Minutes, February 21, 2023

The February 21, 2023 meeting did not take place due to a lack of quorum.

Minutes, January 17, 2023

Minutes from the January 17, 2023 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

The meeting was held outside the Haskell House

Board members in attendance: Aubrey Carter, BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Thomas Scheifer, Chris Thomas, Gregory Tran.

Others in attendance: Brad Prak, Prak Property Management

1. On a motion by BJ, seconded by Aubrey, the minutes from the November 15, 2022 monthly board meeting were approved.

2. Brad discussed the month financial reports. Highlights included that revenue from rental leases is just under $15,000. One tenant who was behind is not caught up. He reported that the Prak monthly management fee is higher than usual this month due to staff work associated with an eviction. An expense of $24,970 was for a roof replacement. We have 1 roof remaining that needs to be replaced. Expenditure exceeded income, primarily due to the roof replacement.

Brad reported that the annual audit is underway.

Minutes from the January 12, 2023, Finance & Operations Committee meeting appear at the end of these minutes.

3. Monthly property reports.

a. Brad reported that work is underway in the recently vacated unit. There is old termite damage that is being repaired, and new flooring might be needed. He anticipated it will be ready to re-release in February. Monthly rent will be $1150. 1011B Charlotte will be vacant sometime this quarter—current tenant is moving into a Habitat home! The unit will need some work before it can be rented again, but the work will not be extensive. All leases have been renewed.

b. Kim reported on progress at 1611 W. 10th Street. The kitchen & bath cabinets have been installed and all interior doors have been hung. There have been a string of delays with pouring concrete for the driveway/porch/steps. American YouthWorks anticipates the interior will be complete by March, but the concrete work will delay exterior work. Kim reported that Sherry Cardino, our Austin Housing Finance Corporation contact, retired at the end of 2022. Gabrielle Restivo will be taking on our project. Brad stated that it will not take much time to move tenants into the unit once it is completed.

c. We have approximately $16,000 remaining from the housing money donated by OWANA which we would like to use toward replacing the remaining roof that needs attention. Mary will share this information with OWANA’s Marissa Latta

4. Brad reported that Prak Property Management has been struggling staff-wise, but that he wants to keep working with us. Our bookkeeping needs have been greater than anticipated so PPM will need an increase going forward. The Board discussed ways that we can help to lighten the load, and looks forward to continuing to work with PPM.

5. Mary presented a list of possible events for 2023 CCDC events. After a discussion, the Board agreed to rank their interest. She will compile the results and report back.

6. Kim reported that the CCDC will be participating in this year’s I Live Here I Give Here/Amplify Austin campaign (March 1-2.) Our fundraising goal is $10,000. Based on what other non-profits earned last year, this is optimistic, but it will give us something to work toward. We will be using Instagram and Facebook to spread word, along with emails to our members and supporters. Board participation in spreading the word will be appreciated.  

7. Mary reported that an overhaul of our website is underway. The goal is to have the new one up by mid-March.

8. Mary requested approval for CCDC to join the Austin Affordable Housing Coalition. Annual cost is $150. Kathy Tyler and Mark Rogers suggested we join. The board approved the expenditure.

9. Paula reported that despite some food issues (cold tamales, late cookies) the Caroling event was a success. The kids loved the snow machine and the crafts. Although the crowd was smaller than in the past, everyone had a great time. While OWANA didn’t provide funding this year, Paula has insured that funds are included in the budget for next year. A huge shoutout to Sheila Lyons for her generous donation to the event.

10. In Other Business, Kim asked if our tenant handbook includes information on the City of Austin's Customer Assistance Programs (CAP) utility discounts. Mary said that she believed it was included, but the board agreed it would be a good idea to send out a reminder.

11. The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On November 29, 2022, the board authorized Mary Reed to send a letter to the City Council stating the CCDC’s opposition to the proposed Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone proposed for the Statesman PUD. Opposition was based on the board’s belief that not enough consideration was being given to affordable housing. The matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the January meeting.

Minutes From F & O Committee Meeting on January 12th, 2023

1. BJ Friedman reviewed December’s financials.

2. Mary reported that Kim anticipates work at 1611 will be completed in March. Cabinets have been installed and tile work has begun. Concrete will be poured for driveway and front steps once a permit has been issued.

Mary also reported that all of the work at 1011 Charlotte that was funded with OWANA $ has been completed and that $16K plus remains of that money. Brad is getting a bid to address the staircase at 1708 West 10th using the remaining funds. However, that project is likely to cost more than what remains. 

3. At Kim’s request, the committee discussed what the CCDC’s fundraising goal should be for the “I Live Here, I Give Here” campaign. Kim had suggested $5,000, but the committee members felt that our goal should be $10,000. Mary said she would let Kim know.

4. Paula has resigned from the F & O Committee because she is now the CCDC’s representative on the OWANA steering committee. Mary proposed asking Gregory to join the Committee and both BJ and Chris thought that was a good idea.

Minutes, November 15, 2022

Minutes from the November 15, 2022 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

The meeting was held via Zoom.

Board members in attendance: BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Chris Thomas.

1.     On a motion by BJ, seconded by Paula, the minutes from the September 20 and October 18, 2022 monthly meetings were approved.

2.     Brad Prak, Prak Property Management was ill. BJ presented the monthly financial reports in his absence. As of 10/31/22, there was $120,640 in our Money Market account (allocated as follows: $29,180 in CCDC unallocated savings; $21,414 allocated to OWANA-funded projects; and $70,046 allocated to 1611 W. 10th Street construction, which includes $30,000 in grant funds received in October from the Bank of American Foundation.) There was $45,243 in our checking account. October showed a large net profit, due to the BOA grant. Other than 1611 W. 10th expenses, there were no large expenditures.

Minutes from the November 10, 2022 Finance & Operations Committee meeting appear at the end of these minutes.                   

3. Monthly property reports

a. CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management. Brad submitted the following written report: “We are continuing to sign lease renewals with the updated rents.  One resident will be moving to a Habitat Home sometime in the first quarter, so we have told them they can break their lease without penalty.  We have eviction court tomorrow (manager will be attending) for the resident we have discussed previously.”

b. New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street. Kim gave the following report:

o   Concrete pour of driveway, front steps, and front porch scheduled for this week, weather permitting.

o   Inside painting is complete.

o   Work remaining: flooring, tile installation, installation of countertops and cabinets, bathroom fixtures, fixtures, landscaping.

o   AYW will be on a reduced schedule for parts of the next 3 months (work trip to Big Bend in November, winter break in December & January.) Work will take place, but will be slow. They’ll be back on a normal schedule mid-January. Completion expected in mid-March.

o   Mary Reed & Kim met with David Clauss, Rob Winchester, Ruby Toolin, & Ashley Rodriguez at the house to discuss everything that remains to be done. Ruby is leaving AYW at the end of this week. Ashley will be taking over as our project manager.

o   We received $30,000 from Bank of American Foundation. As soon as driveway and front steps are poured, BOA reps will visit to tour house and likely the Haskell house as well.

c. Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds. Brad’s report stated that the stair work at 1011 Charlotte is progressing.

4. Last Sunday’s Haskell House re-opening celebration was a great success. There was a good size crowd of all ages. A huge thanks to Aubrey Carter who arranged for the band—Soul Man Sam really made the day. Representatives of the City Parks department were in attendance and very impressed with what we are doing at the Haskell House.

5. Paula reported that the CCDC/OWANA Christmas party will take place on December 18. Due to COVID and other concerns, the event will be a bit more scaled back than past events—no Santa this year—but there will still be caroling, food and wine, and crafts for the kids. Rick and Phyllis Patrick will lead the caroling. Paula and Mary are reaching out to Galaxy and Nightcap to see if they will provide food.

6. OWANA officials approached CCDC asking us to take a more active role in OWANA activities. Paula will serve on the steering committee and Kim will attend zoning committee meetings.

7. No Other Business was discussed.

8. The board met in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On November 7, 2022, the board authorized Mary Reed to send a letter to the City Council stating the CCDC’s opposition to weakening current compatibility standards, and asking for a postponement of discussion since the hearing is scheduled for Election Day. The matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the November meeting.

Minutes From F & O Committee Meeting on November 10th, 2022

BJ Friedman reviewed September’s financials.

Mary reported that work at 1611 is moving along with a finish date estimated to be sometime in the first quarter of 2023. Kim, Mary and American Youth Works staff did a walk through earlier in the week and everything looked great. AYW has taken ownership of the project and it shows. 

Work continues on the construction of new egresses at 1011 Charlotte. Brad Prak has gotten a bid from the contractor who is building the egresses for making the front staircases at this address safer.

Mary provided a short overview of Mark Roger’s (GNDC) advice regarding how to raise the $ the CCDC needs to repair its properties and what to do with the Neighborhood Center property. More information to come. Mark also had advice for how the CCDC should go about getting more money from the AHFC to fund completion of 1611. 

Minutes, October 18, 2022

Minutes for Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

October 18, 2022

6:30 p.m.

Board Members Present:

BJ Friedman

Paula Hern

Malcolm Greenstein

Aubrey Carter

Chris Thomas

Others Present:

Brad Prak-Property Manager

Lauren Lischka-neighbor

AGENDA:

1. There were no September minutes to approve. They will be ready at the next board meeting.

2. Financial Statements

    Statements are attached. Brad went over the statements for the members. CCDC received about $13,000 in rent checks. There was one late fee and a donation to Haskell House of $30.

    Aubrey said he gave $500 for permits on the Charlotte house. Brad said Prak gave $1000. Brad will check on the balance. Brad clarified a non-profit still has to pay for city building permits.

3. Property Report

    a. Brad said only one tenant is behind on rent and is behind several months. There is a $3500 balance.The tenant agreed to sign a recession of the lease but then did not move out. The issue will be turned over to an attorney to start the eviction process. Brad said the first round of re-leasing has happened, and no one is moving out even with the rent increases.

    b. Progress on 1611 W. 10th was talked about although neither Mary or Kim were present to give more details. As of the meeting, there was no forthcoming Bank of America grant. Kim and Mary will be meeting with Mark Rogers at the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation to explore options for more funding to complete the 1611 project. Completion date is extended to February, 2023, due to sub-contractor issues.

