to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Moment of silence, please.
[Music] And if you don't know, um Paul's brother-in-law just passed. So if we can take a moment for that. >> Thank you. This meeting has been called in accordance with the provisions of the
open public meetings act and at an announcement of the same will be mailed to the local newspapers and to the clerk of the burough of Belmont and that the minutes of this meeting will be available after quarter approval and at a subsequent meeting. >> Roll call.
>> Commissioner Sherik >> here. >> Commissioner Casterly >> here. >> Commissioner Orchard >> here. Commissioner Remy >> here. >> Commissioner McCracken is absent. Commissioner Misano >> here. >> Commissioner Robinson >> here. No quorum. >> We need approval for the minutes for the
October 7th meeting. So, you want to make a motion to >> I'll make a motion. >> Commissioner Sherik. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Casserly. I'll >> abstain. Commissioner Worchick, >> yes. >> Commissioner Ramy, >> yes.
>> Commissioner McCracken is absent. Commissioner Misano, >> I >> Commissioner Robinson, >> yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. It looks like we need approval for the executive minutes from the October 7th meeting.
>> I'll move to make a motion on that. >> I'll second. >> Commissioner Sheriff. >> Yes. Commissioner Casterly. >> Yes. >> I'm allowed. >> No, those. Thank you. >> Uh, Commissioner Orchard, >> yes.
>> Commissioner Remy, >> yes. >> Commissioner Msano, abstain. >> And Commissioner Robinson? >> Yes. >> Okay. We uh we need has everybody looked at the minutes? >> Review them?
>> The bills. Sorry. >> Have they renewed them? And have there been any questions on them? >> Oh, sorry. I added one uh payment for postage onto this bill list. [Music]
Okay. Any questions on them? >> How much was supposed to Jame? >> $78. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> I move to um approve them. >> I'll make the motion. Thank you. >> Commissioner Sherick, >> yes.
>> Commissioner Casterly, >> yes. >> Commissioner Orchard, >> yes. >> Commissioner Remy, >> yes. >> Commissioner Misano, >> yes. >> Commissioner Robinson, >> yes. >> Executive director. >> Okay. Um, in preparation for the winner,
uh, we've we've identified and ordered one set of window inserts. They're uh framed thick plastic which snap into the window frame so they should be secure. If it works
with the one set, we'll then order them for the other windows on the west side of the building. U there due to arrive Thursday and we'll try them then. Uh for weatherization, an engineer has
been hired. already signed a contract and we're just waiting for his date to come in here and do a weatherization study of the building and what his recommendations might be. We had the opening of bids for the brick
facade and unfortunately uh the lowest bid dropped out a day the same day or a day later saying they made mistake and the other bids were beyond what we could afford. So, that's two times with that. Uh, we're going to go out for bid again and
we're going to ask contractors to bid on each wall individually so we can see what we can do now and then what we need to do planning for the future. Uh, we're we have two units open and we
have tenants scheduled to move in. Uh Amy's there's a problem with the software program computing the rent. So we got to get that fixed. And uh notices I believe went out uh
Hood is you uh hired contractor to come in and do a safety inspection of the building. This replaces the old assessment. It's called Inspire. It's a different uh program. Uh what they're looking for though, it's
basically a safety inspection. It's not aesthetics. You know, the other one was aesthetics at safety. This is just safety. So, they'll be looking at wiring and uh other issues in the building. >> And when are they coming?
>> They're coming uh the week of Thanksgiving, that Monday, and they'll be here for the day. I assume they'll just randomly pick units to look at like we generally do
>> and that's the end of my report. >> Paul, not to delay things is HUD HUD selected this in this group to commit. Correct. >> Yes, they contract with >> they built the our housing authority for subsequent they're assuming the cost. >> Yes.
>> That's a bonus then. Thank you. >> Any correspondence? >> No. >> Any old business? >> No. >> Any new business? >> Uh, we have three resolutions on the consent agenda tonight. Um, resolution
rejecting all bids for the Belmore housing authority facade repair. Resolution to close the waiting list and resolution to certify salary increases for all eligible employees. If there's no questions or concerns, we can have a motion to move those.
>> I'll make I'll make a motion to move it. >> Second. >> Commissioner Shar. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Casserly. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Orchard, >> I'm sorry. Is this the time to ask a question on that resolution under What? >> I'm sorry.
