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From YouTube: Committee on Government Operations on February 26, 2019
Description
Docket #0210 - Petition for a special law re: An Act Relative to Certain Affordable Housing in the South End Section of the City of Boston
A
Certain
affordable
housing
in
the
south
end
section
of
the
city
of
Boston.
It
is
Tuesday
February
26th,
and
this
matter
was
sponsored
by
Mayor
Martin
J
Walsh
referred
to
the
committee
back
on
January,
the
30th
of
2019,
and
it's
a
Home
Rule
petition,
which
seeks
to
allow
the
VHA
to
participate
in
a
redevelopment
using
federal
funds
to
revive
the
AVA
white
public
housing
development.
The
transmittal
letter
also
indicates
that
the
redevelopment
requires
certain
exemptions
from
the
state's
contract
and
procurement
award
laws
for
a
background
reference.
A
The
City
Council
has
approved
similar
Home
Rule
petitions
for
other
BHA
developments
over
the
past
several
years
across
the
city,
including
East
Boston
Jamaica
Plain
in
Roxbury,
I'd
like
to
note
at
this
time
that
this
hearing
is
being
recorded
in
broadcasts
from
Comcast
channel
8,
r,
CN,
82
and
Verizon
1964.
It
will
also
be
streamlined
on
Boston
City
Council
TV
online.
Joining
us
today
is
Kate
Bennett,
the
deputy
administrator
from
the
VHA,
and
also
Lydia
agro
chief
of
staff
of
the
VHA
and
Dean
Papadimitriou
legal
counsel
for
the
VHA.
A
So
welcome
to
everybody
and
also
want
to
extend
regrets
from
my
colleague,
the
district
city
counsel,
from
district
2,
ed
Flynn.
He
is
actually
at
a
conference
in
DC
for
disabled
veterans.
We
all
know
it
has
served
in
the
Navy
and
as
a
big
supporter
of
our
veterans,
so
he
was
called
down
to
Washington
DC
for
a
conference,
so
he
regrets
is
not
being
able
to
be
here
but
sends
his
regards
and
we'll
be
reviewing
the
material
on
the
tape
when
he
gets
back
tomorrow
morning.
A
B
Chairman,
my
name
is
Kate
Bennett
senior,
deputy
administrator
at
the
Boston
Housing
Authority.
Very
much
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
come
here
today
and
testify
regarding
the
critical
importance
of
this
legislation
to
the
Boston,
Housing,
Authority
and,
more
importantly,
to
the
residents
of
the
evil
white
apartments.
A
hundred
and
one
unit
elderly,
disabled
public
housing
development
in
the
Southend.
The
VHA
is
designated
when
development
to
fully
renovate
this
property
to
become
part
of
its
larger
castle
square
complex.
B
This
petition
is
identical
to
others
that
you
have
heard
and
passed
to
help
revitalize
public
housing
throughout
the
city.
Without
this
legislation,
the
BHA
will
not
be
able
to
redevelop
or
provide
substantial
capital
upgrades
to
the
avoid
property,
as
with
other
projects
such
as
mission
main
maverick
and
Old
Colony,
to
name
just
a
few.
Approval
of
this
Home
Rule
petition
is
project
specific
solely
and
specifically
for
the
redevelopment
of
IVA
ye.
B
The
project
should
cause
increase
beyond
the
funding
available
for
the
redevelopment
efforts,
the
value
engineering
is
where
significant
savings
can
be
made
by
allowing
the
developers
to
negotiate
pricing
with
various
subcontractors
under
existing
statutes.
Changes
in
design
made
to
reduce
costs
may
require
that
the
bid
process
begin
all
over
again
putting
the
entire
project
at
risk.
B
The
IVA,
Y
property
is
severely
distressed
in
terms
of
systems
envelope,
elevators
common
area
and
Union
and
unit
kitchen
and
bath
issues.
The
residents
actually
approached
the
BHA
two
years
ago
to
request
that
we
move
forward
with
a
request
for
proposals
for
the
site
in
hopes
that
renovations
could
be
completed
and
that
the
property
would
become
part
of
the
largest
Castle
Square
community,
the
property.
You
will
now
be
fully
renovated
and
a
full
slate
of
resident
services
not
currently
available
to
residents
will
be
brought
on
site.
B
There
will
be
no
change
to
the
number
of
units
or
the
level
of
deep
affordability
at
the
site.
