GLOVERSVILLE HOUSING AUTHORITY
Minutes of a July 2023 Meeting
The Gloversville Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners met at its monthly meeting that was held at the Forest Hill Towers, 31 Forest Street, Gloversville NY on July 10, 2023 at 6:00p.m.
Board Members Present:
- Board Members Present:
- Ellen Anadio, Commissioner
- Lashawn Hawkins, Commissioner
- Gail Peters, Commissioner
- Ronald Holly, Commissioner
- Sherry Courtney, Resident Commissioner
Others Present:
- Anthony Casale, Authority Legal Counsel
- Bryan Goldberger, Authority Labor Counsel
- Jason Mazur – Executive Director tor
Commissioner Anadio called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. All present stood for the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a moment of silence.
Commissioner Anadio conducted a roll call memorializing the presence of the above-named individuals.
Commissioner Anadio opened the floor for public comment.
George Straitor spoke and stated the following: On the lockout and last fall, we were promised to have those benches painted with good paint. And the black part painted, they haven’t been done. And I realize you’re short of help, but when people start to make comments, when they come here and see that I’ve been here 17 years and the worst I’ve ever seen. They are horrifically bad. Now if you do the floor in front of the two on the inside, we can look, we can wait about the one in the back. Because that’s what people see. That’s number one. The second is the long has been the worst I’ve ever seen in the 17 years. And we’re we’re not talking about the Basketball people. This is before them and they’re bad now. They don’t weed wack. They seem to do a little bit and leave. And should always come back when they’re doing something emergency and doing the most so the same thing. I wish they keep doing that. That’s how we talk. Also another thing. In the front when you come in and lobby on the right hand, you’ll see a big black container. It’s all full of used needles. Hasn’t picked them up for almost 2 years. I’ve called four times. The last time I called was in October. From last year. Four times, like other people here. All you gotta do is call the police to get rid of them….
He’s either dead or he’s been or he’s out of business and he used to come, like every month. Like I said, he hasn’t been here for almost 2 years. That is very dangerous. When you get any kind of drug, they’re gonna start coming in. Also one more thing. On the 6th floor, the elevator door was vandalized 7 years ago. And that hasn’t been painted yet, and it would take 5 minutes to paint it. That’s all I have right now. And I realize that you are short enough but you gotta remember, you gotta think more or less the and how this place looks and I’m sure Kingsboro and the others too. When I first came here, they used to write up all the places. This place was rated with a 98. Just by the country we were #1. In this country, this building. That was in 2007. Now if you rate it, it’s not a 98, it’s like
Doris Cole spoke and stated the following [largely inaudible]: there is not supposed to be any smoking the grounds. There is one person that goes to his car in the parking lot and throws the cigarette butts on the ground and they’re still laying there. It seems like nobody cares. They see him smoking there.
Joyce Esty spoke and stated the following: things have gotten so bad. Over at Kingsboro that on June 29th at 8:00 PM,. we had a drug overdose in 207. They had already administered the Narcan before they called the authorities. What is the senior doing with Narcan in her apartment? Unless you’re doing drugs. It would be no need. Then we have a gentleman and two nine that on July 6, was beating up a white woman in between the doors. She refused to press charges, but people are frightened. We have a gentleman and on the 9th floor, who screams and hollers at the tenants. And curses and screams at him and his apartment. That floor is ridiculous. He’s just absolutely ridiculous, he screams, hollers, throws things. It has gotten to be a totally unsafe. Unsafe place to be…..
I’m glad to see you. At the hospital, you’re. OK, but what should happen if something happened to him? Who is the next in command to make any decisions or anything for the authority? You have three buildings. You know, like one person that has any authority whatsoever. And why is Joe, the maintenance man, being able to see the camera when the tenants relation is right in the office and knows the tenants knows who’s the tenant who isn’t, can’t get to see it. It’s a big one. And not having anyone else underneath Jason in order to make any decisions. Major decisions. It’s not right. It’s not a way to run any kind of business. . You should have a VP. I hope something changes before someone gets murdered over there.
