Section 8 Mtg. Tonight

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   OK Mr.Adkins--I like your program, understand the HUGE effort involved, and will trust your sincerity and intent. So I regret any assumption of an ulterior motive/

It was only a tangent "what if" scenerio that I mentioned, and not entirely out of the realm of possibility. 
I have had recent discussions with major Section 8 landlords, listening to their take on the situation.
I have defended and agreed with your new program, and look forward to seeing it implemented within your anticipated time frame.

So--why not hire the cream of the local Section 8 residents to do the housing inspections? They should be well-versed in the program, requirements and regulations. This would also transform them from users to gainfully employed within the city. They could communicate and bridge the gap between the program participants, the landlords and the city admin.

Action--no more rhetoric

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spiderjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749	Post Options Post Reply Quote spiderjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 22 2010 at 11:19am
	OK Mr.Adkins--I like your program, understand the HUGE effort involved, and will trust your sincerity and intent. So I regret any assumption of an ulterior motive/ It was only a tangent "what if" scenerio that I mentioned, and not entirely out of the realm of possibility. I have had recent discussions with major Section 8 landlords, listening to their take on the situation. I have defended and agreed with your new program, and look forward to seeing it implemented within your anticipated time frame. So--why not hire the cream of the local Section 8 residents to do the housing inspections? They should be well-versed in the program, requirements and regulations. This would also transform them from users to gainfully employed within the city. They could communicate and bridge the gap between the program participants, the landlords and the city admin. Action--no more rhetoric

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 23 2010 at 4:36am
	Almost 70% of the inspections have failed this year as we require the landlords to bring their properties back up to standards. Mr. Adkins When Mr. Harrison Joseph presented these numbers to City Counncil over several month period I thought he said this was a bad number because it was maked FAILED when in fact it included, no shows or TIG had not sent in completed paperwork on the property. The problems with the TIG paperwork mess went on for months.

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 23 2010 at 8:07am
	Folks what is the bottom line here. No one has been more vocal on the Section 8 matter than me for the last 2-3 years. Now that a plan of action has been devised it seems that some of us want to tear apart the plan before it is even implemented. I am just trying to understand what the motivation is here. HUD may never allow a reduction in vouchers, which personally I think is ludicrous and shortsighted on their part, but that is a possibility that we must deal with. Parma seems to have come up with a program that they can live with and it appears that Middletown's is based on what they have done and accomplished for themselves. To have 700-800 Vouchers and only 50-60 voucher holders that actually live in the City of Parma is a huge success, if you ask me. A success that I hope Middletown can also duplicate with about a 75% reduction as Mr. Adkins stated. Now we are squabbling over who does inspections. Who cares who does the inspections as long as they are done correctly and no one group doing them is outrageously higher money wise than the other groups. The city wants: Lead Based Paint HQS International Property Maintenance Code Inspections done. Now who can do all of those inspections for the right price and do it right? If it is the City can do it then let the city do it. If it is a combination of the City doing the First inspection and TIG doing the followup inspections so be it. Personally for me the bottom line is a reduction in the number of Section 8 Voucher Holders in the City of Middletown, which leads also to a reduction in the amount of Poverty in Middletown. If this is what it takes to make this happen than fine with me, lets move ahead. My only concerned in this matter is how long is it going to take to see some measurable results. So my question is why all this hoopla about inspections?

spiderjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749	Post Options Post Reply Quote spiderjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 23 2010 at 9:36am
	pac--it might be you who is missing the point and direction here. We are in agreement on the end result, however as a private employer, I look for the most in-expensive long -term method with little to no future obligation. No real hoopla about inspections. They must be done effectively and cost effectively. If we take these programs in-house, we must supply the labor. Doesn't mean that we can't sub-contract a different team of inspectors. Still--if these inspectors become city employees, and could possibly be tenured former city employees, it will impact our greatest municipal expense of all--the bennie/retirement system. So--what happens to these inspectors as their workload decreases when(if) the voucher total drops from 1662 to 445 in less than 2 years? Layoffs? Terminations? Un-employment? Re-assignment? Probably a ? for Mr.Adkins, if he is still talking to me.

