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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 08-12-2008 Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Meeting Meeting Minutes-August 12, 2008 Attendees Mike Smith, Riverside National Kenneth Fuchs, SDZ Construction Diana Weslowski, St. Lucie County Citizen Scott Wingfield, Realtors Association of St. Lucie Stephanie Morgan, All About You Rick Carreno, St. Lucie County Fire District Louise Hubbard, Treasure Coast Homeless Services Council Skeet Jernigan, Community & Economic Development Council of South Florida Staff Peter Jones, St. Lucie County Growth Management Jessica Parrish, St. Lucie County Community Services Jennifer Hance, St. Lucie County Community Services Heather Young, St. Lucie County Assistant County Attorney Others In Attendance Beth Ryder, St. Lucie County Community Services Excused Absences Don Green, St. Lucie Habitat for Humanity Al Rivett, St. Lucie INTACT Absent Colleen Jeeves, Workforce Development Board Minutes Stephanie Morgan opened the meeting at 2:00 P.M. by a vote to approve the rd minutes from the meeting on July 23. All were in favor. Jessica Parrish stated that Peter Jones drafted the review of the 11 items because it was mainly issues that had to do with Growth Management. Statute required that item 10, land bank, be done by July 31, 2007. Housing has already completed it. The resolution passed and the lots for the land bank are included on the CD. Ms. Parrish stated that Ms. Ryder had mentioned at the last meeting that waiving impact fees was illegal. Heather Young stated that she didn’t think that impact fees could be waived. Diana Weslowski questioned if the surplus lots are in St. Lucie County only. Ms. Parrish stated that some of the lots are in the City of Port St. Lucie and some are located in Fort Pierce, but the County does own them. Ms. Parrish also stated that the lots are build able and suited for affordable housing. Peter Jones stated that a number of the issues included in the 11 items have to do with the land development code. He stated that Growth Management is in the process of re-modifying chapters 10, 11, and 12. Skeet Jernigan asked if there was legislation or policy that addressed the issue of impact fees that said if communities reduced their impact fees by 25% they could qualify for additional SHIP funding. He stated he read it in an article and would fax it to Ms. Parrish to research. Ms. Parrish stated that a $10,000,000 pool of money was coming out for Pasco, Palm Beach, and Orange Counties to help rehabilitate foreclosed properties. Scott Wingfield asked why only those three counties were receiving funds. Ms. Parrish stated that it was a pilot program being tested in those three counties. Skeet Jernigan stated that he was hoping to see some assistance from staff that is familiar with the documents to see which of the items we really need to address. Mr. Jernigan stated we look at whether the modifications to chapters 10,11, and 12 are addressing affordable housing and if not, we should address it immediately. Peter Jones stated that a lot of attention has gone to trying to streamline processes. He stated that it hasn’t been directed towards affordable housing. Mr. Jones also stated that at their next round table discussion that he would try and plug in affordable housing to the modification of chapters 10, 11, and 12. Diana Weslowski stated that perhaps on the application for the developer there could be a box that asks whether the project is for affordable housing, and if so a particular person, who was well versed in affordable housing could meet with the developer. Then the project could be expedited as an affordable housing project. Ms. Parrish stated that the housing division has a stamp for projects and stamps the building plans that the contractor brings in to expedite the permitting process. Mr. Jones said that they are realizing that the Building Department, Growth Management, and zoning need to work more together. He stated that the items that Growth Management would lend them selves to would be items 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7. Louise Hubbard stated that the land development code is an item that is currently being addressed. She stated that issues should be addressed as priority issues and be concurrent with the work that is already being done. Ms. Hubbard stated that there has already been 2 years of research that has been done by the Workforce Housing Task Force. Skeet Jernigan stated that he would like to prioritize the items as ones we would like to address first, ones that aren’t as important, and items that can wait. Mr. Jernigan asked Mr. Jones if he sees item number 11 as a part of the density issue or a policy determination. Mr. Jones stated that he viewed it as a policy determination. Mr. Jernigan stated that of the 11 items listed the ones that are currently underway should be looked at first. Items 1,3,5,6, and 7 were determined to be the first items reviewed. Ms. Hubbard stated that it is unreasonable to expect any local government to take any recommendations that would cut down on funds coming into the county. She stated that knowing that, the committee could adjust our recommendations to conform to that situation. Stephanie Morgan asked if there was anything else. There was no further comment. The meeting adjourned at 3:00 PM.