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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_HOUAB_04.17.2023Minutes of the Housing Advisory Board City of Georgetown, Texas Monday, April 17, 2023 The Georgetown Housing Advisory Board met on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 2:30 PM at Council Chamber Building, 510 W. 9th St., Georgetown, Texas 78627. The City of Georgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require assistance in participating at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reasonable assistance, adaptations, or accommodations will be provided upon request. Please contact the City Secretary's Office, at least three (3) days prior to the scheduled meeting date, at (512) 930-3652 or City Hall at 808 Martin Luther King, Jr Street for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. The following Members were in attendance: Present were: Nikki Brennan, Wendy S Cash, Charles F Collins, Regina A Watson, Christi Cowden, Joey W Carlton, Michael D Charles Public Wishing to Address the Board On a subject that is posted on this agenda: Please fill out a speaker registration form which can be found on the table at the entrance to the meeting room. Clearly print your name and the letter of the item on which you wish to speak and present it to the Board Liaison prior to the start of the meeting. You will be called forward to speak when the Board considers that item. Only persons who have delivered the speaker form prior to the meeting being called to order may speak. Speakers will be allowed up to three minutes to speak. If you wish to speak for six minutes, it is permissible to use another requestor’s granted time to speak. No more than six minutes for a speaker may be granted. The requestor granting time to another speaker must also submit a form and be present at the meeting. On a subject not posted on the agenda: A request must be received by the Advisory Board or Commission Liaison prior to the day the agenda for this mee ng is posted. Each speaker will be given three minutes to address the Board or Commission members. No action can be taken. 1. Regular Session 1.A Meeting Minutes Consideration and possible action to approve the minutes from the January 23, 2023 regular meeting of the Housing Advisory Board. -- Jessica Lemanski, Planning Specialist. Moved by Charles F Collins; seconded by Nikki Brennan to Approve Item 1.A. Motion Approved: 7- 0 Voting For: Nikki Brennan, Wendy S Cash, Charles F Collins, Regina A Watson, Christi Cowden, Joey W Carlton, Michael D Charles Voting Against: None 1.B Low Income Housing Tax Credit Request Presentation Presentation, consideration and possible action on a recommendation for a Resolution of No Objection and Resolution of Acknowledgement of twice the State Per Capita Units for a proposed Low-Income Housing Tax Credit project -- Cesar Acosta, Neighborhood & Housing Program Manager Cesar Acosta presented the staff presentation and reviewed how the LIHTC program works. Acosta presented the LIHTC application request. Board Member Charles noted that the data suggests that Georgetown may be housing employees in Round Rock, Cedar Park, and surrounding areas, and commented that the City may not be receiving the benefits of housing residents who work in other cities. Acosta clarified that roughly 1/3rd of Georgetown residents would qualify to apply for this housing. We cannot exclude people based on where they work, but if the City wants to encourage people to work in Georgetown, providing affordable housing is a way to do that. Board Member Watson asked why this location was chosen. Jeff Spicer, Applicant with Dominium, approached the podium to address the Commission and noted that this location has a greenbelt nearby, as well as planned retail near the sides and a hotel nearby with connections to major highways. Board Member Watson noted that the retail section has not been completed, and she has seen P&Z and Council meetings where commercial areas were promised but never came to fruition. Spicer clarified that they are only purchasing the multi-family section of the property, but site improvements to make way for commercial development will be done by Dominium to make the site more desirable. The magnitude of those site improvements are not feasible for retail developers, so Dominium is taking on that responsibility to make the parcels more attainable for retail. Board Member Cowden asked what percentage of low-income residential developments are age restricted in Georgetown. Acosta established that they will need to do more research for specific numbers, but residents making 80% of the median area income would qualify to live here. Board Member Watson asked why they chose Georgetown for this development. Spicer noted that Georgetown has great economic development, an optimal location, and growth prospects. They expect to be in the area for 30 years. Board Member Carlton asked how long they typically hold onto property historically. Spicer established that they have properties they've held for 40 years, but they also have properties that they've sold. Spicer noted that they look at new properties as 30 + year opportunities. Discussion on Low Income Housing Tax Credit qualifications. Chair Cash asked how we can determine if this is needed in Georgetown and if that would require more research for hard data. Acosta established yes, we would need more research to gather those numbers. Acosta noted that at a recent Workforce Event, there were several large employers that established that they struggle to provide the salary needed to live in Georgetown. Austin Holmes, Applicant with Dominium, approached the podium to address the Commission and spoke to Dominium's history, the programs they offer, and volunteer opportunities. Holmes displayed exhibits of their completed communities, including in-unit and community amenities and elaborated on their nearby community, Crossroad Commons, in Austin. Holmes noted that there is a gap in the market for family developments, especially in Georgetown where many communities are aimed towards one- and two-bedroom developments for senior citizens. There is some acreage on the property that is in the flood zone and therefore no developable, so they are planning to use it as green space for residents. Holmes presented data relevant to how many people work and live in Georgetown, and noted that there is likely a significant amount of people who would like to live in Georgetown but cannot afford to. Holmes reviews the PILOT program and how it works, and explained that the goal is to replace tax revenue to the city, county, and school district that would've been paid if this project was not tax exempt. Holmes noted that the likelihood of retail development in this area would be very low without setting up the site for development, which Dominium is pledging to do. Board Member Collins asked how many two, three, and four bedroom units there would be. Spicer established their numbers are not set in stone, but estimates are as follows: 20% 4-bedroom units, 65% 3-bedroom units, and 15% two-bedroom units. Board Member Collins asked what happens if a resident's