4. Everyone was reminded of the official opening of Haskell House and party on November 13, 1-3pm. Aubrey said he had secured a musical act, an east side music group, for the event.

5. The question of whether to coordinate and plan a Christmas caroling event with OWANA was brought up and got support from everyone. Paula will start coordinating.

6. In other business, BJ reported that the bi-monthly openings of Haskell have been successful. Mary’s interviews and articles written about Haskell House have helped its visibility. BJ also reported on the ACL ticket sales. The first weekend sold for full price and the second set was discounted. BJ also noted Mary has been recognized by Preservation Austin for her community contributions and will receive a Merit Award at  their next awards ceremony December 1.

The board met in Executive Session following the Board Meeting.

Minutes, September 20, 2022

Minutes from the September 20, 2022 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

The meeting was held virtually via Zoom

Board members in attendance: Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Gregory Tran

Others in attendance: Brak Prak, Thomas Schiefer

1. On motions by Malcolm, seconded by Paula, the minutes from the April 19, 2022 Annual and Monthly Meetings were approved with corrections.

Paula noted an omission in the August 18, 2022 minutes concerning the board’s action regarding rent increases. Kim will make the needed corrections and submit the revised minutes to the board for electronic vote approval.

2. Brad Prak presented the monthly financial reports. The end of month reports show a loss of $22,406, but this is due to roof repairs done this month that were funded with $35,000 in insurance proceeds received in a previous month.

Going forward, Brad will continue to present the monthly financial reports. Since the reports are prepared by Prak Property Management staff, he is in the best position to answer questions that may arise. Mary (CCDC President) and BJ (CCDC Treasurer) will review the reports prior to the board meetings.

The Finance & Operations committee met on September 15, 2022. Minutes from that meeting appear at the end of these minutes.

3. Monthly property reports.

a. CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management: Brad reported that tenants were notified of rent increases. Lease renewals will be staggered over the next 3 months. One-third of tenants are using the online payment portal.

b. New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street. Kim reported that insulation, sheetrock, and weatherization work was completed in preparation for inspections. The project passed inspections for framing, electrical, plumbing, and the water yard line.

c. Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds: We’ve received the permit to begin construction of the back stairs at 1011 Charlotte. PPM has paid the contractor for additional needed permits.

4. Thomas Schiefer was unanimously approved to fill the Board vacancy left by Aly Byatt’s resignation. Thomas has been an active supporter of the CCDC since he and his wife moved into Mary Baylor’s former home on W. 10th Street, serving both on the Tenant Selection Committee and as a Haskell House docent.

5. The working group reviewing options to meet the CCDC’s financial needs reported that they are continuing to gather information. A comprehensive work session will be held to discuss their findings, likely in December or January.

6. The proposed FY 2022-23 budget was presented. The budget includes all expenses on the horizon, including 2 new roofs and approximately $300,000 in property improvements and repairs. These costs exceed expected revenue by approximately $387,000. Recognizing that all of these improvements and repairs cannot take place without additional revenue sources (discussed in agenda item #5) the budget was adopted with the understanding that this it will be amended as necessary as the year progresses.

7. The discussion of Haskell House activities, including the November 13, 2022 Haskell House re-opening celebration was postponed.     

8. No Other Business was discussed.

9. The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Clarksville Community Development Corporation

Finance and Operations Committee Meeting

Minutes - Sept 15, 2022

1.     Review of August Financials

BJ provided the committee with the monthly Balance Sheet and PnL. Total August income was $13,389.28. Expenses were 35,795.59. The bulk of expenses were for the repair of roofs for 2 of our properties ($27,900.00), for which we have received payment from our insurance company. Expenses for the 1611 W 10th construction project were only $2,127.81 this month. Our checking account has a balance of $43,896.654 and our Money Market account has a balance of $121,098.97, of which $50,849 is reserved for OWANA funded projects and $40,046.26 is for completion of 1611.

2.     Status report on projects -- 1611 West 10th Street, and 1011 Charlotte (Mary)

Mary was not able to attend the meeting, so BJ provided the limited information she has. 1611 has passed the most recent inspections and Kim will provide details at the Board meeting. 1011 Charlotte has finally received permits and will need to be bid again due to the amount of time since the initial bid. Aubrey will report details at the Board Meeting.

3.     Report on effort to determine best way to finance all of the property repairs needed. (Mary & BJ)

Mary will provide the Board with details regarding the work of the committee looking at ways to raise money for repairs at the Board meeting. BJ reported that her contact with ACF referred her to the city, which has funds but we would be restricted on how much rent we could charge on units where this money would be used for repairs.

4.     Review of draft FY22-23 operating budget (BJ)

BJ shared the draft budget with the committee. It is a negative budget due to the extensive repairs needed for our units. Paula asked if we could approve a negative budget. BJ said that would be a question for Kim since budget approval would most likely be in the by-laws.

Minutes, August 16, 2022

Minutes from the August 16, 2022 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

The meeting was held virtually via Zoom.

Board members in attendance: Aubrey Carter, BJ Friedman, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas, Gregory Tran

Others in attendance: Brad Prak, Prak Property Management

1. On a motion by Chris, seconded by Paula, the June 21, 2022 minutes were approved. On a motion by BJ, seconded by Chris, the July 19, 2022 minutes were approved. The April 19, 2022 Annual Meeting and monthly minutes were not available. They will be on next month’s agenda for approval.

2. BJ presented the monthly financial report. As of the end of July, we had $80,310 in our checking account, $121,048 in our money market account. Most expenditures for the month were related to construction at 1611 W. 10th Street. We ended the month $1400 in the black. A question was posed about late fees collected. Brad reminded the board that fees were now being charged for late rents.

3. On a motion by BJ, seconded by Gregory, the board approved renewing our line of credit with Frost Bank.

4. Monthly property reports:

a.     Brad reported that 2 roofs (approved at the June meeting) have been installed. Approximately $7000 of the insurance claim funds remains. This will be allocated toward additional needed roof work. One tenant has not responded to 8 requests for income verification. As a result, tenant has been served with a notice of non-renewal. Brad will keep the board informed as to this situation.

b. Kim reported progress on construction at 1611 W. 10th Street. Due to American YouthWorks summer break, and shortened work days due to the extreme heat, progress was slow in July, but house is almost 60% complete. Exterior siding is complete and painting has begun. A draw request for reimbursement in the amount of $15,016 was submitted this month to the Austin Housing Finance Corporation. This will expend all but the required 1% retainage ($779) of our grant.

c. Aubrey reported that we are still waiting on the permit to construct the stairs to be funded by by OWANA funds.

5. A working group comprised of board members BJ Friedman, Gregory Tran, Mary Reed, and Malcolm Greenstein, and Brad Prak presented a variety of options developed to address inequities and fiscal inadequacies of the CCDC’s current rent structure. It has been many years since the board reviewed our rent structure, or raised any rents. The current rent structure does not bring in enough income to adequately maintain our properties. The working group took into consideration the age of each property as well as the current income of each tenant. After much discussion the Board, on a motion by Aubrey, seconded by Gregory, a majority of the board voted to adopt a rent increase model which takes into account the tenants’ income and the percentage of income that they pay in rent. As part of the motion to approve, the board agreed that any future rent adjustments must be reviewed and approved by the board.

6. Mary reported that the working group is continuing to gather information regarding ways to meet the CCDC’s projected financial needs. This item will be discussed at next month’s meeting.

7. The board approved the CCDC Applicant and Resident Eligibility Policy document. A copy of this document can be provided by CCDC Secretary Kim O’Brien.

8. As a result of higher-than-expected audit fees this past year, BJ contacted other auditors who work with affordable housing providers. She recommended that the board engage the services of Bryan Beal, with Maddox and Associates, whose projected costs of service for preparing our annual audit and 990 is less than half of what we paid previously. On a motion by Paula, seconded by Gregory, the board approved hiring Bryan Beale.

9. The board discussed setting a new date for the Haskell House re-opening celebration (postponed due to extreme heat on the originally scheduled June date.) Early November was suggested. Mary will find out if the petting zoo can be available.

10. The board discussed holding the CCDC/OWANA Christmas party at the Haskell House. While there is an interest in reviving the popular event, it was decided due to continuing COVID concerns to delay a decision until later in the year.         

11. Under Other Business, Mary reported that two Haskell House docent training session will take place over the next few weeks. She also reported that she is preparing paperwork to nominate the City Parks Department for a Preservation Merit Award for the Haskell House renovation. Merit Awards are given to the property owner (City of Austin) but CCDC will be recognized for our part in the collaborative project.

12. The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On July 20, 2022, the board voted to take appropriate actions to object to the proposed name of “Clarksvillage” for a new development on W. 6th Street between Baylor and Blanco. This item was on the July 19, 2022 board agenda for action, but could not be voted on due to the lack of a quorum. The matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the August meeting.

Minutes, July 19, 2022

CCDC Board of Directors Meeting

July 19, 2022

The meeting was held virtually via Zoom.

Board Attendees: Mary Reed, BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Chris Thomas

PPM Attendees: Brad Prak

1.     Approval of minutes from the April 19, 2022 Annual Meeting and the April 19 and June 21, 2022 monthly board meetings could not be held due to a lack of a quorum.

2.     June Financials:

BJ presented a summary of June’s financials, but the spreadsheet report from PPM was not available due to the transition to the new software accounting package. She will provide the spreadsheet to the Board when it is available.

3.     Monthly property reports:

a.     CCDC properties managed by PPM:

Brad has received information regarding the repairs needed for our properties. Another inspection for the tenant on probation will occur, but the household condition seems a bit better so far.

Mary asked about tenants who are putting furniture on the street and if they have been informed that they must either pay for removal or wait for the city pick-up. Brad said that a mattress disappeared after the tenants had been informed that they would have to pay for removal.

