT IF IT'S A PRETTY CLEAN FORECLOSURE ON AN ABANDONED PROPERTY, WE CAN NORMALLY GET IT TO SALE IN AROUND 6 TO 8 MONTHS. SO THAT IS THAT IS HELPFUL. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YEAH. AND I'M SURE THERE ARE A LOT MORE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED. WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THE NUMBER OF NON-JUDICIAL STATES IS GROWING, AND THE NUMBER OF JUDICIAL STATES IS NOT GROWING. SO, YOU KNOW, EVIDENTLY SOME OF THESE OTHER STATES HAVE WORKED THROUGH THIS. AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE DISCUSSION MOVING FORWARD. I DO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE THAT'S LOOKING INTO THIS. SO BUT I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. BY WE I MEAN AT LEAST ME JUST CURIOUS MOWING FOR PROPERTIES. DOES THAT MONEY COME. MONEY AND WORK COME FROM CODES AND REGULATIONS TO THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT? OH, THE IT'S SPLIT. SO CODES AND REGS DOES HAVE A CREW THAT MOWS THE LAND BANK. LOTS ON ABOUT THE SCHEDULE OF THE ANNUAL CUT LIST AND THEN THE CDD HAS A BUDGET FOR LAND SERVICES. THAT AND ANY FUNDS THAT WE GET IN FROM SELLING LAND BANK PROPERTIES THAT WE'LL USE FOR MOSTLY THE STRUCTURES, YOU KNOW, ADDING CLEAR BOARDING, GETTING THE TRASH OUT, SOMETIMES DEMOLITION, THAT SORT OF THING. SO IT'S SPLIT. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO TRANSFER THOSE 30 PROPERTIES FROM URBAN RENEWAL TO THE LAND BANK? IT'S IN PROCESS RIGHT THIS SECOND. THEY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY IS WORKING ON THE, THE LEGAL. YOU KNOW, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITH THAT. IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE PROCESS. SO OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW WE JUST HAD SOME MEMBERS FALL OFF ON THE URBAN [01:05:02] RENEWAL COMMISSION. AND SO NOW WE NEED TO GET GET MEMBERS BACK IN ORDER TO BRING THOSE RESOLUTIONS FORWARD. SO TO EITHER THERE ARE SOME THAT NEED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE LAND BANK, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME THAT THAT WE RECENTLY GOT BACK THAT ARE SLATED FOR A DEVELOPMENT IN RUSSELL. SO THOSE WE'RE HOPING THAT CAN HAPPEN WITHIN SIX MONTHS AND THEN MOVE ON. I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME. BUT IS IT REQUIRED THAT THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION HAVE FIVE MEMBERS? IT IS. AND WHAT WE WELL IT IS, BUT I THINK THE ISSUE IS IF IT HAD FOUR, THEN YOU COULD GET A QUORUM WITH THREE. BUT ONCE YOU GET THREE OR BELOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYBODY THERE. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE FIVE, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH TO HAVE A QUORUM. SO MAYBE WE JUST NEED ONE MORE. I'M THINKING THE MATH RIGHT. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I MIGHT HAVE GONE SURE. OKAY. SURE. HOW CAN METRO COUNCIL HELP WITH GETTING SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE UNAVAILABLE TO SWITCH TO AVAILABLE? AND ONE OF THOSE, FOR EXAMPLE, INCORRECT ZONING. SO HOW MANY OF THOSE 46 COULD WE HELP WITH INITIATING A REZONING PROCESS THEN TO LIKE, GET SOME TRACTION? YEAH, SO THAT THERE'S ONE ODD ONE THAT STANDS OUT. AND I THINK IT IS ACTUALLY IN YOUR DISTRICT. BUT IN REGARDS TO THAT, WE ARE WORKING WITH PLANNING ON THAT. SO THERE ARE SOME THAT WERE ZONED. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE ZONING. WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH RACHEL. BUT YEAH, EASY ONE. I'M SORRY. AND SO THEY WERE LOOKING AT THOSE TO GET THOSE REZONE. SO WE HAVE SENT THE LIST OVER TO PLANNING TO START THAT PROCESS. THAT'S GREAT NEWS. AND MY LAST QUESTION HOW MANY PROPERTIES DOES APPEAR CITY. AND I TYPICALLY HATE SAYING POOR CITY BECAUSE WHAT IS THAT DEFINED AS. BUT HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO THEY TYPICALLY HAVE IN THEIR LAND BANK. AND HOW DO WE COMPARE IT. WE YEAH, WE'RE CHUCKLING BECAUSE WE INTERACT WITH THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY PROGRESS, WHICH BRINGS ALL THESE LAND BANKS TOGETHER. AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEY HEAR THAT WE HAVE LESS THAN A THOUSAND LOTS OTHER LAND BANKS, THEY THEY CHUCKLE AT US LIKE THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE. I MEAN, DETROIT, I THINK, HAD 10,000 AT ONE POINT. I KNOW THAT'S NOT A GREAT OHIO HAS ABOUT 3000. THEY