In
addition,
BHA
will
continue
to
own
the
land
on
which
the
building
will
be
rebuilt
and
Lisa
to
win.
The
project
will
preserve
101
units
of
deeply
affordable,
elderly,
disabled
housing
for
generations
to
come.
Our
residents
deserve
to
live
in
suitable
and
decent
housing
and
to
officially
realize
their
wish
to
become
part
of
the
castle
square
community.
We
ask
for
your
support
of
this
legislation
so
that
we
were
able
to
make
this
vision
a
reality
for
them.
A
Thank
you
very
much.
Kate
in
your
presentation
answered
some
of
my
questions
in
terms
of
the
number
of
units.
I
know
we're
at
101.
We're
gonna
stay
at
100.
Yes,
we
had
a
hearing
here
in
this
very
chamber
last
night,
talking
about
the
schools
and
and
the
capital
effort
under
build
bps,
and
one
of
the
things
that
struck
me
is
for
the
significant
period
of
time
we
as
a
city.
We
never
really
had
a
plan
as
to
how
we
were
gonna,
make
the
necessary
upgrades
for
aging
fleet
of
schools.
We.
B
A
B
A
Public
housing
so
I
appreciate
those
efforts.
Can
you
maybe
just
give
us
a
snapshot
of
the
timeline?
If
all
goes
well,
if
we
can
get
a
positive
committee
report
and
get
this
before
the
council
for
a
vote,
are
we
gonna
be
in
the
ground
fairly
soon
and
then
from
a
displacement
standpoint,
the
residents
will
have
to
be
relocated
as
well.
B
B
I
mean
especially
with
an
elderly
disabled
population.
It's
it's,
it's
not
our
goal
to
have
to
put
them
through
that,
and
so
we'll
do
everything
we
can
to
minimize
it.
I
mean.
Sometimes
people
have
needs
such
that
to
do
construction
in
their
unit.
We
do.
We
do
need
to
relocate
them
briefly,
but
what
we're
going
to
try
to
minimize
that
so.
B
A
Not
obviously
given
just
things
that
just
come
up,
whether
it's
through
phasing
or
through
the
relocation
effort,
not
relocation,
but
just
the
construction
renovation
process.
Is
there
sort
of
a
sort
of
a
defined
style
and
defined
finish.
You'd
like
to
sort
of
start
with
any
year
and
then
ballpark
is.
B
A
B
B
A
Then,
maybe
to
Dean
on
the
legal
side,
this
redevelopment
would
require
certain
exemptions
from
the
state's
contract
and
procurement
award
loads
and
award
laws.
I
know
that
we've
done
that
and
past
anytime.
You
sort
of
sort
of
deviate
a
little
bit
folks
get
a
little
apprehensive
and
concern.
So
maybe
just
if
we
can
talk
just
a
little
bit
about
what
some
of
those
exemptions
are
and
and
how
we
were
able
to
overcome
them
morning.
C
Counselor,
so
the
the
way
that
this
legislation
works
under
149
there's
a
whole
long
bidding
process,
there's
sub
bids
and
the
general
bid
under
this
legislation
we
would
still-
and
as
we
did,
we
did
do
an
RFP
to
select
a
developer
under
this
the
state
procurement
laws.
We
then
give
a
little
bit
more
flexibility
to
the
developer.
A
A
Yes,
very
good:
okay
I
know
that
there
are
some
folks
here
that
have
have
indicated
that
they're
they're
signed
up,
but
they
didn't
indicate
their
willingness
to
testify.
But
now
is
the
time
for
public
comment.
If
there's
anyone
here
that
wishes
to
offer
public
testimony,
they
may
do
so
now
or
forever
hold
your
peace
seeing
and
hearing
no
desire
to
do
so.
That
will
the
public
testimony
standpoint
and,
on
behalf
of
my
colleagues
here
on
the
council,
particularly
council
fund
from
district
2.
A
B
A
A
I
appreciate
your
time
attention.
Thank
you
for
the
work
that
you
guys
do
on
behalf
of
residents
through
the
VHA
and
look
forward
to
continue
working
with
you
and
hopefully,
I
wish.
We
could
do
one
of
these
one
week.
If
we
get
more,
we
can
do
the
more
but
and
also
to
the
wind
company.
Again
that
is
referenced.
You
know,
I
see
the
National
Night
Out
is
probably
the
best.