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<DIV>Hi All, Attached (and below) are the minutes of the last
meeting. A reminder:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">ALL
COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD SUBMIT THEIR IDEAS IN WRITING (e-mail is fine) FOR
SELECTION CRITERIA BY SUNDAY MARCH 25 so we can have a list to work on at the
next meeting.<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Also,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>many good questions
are being asked that need some research. It would be most helpful if folks
submitted them in <U>writing or e-mail</U><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>(anytime) so that the responses reflect accurately what has been
asked.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Town of Long
Island<BR>Year-Round Housing Committee<BR>Minutes \u2013 March 14,
2007<BR><BR>Present: Mark Greene (chair); Ruth Peterson (Selectman); Steve
Train (Selectman); Will Tierney; Amy Tierney; Jonothan Norton; Katie Wegner;
John Billings; Mary Nanos; Tom Hohn; Tammy Hohn; Chris Papkee; Patti Papkee;
Brad Brown; Cade Brown; Alden Robinson (Island Fellow).<BR><BR>1.<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Meeting called to order - 7:05 p.m.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The committee voted
unanimously to accept the minutes of the February 28th meeting.<BR><BR>2.<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Old business:<BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Mark Greene said that the necessary papers had been filed to incorporate
the Year-Round Housing Committee as a non-profit organization. He said the
next step for the committee would be to apply for tax-exempt status from the
IRS, which the Genesis Foundation is assisting with.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>In response to questions raised at the last meeting about bank loans on
leased property and value of improvements to land vs. house on a leased lot,
answers were sought from others. The first response was from Joanne
Whitehead of Islesboro Affordable Property, which offered suggestions for
financing construction on leased land.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>She suggested that houses on leased land are really no different
loan-wise than condos. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She said
Camden National Bank was an active player in this field of such housing
financing and that there were banks in the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Portland</st1:place></st1:City> area that do same.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(Alden will be attending a conference on
March 20 on these financing issues sponsored by Camden National and will report
to the group next meeting).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She also stressed the need to think of
town lands as a community resource for the benefit of the town and not just
another commodity to be bought and sold and that the lease model is a common
one.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The second question was
addressed by an e-mail from Town Assessor Robert Konczal on how houses are
assessed when built on leased land and indicated that a house on leased land
would have added value because of its right to be on the leased land (leasehold
interest) and the improvements made to the land by the building of the house.
This added value will need to be considered when we work on the buyback
provisions should the lessee desire to sell the house. Both of these
emails will be forwarded to the committee's listserver.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">3,<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>New Business<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The public hearing for Hannah Pingree's bill LD 762, on funding for
affordable housing in communities was postponed to March 14th. Mark said
he still plans to attend the hearing and testify on the committee's
behalf.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Paper maps of town-owned land parcels were distributed.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A couple of additional lots were found
to be more accessible than previously thought. In addition, several more lots
will legally become title-clear and available for town use in the coming
year. Committee members requested digital versions of the mapping data,
which will be sent to the listserver as soon as final corrections are made to
the new GIS platform and parcel layers.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Steve Train described two potential grant sources. The Island
Institute's newly-created "<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Affordable</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Coast</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>" fund offers grants to non-profits
and municipalities for the purchase, upgrade, and/or maintenance of affordable
housing projects. It plans to distribute $105,000 in grants in 2007.
The Genesis Fund also offers matching grants to housing authorities. Mark
suggested that committee members start thinking about potential grant
proposals. The Island Institute grant sounded as if it might even help
individuals purchase and/or rehab private properties deemed
affordable.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Cade Brown briefly summarized the results of the Year-Round Housing
survey that he and Melissa Brown have been tabulating. The responses of
both year-round residents and non-residents to the proposed starter project was
generally quite favorable.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Although
the proposed starter project has evolved somewhat from a town owned rental house
on town land to a owner built house on leased town land, the favorable response
to both the original concept and also to seek a \u201cdifferent proposal\u201d was very
good.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A description of the modified
starter project proposal to be brought to Town Meeting will be outlined in the
upcoming Long Islander. Cade plans to send out the complete results to
the committee in the near future.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Thank you to Cade and Missy for their great work in tabulating the
returns.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The committee then discussed its position in the debate over the Planning
Board\u2019s proposed multi-family housing on the island. Mark and Steve
suggested that the YRHC not involve itself in the debate to avoid confusing its
message. While some form of multi-family allowance in the ordinances could
benefit the housing crunch on the island, Mark said unless it was very specific
and targeted to social needs of the community, it could allow more seasonal
rental development that would possibly hurt the year round housing market even
more.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such multi-family development
is clearly not what residents in both the past and present comprehensive plan
surveys wanted. Brad Brown said that by working to create a multi-family
housing ordinance, the Planning Board was working to solve the same housing
problems as the YRHC. Tom Hohn said that the YRHC should not ignore
multi-family housing, even if it doesn't work on it immediately.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Chris Papkee asked how any ground-lease fee would be determined, and how
the land would be taxed. Steve Train said the land would be leased for the
amount of money it would generate in taxes if sold privately; any buildings
built on it would be taxed separately. Mark stressed that while not a
perfect solution in the eyes of some who might prefer outright purchase, it was
the best compromise available and would cost much less than an outright land
purchase because it avoids all the mortgage costs (principal and interest) that
a new buyer would have to pay to outright buy the land, yet the town would
benefit tax-wise as if the land had been sold.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If we are trying to help first time
homeowners stay on island, this is a major way to make it
affordable.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The committee discussed the proposed town meeting warrant article.
Steve Train said he has submitted a preliminary article, which can be
revised. He said that specific parcels can be added or removed from the
article at the meeting. <BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Chris Papkee asked whether buildings constructed on leased land would
have to be handicapped-accessible. Mark said that the buildings themselves
would be private property and probably not subject to accessibility
requirements. However, he said, all lease provisions would be subject to
the town attorney's scrutiny.<BR><BR><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Chris asked about potential conflicts-of-interest on the YRHC
board. Mark said, as an example that Leah Doughty had offered to resign if
she applied to the housing program. Cade Brown said that under <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Maine</st1:State></st1:place> law, non-profit
board members need not resign to avoid a conflict-of-interest provided all
parties concerned were aware of, and comfortable with, the conflict. Mark said
the selection process needs to be worked on now, so that all aspects of this
proposal would be clear and upfront for Town Meeting questions.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Chris Papkee asked whether the selection
criteria would score applicants by age. Steve Train said that age-based
selection would be discriminatory and not legal.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mark said that there are other
individuals on the island in need of permanent housing and that all ages would
be welcome to be part of this program.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD SUBMIT THEIR IDEAS IN WRITING (e-mail is
fine) FOR SELECTION CRITERIA BY SUNDAY MARCH 25 so we can have a list to work on
at the next meeting.<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Also,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>many good questions are being asked that
need some research. It would be most helpful if folks submitted them in
<U>writing or e-mail</U><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(anytime)
so that the responses reflect accurately what has been asked.<BR><BR>The
committee agreed that the next meeting is on March 28th and to bring lists of
possible selection criteria for housing applicants.<BR><BR>Meeting adjourned -
8:35 p.m. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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