Brad also commented that Income info from some tenants is suspect. The board discussed how to get better info and increase rents when appropriate.

b.     New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street:

Kim sent a copy of her monthly report to the Board. Exterior siding and trim installation are approximately 90% complete. HVAC is installed. Electrical is 80% complete.

There is a new problem with the sewer hookup due to an asbestos pipe at the street.  Mary has contacted city office to deal with this. AYW will provide the necessary details

c.     Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds:

Mary reported that we will now need an engineer to sign off on the plan after the property was surveyed. Aubrey is handling this.

4.     Report on recent in interest in Clarksville:

Mary reported greater interest in CCDC and HH recently from the city. Judy Maggio was hired by the city to film a documentary about HH. This documentary should help with increasing tourism to HH.

Mary also met with some teenagers at HH who are interns at the Oakwood Cemetery. The teens are creating digital histories about various individuals are buried at the cemetery. The Oakwood Cemetery curator said that may develop a digital history related to the HH and one or more deceased Clarksville residents who are buried at the cemetery.

Daniel Ronan, the Executive Director of the Flower Hill Foundation wants a tour of HH and Clarksville. He intends to start promoting HH and the neighborhood.

The Docent Training Manual for the HH is almost complete. Mary will send out the manual and hold a training session and then we’ll open HH for visitors. Mary will talk with Parks and Rec staff about installing HVAC at the HH when they are there to discuss construction of an ADA-compliant hand railing at the back of the House.  

5.     Discussion of a formal protest of the proposed name “Clarksvillage” for new development on W. 6th Street between Baylor and Blanco:

There is controversy regarding naming the proposed development on 6th St “Clarksvillage”. The project will run from Blanco Street to where Z Tejas is located. Mary would like the board to give her permission to write a response on behalf of the CCDC to the Austin Towers journalist who wrote about the project name and said that those who did not like it because the project is not in Clarksville should “get over it.” She also mentioned writing a letter to McGuire Moorman the project developers about the name. Mary reported that she had talked with Shelia Lyon, the OWANA zoning chair who suggested that we suggest some alternative names. Shelia suggested that we provide some alternate name and mentioned using the Fischer family as the basis for a name because there is a historic plaque on the building where Fortnoy’s used to be explaining that the building was built by Alex and Annie Fischer, who ran a dry goods business on the first floor and rented out apartments on the second.  Mary will ask for an electronic vote since there was no quorum. She also asked for other name suggestions.

6.     Discussion of ways to expand Haskell House programming via technology and possible funding sources:

Mary reported that we now have Wi-Fi at HH provided by Google Fiber. Mary would like ideas about how to capitalize on technology to make the HH a more interesting place to visit. Google has money to fund some projects. They have a PR firm who would help us publicize HH. Chris suggested a security system with cameras when visitors are in the building or to prevent vandalism. Mary will send an email with some ideas and will solicit board members for ideas.

7.     Discussion of new date for Haskell House reopening celebration:

Mary will solicit the board via email to get possible dates. We will not have a celebration until the weather cools off.

8.     Other Business:

Mary asked if we want to apply for the Preservation Merit Award. A board member from Preservation Austin suggested that we apply. Malcolm asked if the award included more than a plaque. Mary replied that there is no money, but that receiving the award would be good for the CCDC’s reputation and might help when we apply for other grants. Since it is an easy application, Mary will proceed.

Minutes, June 21, 2022

Minutes from the June 21, 2022 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

Due to extreme heat, the meeting was held virtually via Zoom.

Board members present: Aly Byatt, Malcolm Greenstein, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Gregory Tran

Others present: Brad Prak, Rene Gonzalez, Marivaldo Ferreira (all from Prak Property Management (PPM)

1.The minutes from the April 19, 2022 Annual and Monthly Board meetings were not available. They will be on the July agenda for approval. (Note: May 17, 2022 monthly board meeting was not held.

2. The board discussed the monthly financial reports. We ended the month with $53,293 in our checking account and $121,180 in our money market account ($50,849 dedicated OWANA housing funds; $50,849 dedicated AHFC 1611 W. 10th Street funds; $19,093 CCDC savings.) The biggest issue this month was excessive water usage at the Waterston property. PPM has found no water leaks. The City is checking to see if there is a problem with the meter.

3. Monthly property reports:

a. CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management: PPM had no issues to report.

b. New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street: Kim reported the following: As of the end of May, the house is 50% complete. We have reached an agreement with Austin
Water to reinstall water service to the City-owned lot at no cost to the CCDC. Thanks to Councilmember Tovo for intervening on our behalf. Due to COVID-related delays and increased material and subcontractor costs, it looks like the project will be 25% over original budget. With help from David Claus and Ruby Toolin at American Youthworks, Brad, Mary, and BJ, Kim submitted a grant application to the Bank of American Foundation for $50,000. If successful, it will cover the overage.

c. Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds: Mary reported that the survey required to obtain the permit for stairs at 1011 Charlotte has been completed. We’re now waiting for the permit to be issued.

4. On a motion by Malcolm, seconded by Gregory, the following officers were elected: Mary Reed, president; Chris Thomas, vice-president; Kim O’Brien, secretary; BJ Friedman, treasurer. Their terms will run until May 2023.

5. On a motion by Kim, seconded by Malcolm, the board unanimously approved the 2021 Audited Financial Statement. The audit was clean. Record keeping weaknesses identified already have been addressed in the early months of the current fiscal year.

6. Updates about Mary Baylor Park and Pauline Brown Neighborhood Center beautification project. Paula was unable to attend the meeting due to sick family members, but submitted the following report: As far as the park improvements, the city put in sidewalk between the pickle court and basketball court and moved the water fountain next to the pickle court. It also includes a dog watering dish. The city also put grass down and is watering it regularly from a water truck. I hope to continue to work with APF to get more mulch spread at some point and possibly fixing the metal fence along tenth. They have closed out CCDC's account and used the last of the $1300 for the re-painting of the court lines.

The community center has a little bit neater look due to mulch being spread and more regular watering. Mary was able to ask the current tenant to water once a week. Tom helped fixed the hoses and we got soaker hoses down in the two areas that have plantings. It looks better but still stressed due to heat. The lighting has yet to be removed as it is electrical and not solar. Better to have an electrician remove at a time when feasible. The fallen limb was removed and the big piece of old plywood lying on the side is now 
leaning against the house. Looks better but will eventually need to be removed. There are still limbs in the back of the property that need to be removed at some point as well. Judy and I will continue to work on getting the rest of the mulch spread.

7. Brad presented information about the condition of roofs on 4 CCDC properties which need repairs or replacement. Options included making all needed repairs/replacements at a net cost of $44,490 (total cost of $80,096 less $35,606 insurance coverage) or, due to our current financial situation, repairing/replacing two roofs, and delaying the others until the next fiscal year. During the discussion, we lost quorum and could not vote. An electronic vote will be taken since this is a pressing matter.

8. Discussion of rental rate structure was postponed due to the lack of quorum.

9. Discussion about policies regarding applicants who own homes and tenants who later disclose home ownership was postponed due to the lack of quorum.

10 . Discussion of proposed Applicant and Resident Eligibility Policy was postponed due to the lack of quorum.

11. Due to the extreme heat projected for next Sunday, June 26, the Haskell House reopening celebration will be postponed, rescheduled to a time when it’s cooler.

12. No Other Business was discussed.

13. The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On June 1, 2022, the board approved the proposal submitted by Charity First for Liability, Directors & Officers, and Umbrella insurance coverage. Due to current cash flow issues due to reimbursement grants for the Haskell House renovation and the construction of 1611 W. 10th Street, a down payment will be made, the balance being financed over the next 10 months. This item was time-sensitive and could not wait until the June meeting.

Minutes, May 17, 2022

The May 17, 2022 monthly meeting was not held.

Monthly Meeting Minutes, April 19, 2022

Minutes for Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting, April 19, 2022

The meeting began upon adjournment of the Annual Meeting.

Board members in attendance: BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas, Gregory Tran

Others in attendance: Brad Prak, Prak Property Management, Kathy Doyle, Randi Shade, Jon Montgomery, Jon’s partner.

1. On a motion by Paula, seconded by Chris the minutes from the March 15, 2022 monthly board meeting were approved.

2. BJ reported that as of March 31, there was $98,392 in our money market account, $49,298 in our checking account. We ended the month $16,073 in the black due to an AHFC loan reimbursement payment for 1611 W. 10th Street costs. She also reported that our annual audit is in progress.

3. Monthly property reports:

a. Brad had nothing to report regarding CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management.

b. New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street: Kim reported that framing and roof decking is complete, windows are ready to be installed and paint colors selected—Little Sun Dress siding, Poetic Light trim, and a Fashion Gray front door. It has been discovered that there is no longer a water hookup to the property, unknown to us when we negotiated the land lease with the City. American Youthworks is working with the City to get this issue resolved at no cost to the CCDC. Cost overruns—due to COVID-related delays in construction and increased supply costs—will exceed the budget, possibly by as much as 15-25%. Kim is working with AYW to find additional funding sources.

c. Mary reported that the grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House are complete. Our final payment will be received upon completion of our final report, which Mary is working on. Additionally, we are awaiting payment of our final reimbursement from the Parks Department.

d. There was nothing to report regarding the renovation project funded by OWANA funds.

4. Paula reported that the new lines on the basketball and pickleball courts are complete and look great. This work expended all of the money in our Parks Foundation account. We can keep the account open for future fundraising efforts but at a $50 annual cost. The board decided to close it for now, agreeing we can open it again should we want to.

5. Mary reported that plans are being made for the Haskell House re-opening celebration, June 26, 2022, 1-3 p.m. There will be live music, light refreshments, a petting zoo, and hula hoops.

6. Under Other Business:

Mary reported that we are working with Frost Insurance to shop for new insurance coverage.

Paula reported that she and Judy Shipway, one of the Haskell House community gardeners, are working on landscape improvements at the Neighborhood Center.

7. The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On April 5, 2022, the board approved a neighborhood initiative to request residential permit parking for the 1600 block of W. 12th Street. (Note: The board’s approval is only one step in the process. Affected residents will have the final say in approval.)

