09/15/2015 MINUTESHOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PARIS
REGULAR MEETING
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING
100 GEORGE WRIGHT HOMES
MINUTES OF September 15, 2015
Present at the Meeting:
Gary Savage — Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
Dewayne Dangerfield — Commissioner of the Board of Commissioners
Brenda Cherry — Vice Chairman of the Board of Commissioners
Cassandra Hearn — Commissioner of the Board of Commissioners
Rachel Braswell - Commissioner of the Board of Commissioners
Sally Ruthart — Executive Director
Benny Goforth — Maintenance Supervisor
Cathy Sims — Section 8 Caseworker
Veronica Butler — Public Housing Caseworker
Patricia Pridemore — Program Manager
Elizabeth Brooks — Finanace Manager
Kelly Crawford — Social Service Coordinator
1. Meeting Called to order at 12:39 pm on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 by Chairman of
the Board of Commissioners, Gary Savage.
2. Having all five Board Members present, a quorum, Mr. Savage thanked and welcomed
everyone to the meeting.
3. Citizens' Forum Opened — No comments — Citizens' Forum closed.
4. Minutes from the August 18, 2015 Minutes stood as read - with a Motion from Rachel
Braswell and Seconded by Dewayne Dangerfield - Passed 5 -0.
8. Gary Savage made a motion to move #8 on the agenda to the top if no one objected.
No one objected and it was moved to the top. Unfinished business: Open meeting for
discussion as requested by Commissioner Brenda Cherry regarding her concerns about
promotions approved in the November 2014 Board Meeting.
Ms Cherry: After our training and everything, I am ok with Mrs. Ruthart, I actually like
her. I think in the future that jobs should be posted. There is no reason not
to post the jobs.
Mr. Savage: We are going to get to that.
Ms. Cherry: Ok.
Mr. Savage: We are going to come back and follow up and get information. I'm like you,
I think the training clarified everything. You're ok with where we are
now?
Ms. Cherry: Yes.
Mr. Savage: Anybody else have any comments on that item? Any disagree?
No comments from anyone else.
Mr. Savage: Alright, well if no further discussion, we will move on to item #5.
5. Board Members option to sign waiver of Public Information Act on addresses and
phone numbers. All Board Members signed and turned in their forms to Sally Ruthart.
6. Director's Report
a. Occupancy report — 8 vacancies, 3 have been offered, other 5 waiting on flooring.
Low rent Waiting List = 44 on 1 bedroom, 13 on 2 bedroom, 5 on 3 bedroom, and 0 on
the 4 bedroom. Section 8 Waiting list has 55 currently of which 24 have been offered
vouchers. PHA is opening Section 8 waiting list in October to get back up to 293
vouchers.
b. Finance report — PH bank account $739,798.50, Section 8 bank account
$404,424.90.
C. Work Order Confirmation — PHA has put into place a system to give the tenants
proof that they called in a work order. The tenant is given the work order number as their
confirmation of calling in problems.
d. Mrs. Ruthart asked for approval to move forward with extending the rent due date
until the 10th of each month instead of the 6`h of the month for Public Housing Tenants.
This approval will give Mrs. Ruthart the authority to post these changes for 45 days and
give notice to the tenants of the changes. (And other changes that needed updated) In
order to do this we have to change the PH Lease and Rent Collection Policy. Motion
from Cassandra Hearn and seconded by Rachel Braswell, passed 5 -0.
e. Mrs. Ruthart asked for approval to move forward with changing the office hours
to Monday thru Thursday 7:30 am to 6:00 pm and not closed for lunch. (And other
changes that needed updated) Ms. Cherry asked about the times that the PHA reads
meters and asked if we could list those dates in the PH Lease so that the tenants would
not be surprised when they get a utility bill. Motion made by Dewayne Dangerfield and
seconded by Brenda Cherry, passed 5 -0. This approval will give Mrs. Ruthart the
authority to post these changes for 45 days and give notice to the tenants of the changes.
This includes changing the PH Lease and Personnel policy. Motion made by Gary Savage
and seconded by Rachel Braswell, passed 5 -0.
f. Laundry mats — Mrs. Ruthart mentioned to the Board of Commissioners if they
were interested in re- opening the boarded up Laundry mats at the four sites — George
Wright, Booker T Washington, 13th SE, and Jackson court. They have been closed due to
vandalism. Mrs. Ruthart would like to reopen these buildings as the residents have
requested. Mrs. Ruthart also added that she would like to have the Resident Council hire
a resident to work a few hours a day to open/take care of/clean up the laundry facilities.