Pacman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jun 02 2007 Status: Offline Points: 2612	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pacman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 23 2010 at 10:41am
	Spider I am well aware of the payroll and benefits consequences of hiring City Inspectors. "Layoffs? Terminations? Un-employment? Re-assignment?" All of the above are viable options if no longer needed for inspections. "So--what happens to these inspectors as their workload decreases when(if) the voucher total drops from 1662 to 445 in less than 2 years?" Spider who have you been talking to the tooth fairy, I doubt you will see a 75% reduction in 2 years.

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 23 2010 at 10:46am
	Spiderjohn If HUD rules would permit maybe we could use the salaries of one inspector and a secretary to give a current Section 8 tenants $500 to help them rent a truck and move out of the area. However HUD rules state that you can not cause undue hardship on these Section 8 tenants.

Vivian Moon Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 16 2008 Location: Middletown, Ohi Status: Offline Points: 4187	Post Options Post Reply Quote Vivian Moon Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 24 2010 at 11:38am
	Almost 70% of the inspections have failed this year as we require the landlords to bring their properties back up to standards. Mr Adkins If the current 2010 failure rate of Section 8 Housing is 70% that are being performed by TIG what was the failure rate in 2008 & 2009 while CONSOC was performing the Section 8 inspections? If in fact the City had such little faith in CONSOC's ability then why on earth did the City sign a 3 year contract with them when they were the highest bidder?

Nelson Self Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Resident Joined: Aug 17 2009 Status: Offline Points: 144	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nelson Self Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 24 2010 at 1:26pm
	Mr Adkins - Are you now telling us that HUD - Cleveland Field Office has failed to cite the City of Middletown for having a high rate of HQS non-compliance since the first program administration contract was signed by the City and CONSOC in 1990? Perhaps it would be helpful to hear from Mike LaRiccia or Nancy Petrunak with the HUD - Cleveland Field Office?

Nelson Self Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Resident Joined: Aug 17 2009 Status: Offline Points: 144	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nelson Self Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 24 2010 at 1:43pm
	Until the transfer of Mr Adkins to the Community Revitalization Department in February 2009, other senior City staff perpetuated and/or ignored subsidized rental housing concerns. Mr. Adkins is to be commended for attempting to reform the past mistakes and indifference of others. Relative to other HUD-funded multi-million dollar grants such as CDBG, HOME and NSP-1, some previously noted important unanswered questions remain.

spiderjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Prominent MUSA Citizen Joined: Jul 01 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2749	Post Options Post Reply Quote spiderjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Jul 24 2010 at 6:48pm
	Mr.Self--I don't believe that Mr.Adkins had anything to do with re-appointing CONSOC or choosing the new inspection team. I believe that prior Commissions initially appointed CONSOC, and our last version of Council re-appointed them(spearheaded by Mr.Schiavone,Mr.Marconi,Mr.Becker and Mr.Armbruster(rip)). And did so against the wishes of Ms.G(Admin). Probably the same with the latest inspection team. Hopefully you will attend the Monday open forum to air your repeated concerns in a manner that can be eventually answered to the fullest. I doubt that you will ever recieve direct answers from city admin, so you might find a capable citizen to take this material forward. jmo Tears of Rage Tears of Grief Why must I always be the Thief?

angelababy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Resident Joined: Aug 04 2010 Status: Offline Points: 103	Post Options Post Reply Quote angelababy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Aug 15 2010 at 10:13pm
	What are we doing to REDUCE the number issues Mr. Adkins? As discussed to death, we need those voucher numbers to be less than Hamilton's at 732, not 1500+ as we have now, right? I would also think that since this is a federal program that there are guidelines you would have to follow, that a city would not be able to overwrite the guidelines. mayor and bill becker, Any thing done by persent council is better than past.