Annual Meeting Minutes, April 19, 2022

Minutes for Clarksville CDC Annual Meeting, April 19, 2022, 6:30 p.m.

The meeting was held outside the Haskell House.

Board members in attendance: BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas, Gregory Tran

Others in attendance: Brad Prak, Prak Property Management, Kathy Doyle, Randi Shade, Jon Montgomery, Jon’s partner.

1.             Mary Reed, CCDC President, presented the “State of the CCDC” Annual Report. A copy is at the end of these minutes.

2.             BJ Friedman, CCDC Treasurer, presented an annual financial report. A copy is at the end of these minutes.

3.             Brad Prak, CCDC property manager, presented a report on the CCDC’s affordable housing program. Prak Property Management entered into a 2-year contract to manage the CCDC properties in July 2021. It was quickly discovered that routine maintenance had not been addressed. Efforts are underway to catalog needs, assign costs, and prioritize work to be done. Processes will be put in place to keep this from happening going forward. Other work in progress are tenant income verification, migrating tenants to TAA leases, reviewing and revising current documents, and assessing rental amounts and funding sources. Brad hopes to have past issues solved in the next year.

4.             BJ Friedman, acting as Election Administrator, announced the results of the Board of Directors election. Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, and Chris Thomas were reelected to 2-year terms. Eighteen members—16% of  the membership—cast ballots.

Randi Shade, neighbor and CCDC member, questioned the board regarding the CCDC’s mission. She was not aware that the original mission—providing housing for displaced Clarksville families—had changed and she felt that others in the neighborhood were also not aware.

Clarksville Community Development Annual Report

Mary Reed, President

April 17, 2022

Challenging is the word that best describes last year for the CCDC. Almost nothing was quick or easy.

There were many reasons why. For starters, COVID continued to be an issue, which meant that we could not have in-person board meetings, we could not open the Haskell House to the public, nor could we have any neighborhood events. Everything was somewhat impersonal and from a neighborhood visibility perspective, it was almost like the CCDC did not exist.

Another major reason is that our relationship with our property manager went south and things got very difficult. We ended up parting company in June, which meant we had to find a new property manager. Thankfully, Mark Rogers with the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, referred us to Prak Property Management and after meeting with Brad, the board decided to hire his company to manage our properties and handle our bookkeeping. Although we all breathed a big initial sigh of relief after that decision, Brad soon gave us some painful reality checks. We learned among other things, that our finances were not as solid as we had thought they were and that many maintenance and repair issues at our properties had been ignored or not addressed appropriately. Therefore, the CCDC was looking at several challenging and expensive years ahead.

Big delays and cost over-runs on all of our projects because of COVID and supply chain issues were also responsible for making last year difficult. For example, pretty much as soon as construction of our new affordable and green rental property at 1611 West 10th finally got underway, we realized that the project would exceed the funding we had for it given that we were working with a 2 year-old budget and building costs were escalating. However, our contractor, American Youth Works, promised to save money where ever it could.

And the Haskell House project posed a myriad number of challenges, especially because the project had stalled while our former property manager was in charge of it and Kim McKnight, PARD’s Program Manager for Historic Preservation, Tourism and Wayfinding, was very frustrated with the CCDC. However, once I took over as project manager, we were able to get things back on track. We identified potential contractors, drew up specs, solicited bids and ended up hiring Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction out of Dallas. However, their bid exceeded the amount of the Heritage Tourism Grant we had received from the City’s Economic Development Department to fund the project. Luckily, given that the CCDC could not afford to kick in any of its own money, PARD agreed to pay for the cost of the window work and assumed responsibility for installing a new roof and gutters on the House. And then, once work began on the HH and Phoenix told us that the project was going to cost an additional $9K because of the amount of rotten wood involved, PARD agreed to pick up that cost as well. Although getting the project launched and completed required 14 different meetings between me and PARD staff between mid-June and mid-December, in the end, everyone involved was thrilled with the outcome. Case in point, two weeks ago Kim sent me and everyone on her team who helped make the project happen the following email: “This has not been an easy project, but we all pitched in and did what was needed to preserve this special and significant historic building for years to come. This is what a true partnership is all about. Many thanks, Mary, for your work. And Ellen and Albert: I am beyond grateful for your oversight and assistance.”

Speaking of PARD, we also entered into a new Haskell House Use Agreement with that department. The agreement is much, much more detailed than our previous ones and requires that the CCDC do a lot more including submitting an annual report to Kim. I submitted our first such report last December and it included 13 different required attachments, including a volunteer training plan, all of which to be written from scratch. Also, I had to submit background checks for all board members as well as for everyone who had volunteered to be a Haskell House docent.

Last but not least, we made progress in baby steps on the 1011 Charlotte second egress project, which is being funded with OWANA $. Hopefully, this time next year, I will be able to report that it was completed.

2020-2021 Annual Financial Report

Submitted by BJ Friedman, CCDC Treasurer

Fiscal year 2020-2021 was another challenging year for the CCDC.

On the plus side, OWANA provided $52,049 from their affordable housing funds to CCDC for us to use to fund needed repairs for our properties. It was agreed by the board to use this money to build a second egress at 1011 B Charlotte. If funds are not all used on that property, the board voted to use remaining funds to rebuild the stairs at 1707 W 10th, or for other needed projects.

Due to the high cost of utilities for water/sewage that we pay at the duplexes that only have 1 meter, it was decided that tenants at these properties will pay a prorated portion of their water bill. However, at this time, only 2 tenants are paying due to delays in renewing leases. When all affected tenants are paying for their water, we should save about $5000 annually.

Another positive was that construction finally began at 1611 W 10th. Kim O’Brien will provide a more detailed report.

Numerous difficulties related to our finances also occurred. The February 2021 Snowpocolypse caused damage to 5 tankless water heaters at our properties. Two had to be replaced and 3 were repaired by volunteers for free. We gave the 3 volunteers $100 gift cards to Cipollina, one of which was sponsored by Cipollina.

The Haskell House repairs which are funded by a Heritage Foundation grant were delayed due to difficulties with getting bids and then for bids exceeding the budget. Mary Reed will provide a more detailed report in her State of the CCDC Annual Report. As this is a reimbursable grant, CCDC must front all expenses until reimbursement occurs.

Construction finally began at 1611 W 10th, as will be reported by Kim O’Brien. However, this is another reimbursable loan, and as of Sept 2021, we had expended about $10,000, of which none has been reimbursed.

Finally, our property manager, Rose Gabriel resigned effective June 2020. We hired Prak Property Management to replace her. PPM took over not only our property management, but also our financial management. It has taken several months to combine our old QuickBook accounts with PPM’s financial reporting system.

Ended the year with

Assets

Tenant Security Deposits

$14,500.31

Not usuable

CCDC Savings

$19,092.57

OWANA Award

$52,049

1611 Funds

$65,558.20

Other

$4.75

Total

$157,480.53

Liabilities

Accounts Payable

$14,970.39

Current Liabilities

$122,803.38

Primarily for $1611 W 10th Construction and Security Deposits

Total

$137,773.77

Total Equity

$745,517.58

Properties grossly undervalued

President's Annual Report, April 17, 2022

Clarksville Community Development Annual Report

Mary Reed, President

April 17, 2022

Challenging is the word that best describes last year for the CCDC. Almost nothing was quick or easy.

There were many reasons why. For starters, COVID continued to be an issue, which meant that we could not have in-person board meetings, we could not open the Haskell House to the public, nor could we have any neighborhood events. Everything was somewhat impersonal and from a neighborhood visibility perspective, it was almost like the CCDC did not exist.

Another major reason is that our relationship with our property manager went south and things got very difficult. We ended up parting company in June, which meant we had to find a new property manager. Thankfully, Mark Rogers with the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, referred us to Prak Property Management and after meeting with Brad, the board decided to hire his company to manage our properties and handle our bookkeeping. Although we all breathed a big initial sigh of relief after that decision, Brad soon gave us some painful reality checks. We learned among other things, that our finances were not as solid as we had thought they were and that many maintenance and repair issues at our properties had been ignored or not addressed appropriately. Therefore, the CCDC was looking at several challenging and expensive years ahead.

Big delays and cost over-runs on all of our projects because of COVID and supply chain issues were also responsible for making last year difficult. For example, pretty much as soon as construction of our new affordable and green rental property at 1611 West 10th finally got underway, we realized that the project would exceed the funding we had for it given that we were working with a 2 year-old budget and building costs were escalating. However, our contractor, American Youth Works, promised to save money where ever it could.

And the Haskell House project posed a myriad number of challenges, especially because the project had stalled while our former property manager was in charge of it and Kim McKnight, PARD’s Program Manager for Historic Preservation, Tourism and Wayfinding, was very frustrated with the CCDC. However, once I took over as project manager, we were able to get things back on track. We identified potential contractors, drew up specs, solicited bids and ended up hiring Phoenix 1 Restoration and Construction out of Dallas. However, their bid exceeded the amount of the Heritage Tourism Grant we had received from the City’s Economic Development Department to fund the project. Luckily, given that the CCDC could not afford to kick in any of its own money, PARD agreed to pay for the cost of the window work and assumed responsibility for installing a new roof and gutters on the House. And then, once work began on the HH and Phoenix told us that the project was going to cost an additional $9K because of the amount of rotten wood involved, PARD agreed to pick up that cost as well. Although getting the project launched and completed required 14 different meetings between me and PARD staff between mid-June and mid-December, in the end, everyone involved was thrilled with the outcome. Case in point, two weeks ago Kim sent me and everyone on her team who helped make the project happen the following email: “This has not been an easy project, but we all pitched in and did what was needed to preserve this special and significant historic building for years to come. This is what a true partnership is all about. Many thanks, Mary, for your work. And Ellen and Albert: I am beyond grateful for your oversight and assistance.”