Jill Young spoke and stated the following: Our hallway just got mopped today and it’s probably been 2-3 months. The maintenance guys usually don’t have the time, but if they do it, they won’t do anything over what they’re told to do from Joe because they don’t get paid enough and that’s what they all say. I agree with them because they haven’t had a raise in seven years the cost of living. I’m not sure, but they said they don’t get that either and that doesn’t come from – that comes from the state. We all get it. Why can’t they? And where the money went? Yeah, the mayor’s pocket. It’s disgusting.
Kim ________ spoke and stated the following: We got aresident that lives here. We found out she has a bed bugs. Now she keeps bringing stuff that I told her she’s been bringing it Clothing in. Furniture and other stuffed animals in that and. I tried to tell her. She can’t bring her stuff in and put it in there. That’s the way you spread it.
[from audience] is that Anna? And she’s got her two kids living there and they don’t belong there either
Kim: 803. Anna Pendleberry….I have one more thing. The smell of pot is wicked up on the fifth floor. It smells like a skunk. I’d like to knock on her door and say something.
[from audience] the bathrooms are looking a little better. The picnic tables are shot [inaudible] the picnic tables are not worth anything. They should throw them out. [inaudible]
Commissioner Anadio opened the floor for announcements of commissioners and with there being none, the board proceeded with its agenda.
Commissioner Anadio stated: I do want to say I Hear you. We are taking notes again. You know, we’re trying and we are trying our best
Commissioner Hawkins stated: I apologize that you guys are going through this, and it’s a continued thing. I know you come to these meetings every month I’d personally be like shut up, lady, but please understand that it’s not — It’s stuff that we’re trying to get in place for you guys. It’s just really more time than I personally like and I’m sure everybody else on this board personally isn’t happy with the time part of this, but that that’s kind of where we are at at this point. The security piece – we did the steps for that. It’s a matter of the people that we’re working with to come together so we can get that in place for you. So I don’t want you to think that every month you’re just saying these things and it’s just going. I listen very clearly to everybody and any concerns that are being brought up to us.
Commissioner Anadio opened the floor for communications and with there being none, the board proceeded with its agenda.
Commissioner Anadio opened the floor for old business and with there being none, the board proceeded with its agenda.
Commissioner Holly stated: Jason, I wanted to just put in that comment. I’m new to the board. My dad’s parents were some of the first members of Kingsboro Towers. So I’m going to a lot of listening and I do empathize. And whatever I can do within the confines of the responsibilities that I have, I will do. And I will hear you.
The Executive Director’s report was provided by Jason Mazur:
So just we’ll start off with the landscaping and the benches. So we did allot some money for new band for new benches and new landscaping at Kingsboro and Forest. So we are looking into the most feasible option as far as paying the tables, that kind of thing goes just outside grounds. Working on that. We’re also working on the shut off valves underneath your sinks. A lot of the times when maintenance comes in to fix your sinks or your toilets, a lot of the shut off valves aren’t working either so. Both of those two things are are the next two things on the list as far as what to address, you know, monetarily as far as. The smoking I mean, I know Jesse himself has issued probably six or seven different smoking violations and over the course of the last month. So the last meeting we had, obviously you know with your information, we’re able to address these issues. So we’re continuing to pick those apart, should there be anything else that comes up in the meantime as far as smoking violations or marijuana? You know, any kind of good idea where it’s coming from is gonna help us, alright? Because we can walk past it a couple times a day and hopefully address that as well ….
Couple other things at Kingsboro and at Forest, we have we got in touch with our IT group and they’re going to install more cameras in the lobby that that shoot directly at the at the elevators. So those are supposed to be installed. Hopefully this week we put the purchase order in two or three weeks ago. Cameras are in. We just got to schedule those guys to come out here to put them in. …..
Pavement paving here is done finally. Sorry about all that, it just happens to do with the weather. They couldn’t pave it if there was rain or anything else like that going on. Driving in here, though, at least you’re not hitting giant holes, so we’ll call that a win. I know it was painful. I appreciate you guys’ patience as far as that. …..
