North Adams Council Revotes to Back Housing Authority Commissioner
Colin Todd says he had not heard the complaints brought forward at the March 29 meeting at which his appointment was rejected and did not know who some of the people were.
The vote at Tuesday's special meeting was 7-1 for; three weeks ago it was 6-2 against.
The council had been swayed by stories from Housing Authority residents and others about poor conditions at the federal housing projects and a lack of communication from the commissioners at the March 28 meeting.
On Tuesday, Todd defended his role as chair of the commission, saying he had not heard from the tenants association about problems and that those speaking out against him really didn't understand the commission's purview.
"As a commissioner, your role is to adopt policy, it's to approve budgets, oversee or supervise the executive director and make sure you're financially strong," he said. "Yes, we know there's problems. We've never said there was no problems."
Todd said the commission had held a community meeting in the last couple weeks to hear from tenants and told them about more security that would be installed. But, he said, there were matters beyond the board's control when it came to policing and laws about no trespassing, and that it was hard to evict anyone without a paper trail
He said the commission's meetings had only been lightly attended and that no one from the tenants association that was created last year had lodged complaints with the commission or at its meetings.
"Half these people that have spoke out about me, I've never met in my life," Todd said. "Five years I've been on that board. They've never been to a meeting."
Councilor Wayne Wilkinson had agreed to bring reappointment back to the council; it could only be brought forward again by someone who had voted against the order.
"I bring this before you because I was wrong. I'll be the first one to admit it. We listened to a brief presentation at our last meeting. I ended up voting no," said Wilkinson. "However, after the meeting I realized we never gave him a chance to speak. We never heard the other side of the story. ...
"There was no proof, all we heard were some unhappy residents — come and find out — some of them don't even live there. We heard an embellished story by a city councilor."
City Councilor Jennifer Barbeau had spoken of her experience as a the liaison to the Housing Authority, saying the commission had been "hostile" and crediting herself with helping establish the tenants association last year. Barbeau was not in attendance on Tuesday.
"I think this deserves to have another vote by this council. Vote however you want, I all I can tell you is I was wrong," said Wilkinson.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey, who had put Todd's name forward for reappointment, said she had talked about his role and that of the commission with him. She thanked the council for revoting the decision.
"I think he should be afforded that opportunity. I wouldn't have put his name forth if I didn't think he could do that," she said. "I think there was a bit of a miscommunication about his role and presentation. But he's got the biggest heart and he really wants to help people and I think we should afford him the opportunity to do that."
In contrast to the March 28 meeting, the majority of people in audience seemed to be in support of Todd but few people spoke. Michael Milazzo, owner of T&M Auto, said, "Mr. Todd in his other capacity with the [Department of Public Works] and he's been nothing but professional and represented this city appropriately and professionally ... As far as for being a good person. He gets my vote on doing the right thing at every moment that he can for this."
But Marianne Alizio, a resident of 150 Ashland St., reiterated from the last meeting that "the living conditions are unbearable lately." She said there were heroin needles outside her window, no real security and complaints that had police banging on her door.
"There's so many people in that building that don't have a voice and obviously I do," she said. "I worked my whole life so I could retire in peace. And I'm not retiring peace, by any means."
Councilor Marie T. Harpin, who voted against the Todd the last time, said she had to stick by her vote though she had heard good things about him and thought he was probably doing his best. Rather, she said, it was the conditions at the Housing Authority that gave her pause.
"I'm really disheartened because we go there and we see things. I think the whole community knows it's not good there, it hasn't been for a while," she said. "When are they going to get the help, that's my question ... When are they going to feel safe and secure in their home."
Councilors Ashley Shade and Michael Obasohan agreed that people should feel safe in their homes. Obasohan said it was "all too familiar" when people were pouring out their feelings last time and that "that was something that kind of hit me." But he understood there were things out of Todd's control.
Shade said she didn't "believe it's on just Mr. Todd fix that problem. It's on all of us to fix that problem. This is our community. This is our city. That's all of our responsibility to make sure that people are safe here."
Councilor Keith Bona, who had voted in Todd's favor, asked the Housing Authority's Lisa Labonte about what was being done to address security. She said there were now more than 150 cameras in the authority's four properties and that the authority was getting quotes on facial recognition software and fingerprint backups to address people giving out their key fobs. The authority is also working with its security company to rotate shifts so different hours are covered each day. She also said maintenance issues were being addressed within 48 hours, outside of immediate emergencies.
President Lisa Blackmer cautioned that it was not up to the council to micromanage the Housing Authority but Bona said he was just wanted to be clear that the residents' concerns were being addressed.
"I think we have to take our role back a step," said Blackmer. "I agree that we want to address concerns, but we are voting on someone to be able to be appointed to this board and we have to keep that in mind."
Councilor Bryan Sapienza, who had also voted nay, said he believed Todd cared about the volunteer position. He encouraged residents of the authority to remember that the councilors were their representatives and could be contacted about problems, as well as their state and federal legislators. It was also not fair, he said, to put everything on Todd because it is a five-person board.
The board of commissioners now has three members, with Todd also being the union representative as a member of Teamster 404. He and Leigh Harrington Uqdah are the only certified commissioners in Western Massachusetts and the third member, Richard Lavigne, is a tenant. The governor's appointee had also been tenant but had died last month.
Harpin asked Todd about the tenants association's statements about not being allowed time to speak at meetings. He responded that they have not asked to be on the agenda.
"I don't know where they're saying that they brought stuff to the board and it hasn't been addressed because in the five years I've been there," I've never been approached to put anything on the agenda," he said. "I spoke to the tenants association president multiple times and asked her if there was anything she wanted to put on there, and she never puts anything on."
Macksey said the city would work on better communications with the authority, including community meetings to include police, fire and the Board of Health. Shade encouraged tenants to "keep talking to us. Keep making your voices heard."
Blackmer, Obasohan, Sapienza, Shade and Wilkinson switched their votes to join Bona and Peter Oleskiewicz in voting yes; Harpin remained with a no vote.
Tags: appointments, Housing Authority,