Mrs. Ruthart needs approval of the Board of Commissioners to look for a
company /individual to provide washers /dryers for these buildings.
g. Web Page for PHA — looking for someone to build a web page and include our
application on so that applicants can access an application online instead of coming to the
office to pick one up. Mrs. Ruthart asked the Board members if they knew of anyone to
please let her know.
h. Mrs. Ruthart suggested that the PHA use the remaining Police Patrol money
($17400.00) to put cameras at the Booker T Washington Site. We have a proposal from
the current camera company that installed the cameras at George Wright Homes for
$14,129.00. The Board agreed to go ahead with that and get 2 more bids.
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Mr. Dangerfield suggested putting 2 or 3 more speed bumps on 8th Street at
Booker T Washington to slow traffic down because they speed through there all the time.
i. By -Laws — changed 1. To he /she and his/her, 2. Added training for
commissioners annually, and 3. Post outside of HA for new executive director hiring in
the future.
Long discussion regarding HR Laws on hiring from within, responding to all applicants
when a job opening is posted outside for every open position, and having a hiring
committee doing the hiring instead of just the executive director. This discussion was
tabled. Motion made to table by Ms. Braswell and seconded by Ms. Hearn. Motion
passed 5 -0.
Motion was made by Ms. Hearn and seconded by Mr. Dangerfield to give Mrs. Ruthart
the authority to post the notices for all changes to the PH Lease, Personnel Policy, By-
Laws and Rent Collection Policy. Motion passed 5 -0.
7. Open Meeting for discussion as requested by Commissioner Brenda Cherry regarding
attitude of staff member and some apartment repair concerns.
Ms. Cherry: What I'm concerned mostly about is the mold. This is from 2010 I think
but this was a certified, I'm sure you're familiar with it, a certified agency came out and
took the mold and it was found to be toxic and the recommendation was to tear down the
drywall and scrub whatever, there was a procedure. I don't think any of that was done.
This is in a lot of apartments. Which Denny Head told them to wash it with bleach but
this report says that doesn't work..and that's what it looks like when its..but there are ... I
had a email from this lady who told me that she had a baby in a crib and the baby got sick
and then she moved the crib and noticed all the mold. I mean that's the thing that's my
concern. I wouldn't this I mean I just wouldn't. Getting down and washing it and then it
comes right back, I think something realistic should be done about that. I think we should
look at the budget and find a way to fix this problem.
Sally Ruthart: Are those current?
Ms. Cherry: Huh this, these pictures are from a few years back, but unless it has been
done like it's suppose to its still there. I still have a lot of people complaining about their
mold. I know you are aware of the mold. I mean to me it's unacceptable. I would not live
in a place that had that. Just because you wash it with bleach and it's gone temporarily
and it always comes back, this has been going on for years. And, it's going to, when
somebody figures it out; it's going to set the Housing Authority up for a lawsuit. Because
the complaints have been voiced and voiced and voiced. And so, it needs to be taken care
of in my opinion. Also, some of these are old, some of the places are just not the tenants,
I don't care what HUD says, you know HUD only comes in and checks 10% of them but
there are some issues. To me stuff like that need to be repaired, that should be better
taken care of. There's no reason for that. And you really can't blame that on the tenant.
And so I just don't think that maintenance is ... I would like for the Housing Authority to
be like that lady that gave us our Board Training, a place that everybody can be proud of
and actually want to live there instead of it being a place of last resort. You know because
you can't get a voucher be placed into what some consider the better places. You know I
don't think anybody here would think this would be acceptable. I believe in treating other
people like I want to be treated in any situation.
Sally Ruthart: Are any of these current?
Ms. Cherry: These are the most current. These were Bobby Yates's.
Sally Ruthart: 413?
Ms. Cherry: Yes, the mold, but I have some more current pictures I just wasn't able to
bring them, which is probably a few months old. But this stuff uh no, I did take these
pictures myself though.
Ms. Hearn: Was this reported? Doesn't it have to be reported?
Ms. Cherry: Well, here's the thing about it. You have inspections, even if a person
didn't... people are not going to report that.
Ms. Hearn: Why?
Ms. Cherry: They think it's repaired. To me that's unacceptable. They are not gonna
report that or that. But when you go in and inspect it, you see it, the inspector see it. So
how does it pass inspection, you know. You can't put it all on the tenants. Which is what
there is a tendency to do. I just think the Housing Authority needs to do better with that.
That's just that.
Sally Ruthart: We're trying.
Ms. Cherry: I know.
Sally Ruthart: We are. I promise.
