[Year-Round Housing Committee] draft minutes of Jan. 24, 2007 meeting

[Mlongreene2 at aol.com]

Here is a draft of this weeks meeting:  Please submit any  changes.  Thanks,  
Mark  (I have reserved the library conf. room  for a meeting on Wed. Jan. 31 
at 7 PM   Please submit topics to focus  on.  Thanks, MG
(Alden says that he is unsure attachments will work just yet-will try, so I  
have copied document within)
 
 
Town of Long  Island 
Year-Round Housing Committee (YRHC) Minutes— Jan. 24, 2007 
Alden Robinson 
Attending: Mark Greene (Housing Admin.); Ruth Peterson (Selectman); Cade  
Brown; Jonathan Norton; Katie Wegner; Will Tierney; Amy Tierney; Leah Doughty;  
Tom Hohn; Tammy Hohn; Alden Robinson (Island  fellow). 
Meeting called to order: 7:00. 
    1.  Mark Greene described the history of the  Year-Round Housing 
Committee (YRHC) up to this point to new members, and then  explained the background 
info packets distributed to each.   
    2.  The YRHC discussed the mechanics of a proposed  housing survey and 
asked for preliminary feedback to some questions. Members  were asked to review 
and critique these surveys in the next few days before  they are sent out. 
    3.  The Committee briefly discussed different models  for housing 
programs on other islands, including rental homes and purchase  arrangements with 
covenants.  A  general proposal for a “starter” project goal, which had been 
floated at  earlier YRHC meetings, was discussed.   It would be a single-family, 
energy efficient, house on town land to be  initially rented and possibly sold 
later with covenants to keep it year round  in the future. 
    4.  The Committee discussed the relationship  of the proposed housing 
interest survey to the recently completed  comprehensive plan survey.  It was  
felt by some that the comprehensive plan survey questions did not clearly  
explain or gauge the real housing issues facing Long  Island.   If a more detailed 
housing specific  survey brought back a clearer idea of what Long Islanders 
would support, the  question was raised whether these results might be included 
in the final  comprehensive plan, since any State grants and funding seem to 
be dependent on  what is in the comprehensive plan.   Mark Greene has met with 
the Comp Plan Committee and asked that  question, but it was not known by 
committee members how different results, if  presented, might be integrated to the 
survey.  It was noted that the Comp. Plan  survey, while lukewarm to “
affordable housing” gave a 79% “very important”  vote to supporting “the existence 
of a year round community on Long Island.”   This is good, but certainly 
raises doubts about responses and possibly  conflicts with the Comprehensive Plan 
questions about “affordable  housing.”   
    5.  The Committee discussed potential funding  sources for any future 
housing projects, including Community Development Block  Grant (CDBG) funds from 
the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),  Genesis Foundation and 
possible funds from the Maine State Housing Authority  (MSHA).   
    6.  The Committee members present agreed to quickly  provide feedback 
about any suggestions to improve the housing survey.  If enough issues were found 
with the  draft survey another meeting would be called next week.  If 
approved by the YRHC, the surveys  will hopefully go out in a week or two in order to 
get results back in a  timely fashion in relation to the comprehensive plan 
deadlines. 
    7.  Alden agreed to make a listserver so we  could communicate 
efficiently and quickly with each other between formal  meetings.  All attendees were  
urged to ask others to join in.   Anyone who would like to be on the YRHC 
e-mail list, can contact Alden  at arobinson at islandinstitute.org
Meeting adjourned: 7:50.
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