HAVE ABOUT THREE LAND BANKS THAT ARE CLOSE TOGETHER OHIO, CUYAHOGA COUNTY TO BE EXACT, AND ONE HAS LIKE AROUND 3000. ONE HAS ABOUT 1800. I WAS BLOWN AWAY WHEN I WAS TALKING TO THEM. NEW ALBANY, NEW YORK, THEY HAVE QUITE A BIT THE CITIES THAT YOU DO NOT SEE THAT HAVE THAT LOWER NUMBER UNDER 500, UNDER 300 ARE NORMALLY REALLY. PROFITABLE CITIES. I DON'T KNOW THE BEST WORD TO USE FOR THAT, BUT THEY ARE JUST SMALLER CITIES, MORE FUNDED. YEAH. LIKE YEAH. YOU KNOW YOU WON'T HAVE AS MUCH BLIGHT. THEY ARE THE CITIES THAT THEY. THEY AUCTION THEIR PROPERTIES BECAUSE IT'S SO IN HIGH DEMAND. I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE ON THIS, I KNOW I BREEZED THROUGH THIS, BUT OUR ACQUISITIONS, LAND BANK'S ACQUISITIONS HAVE GONE, YOU KNOW, DOWN AND UP OVER THE YEARS. AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS THAT WE WANT TO SEE, LIKE THE ACQUISITIONS MATCH THE DISPOSITION. SO YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SCENARIO BECAUSE MAINLY BECAUSE WE WERE REDOING OUR PROGRAMS LATE LAST YEAR. SO WE HAD TO KIND OF SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN. BUT WE WERE STILL ACQUIRING PROPERTIES THROUGH THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. SO WE CERTAINLY I MEAN, IT IS A LAND BANK. IT IS DESIGNED TO HOLD PROPERTY SO THAT IT'S NOT SO THE SPECULATORS AREN'T COMING IN AND JUST BUYING IT AND HOLDING IT. BUT BUT WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO HOLD PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, FOR NO FOR NO REASON. SO IT'S IT WOULD BE BETTER. IT IS A GOOD YEAR WHEN WE CAN ACQUIRE AND DISPOSE OF AROUND THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY. SURE. AND IT HAS KIND OF EBBED AND FLOWED HERE, AS YOU POINTED OUT. BUT WE CAN SEE IN 2024 IT KIND OF TOOK A PRETTY DRASTIC SPIKE. IS THAT A TREND THAT WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE IN SEEING? I THINK SOME OF THAT HAD TO I MEAN, YES, I MEAN, THIS IS A THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO TIA AND HER TEAM ROCKING THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS, REALLY. AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL. I THINK PART OF THAT WAS THAT IT IT THE FORECLOSURES WITH THE MORATORIUM DURING COVID, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T FILE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AND SO THEN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT TAKES A WHILE TO GO THROUGH THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS, THE FILINGS INCREASED. AND THAT MEANT THAT, YOU KNOW, 6 TO 12 MONTHS LATER, THEN THE SALES INCREASED. AND WHEN THEY'RE SOLD IS GENERALLY WHEN WE ACQUIRE IT. SO BUT YES, I MEAN, WE'RE WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE TO GO UP. OKAY. SO [01:10:08] AS LONG AS WE CAN DISPOSE OF THAT KIND OF A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. FANTASTIC. BUT AS LONG AS THE ACQUISITIONS ARE ALSO AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT JUST SITTING ON THEM. YEAH, EXACTLY. THE DISPOSITIONS ARE TRENDING UP, WHICH THEY'RE KIND OF. NO. BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MY COMMITTEE? YES. COUNCILMAN REED, WHO HAVE YOU TALKED TO AT THE STATE OR HAVE YOU ABOUT INCREASING YOUR NUMBERS FROM 3 TO 5? I, COUNCILMAN REED, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HANDLED THAT. I JUST KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ON THERE. BUT THAT'S NOT COMING TO ME DIRECTLY. NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT. NO, IT WAS IT WAS JUST PART OF THAT PART OF THAT AGENDA. BUT WE CERTAINLY THE STATE LEGISLATURE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HAS BEEN VERY, VERY KIND TO US OVER THE YEARS. THEY IT'S A IT'S A STATEWIDE ISSUE. THEY CANNOT BE AN IN PROPERTY. SO YOU KNOW, ANY HELP WE'RE HAPPY HAPPY TO TAKE. WE GOT SOMEBODY HERE WITH CONNECTIONS. THAT'S WHAT I HEAR. YOU'RE WORKING ON CHRIS LEWIS I'M TALKING ABOUT GETTING NUMBERS FROM 3 TO 5 ON THE BOARD. I WAS REALLY I'M CURIOUS WHAT WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ACQUISITIONS BETWEEN FORECLOSURES AND BANKRUPTCY? THE BANKRUPTCY REQUIRES A RELEASE FROM THE FROM THE OWNER. SO IT IS A BANKRUPTCY MOTION. THEY WILL THEN SIGN A RELEASE OF THAT PROPERTY. AND SO THEN WE WILL ACQUIRE IT. WE FORECLOSE. YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE MORTGAGE, RIGHT? YEAH. THE FORECLOSURE. YEAH. THE FORECLOSURE