Speaking of PARD, we also entered into a new Haskell House Use Agreement with that department. The agreement is much, much more detailed than our previous ones and requires that the CCDC do a lot more including submitting an annual report to Kim. I submitted our first such report last December and it included 13 different required attachments, including a volunteer training plan, all of which to be written from scratch. Also, I had to submit background checks for all board members as well as for everyone who had volunteered to be a Haskell House docent.

Last but not least, we made progress in baby steps on the 1011 Charlotte second egress project, which is being funded with OWANA $. Hopefully, this time next year, I will be able to report that it was completed.

Minutes, March 15, 2022

Minutes for Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting, March 15, 2022 

The meeting was held via Zoom due to current COVID-19 restrictions.

Board members in attendance: Aly Byatt, Aubrey Carter, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Gregory Tran

Others in attendance: Teresa Perez-Wisely, Randi Shade, Brad Prak

1. On a motion by Paula, seconded by Aly, the minutes from the February 15, 2022 monthly board meeting were approved.

2. BJ was unable to attend the meeting, but submitted the following report: The beginning balance of the money market account was $126,413, ending balance $84,923. Transfers were made to the checking account in the amounts of $16,554 and $24,937 to cover expenses related to Haskell House repairs and construction at 1611 W. 10th. The checking account beginning balance was $8001. Activity included $81,036 in deposits (rents, money market transfers, reimbursements from City grants for Haskell House and 1611 W. 10th), and $49,521 in expenses. Most of the expenses were related to the Haskell House and 1611 W. 10th.

Minutes from the monthly Finance and Operations Committee meeting appear at the end of these minutes.

3. The following monthly property reports were presented:

a. CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management—Brad reported that PPM’s new software system is close to going online. When in place, tenants will be able to make payments online, make maintenance requests, along with many other improvements to current practices.

PPM is gathering income information on all tenants. This is needed in order to renew the many leases that are currently on month-to-month. The inspection process is continuing. Along with it, a list is being compiled of needed repairs/maintenance. Discussions will be taking place regarding how best to fund these items.

b. New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street—Kim reported that the framing is complete. The roof is scheduled to go on this month. Our third draw on the City of Austin/Austin Housing Finance Corporation grant was approved, in the amount of $13,466. Approximately 20% of the grant remains.

c. Grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House—Mary reported that roof repairs, the final step of the project, will be underway at the end of the month. That work will be done and paid for by the City. Our final reimbursement payment from the Heritage grant is dependent on submission of a final report. Mary is working on the report.

d. Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds—Mary reported that we are waiting on the permit so that we can construct back steps at 1011 Charlotte.

4. Brad brought up the idea of setting flat fees for future security deposits. The amount would be based on a unit’s number of bedrooms. This would apply to future tenants. We will discuss it again at a later date.

5. Paula reported that the Austin Park Fund has asked if we want to keep the account for Mary Baylor Clarksville Park open (our balance will be $0 when current improvement plans are complete.) Paula will ask if there is a fee associated with keeping it open.

6. Kim reminded the board of the upcoming election, to be held prior to the Annual Meeting. Current board members whose terms are expiring are Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas. All members will be notified of the election and given balloting information.

7. Kim reported that flyers will be delivered door-to-door with information about the Annual Meeting--Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 6:30 p.m.—as required in the bylaws.

 8. Mary brought up the idea of holding a celebration to mark the reopening of the Haskell House. It was decided that we will hold it in June. There will be live music, (thanks to Aubrey’s generosity), a petting zoo (thanks to payment made for the cancelled 2020 FunFest), and light refreshments. (Note: after the meeting, the date for the celebration was set for Sunday, June 26, 1-3 p.m.)

9. The following was discussed under Other Business: Mary has been in contact with the Google Fiber community affairs department to see about getting Google Fiber installed at the Haskell House. Internet access will be necessary when the Haskell House begins operating as a museum. Should we not be able to get a deal with Google Fiber, she’ll contact other providers

10. The board met in Executive Session to discuss tenant issues.

Minutes from Finance & Operations Committee Meeting on March 10, 2022

Attending: Paula Hern and Mary Reed, CCDC President

1. At the last minute, BJ was unable to attend the meeting because of the death of a friend. Therefore, Mary asked Paula if she had any questions about the financials for February. Paula asked about the $9.00 owed by one of the tenants at 1729 West 11th Street. Mary told her that she would ask BJ about it. 

2. Mary reviewed the status of the OWANA-funded project at 1011 Charlotte Street – waiting for permits – the construction project at 1611 West 10th – building starting to look like a house and Kim just submitted a 3rd reimbursement request to the AHFC – and the Haskell House work – new roof to go on later this month. Also, Mary is about to submit the CCDC’s second and final reimbursement request to the Heritage Tourism grant people and earlier this month, submitted a reimbursement request to PARD.

Minutes, February 15, 2022

Minutes from the February 15, 2022 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting 

(Meeting held via Zoom)

Board members in attendance: BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas, Gregory Tran.

Others in attendance: Brad Prak, Prak Property Management (PPM)

1. On a motion by Paula, seconded by BJ, the minutes from the November 16, 2021 monthly board meeting were approved.

On a motion by BJ, seconded by Paula, the minutes from the January 18, 2022 monthly board meeting were approved.

2. BJ presented the monthly financial reports. We ended the month with $8000 in our checking account, $126,000 in our money market account.

Our annual audit will begin this month. Our mid-year switch from QuickBooks to PPM’s accounting system will present challenges to the process.

The Finance and Operations Committee did not meet this month.

3. The following monthly property reports were presented:

a. CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management—The Board discussed the enforcement of tenancy rules and voted to take action. Brad reported that PPM’s new software system will go live this month. In response to a question, Brad stated that due to COVID-concerns, only the most pressing interior repairs are being done (safety items and issues reported by tenants.) Exterior repairs have slowed due to weather, but are expected to pick back up. Gutters need to be addressed. These will be expensive.

b. New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street—Kim reported that framing is almost complete. She, BJ, & Mary have a meeting scheduled with American YouthWorks (project general contractor) to discuss cost projections. Currently, the revised budget has allocated the $15,000 contingency of the original budget to line items. All material costs are higher than the original budget anticipated. It’s expected that the project will exceed the budget. We are looking into additional funding sources, including a grant opportunity through Bank of America.

c. Grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House—Mary reported that the work contracted by Phoenix 1 is complete. We have received a portion of the reimbursement funds from the Heritage Grant. The remainder will be requested soon. We also will be receiving reimbursement for some expenses from City Parks and Recreation (PARD.) A new roof will be installed in late March. This project will be a PARD project, with no financial involvement on the part of CCDC.

d. Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds—Mary reported that the permit application for the replacement of the 1011 Charlotte stairs in pending.

4.   Brad has shared with the Board a draft Tenant Selection Plan document. Mary and Malcolm will work with Brad to fine-tune the document. Board members should share their comments on the draft with the Mary, Malcolm, and Brad.

5. The discussion of the CCDC rent structure was postponed until next month.

6. Paula reported that corporate volunteers working with the Austin Parks Foundation will spread mulch at Mary Baylor Clarksville Park on February 20. She hopes that the line painting project (basketball and pickleball courts) will be done in March. This project will be paid for by non-CCDC funds allocated to the park.

7. The Board decided that it is time to return to in-person meetings. The March 15, 2022 Board meeting will be held at the Haskell House.

8. The Board decided to re-open the Haskell House to visitors in June, assuming COVID conditions allow. The house will be open one day a month.  

9. Discussed under “Other Business”

The City Council will be considering a resolution to rename Confederate Street after Maggie Mayes, early Clarksville resident. Mary has spoken with Councilmember Tovo’s office about correcting the resolution to note that Confederate Street is near Clarksville, but not in it. “Community Impact” contacted Mary for information about Maggie Mayes.

10. The Board did not meet in Executive Session.

Minutes, January 18, 2022

Minutes from the January 18, 2022 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting 

(Meeting held via Zoom)

Board members in attendance: Aly Byatt, BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas.

Others in attendance: Brad Prak, Prak Property Management (PPM)

1.     The minutes from the November 16, 2021 monthly board meeting were not available. Approval will be on the February agenda.

2.     BJ presented the monthly and quarterly financial reports.

The monthly report shows an error in the management fee charged. This amount will be credited. The report shows a large monthly deficit, due to the inclusion of 1611 W. 10th construction and Haskell House repair expenses. Some of these expenses are eligible for reimbursement, others will be covered by ear-marked Money Market funds.

Revenue is on target for the first quarter, with the exception of projected utility reimbursements.

There is a billing issue with some of the CCDC properties which share meters and the bills are in CCDC’s name. Balances are accumulating but are not being credited to monthly bills. Fix requires removing these properties from “budget billing” until the balance is gone. Accounts can then be switched back. BJ will address this.

Minutes from the January 13, 2022 Finance and Operation Committee meeting appear at the end of these minutes.

3.     Monthly property reports.

a.     CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management: Brad reported that the month was “uneventful.” Due to the Omicron surge, only essential items are being addressed. Expenses mostly related to purchase of smoke detectors and a/c filters.

b.     New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street: Kim reported that the foundation pour is complete and framing has begun.

c.     Grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House: Mary reported that Phoenix 1 has completed their work and everything looks great. She will soon begin submitting Heritage Grant reimbursement requests. CCDC will be billed for additional work needed to complete all repairs. Those costs will be reimbursed by City Parks & Recreation.

d.     Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds: Required pre-construction work, including permit application, is moving ahead on the 1011 Charlotte stair reconstruction project. Construction should take place in February.

4.     Mary reported on the Board Work Session held earlier on January 18, 2022 involving immediate and longer-term issues related to CCDC’s rental properties. Plans and proposals prepared by PPM were discussed.. The Board requested additional information which Brad will provide as soon as it is available. Everyone agreed that we must have the ability to maintain our properties. Discussions will continue.

5.     Paula reported that the January volunteer day at Mary Baylor Clarksville Park has been postponed due to COVID but will be rescheduled. She met with Judy, the Community Gardener spearheading the Neighborhood Center beautification project, to discuss plans. Work the will take place in the spring.