>> Bluetooth disconnected. >> Oh, maybe that did you just step on something? >> No, there's nothing here. >> No. >> Hello. It's not working. >> Hello. >> It's working. It's working >> now. It isn't. >> Who Who was on that list for payraises?
Can I ask that? >> Sure. It's Paul, Mike, and myself. >> It's the only three employees we have here. >> Okay. Thank you. Commissioner Ramy. >> Yeah. >> Approving the resolutions, the three
resolutions. >> Commissioner Msano. >> Yes. >> Commissioner Robinson. >> She had to go out, doesn't it? >> Oh, okay. Okay. >> Any reports from the commissioners?
>> Just one item. as a former history teacher. To those on the board and employees of the board and citizens of Belmar and other places, please exercise your right to vote tomorrow. And I say that with no
connection at this point in time to anyone in town or out of town. It's our opportunity. We have had people do many great things to give us this chance. Thank you.
>> You're welcome. >> Remarks from the general public. >> I have a a remark, but is Paul coming >> back in? >> No, he had the family. >> Oh, okay. So, he he was going I guess. So, Amy, maybe you know this um question. Does the same
rule apply for the BHA that it does for the burrow that if you go if you reject two bids, if two bids come in and they're both are rejected, that you're actually able to go after if the bid specs are the same both times, but we
revised the bid bid specs the second time to reduce the project to hopefully get the price down. So that's I understand what you're saying. That's what I said. >> So there's not that opportunity to go after the contract individually >> to negotiate. No, not yet. >> No.
>> And there won't be we're changing it again. >> We're changing it again. >> Again. >> Shoot. >> So I'm going to review it with the engineer before it goes out um to possibly make sure like it's a base bid plus alternates.
>> So that way then you can actually peace meal. >> Okay. >> When you do it that way. Have there been any other um funding sources or ha has have you all spoken to either Chris Smith's office or any of the whether
it's state or federal for any additional assistance other than what we have had coming into us with the the grant and then the 350 for um emergency. >> Uh not that I'm aware of. >> Okay. Is there something else? Is are
there any other opportunities that the BHA could could look at because I I'm concerned that we will just continue to fall short of what you know what is necessary to keep this building safe. >> No, I I 100% agree with you and I share
the same concern. Absolutely. So, um I'll talk to Paul again to see if there's any other especially with our emergency funding from HUD because that's going to run out at some point. That's why we have to get this back out to bid so quickly, >> right? And maybe we can find out too if
there's any other possible way um that maybe if we did call whether it's for Smith's office or someone to say listen this is extend extenduating circumstances and instead of going out to rebid which takes so much time and
then the engineer has to come back in and has to do more of his you know with his specs. >> No, we're going to actually put it back out to bid next week. We're putting it back out for advertisement next week. the same exact bid? >> No, we're gonna break it down into by
>> building size. >> Can we add this option of keeping it the same bid as what was just done so that you can go back out and say, "Okay, if it didn't nothing comes back to say, all right, we want to go to contractor B and
ask them if they could do this for this amount. This is what we have." >> But can you add it together as an option? >> We I can look into that, but I'm not sure. I'd have to check into that. >> Okay. Um because I I mean you know the time the longer this is the the more
expensive it it's becoming. >> Understand. >> Um Okay. Thank you for for that. Also um I just wanted to let everyone know Veterans Day there's a service. So that's uh November 11th. Um there's a service at 9:30 a.m. at Memorial Row
right next to the school 12th Avenue. Um 9:30 everyone's welcome to join. I'm sorry. Can you say that one more time, Maria? >> Sure. Uh, November 11th, Veterans Day, there'll be a service. There's always a service for Belmar and
it'll be 9:30, right? Yeah. >> 12th about 12th in Maine. 12th >> 12th in Maine. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Also, I I'm sorry. I have one one more question. Um, when HUD is doing the
safety, the inspire, um, I know that, you know, usually they do a random selection. Is there a way that someone could be there to actually show them the worst units? Because if we're looking for emergency funding, like maybe we can show them all of our I know that no one
wants to, you know, show their their underbellies, but we're we really need help. >> It might help. >> It might help us. >> Um, >> I'll mention that to Paul. >> Thank you. Why um why do you think breaking it down wall by wall is going to be attractive
to contractors? I I don't know anything about any of that stuff, but it seems like we're just spinning our wheels >> so that at least maybe we can get one wall done. >> But would a contractor want that? Would what they would is that a >> if they don't want it, they won't bid bid it. >> I know this. So then we'd be wasting our
time again. >> I mean we don't have any other >> Do you have advice from a contractor that that is a way to do that that is an option? No, this comes from the advice of the engineer. >> A lot of jobs you'll bid out as base plus alternatives >> and the engineer is the one that set up
the two bids then and under and and didn't have the right amount of, you know, didn't have the right expectations because the engineer should have an idea of how much money we need. >> And again, with any project, we had a low bid come in at $800,000, which we
could have awarded, but they backed out. So that doesn't count. But the other the other bids were a million two to a million8. So I mean where does the engineer >> make that call as far as saying you have
enough money but no when the bids come in we don't we're not even close. I mean one of the bids was twice what we have. >> Correct. You're correct. >> So so that's the engineer >> because that's how we asked them to put it out to do the whole building. >> No I don't think I don't think you understand my question. We don't have
enough money. >> Correct. >> Do we know the the project? Did we know beforehand that the project could cost a million5? Like who not you, you know, you're not you're not a contractor. Whose position whose job description is
it to to explain to you that you're going to need a million five, you know, give you an estimate because we keep getting this wrong. >> Typically, your engineers give you a cost estimate, but engineers aren't always 100% either. >> Well, clearly, clearly. I see it. And Anita, I'm just telling you from experience.