salary increases to the point where they no longer qualify for the income restrictions. Holmes explained that the LIHTC program allows residents to make up to 120% of the salary they originally made. They must be within the limits when they apply, but if their salary increases, they are still able to live there even though they're no longer considered low-income. This promotes long- term stability, and the point of these developments is to allow low-income families and individuals to grow out of the low-income status. Board Member Cowden requested more information on Dominium's meeting with Georgetown ISD. Holmes explained that high-density development is projected in this area, and GISD understands their plan for the property and supports it. Revenue from the site goes towards GISD through the pilot program, which benefits them more than if a typical apartment development was built here. Chair Cash asked why they chose 60% AMI instead of 80%. Spicer explained there was reasoning in relation to tax-exempt bonds, as the state program will not allow for 80% AMI. Discussion on the PILOT program, property values, and re-syndication. Board Member Collins asked what the resident services amenity entails. Holmes established that Portfolio Resident Services, a non-profit organization, sends out surveys to residents to gauge what kind of services are needed in the community, such as grocery pickup, personal services, childcare, tutoring, financial counseling, etc. Based on those results, they create a scheduled program for residents, free of charge, to meet their needs. Discussion on property tax values and clarification on appreciation values. Discussion on application and move-in/ move-out fees. Board Member Brennan asked if there are any penalties if the PILOT program is not honored. Spicer established that the agreement is signed with the City and placed in trust indenture for the bonds. If the terms are not honored, it would essentially be the same as a default on a loan. Chair Cash called for a recess and for the meeting to be reconvened in the Large Conference Room of the Historic Light and Water Works building due to a different meeting scheduled in the Council Chambers at this time. Chair Cash reconvened the meeting at 4:17 pm. Chair Cash opened the public hearing. Elain Sebald, 1810 Eubank St., stood to address the Commission and spoke to her experience looking for low-income housing, and her difficulty in finding housing that works with her salary. Sebald noted that the data doesn't allow for an easy analysis of the need for low-income housing in the area, and there is the potential for a lot of people who would qualify for this housing to live and work in Georgetown. Sebald believes this development is needed in the area and that it would be a benefit to the community and families living here. Lou Snead, 419 Sheldon Lake Dr., stood to address the Commission and established that she served on the Housing Advisory Board from 2016-2019 and reviewed four LIHTC projects during that time, as well as follow up meetings with residents. Snead noted that there are long waiting lists for these low-income units, which establishes the need for this type of housing in the area. Snead commented that essential workers often come from the North Labor Shed (Killeen, Jarrell, etc.) as opposed to living and working in Georgetown. Snead noted that this kind of project is one of the few functions where the City is able to encourage affordable housing. Richard Glassco, 103 River Rd, stood to address the Board and established that he is the president of Georgetown Housing Initiative, whose mission is to ensure affordable housing for the residents of Georgetown. Glassco commented that the residents of Georgetown should be the focal point, not taxation, and this project should not be compared to market-rate projects because they are not the same given its low-income focus. Glassco noted that the 2017 City Workforce Analysis study made it clear that housing affordability in Georgetown is an economic threat, and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Board passed a resolution to support strategic efforts of the business community and employees to create a healthy economy and workforce as the housing crisis is the biggest obstacle in retaining employees. Glassco encourages the Board to vote no objection to this project. Katherine Klaween, 301 Shend Ln., stood to address the Board and commented that she was struck by the number of employers in the latter part of the pandemic that cannot afford to live in Georgetown, and noted that some sectors are building their own housing in an effort to retain employees. Klaween urged the Board to vote no objection. Chair Cash closed the public hearing. Acosta reviewed the options for motions to the Board. Board Member Charles asked if there had been studies on the impact to the SH 195 and IH -35 corridor. Spicer explained that a full TIA was done on the site during the rezoning phase of development, which established that the site can house up to 350 units. Discussion on tax numbers. Board Member Cowden noted that this is the first application of this type to come before the Board in a few years. She has been a resident for a long time, and the purpose of this Board is to ensure and promote housing for all residents. Board Member Cowden believes this is a good project that should be considered. Chair Cash noted that she is impressed with the development and believes there is a need for affordable housing in Georgetown, but she is struggling with the number of units compared with neighboring cities and the chosen location. She would like to see more hard data displaying the need for more workforce housing. Discussion on attaining more data regarding workforce and low-income housing needs. Acosta explained the process for this development beyond today's meeting. Board Member Charles noted that this project is setting a precedent for how Georgetown diversifies our housing. Discussion on Section 8 vouchers. Holmes established that the state program requires acceptance of Section 8 vouchers. Moved by Nikki Brennan; seconded by Charles F Collins to Approve the recommendation for a Resolution of No Objection and The Recognition of Twice the Area State Average Per Capita Acknowledgment.. Motion Approved: 4- 3 Voting For: Nikki Brennan, Charles F Collins, Christi Cowden, Joey W Carlton Voting Against: Wendy S Cash, Regina A Watson, Michael D Charles 1.C Home Repair Program Update Update on current progress of City's Home Repair Program and future funding for FY2023. -- Cesar Acosta, Neighborhood & Housing Program Manager Cesar Acosta provided an update to the Board regarding the Housing Repair Program and encouraged Board Members to spread the word about the HRP to their community and peers. Discussion on fund schedules. Acosta established that the application for Fiscal Year 2023 is going to City Council on April 25th. Adjournment A recording of this meeting can be access via a Public Information Request on the City of Georgetown's website. These minutes were approved at the meeting of ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Chair Attest