6.     No Other Business was discussed.

7.     The Board did not meet in Executive Session.

Actions taken via Electronic Vote:

On December 12, 2021, the board voted to authorize Kim O’Brien, CCDC secretary, to open an account with Builders First Source so that the cost of the lumber for 1611 W. 10th can be charged directly to the CCDC. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the January meeting.

On December 16, 2021, the board voted to authorize Mary Reed, CCDC president, to enter into an agreement with Chem Free for termite monitoring at the Haskell House. Initial cost is $325.00, $95.00 each subsequent quarter. Our use agreement with the City requires termite monitoring. We can submit invoices to PARD for reimbursement. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the January meeting.

On January 6, 2022, the board approved a change order to amend the contract with Phoenix One, contractor performing repairs at the Haskell House, for a change order in the amount of $9,254.05 to repair additional damage found when existing siding was removed. After completion, this cost will be reimbursed by the City of Austin. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the January meeting.  

Minutes from Finance & Operations Committee Meeting on January 13th, 2022

Attending: BJ Friedman, CCDC Treasurer, Paula Hern, Mary Reed, CCDC President, Chris Thomas, CCDC Vice President

1.     The committee reviewed the financials for December. Included among them was a new document labeled P & L by Class, which showed revenues and expenses by property. The committee liked the document but one property was mislabeled 1708 West 11th, when it should probably be 1708 West 10th and there was a question about how the grounds contract expense had been allocated among our properties because there are big disparities among some of the addresses. Also, Mary said that it would be helpful if the information were presented by unit when a property is a duplex. Mary said she would contact Brad and Linda about these things.

2.     Also, for the first time, BJ shared copies of all of the cancelled checks that Prak had written in December on behalf of the CCDC. Mary suggested that Prak write the address and unit # in the subject line of all checks that are for a specific property. She will contact Brad and Linda about this. Also, she had questions about some specific checks. She will share them with BJ. 

3.     Mary provided status reports on all of the CCDC’s projects – 1611 West 10th, 1011 Charlotte and the Haskell House.

4.     BJ told the Committee that the CCDC has a substantial utility credit balance with the COA for 1729 West 11th and that she had a call into the office to find out how to get that credit applied to the account for that property. During the Committee’s meeting, Utility Customer Service called BJ and so she left the meeting to talk with them. BJ later reported that in order to get the credit balance applied to the account, she had to remove 1729 from budget billing. Once the credit has been applied, she will re-enroll 1729 in budget billing. 

Minutes, November 16, 2021

Minutes from the November 16, 2021 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting 

(Meeting held via Zoom)

Board members in attendance: BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas, Gregory Tran.

Others in attendance: Brad Prak & Rene Gonzalez, Prak Property Management (PPM)

1.    On a motion by BJ, seconded by Paula, the minutes from the October 19, 2021 monthly board meeting were approved with corrections. 

2.    BJ presented the monthly financial reports. As of 10/31/21, our checking account balance was $7073, money market account (which includes funds earmarked for 1611 W. 10th Street construction and OWANA-funded repair/reconstruction projects) was $147,568. PPM is continuing the fine-tuning of the reporting system. Currently, 1611 W. 10th Street construction expenses are included with rental property expenses. These will be separated in the future.

The Finance and Operations Committee did not meet this month.

3.    Monthly property reports.

a.    CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management: Brad  reported that interior inspections of all properties—slowed due to COVID protocols—have been completed. The board can expect a report of needed work soon (a list of exterior work needed has been prepared.)

b.    New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street: Kim reported that the foundation pour has been delayed as the contractor and the engineer go back and forth in preparation for the COA pre-pour inspection. The pour should take place in the next few weeks. Neighbor complaints have been received about the contractors working too early on weekdays and Sundays. AYW has talked to the contractor to insure this does not happen again. The first draw request, in the amount of $10,786, has been submitted to the City/AHFC. The reimbursement includes eligible expenses incurred since the project began.

c.     Grant-funded repairs at the Haskell House: Mary reported that work required will far exceed the COA Heritage Grant CCDC received for this work. COA Parks & Recreation has been both helpful and generous. Work will proceed. CCDC will be reimbursed for work done beyond the budget of the grant.

d.    Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds: Aubrey reported that we will need to pull a permit for the stair reconstruction at 1011 Charlotte. This will increase the cost of the project.

4.    The board discussed the need to review our current rent structure. A work session will be scheduled to continue the discussion.

5.    The board decided not meet in December.

6.    Mary reported on the recent CCDC Volunteer Day. “In a couple of hours we made a huge difference. Thanks to Prak Property Management for providing help, trucks, and chainsaws. And a shout out to Chris Thomas for leaf blowing the Charlotte cul-de-sac when we were done. Also, thanks to CCDC spouses Stan and Tom for their work. We will be scheduling another Work Day in the future.”

7.    Discussed under Other Business:

A group of Clarksville Community Gardeners have begun the beautification project at the  Neighborhood Center. A call went out for people who had plants they could donate. Also, some plants—which would have been trampled during renovations—were transplanted from the Haskell House. Mary will reach out to the volunteers to see how people who want to donate money to the project can do that.

Mary reported that OWANA has decided to not share proceeds from the donated ACL passes. We will reach out to ACL and ask that going forward that they give passes to us rather than having them pass through OWANA.

Paula reported on progress occurring in Mary Baylor Clarksville Park. A dead tree has been cut down, and an Austin Energy truck was on site earlier, hopefully repairing the Splash Pad

8.    The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote

On November 8, 2021, the board voted to approve a contract with Phoenix 1 for repairs to the Haskell House. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the November meeting.

On November 9, 2021, the board voted to approve a contract with Chem-Free for regular pest control services at the Haskell House, as required by our City of Austin use agreement. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the November meeting.

Minutes, October 19, 2021

Minutes from the October 19, 2021 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

The meeting was held via Zoom in order to allow the participation of a Prak Property Management representatives.

Board members in attendance: Aly Byatt, Aubrey Carter, BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Mary Reed, and Gregory Tran.

Others present: Brad Prak, Linda Parsons

1.     On a motion by Aubrey, seconded by BJ, minutes from the September 21, 2021 monthly board meeting were unanimously approved.

2.     BJ reviewed the monthly financial reports. This month we were $4,000 in the black. Insurance costs were discussed. New quotes will be sought in February. Insurance will likely go up due to current conditions. We intend to seek quotes beyond our current provider.

Minutes from the October 14, 2021 Finance & Operations Committee Meeting appear at the end of these minutes. 

3.     Linda Parsons and Brad Prak, Prak Property Management, discussed the accounting information provided each month by PPM, giving the board an opportunity to ask questions and get more familiar with PPM’s reports. There was discussion regarding the use of Excel so that notes can be added for explanation, work can be linked to a particular project/address, more detail provided.

4.     Monthly property reports:

a.     CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management. Brad reported that rents are “paid up.” Rental payments were discussed. They are posted when they get through the bank, not when they are paid.

b.     New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street: Kim was unable to attend the meeting. Her written report appears at the end of these minutes.

c.     Grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House: Mary reported that the City has asked for bids to repair the Haskell House roof. There is currently a bid for $54,800 for the other required work. The CCDC’s Heritage Grant for this work is $46,452.

d.     Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds: Aubrey was asked to produce drawings for repair to the stairs at 1712 W. 10th.

4.   A CCDC Volunteer Day will take place on Sunday, November 7 at 10 a.m. Volunteers encouraged to bring gardening tools and gloves. Water will be provided.

5.     The Board authorized Paula to talk to Colin Wallis, CEO of the Austin Parks Foundation regarding future improvements at Mary Baylor Clarksville Park.

Note: following the meeting, Paula shared the results of her meeting with Colin. “It was his first time at our park so it was worth it for that alone. We walked around the park and talked about the improvements I had brought to the board. Colin felt confident he could help get the city on board to do some of the things on the list. They would even do a CAPP (Community Activated Park Project.) Hopefully, that is true. He said he would get back in touch and we can go from there. I will get in touch with him if he does not get back with me in the next couple weeks. Fingers crossed!”

6.     Aubrey and Mary discussed plans for the stairs at 1011 Charlotte Street. Aubrey was asked to share 1011 Charlotte permitting updates with Rene and Brad.

7.     No Other Business was discussed.

8.     The Board did not meet in Executive Session.

Minutes from Finance & Operations Committee Meeting on October 14, 2021

Attending: BJ Friedman, CCDC Treasurer, Paula Hern, Chris Thomas, CCDC Vice President and Mary Reed, CCDC President.

1. BJ reviewed the September financials. Mary and BJ had quite a few questions about information in the financials. BJ shared Linda Parsons’, Prak Property Management, answers with Paula and Chris. 

2. Mary reviewed the status of the CCDC’s three on-going projects:

• 1611 West 10th Street. According to James Delgado with American Youth Works, many of the expenses for this project are likely to be higher than budgeted because of supply chain issues. He will update Kim on what the revised expenses are likely to be.

• Haskell House repairs. PARD developed an itemized bid request sheet that Mary has shared with about 7 new contractors in addition to Phoenix 1 and Red River Restoration. She got the names of the additional contractors from several people she knows in the historic preservation field. She also shared the COA’s insurance requirements for the HH project with all of the contractors. She continues to have regular meetings with Kim McKnight and her team.

• OWANA-funded projects. We have gotten a new bid for adding second egresses at 1011 Charlotte that is substantially lower than the first contractor’s bid. However, the new bid will have to be adjusted a bit because the engineer who reviewed Aubrey’s plans wants a few changes. Aubrey, the contractor and Brad Prak will meet at 1011 Charlotte the week of October 24.

We will not be adding a new egress to 1821B Waterston. Rose told the board that there was only one egress at that location, but in fact there are two. Prak Property Management has learned that the tenant at that property wanted a 3rd egress so she could enter the back yard from her bedroom via French doors. Therefore, once we complete the work at 1011 Charlotte, the board can decide what it wants to do with whatever OWANA money remains and share that information with OWANA.