>> Yeah. No, no, I get it. I I get that. You know, first understand that >> I do this in my everyday job. Engine I've had many of jobs come in way over engineer estimates. I'm sure Maria has seen it in Belmar as well. >> Now, does this annoy off the contractors
in your since now you're experienced in this? Is this something like we already annoyed they already did all this work and we don't have enough money. So, are they going to not even be bothered with us now? >> Not typically. They need they're just looking back as well. >> All right. I hope this is a good option
because this is getting beyond insane. >> And again, it's we're trying to get this done. That's >> I think we should I think, you know, the commissioner should be looking for more money. I think the commissioner should be calling people and and and and and
you know, making this important because this is what year three now we're going into. I mean, you can call Chris Smith, you can call I mean, I'll call him, but you know, but you could call Chris Smith, you could call HUD, you could call anybody up the chain. Everybody should be yelling and screaming at this
point. We need the money. The million two, we could do and we What do we need? 300,000. You know, we need 300 more thousand. That's all we need. And we could do a million two, but now we have to do the whole thing all over again. >> And again, even with the million two, when you start doing projects, change
orders come into play. >> Absolutely. >> So, it's never just a million two. Absolutely. >> Four. >> Absolutely. But at that point, we're locked in. >> And you have to prepare for that, too. But you're not locked in because once you sign a contract for a project and a change order happens on the project, you
now have to lock in to pay that change order as well. >> Well, hopefully you have enough attention on it. You know, the people and they know, you know, they know they're >> But again, it's no differently than doing renovations in your house. You start taking down walls and you find leaks or molds or whatever and things start adding up. It doesn't take three
years. Anyway, moving on. Your turn. >> Yes. Um I'm sorry to go over what what Paul went over. Do we have an engineer? Is the engineer for the weatherization? >> Yes, >> we have that that was >> he said they were the engineer was
hired. Yes, >> that went through that office in Asbury. >> I believe that I don't know. He didn't give me the I just heard what you heard on that. >> Okay. And um do we know when that engineer will be here? >> Uh no, he didn't say that. He said
they're get they're signing the contracts and will be coming in. >> Yeah, we're waiting on a date. >> Okay. And meanwhile, I know we're getting those temporary windows maybe to go in. Okay. Also,
I know there's a problem with funding of obviously we all know that. But to have one wall done and then what a year or two later we're going to have another wall done. I mean for the facade >> clearly this is going to cost one end up
costing a lot more than having the building done >> and will this then the scaffolding will have to stay up for years. We're doing the best we can with trying to get it done in one obviously we can't do it in one foul swoop because the cost
is come exceeding what our appropriation is for it. >> Is there then another appropriation in the next year? Is that how that works? >> Well, we have the emergency funding money from HUD and now we have the Chris Smith money from last year. So, it's
that plus our capital funds which is very minimal each year >> which is not enough to do to do this. So, >> not the entire building. No. >> How long do we wait until other funds come in? >> We have I guess we have to start trying to get other funds from other places. >> I guess
>> I don't know if you go back to the well to the appropriations bill again. I don't know if they'll give us more. >> Does this happen ye yearly or as we ask? Like in 2026, will there be do we start with a blank slate and then more money
comes in? So, we get capital money each year, but it's about 90 to $100,000 a year that we get. So, like when we did the elevator, we saved up a couple years to be able to pay for that elevator. >> Yikes. >> It's It's not an easy process. And
unfortunately, with the fact that the building is deed restricted, we are not allowed to take debt out on the building. >> I wouldn't think so. No. Okay. So that's that's where our hands are tied is that we can't borrow money to just go out
like a municipality can to do this. >> Okay. Thank you, Amy. >> You're welcome. >> Amy, I have a question. >> Sure. >> A few weeks ago when we had that heavy wind, >> something fell off the building. Can you explain exactly what happened? Is it a possibility that this could happen