IS A SEPARATE ENTITY AND IT'S BASED ON A LIEN. AND THE LAST THING YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR ABOUT SAINT LOUIS IS REALLY DROPPING POPULATION. AND LIKE A LOT OF THEIR AREA THAT USED TO BE IN, IN OR, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN, I GUESS DISTRICT IS GOING GREEN. IS THAT SOMETHING GOOD OR BAD? YOU KNOW, LIKE DETROIT DID THAT TOO. IS IT IN YOUR ALL'S IN YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS AND WHATNOT? IS THAT CONSIDERED A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING? I'M GOING TO SAY IT'S NEUTRAL AND IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION. I MEAN, DETROIT, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT I MEAN, THEY THEY DEMOLISHED 10,000 HOUSES. THEY HAD 10,000. I MEAN, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES YOU SOME THAT'S THAT'S TERRIBLE. AND IT PROVIDES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SOME BIG GREEN SPACES. SAINT LOUIS IS A LITTLE BIT IN THE SAME IN THE SAME BOAT. WE DO HAVE A SALES PROGRAM FOR SOME GARDENING, BUT SO MANY OF OUR WE DON'T HAVE A MAP UP OF OUR OF THE LAND BANK LOTS, BUT THEY ARE SO SCATTERED THAT IT WE NEED HOUSING AND WE NEED AND WE ALSO NEED HOUSING. RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT IN THAT SITUATION WHERE YOU KNOW, THE GOING THE MAJORITY GREEN SPACE WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR US. OKAY, I GET IT. YEAH. SO WE HAVE 753 VACANT LOTS. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. IN THE LAND BANK. YES. IN A PERFECT WORLD WHERE LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL SAID, WE'LL GIVE YOU ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BUILD A STRUCTURE ON EACH ONE OF THOSE 753 SITES, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE? AND BALLPARK, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT I'M ASKING YOU THIS RIGHT NOW, TOTALLY OFF THE CUFF. WHAT WOULD THAT NUMBER LOOK LIKE? I WOULD I WOULD CONSERVATIVELY SAY THAT WE WOULD NEED TO SUBSIDIZE THE BUILD AT PROBABLY $50,000 PER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BUILD THE HOUSE, BUT THAT'S WHAT MAYBE THE GAP FROM WHAT IT'S BUILT BETWEEN AND THEN WHAT IT CAN BE SOLD FOR. BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE OF THE MARKET RATE. SO IF YOU TAKE SEVEN, 53 TIMES 50,000, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD START. IF YOU GIVE ME A SECOND, I CAN DO THE MATH. YES, THE BROWNFIELD WOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR SURE. SO I WANT TO SAY THAT WITH THE BROWNFIELD FUNDING WE ARE WORKING ON THOSE. SO THAT'S ALREADY IN THE PROCESS. WHENEVER PROPERTIES COME IN THE BROWNFIELDS TEAM IS THEY HAVE JUST PUT OUT AN RFP. FOR REVIEWER IN REGARDS TO THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE COMING IN. THEY'RE CREATING A MAP OF SORTS. AND SO WHEN WE GET A PROPERTY IN, THAT IS GOING TO BE OUR FIRST WHEN WE SEND IT OUT TO OUR CONTRACTOR TO CLEAN OUT THE PROPERTY, IT'S GOING TO THE BROWNFIELD ALSO TO TEST IT. SO THAT'S JUST OUR PROCESS RIGHT NOW. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE FUNDING JUST BECAME [01:15:03] AVAILABLE A COUPLE YEARS AGO. SO WE HAVE THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE. AND SO WE'RE USING THEM. YOU ALL JUST GOT A PRETTY SIZABLE BROWNFIELDS GRANT, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S YES. THROUGH OFFICE OF PLANNING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YES. 37 MILLION. 37 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT IT IS. YEAH I WOULD CALL THAT SIZABLE. YEAH. IT WOULD BE A GOOD START. YEAH. HOPEFULLY THAT CAN HELP ADDRESS MAYBE SOME OF THOSE 80. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE. ALL RIGHT I LEARNED A LOT ON THIS ONE. YEAH I APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I'M THE CHAIR FOR THIS COMMITTEE IS BECAUSE I HAD SUCH A THORN IN MY SIDE ABOUT THE URBAN RENEWAL COMMISSION. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I THINK THAT WE'VE LEARNED A LOT, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE GOOD ACTION ITEMS. BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE NOT. NOTHING WILL COME OF THIS MEETING. IT'S GOING TO ALL CULMINATE AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO HOLD YOUR HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR ANYTHING TO HAPPEN. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.