1611 W. 10th Street Report

October Progress:

·      Our first draw request (AHFC reimbursement) was submitted 10/8/21. Have yet to hear from Sherry Cardino, AHFC, regarding its status.

·      SPS Specialty Plumbing Service began their rough in, but work was delayed due to the plumber experiencing a personal emergency. (AYW was unable to hire another plumber during the delay due to the small size of the project.) Plumbing rough in completed in early October. Two inspections need to occur (3rd party engineer and plumbing rough in) prior to foundation pour. Hopefully, will happen by the end of the month.

·      James Delgado (GC Austin Youthworks) estimates project is 10% complete. Project completion date is December 2022.

·      James met with Lee Doar from Austin Energy Green Building and we are on track to earn a 5-star rating.

·      Austin Civil Engineering was hired to draw up a TAP plan. They reduced their rate because we’re a non-profit.

·      AYW has received lumber quotes and is currently evaluating.

·      Sign acknowledging CCDC, AYW, AHFC, and City of Austin participation in the build has been installed at the site.

Minutes, September 21, 2021

Minutes from the September 21, 2021 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting 

Board members in attendance: Aubrey Carter, Aly Byatt, BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Gregory Tran.

Others in attendance: Brad Prak and Rene Gonzalez, Prak Property Management (PPM)

1.    On a motion by Aly, seconded by Paula, the minutes from the August 17, 2021 monthly board were approved with corrections.

2.    BJ presented the monthly financial reports prepared by PPM. All rents are current. Items of interest include: postage expense was for annual renewal of the post office box; audit expense included the preparation of CCDC’s 990; bank service charges were related to tenants using Paypal to pay rent—Brad is looking into another method for tenants to pay that will avoid these charges; maintenance contracts include a $4,475 expense to repair the stairs at W. 10th Street. We operated at a $9,265 deficit in August. A portion of this ($4,092) are construction expenses at 1611 W. 10th Street. These costs will be covered by funds in our money market account designated for this project and some may be reimbursable from our Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) grant. Linda Parsons at PPM is working on the best way to show these expenses moving forward. In response to Paula’s question about the janitorial contract expense ($110) Brad responded it was a reimbursement to PPM for work done. Extermination expenses are for rodent control at 2 properties.

The Finance and Operations Committee did not meet this month.

3.    Brad Prak, PPM, CCDC’s property manager, gave a report on the state of our properties and the impact it will have on our finances moving forward. PPM completed exterior inspections on all properties in July. Internal inspections are pending due to COVID concerns. Brad walked the board through a spreadsheet that details needed work. Some things apply to all locations, e.g., cleaning and repairing gutters and installing leaf guards, overgrown landscaping at all locations. Other items are specific to individual units.

PPM’s findings show that there is much deferred work that needs to be addressed. The work can be spread out, but the goal is to get caught up within 3 years. This will mean higher maintenance expenses over this period.

In response to a question by Paula regarding when we’ll know the complete picture, Brad said that interior inspections will begin in October. PPM staff have already noted some things while performing requesting maintenance (e.g., incomplete drywall repairs.) Emergency items will be addressed right away, other items will be added on the spreadsheet’s “to be done” list. Some items—missing smoke detectors—have already been addressed.  

Brad detailed PPM’s pro-active approach to maintaining the properties. For example, PPM goes in every other month to test smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and exchange air filters.

PPM is reviewing all property and tenant files, ascertaining that income verifications are complete and accurate, and that we are charging the appropriate rents. The idea of moving one or more units to “market rates” in order to increase our income was discussed. All options will be considered.  Brad is putting together a spreadsheet that looks at different scenarios. He will present it to the board when he has all questions answered.

In discussion, BJ brought up the fact that due to COVID, tenant incomes might be down which will cause annual certifications to decrease. Gregory pointed out that tenants have responsibilities they need to meet. Brad responded that we need to set our criteria and we need to be consistent in enforcement.

4.    BJ presented the FY 2021-22 Budgets. For the first time, projects with outside revenue streams will have separate budgets.

Operating Budget: Includes all current CCDC properties, maintenance-related expenses at the Haskell House, and repair projects funded by OWANA/Home Base grant. The proposed budget shows a deficit of $15,000. Per the discussion outlined above in #3, we expect maintenance expenses to increase this year. There is potential savings in the OWANA/Home Base funded projects (see Item #5) which with OWANA’s approval, may be able to supplement some of the deferred maintenance costs.

1611 W. 10th Street: Includes projected expenses related to this new construction unit. A portion of this project is funded by a reimbursement grant from the City of Austin/AHFC; CCDC is responsible for the rest. This budget was developed 2 years ago—construction costs have increased since then. Project general contractor American YouthWorks (AYW) is in the process of collecting bids. When that is complete, this budget will be updated. There is a real concern that required funds will exceed what we have available. We will work with AYW to minimize costs where possible, and seek additional funding sources if needed.

Haskell House Repairs/Renovation: Includes projected expenses related to repairs/renovations at the Haskell House funded through a City of Austin Heritage Grant. This budget was developed with the best information available, but current costs exceed the grant received. As discussed below in #5, we continue to work with City officials to find ways to fund the completion of this project. The budget will be adjusted as additional information is ascertained.

CCDC is looking at a lean financial year, requiring the board to be vigilant and cost-conscious due to projected/expected deficits. Budget monitoring will be key, along with exploring additional income sources.

On a motion by Paula, seconded by Gregory, all budgets were approved.

5. Monthly property reports:

CCDC properties managed by Prak Property Management: information included in #2 and 3.  

1611 W. 10th Street: Kim reported that we have received our Purchase Order from the City—required in order to receive reimbursement for approved expenses. She hopes to have a draw request submitted in early October. The following work took place in August: A temporary power pole was installed, permit has been issued, and power is in place at the site; the foundation contractor finished setting forms and digging beams. Aubrey asked if there are drawings he could look at because he has some questions regarding the foundation preparation. BJ will provide them to him.

Grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House: Mary continues to work with City Parks Department officials on this project. Costs have increased significantly since the Heritage Grant budget was prepared and the grant awarded. Parks is looking at ways to participate in funding.

Renovation projects funded by OWANA/Home Base funds: PPM obtained a second bid for the addition of two new egresses at 1011 Charlotte Street--$21,850, which is substantially less than the first bud. There will be additional costs associated with the project—services of a structural engineer and permitting—amounts unknown at this time, but the amount of this new bid means that we will have OWANA funds leftover. We had thought those funds would be needed to include an additional egress at 1821B Waterston, but we have learned that the unit’s current egress meets safety requirements and the addition is not needed. When all costs are known for 1011 Charlotte, the board can consult with PPM on how to allocate any leftover funds. Reallocation will be presented to OWANA.

6. Discussion of a CCDC Volunteer Day: We’re looking for a day in mid- to late-October for board members and community members to work on the exteriors of our properties. Aly volunteered to coordinate.

7. Under Other Business, Paula reported that there is $1300 in Parks Foundation Fund. The Parks Department plans to repaint lines for pickleball court and fix the splash pad.

8. The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On September 14, 2021, the board voted to authorized Kim O’Brien to sign an agreement with Texas Disposal Systems for the provision of a portable toilet at 1611 W. 10th for the duration of the construction project. CCDC’s Policies and Procedures require that contracts be signed by the board president or vice-president, unless otherwise designated by the board. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the September meeting.

Minutes, August 17, 2021

Minutes of the August 17, 2021 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting 

The meeting was held via Zoom in order to allow the participation of a board member who is out-of-town.

Board members present: Aly Byatt, BJ Friedman, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, Chris Thomas, and Gregory Tran

Others present: Brad Prak and Mary Vega, Prak Property Management

1.    On a motion by Paula, seconded by Chris, the minutes from the July 20, 2021 monthly board meeting were approved. Approval came after a discussion of a couple of items discussed at the July meeting: Mary reported that CCDC insurance payments can only be made either monthly or annually; we will reach out to Google Fiber for service to the Haskell House at a later date.

2.    BJ presented the monthly financial reports, the first prepared by Prak Property Management (PPM.) The Board was impressed with the level of detail. There are now 4 reports: Accounts Payable, Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss, and Trial Balance. Brad explained that the Balance Sheet provides a snapshot, whereas the Trial Balance is more thorough. Linda Parsons of PPM ] will be on a future agenda to give the Board a “tutorial” on the reports. In the meantime, Brad encouraged Board members to email him with any questions.

All security deposits are now being held in a separate account at Frost Bank. A transfer was made from our Money Market account to establish this account.

Brad requested a copy of our schedule of depreciation in order that new purchases can be added.

PPM began working with CCDC in late June. In regard to what to expect in charges from PPM, Brad described July as a “messy transition” month, and that things are getting back on track in August. He anticipates that come September things will be back to normal, promising that “in 90 days this will all be a distant memory.”

 The minutes from the August 12, 2021 meeting of the Finance and Operations Committee appear at the end of these minutes. 

3.    The ‘review of how our accounting is handled now that we are working with Prak Property Management’ was discussed as a part of Agenda Item 2.

4.    Mary updated the Board on financial challenges ahead for CCDC. Not only are we are looking at increased costs associated with deferred maintenance on our properties, we will be facing cash management issues with our 2 grant-funded projects. Both the Haskell House repairs and the new construction at 1611 W. 10th Street are reimbursement grants in which we will front all costs. We know that the Haskell House repairs will cost more than the grant, and while we are in negotiations for the City to cover the additional expenses, it looks as if this will be on a reimbursement basis, as well.  There is also the real possibility that 1611 W. 10th actual costs will exceed projected costs.

5.    Monthly property reports:

CCDC properties managed by PPM: Brad reported that exterior inspections have been conducted on all properties. Interior inspections have been postponed due to COVID, but interior repairs are being made when tenants report problems. The front staircase at 1710 W. 10th was replaced and repairs were made to its side staircase. Mary wondered if volunteers could tackle some of the projects that had been identified in the exterior inspections. Brad agreed that some could. This will be discussed further at the next Board meeting.

New construction at 1611 W. 10th Street. Kim’s written report is included at the end of these minutes.

