Learning to walk

Board meeting reveals gaps in Shire Hall’s capacity?

The Prince Edward County Affordable Housing Corporation (Housing Corp) has undergone many iterations and board changes over the seven years since its formation. Many of the current public members are new. They appear optimistic and eager to help. Some are demonstrating the skills and experience that could help the wobbly Housing Corp.

They have questions too.
The board met last week to review proposed plans to build an eight-unit modular apartment building on Disraeli Street in Picton. The following day, an entourage of the board travelled to Ottawa to visit the prospective builder, Theberge Homes. Theberge has experience building modular apartment buildings and navigating the regulatory and bureaucratic waters of CMHC and other government agencies.

The Housing Corp appears to be relying heavily on the builder’s expertise to get the Disraeli Street project off the ground. Indeed, council member representatives on the Housing Corp board reported feeling “extremely confident” after a road trip to the builder’s offices in Ottawa last week.

“We spent seven hours on the road today, visiting the offices of Theberge [Homes], a site visit, we saw modular components being installed,” reported Phil St-Jean, chair of the Housing Corp board and Picton council member. “We went and saw a duplicate copy of what we are working on getting built at Disraeli.

“We had an excellent conversation with Jeremy— I can’t remember his last name— about all the steps we need to do to work within that project,” St-Jean advised his colleagues at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

A day earlier, however, the Housing Corp board’s meeting was more tentative.

After the County’s Affordable Housing Supervisor, Elis Ziegler, struggled to explain how money moves between the Housing Corp and the municipality, the board’s chair, St-Jean, suggested the board would benefit from a “Housing Corp finance 101” course from the County’s finance director.

“Just to help some of us brush up on what we know or what we thought we knew,” added St-Jean, “and for the new members to better understand the financial arrangements.”

Councillor Kate MacNaughton suggested it was “simple on one hand, clear as mud on the other.”

Then there was the matter of the $12,000 audit. The Housing Corp hasn’t built anything. It has no staff of its own (Housing staff are employed by Shire Hall). It incurs very few financial transactions.

Board members wanted to know why the annual audit was so expensive and whether other arrangements could be made to lower the cost.

CAO Adam Goheen explained that the audit price was a component of a multi-year contract with its auditors covering the municipality and several of its agencies.

“Would it be worthwhile for this board to review that contract?” asked public board member Hilary Spriggs. “Something to review?”

CAO Goheen said the County would have to negotiate out of this arrangement, but that he would look into it.

Asked about one specific line-item expense—the membership fee to the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association—Housing Supervisor Ziegler noted that membership provides discounted rates on goods and services, as well as advocacy, advice, and training.

“Have we drawn on their expertise and discounts?” asked Housing Corp member and councillor Brad Nieman.

“They provided advice, but we are not in a position to benefit from discounted goods and services, yet,” said Ziegler.

WHERE HAVE THE FUNDERS GONE?
It was revealed in the meeting that the County and the Housing Corp’s relationships with government funding agencies have mostly dissipated.

“We met with CMHC [previously], and we got their attention,” reported St-Jean, pointing to a large turnover in the federal agency. “But they are all gone. I would like to invite these folks back.”

Ziegler confirmed that their contact at CMHC is no longer in the picture.

“So we might have to start over on that front,” said Zeigler. “I would like to get CMHC back to confirm that the rules haven’t changed.”

SCHEDULE CONCERNS
Board member Spriggs raised her hand.

“I have a lot of questions,” said Spriggs.

Board chair St-Jean jumped in to suggest that many of Spriggs’ questions should be asked “offline”, that such questions might serve as the basis for the board’s working group’s activities over the next few weeks.

Indeed, the Housing Corp’s board working group intends to convene regularly in the coming days to assist the Housing Supervisor in managing the steps needed to get the Disraeli project off the ground.

A process, Ziegler described as “everything, all at once.”

Spriggs is worried there is much to do and not much time in which to do it.

“There is the financing, municipal approvals, and municipal infrastructure that needs to be built,” outlined Spriggs. “Do you have the project management staff who can develop a wider project schedule?

“We haven’t discussed contract negotiation with Theberge,” continued Spriggs. “We haven’t seen the base document yet. That’s a concern. Are we going to see that so we can start commenting on it?”

Ziegler initially answered with one word: “Yes.”

But then added, “We are going to be speaking with the County’s lawyer. The original plan was for March 9. Or were you expecting it for this meeting?”

Spriggs countered calmly but firmly that the intent was for the board to have a finished contract by March 9, and that this would be hard to do since it had not yet seen a draft.

“We are going to need to see the draft,” insisted Spriggs. “Their lawyers are going to need to look at it; they will need to comment back. We only have 56 days. Several weeks have gone by now.”

Ziegler wasn’t prepared for the question.

“I am not really sure what I am supposed to say,” responded Ziegler. “I am doing my best to move the agenda forward. There is one of me looking at funding sources, looking at the work we’ve done to date and the rest of the job I have. I am making it a priority. I have no other explanation, other than that.”

Spriggs noted that she wasn’t looking for an explanation, but rather to identify concerns with the schedule—a schedule that anticipates folks moving into the Disraeli apartments in August.

“We need to be much more honest about all the things that have to fit into Theberge’s schedule,” said Spriggs. “This is an idealized schedule. We have to recognize that.”

Ziegler said the first step was applying for funding.

Councillor Nieman asked when the funding application would be submitted, acknowledging as he spoke that the August timeline was unlikely to be met.

“In reality, there is no way this is going to happen,” said Nieman, half question, half assertion.

There seemed to be confidence that the board’s working group would help sort through the many issues. But the meeting highlighted, once again, a massive gap in Shire Hall’s capacity to take on and manage projects outside its everyday business.