Live reporting by
Paul Warner
$500K MSHDA funds for home repair approved; $250K ARPA funds for blight demolition, approved.
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Paul W Warner
@PauldubbWarner
Hi, I’ll be live-tweeting today's Wayne County Land Bank Board of Directors meeting for #DETdocumenters @media_outlier @PlanetDetroit @freep @wdet @BridgeDet313 @DETdocumenters @metrotimes @chalkbeatDET
02:00 PM Nov 17, 2022 CST
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Meeting is called to order at 3 PM. There are no mikes at the table and the meeting is not being taped by media services. They have a quorum. Meeting housekeeping is up first. Meeting is being run by board chair Eric Sabree, who is also the Wayne County Treasurer.
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The new board acquisition manager is introduced. Board Staff Reports are first with year to date property disposition and acquisition. A list of properties that were sold is given.
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There is a printed report which this reporter will attempt to post.
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A list of grants is read off. $25,000 for homes with matching grants from Flagstar Bank for the most economically hit places in Wayne County. They will take over demolition in Highland Park and will use ARPA money for that.
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No mikes and you can barely hear speakers. One speaker is asked to join the table so they can be heard. These reports will be listed.
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7 out of 11 property owners who are called out about problems with their properties take care of the properties. This is from the Land Bank Program Update. A McLouth Steel Quarterly update and they are still in the same place as last time, but they are compliant.
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They have several projects up for ARPA funds but they don't think they will get all the money for all of the projects.
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New business brings a resolution for approval of disposition selection policy. The bank will come up with a selection policy for disposition. This policy gives a minimum purchase price. Multiple offers include a point system, but if only one vendor comes in at the minimum...
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price, they will get the contract. If there is only one application, they will give that one company that contract but with multiple bidders there is a point system to decide who gets the contract. There is a cutoff date to put in bids.
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If you live next to a property you get first choice for property purchase. A mile away gets second choice for the property and two miles away gets the third choice for the property.
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So if you live next door to a abandoned property you have first right to the property.
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A question about community organizations buying or being given several lots. It's wondered if it's cool to do this since 10 years from now the lots could go back to disrepair if the group goes out of business. Some of the groups get grants for the lots and the grants...
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have rules that have to be followed to buy to lots to keep them from going into disrepair. Board member Irma Clark-Coleman, who is the district 5 Wayne County Commissioner, likes the idea of unused lots being given to these community groups cause it makes the neighborhoods...
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better. It's agreed that it's better to get the lots in the hands of the groups instead of just letting the lots sit fallow. It cost the land bank money to keep the lots up. Disposition selection policy passes.
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Next up is the approval of a half million dollar grant via the MSHDA MI-Hope Grant, which gives repair money to properties in financially distressed areas of Wayne County. Applications will be taken for dispursement of the money. $25,000 cap on the home improvements.
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This passes. Next is a proposal to the state land bank for blight elimination funds. They were informed that land banks can get $200,000 for larger land banks in the state.
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Round two of this funding is a million plus for the three local counties. This funding is not for the land banks but for the counties. In a county were there is a land bank the land bank distributes the funds.
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Macomb County has no land bank, so they apply for their own money. Land bank is asking for $250,000 for demolition. Approval proposal for blight money passes.
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A item not on the agenda is saying good bye to Deputy Director Jake Parcell who is leaving the land bank. Meeting adjourned at 3:35 PM.
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When this reporter arrived at this meeting at 2:25 PM, there were no notices listed for the meeting and the security guard knew nothing about the meeting as did the receptionist that this reporter was refered to. The receptionist found the meeting, which we had to be buzzed...
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into, including having to be buzzed into the staff bathroom since the public mens room was out of order. When board chair Eric Sabree was asked about the problems getting into the meeting he said that we were getting into the meeting, to which this reporter returned...
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yes, but we are being escorted in and no one knew about it and he was asked why the meeting was not held at Wayne County Land bank headquarters? He said it was because he is the Wayne County Treasurer, and it's easier to just have the meeting at his office.
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There was a meeting prior to the board meeting, which is why the board meeting was pushed back to 3 PM.
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If you have comments, questions or corrections about this thread please email documenters@outliermedia.org. Refreshments were offered at the meeting, and Sabree was nice enough to offer this reporter said refreshments.
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Meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m. This concludes the Wayne County Land Bank Board of Directors meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for next year. For more meeting coverage, check out documenters.org.