MONROE - Ideas clashed and questions continued Tuesday with little resolution between the Housing Authority and Monroe Common Council members regarding the possibility of a Community Development Authority.
Vierbicher and Associates' Dan Lindstrom presented the results of a joint meeting Aug. 30 between the current HA and the Redevelopment Authority, along with a summary of requests and plans from the recently-adopted city comprehensive plan. He outlined the duties of a CDA as well.
By combining a number of agencies, a CDA is more efficient, he said. The body can use knowledge from both the HA and the RDA to enhance housing within Monroe. The board of eight could also address issues that don't get much attention, such as blight within the city.
Lindstrom explained that a CDA is a "quasi-independent" institution that works on the city's behalf to improve facets of housing, such as working with private institutions to alleviate blighted areas or maintain a loan program for developers looking to build quality rentals or homes.
Disadvantages, Lindstrom said, can be too much focus on a specific type of housing issue and the restructuring of the Monroe HA and RDA financially. Once a CDA is formed, the other authorities within a city have to be dissolved.
That's a sticking point for HA Executive Director Cindy Landsberg, who is one of the three managers of Churchill Woods senior living facility. Landsberg, along with assistant Pat Ormond, has expressed concern about forming a CDA because of stories they've heard of the entities' failures in other communities.
"I would hate for us to rush into something like this and lose what we have," Landsberg said.
She added that Churchill Woods receives high marks, and voiced repeated issues with the formation of a CDA, which she said would neglect the facility and would not gain any benefit such as grants
But Alderman Michael Boyce said a CDA sounds promising - notably on the issue of blighted sections within the city that have existed for decades.
"I think Monroe has never had a core center that has it to, once and for all, fix things," Boyce said. "I think we're on the cusp of some big changes and the CDA would help with that."
City Administrator Phil Rath agreed, and said the obvious need would be to provide due diligence before making a final decision. He added that it was "obvious" there are limitations between the RDA and HA in terms of ability to fix specific housing issues.
Questions from council members focused on funding capability; what a timeline might be to implement any sort of body; and the desire to hear stories from cities that reversed their decision to form a CDA and those who have seen positive changes as a result of it.
Remaining concerns were allocated to Martin Shanks, assistant city administrator. Shanks will gather more information from Lindstrom and other sources and report back to the council.
Vierbicher and Associates' Dan Lindstrom presented the results of a joint meeting Aug. 30 between the current HA and the Redevelopment Authority, along with a summary of requests and plans from the recently-adopted city comprehensive plan. He outlined the duties of a CDA as well.
By combining a number of agencies, a CDA is more efficient, he said. The body can use knowledge from both the HA and the RDA to enhance housing within Monroe. The board of eight could also address issues that don't get much attention, such as blight within the city.
Lindstrom explained that a CDA is a "quasi-independent" institution that works on the city's behalf to improve facets of housing, such as working with private institutions to alleviate blighted areas or maintain a loan program for developers looking to build quality rentals or homes.
Disadvantages, Lindstrom said, can be too much focus on a specific type of housing issue and the restructuring of the Monroe HA and RDA financially. Once a CDA is formed, the other authorities within a city have to be dissolved.
That's a sticking point for HA Executive Director Cindy Landsberg, who is one of the three managers of Churchill Woods senior living facility. Landsberg, along with assistant Pat Ormond, has expressed concern about forming a CDA because of stories they've heard of the entities' failures in other communities.
"I would hate for us to rush into something like this and lose what we have," Landsberg said.
She added that Churchill Woods receives high marks, and voiced repeated issues with the formation of a CDA, which she said would neglect the facility and would not gain any benefit such as grants
But Alderman Michael Boyce said a CDA sounds promising - notably on the issue of blighted sections within the city that have existed for decades.
"I think Monroe has never had a core center that has it to, once and for all, fix things," Boyce said. "I think we're on the cusp of some big changes and the CDA would help with that."
City Administrator Phil Rath agreed, and said the obvious need would be to provide due diligence before making a final decision. He added that it was "obvious" there are limitations between the RDA and HA in terms of ability to fix specific housing issues.
Questions from council members focused on funding capability; what a timeline might be to implement any sort of body; and the desire to hear stories from cities that reversed their decision to form a CDA and those who have seen positive changes as a result of it.
Remaining concerns were allocated to Martin Shanks, assistant city administrator. Shanks will gather more information from Lindstrom and other sources and report back to the council.