Kingsboro we’re gonna come over. We’re going to be retop that one as well. We’re not going to completely dig it up like we had to do with this one, but seal coat it, at least to make sure that it protects what we have already going on over there. I know there’s a couple of rough spots. The one where there’s a drain where you first pull in the exit off the frontage Rd. there’s a sharp spot in that that particular drainage cell, we’re going to have them, hopefully, come in, dig that out a little bit, drop it down so it’s not sticking up like it is. But after that, seal coat it. …
We still have the money for the shower, the toilets, the windows, bathrooms that we’re looking to see if we can get somebody to come walk through with us just to see what we can do with the money that we have to spend…..
I know obviously you know the shutoffs and the toilets and everything else are. Important at the same time the shower, the lower steps, whether it’s here or there. We did allot some money aside to make sure we change out some of those. It’s going to be a work in progress though. So as far as that goes, we are going to, we’re going to start picking at that as well and basically I don’t have a set date for you yet. We just got to get an estimate first before we can actually figure out what we what kind of leverage we have to work with. …..
Tomorrow, onboarding a new tenant relations assistant, she’ll be basically working with Jesse and myself. We have Simone. I don’t know if you’ve called the office lately. Simone is our new receptionist. She can help with rent payments, that kind of thing. Work orders. But trying to train her. And also. Once, once Tiana starts tomorrow, it’s gonna take her a while to get up to snuff on everything. Kind of show her. But that’s gonna help having a second set of eyes and ears too. So she’s not going to be delegated just exactly to Dubois. She’s gonna bounce around a little bit, work with Jesse, work with myself. But it’s good.
Like I said, just be patient to take us probably 6 to 8 weeks before she feels comfortable, there’s a lot to learn. It’s not just a matter of you pick this job up in 2 days and you’re good to go. So good to work progressively with her to make sure that you know we have – we’re continuing to build additional resources, especially for you guys, but it also helps us in the sense that. I mean it if there’s a lot of things going on. We know that. But having the help to actually get some of the stuff done, it’s going to be huge. So she starts tomorrow.
That’s really all I have. I mean I’m sure there’s more, but we’re just trying to piece together some of these projects that have been left. The benches, like I said. I would say George expect the benches in the very near future. We already know that those benches are a problem. Eric and Corbett both we were talking about it a couple weeks ago. I basically told them, you know, some of the hardware is just rotted out of them. If we have to replace the benches, by all means, we’ll do that so. And that’s here in Kingsborough and whatever picnic tables that we’re missing at Dubois. So they put money aside for that too. But that’s all I have. to share right at the moment. But if anybody has any questions for me, please ask.
Commissioner Anadio opened the floor for new business and presented Resolution 852 regarding monthly vendor invoices and read said resolution, said resolution reading as following: into the record as follows: “Whereas the Gloversville Housing Authority’s Finance Committee has reviewed the monthly vendor invoices for payment of the financial obligations of the Gloversville Housing Authority for the month of June 2023 and finds all payments on the attached list to be in order. Now therefore be it resolved, the Board of Commissioners of the Gloversville Housing Authority has reviewed the monthly vendor invoices for payment as set forth on the attached list.” A motion was made by Commissioner Holly adopting Resolution 852, and said motion was seconded by Commissioner Peters There was no additional discussion and Resolution 852 was approved by a vote of 5-0 in the affirmative.
Commissioner Anadio opened the floor for discussion of vacancies. There were no additional comments and the board proceeding with its agenda.
A motion was made by Commissioner Peters to go into Executive Session pursuant to Public Officers Law, Section 105(1)(f), said motion having been seconded by Commissioner Holly. The motion was carried by a vote of 5-0 in the affirmative. The executive session began at 6:21pm. …A motion was made to end the executive session at 7:16pm by Commissioner Anadio and seconded by Commissioner Holly. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0 in the affirmative. The executive session ended at 7:16pm.
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Commissioner Peters and seconded by Commissioner Holly. The motion carried by a vote of 5-0 in the affirmative. The meeting was adjourned at 7:18pm