HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_HOUAB_12.19.2007Housing Advisory Board Minutes, December 19, 2007 Page 1 of 2
City of Georgetown
Housing Advisory Board
Minutes
December 19, 2007, at 3:30 p.m.
Glasscock Conference Room—Georgetown Municipal Complex
300-1 Industrial Ave., Georgetown, Texas 78626
Members present: Hartley Sappington; Chair, John Gavurnik; Vice-chair, Nancy Biggs;
Secretary, Cynthia Anderson, Janis Cowman-Arteaga, Emily Northrop, Larkin Tom, Naomi
Walker
Members absent: Debbie Hoffman
Staff present: Jennifer Bills; Housing Coordinator, Bill Sattler; City Council Member
This is a regular meeting of the Housing Advisory Board of the City of Georgetown. The Board,
appointed by the Mayor and the City Council, makes recommendations to the City Council on
affordable housing matters.
Regular Session - To begin no earlier than 3:30 p.m.
Meeting called to order at 3:32 p.m.
Sappington, Anderson, Cowman-Arteaga, Tom, Walker present.
1. Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes of the Housing Advisory
Board meeting held on Wednesday, October 24, 2007.
Motion to approve minutes by Walker, second by Anderson. Approved 5-0
Northrop, Gavurnik, Biggs arrive.
2. Consideration and possible action to recommend approval of the Sierra Ridge
Development to the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council.
Walker, Director of the Georgetown Housing Authority, presents an update on the
Sierra Ridge development. She relates that at the last City Council meeting on
December 11, 2007, the project was approved to receive substantial funding from the
Georgetown Transportation Enhancement Corporation for infrastructure
improvements and received approval of utility fee waivers. The next step of the
development will be to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) to
rezone the property to a Planned Unit Development. The rezoning will allow the
project to be mixed-use and use site design standards to make the development
pedestrian friendly. The development will contain 188 multi-family residential
units, 179 being affordable to households making 50% and 60% of Area median
Income (AMI). Walker is asking the Housing Advisory Board to recommend
approval to P&Z and City Council. Motion by Gavurnik to recommend approval of
the Sierra Ridge Development to P&Z and City Council. Second by Cowman-
Artega. Motion approved 7-0. (Walker recused herself.)
Housing Advisory Board Minutes, December 19, 2007 Page 2 of 2
3. Discussion and possible action on consultant selection for the Housing Element of the
Comprehensive Plan.
Bills provided an update on the search for a consultant to work on the Housing
Element. She explained that the Housing Element would be fulfilling the third
recommendation by the Affordable Housing Taskforce to City Council for a Housing
Master Plan. Bills had posted a Request for Qualifications in October for candidates
to work with the City. She received five responses. Walker and Sappington helped
narrow down the field to three to interview. In December, Sappington and
Gavurnik participated in the interviews with city staff. Sappington offered his
insight into the three firms and the reasoning into the selection of Mullin and
Lonergan Associates. They are mainly a housing analysis and market study firm
that has a good record of accomplishment of providing concrete goals and objectives.
From this discussion, Walker motioned to recommend negotiate a contract with
Mullin and Lonergan and send the contract to City Council for approval. Biggs
seconded the motion. Motion to approve passed 8-0.
4. Discussions items from Staff:
a. Board membership application deadline and term limits.
Bills reminded Board members to reapply to City Council if they wanted to be
reappointed to the Board.
b. Additional discussion items.
5. Discussion items from Board members:
a. Additional discussion items.
Walker updated the Board on the Housing Variety UDC amendment. She
attended the City Council meeting in which Planning Staff presented and asked
for further direction with the drafted amendment. Walker spoke at the meeting
and represented the Board’s standpoint that it was disappointing that
Attainability was not allowed to be considered an element of the variety. The
amendment still has to go before the P&Z Commission and City Council, so there
is still opportunity for City Council to add Attainability back into the document.
Board adjourned at 4:51p.m.
__________________________________ _______________________________________
Approved, Hartley Sappington, Chair Attest, Nancy Biggs, Secretary