again? >> I honestly don't I'm not aware what happened, so I don't want to exactly speak to it. I know Paul did mention to me something about with the scaffolding and they came back out and fixed it. >> The scaffold was >> It was a piece of the scaffolding. I believe
>> it was from this side. >> They fixed it all the way >> all the way around to where my bedroom was. >> Okay. Yeah. I wasn't here for it. >> Went across the train tracks and that little I call it the alleyway. It was pieces all over and that one piece on my
side was just hanging. It's a one piece like go all the way around. Is that what you're saying? >> Okay. >> Are there other head buildings around? I mean, there must be all they must be all experiencing the same idea about the facade. >> So, well, here's the thing with it,
Anita. Right. So, we are public housing, right? We're deed restricted on this building. HUD has a deed restriction on this building saying you can't take debt. There's different types of programs. There's RAD program which is where you
it's basically section 8 vouchers where you can then take debt. There's no deed restriction on the property. So, it's all different kinds of programs under HUD and it depends on what kind of program you're following as to what your restrictions are or Is there any any
list of places that I can call and and make this important to them? I I mean like what line of HUD do I go up? >> I don't know that there's anybody there right now. >> Well, that's true. point
>> other than Chris Smith. >> And I will not and not to be funny, but I because I go on the HUD website a lot because it's part of my job and they actually have a very condescending banner up and it's very sad that they even did that. Go to hut.gov.
Look it up. >> So we're under hot >> Yeah. hut.gov. >> And what did we decide about private donations if you said there was nothing? Um, let me look into that. I would assume it would fall into the same
category as a municipality where you're able to take private donations, but it's got to be put within your budget, which is not a difficult thing to do, >> but I can look into that. >> Okay. >> Do we know if if Karnney Bank I know that um Missy had given the information
um and had a connection uh for Carney, I'm sorry if I'm saying it wrong. Carney Carney Bank. Um do we know whether that was ever pursued? >> Uh I do not. >> Okay. >> I know um Paul when I had asked this question um before thought that we could
lose the 350 if we asked for more money of the three than the 350. I think at this point it's necessary that we ask for more emergency funding from HUD. Um and you know that that's they need to
know that we're we're really having an issue. Additionally, I know um the concern, especially the concern when it came to becoming part of the burough's affordable housing plan, a lot of concern was mentioned about section
8, which is not what the burrow's housing plan would have required. But I do want to remind um you all that if you were to to work with the bureau with the affordable housing plan even with a few units then you have you were able to use
this housing trust fund um this affordable housing trust fund which would be helpful for >> keep up of the building. I just hate seeing us not be able to to use that and I understand that that's 100% your prerogative, but it's it's also my
feeling of obligation to bring that up again. >> Do you know how much is in that fund yet as of yet? >> Currently, we almost have about $200,000 um for it. Um and that's those projects haven't even begun yet. The big projects haven't even be done yet. So it will
eventually we will have over soon we will have over $2 million of that funding. >> Wow. >> And if if the if we went down that road in a sense it doesn't affect people that are here already. So it doesn't exactly
>> it doesn't have to be the whole building. It can only be a few units. um that would, you know, help the overdevelopment issue that we're having in Belmar, but it would also keep, you know, your your ability to keep units um
with the just Belmar residents for at least a good amount of the units. Anyway, I just wanted to put that back out there that it's not >> Thank you. >> You know, I think we need to be looking at all options and if you're considering the RAD, then then that is section 8.
That is the same situation with priority. That's Mercer and MMA as well. It's the same same district that the affordable housing trust fund would live in. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else?
>> I'd just like to mention I requested we go into executive session. >> I I hear that. I know that has not happened yet. Okay. If there's no more questions for from anyone, we are going to go into executive session.
And I have a motion for executive session.