Grant-funded repairs to the Haskell House: Mary continues to work with Kim McKnight at PARD to make this project happen. Phoenix One, PARD’s preferred contractor, has submitted a bid but it exceeds the grant funds available. Kim McK is working to see that the City covers the additional expense. Mary also reported that the City made the needed plumbing repairs and running water has been restored to the community garden.

Renovation projects funded by OWANA funds. Mary reported that the bid received for the additional ingress/egress at the Charlotte property exceeds the total amount budgeted for both intended properties.  PPM will get another bid.

6.     Pamela Hill conducted an audit of the 2020 fiscal year (October 2019-September 2020.) There were no negative findings. On a motion by BJ, seconded by Paula, the 2020 Audited Financial Statement was approved.

Kim requested that next year’s audit be performed earlier in order to meet our Austin Housing Finance Corporation’s reporting deadline for the 1611 W. 10th Street project (audit due 6 months’ following the close of the fiscal year.) Brad stated that our fiscal year financials will be closed by the first week of November and the audit can begin after that.

7.    Under Other Business, Mary reported that 2 neighborhood children deep-cleaned the Neighborhood Center’s front porch, and rather than accept payment, they donated their time to the CCDC. The Board was heartening by their generosity and support!

8.    The board did not meet in Executive Session.

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On July 27, 2021, the board approved allowing American YouthWorks/ YouthBuild Austin to hire contractors of their choice for the 1611 W. 10th Street house. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the August meeting.

Minutes from Finance & Operations Committee Meeting on August 12 2021

Attending: BJ Friedman, CCDC Treasurer, Paula Hern, and Mary Reed, CCDC President. Absent: Chris Thomas, CCDC Vice President

1. BJ explained that Linda Parsons with Prak Property Management (PPM) is now handling our bookkeeping and generating financial reports for the CCDC.

2. BJ reviewed the July financials that Linda Parsons had provided her so far. They are more detailed than we have seen in the past. BJ will ask Linda to pull out the data related to 1611 West 10th, the Haskell House renovations, and the OWANA projects because we plan on maintaining separate budgets for them.

3. BJ briefly reviewed our most recent audit noting that there were no negative findings.

4. Mary discussed the spreadsheet PPM put together outlining the exterior repairs needed at each CCDC property as well as issues with over-grown trees, vines and bushes. She noted that Brad Prak estimates addressing all of the problems will cost about $25,000 and most are the result of neglect for several years. Mary suggested that to save money, the CCDC board and other neighborhood volunteers can address some of the problems during a CCDC Volunteer Day. 

4. PPM has not inspected the interiors of our properties due to the uptick in COVID. We will receive a separate spreadsheet specifying what needs to be repaired or replaced once those inspections happen.

4. Mary reviewed the status of the CCDC’s three on-going projects:

• 1611 West 10th Street. Kim is taking the lead on managing this project and will serve as the liaison with the Austin Housing Finance Corporation and American Youth Works, among other things. For example, she will meet with James Delgado (AYW) to update the project budget.

• Haskell House repairs. The repairs are going to cost far more than the $46,452.00 Heritage Tourism Grant the CCDC received. Mary has had numerous meetings with Kim McKnight and others with PARD about the project and it appears that PARD will fund the amount of the project that exceeds the grant amount. She will be meeting with Kim et. al. again next week.

• OWANA-funded projects. Mary told the Committee members that Aubrey got a bid for adding second egresses at 1011 Charlotte. Unfortunately, the bid is really high: More than $64,000. We planned on funding this work and some other projects with the OWANA money we received -- about $52K. Now we are looking at a project that will exceed that amount and so we will not able to fund any of the other projects we had planned on paying for with the $52K.  Mary will ask PPM to get some bids for 1011 Charlotte to see if they can get a bid that is lower than $64K

5. Mary discussed the fact that the CCDC is probably going to experience a cash crunch in the coming months, which means that cash flow management will be critical. The situation we are in is the product of a three key factors – all of the deferred maintenance expenses we are facing, the fact that because of various delays, both 1611 and the HH projects are going to hit at the same time and both are reimbursement-based, and the cost of supplies and contractors has skyrocketed in recent months. We will probably have to tap our LOC to help juggle our financial obligations. Mary also noted that although our money market balance looks healthy, only about $13,000 of it is not earmarked for something specific.

6. Committee members discussed how to get board members to become more actively involved in the management of the CCDC rather than just attending board meetings. Mary noted that she would like everyone to read the documents they receive prior to each meeting and ask questions about anything they don’t understand, suggest solutions, etc. To date, BJ, Kim and Mary have been the most involved board members, but they don’t have all of the answers and to them being on the board lately has felt almost like a part time job even though they are volunteers like everyone else.

No one had any real solutions about how to increase engagement although Paula suggested delegating more although that can be problematic. She also said that it would be nice to know something about each of our tenants so they are more than just addresses.

1611 W. 10th Street Progress Report                                                          August 17, 2021

General Issues

·      We’re experiencing positive working relationships with David Clauss and James Delgado with American YouthWorks/YouthBuild Austin, and with Sherry Cardino, our grant manager with the Austin Housing Finance Corporation/City of Austin. All are supportive and responsive.

·      Mary, BJ, and Kim are working to determine the best way to internally manage this project—in terms of approving/processing invoices, communicating with and reporting to AHFC/COA, etc. We’re learning through trial and error, but are meeting required reporting deadlines and getting the bills paid

·      We’re getting closer and closer to getting our required Purchase Order from the COA. Once that is in place, we can begin requesting reimbursement for approved expenses.

·      As a reminder on how this project will work, AHFC/COA will reimburse us for $77,950 of the total project cost (estimated to be $197,500.) Their reimbursement process is very specific as to which expenses can be reimbursed and when. AYW/YBA is operating as our General Contractor, but CCDC is responsible for all expenses upfront. Because of the reimbursement requirement, cash management may become an issue down the line. But we have a healthy reserve set aside in our Frost Money Market account ($83,147—former HomeBase loan) and there is also our line of credit at Frost that we can rely on if needed.

·      Getting a handle on the 1611 budget is proving to be a challenge. Kim is continuing to work with David and James on this. Additionally, with construction-related cost increases in the 2 years since the budget was created and approved, there’s a general concern. James is beginning to secure bids which will help us determine potential impact.

June and July Progress

·      American YouthWorks established the building footprint with string lines; removed trees that were in the way

·      Foundation contractor began work (purchasing materials, heavy equipment rental, site work to establish building pad)

·      AYW installed required silt fence.

·      Pre-construction environmental review completed.

·      American YouthWorks (AYW) secured builders risk insurance for the project.

·      The foundation contractor worked on forms for the slab.

·      Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC subcontractors have been hired.

·      The project passed Layout Inspection. (The next inspection will happen prior to pouring contract, on track to happen at the end of August.)

·      Site sign has been ordered to inform the neighborhood that the house is a joint project of the CCDC, AHFC, City of Austin, and the AYW.

·      Water Tap permit has been obtained. 

Minutes, June 15, 2021

Minutes from the June 15, 2021 Clarksville CDC Monthly Meeting

Board Members in attendance: BJ Friedman, Malcolm Greenstein, Paula Hern, Kim O’Brien, Mary Reed, and Gregory Tran

 1.    On a motion by BJ, seconded by Paula, the minutes from the April 20, 2021 annual meeting and the April 20 and May 18, 2021 monthly board meetings were approved.

2.    BJ Friedman presented the financial reports. As of the end of May, we had $31,168 in our checking account and $168,780 in our savings account (of which $83,017 is earmarked for 1611 W. 10th, $52,049 earmarked for OWANA-funded projects.) We ended the month $4,500 in the black. There were no significant expenditures this month.

The Finance and Operations Committee did not meet in June.

3.    Rose Gabriel, Director of Property and Finance, did not attend the meeting. Her written report was reviewed.

·      Prak Property Management (PPM), the new property manager will be handling the City-funded Haskell House repairs. A meeting has been scheduled with Brad Prak, Rene Gonzalez, Mary, and Parks and Rec staff to discuss what needs to be done and how to move forward.

·      There’s been no progress on the egress/ingress issues.

·      A question was asked about expiring leases. We must agree with PPM on what lease we will use moving forward. In the meantime, all tenants with expiring leases will remain on a month-to-month until new leases are in place. PPM will do the annual inspections of the properties with expiring leases.

4.     Regarding planning for the preparation of next year’s budget, Mary and BJ will meet and make recommendations to the board.

5.    Under Other Business, the following items were discussed:

·      A meeting will take place on June 21 to discuss zoning of the UT Gateway tract. The property is not currently zoned. The purpose of the meeting is to gather input regarding what zoning to apply--UT is making moves toward redeveloping the property. At this time, it is not known what UT’s plans are. A small group of CCDC board members and an OWANA representative met to develop a list of what is important to the neighborhood. The list has been shared with Councilmember Tovo and the City of Austin case manager.

·      The poor condition of the front garden space at the Neighborhood Center was discussed. Much damage was done by February’s freeze and its current condition doesn’t reflect well on the CCDC or Pauline Brown. Mary has reached out to the community gardeners to see if they’d be interested in taking on the revitalization project, planting flowers, not vegetables. If the community gardeners don’t take on the project, BJ has a friend who has a landscape design firm. She will ask her if she’d be willing to take it on as a community project.

·      Rose has handled rental of the Haskell House, making sure the property was clean, unlocked, etc. The board discussed asking Felicia Farnes to take on this responsibility. Rental payments/donations were discussed. We believe we have Paypal or Venmo accounts to facilitate this.

6.    Upon adjournment of the meeting, the board met in Executive Session to discuss personnel matters.  

Action taken via Electronic Vote:

On June 1, 2021, the board approved the renewal of our insurance coverage. The renewal had a June 1 deadline and could not wait until the June meeting.

On May 30, 2021, the board unanimously voted to hire Prak Property Management to manage all CCDC properties as well as to handle CCDC bookkeeping. The terms of the contract, including the start date, will be negotiated. This matter was time-sensitive and could not wait until the June meeting.