Mr. Savage: Black mold and other things like that flooring that is really pulled up, like
she said the people need to be reporting on that with the new system that we just put in
place with the confirmation and everything, they have a date on it, so nothing's been
done and you report it again and nothings been done then you have a greater case on it.
Ms. Cherry: Let me tell ya, this mold right here. I reported it, because he's
handicapped. So he asked me, so I came over and I reported ...Denny Head just
happened to be up front. He said OK, I'll send somebody over. It never happened. I mean
come on now, regardless of whether they gave me a piece of paper it should have been
taken care of because it was reported. But what ended up happening we went to legal aide
because nobody fixed it, and then he gets a letter of retaliation. I have a copy of the letter.
It shouldn't be that way that it's totally the tenant's responsibility they don't report this
and didn't get a receipt for it and then don't do anything that's not how it should work.
But if you have situations and there have been situations in the past where there have
been retaliation for reporting stuff, I know this for a fact. You have to feel comfortable
that you are not gonna get evicted for reporting this stuff.
Mr. Savage: So, this is just me, I know we talked a lot about the past, I guess my
mindset is going forward now. I think we really need to try to go forward. You have
brought out some great things. It's made us all think and I really believe that the board
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has set the direction and I think going forward is really not a lot we can do about the past,
but going forward I think we can do a lot. So with these complaints here, I think this
confirmation when people have some complaints and now they have the protection or at
least some acknowledgement. And, like you said, the inspections, and I know Sally is
hearing all this, but the inspections, those things should be called and there's no reason
that it shouldn't. Going forward we need to do better.
Ms. Cherry: I know you can't go back to what happened yesterday, I really know that.
But what I'm saying is just saying what the tenants they don't report it then that's their
fault, that's just not acceptable. It needs to be cleaned up regardless of what the tenant
does. If they have this mold needs to be taken care of regardless. It does, it's a health
hazard.
Mr. Savage: Yes and I'm sure there were reports like you said you did, but I'm saying
some things you can't just go in a person's house and see that, they need to report it.
Ms. Cherry: Well, I mean there are some things that are obvious. As a board, it's our
responsibility to make sure... that it's partly our responsibility.
Mr. Savage: Our direction is going forward and that's what we have to do.
Benny Goforth: I would never move somebody in an apartment that looks like that.
So if this stuff is happening, it's happening after the tenant has moved there.
Ms. Cherry: No. I have some pictures, I can't find them. But Bobby Yates apartment,
the new apartment, before he moved in. I think we should say OK things weren't done
perfect in the past, but I'm gonna do better. Not that the tenants are doing it all. That's
not the truth. The tenants are not doing everything. These are old apartments and things
happen and there is gonna be wear and tear and when it happens when you have an
inspection, then fix it and that's the end of that, you know. Fix it like you want if fixed if
you lived there.
Elizabeth Brooks: We have designed here recently in the last couple of months, a
checklist for them to check when they move in. Instead of them having to remember, they
have the checklist and they check this and this and this. We have a much more thorough
checklist now than we had in the past and for them to check before they say it is ready to
be leased. And we also have a new inspection sheet that we are updating.
-Ms. Hearn and Ms. Braswell had to leave the meeting at 2:15 pm due to other
commitments.-
Elizabeth Brooks: We are just trying to get better so that they just know what needs to
be covered for us. And those inspections that happen they are inspected by an outside
agency, but they are only inspected once a year. Usually a certain time frame and we tell
the tenants when it is coming. The pictures that you showed, they should not have passed
inspection. Now, whether they did or not I don't know. We are trying to fix things that
may have not been correct in the past. The mold, if I don't clean it for a couple of days at
my house, there will be mold growing in the shower. That is my responsibility, but that is
more severe than mold in the bathtub. We understand that and obviously we will take
steps to correct that.
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Mr. Savage: What about pre -tenant inspections? Do you have anything for them to
walk around the same inspection?
Elizabeth Brooks: Upon move in, they go with the inspector to the unit and walk
through the unit with him. We are now, thanks to reading all the policies, we are having
LD print the inspection and have the tenant sign that and give the tenant an actual copy of
the inspection. In the past they have had to sign it but we never gave them a copy.
Mr. Savage: That's their time to call out.
Elizabeth Brooks: Yes, that's their time to say "hey that's not fixed" or "this is not
acceptable ". There are a lot of times that LD comes back from a move in inspection and
puts in a work order of anything that he finds that needs to be repaired. That's also the
tenant's time to voice complaints. Veronica can attest to this, when the tenant's are doing
their move in briefing, all they want is their keys. They don't want to listen to our hour
long briefing, they just want their keys. Tenants will come in two months down the road
and say that stuff was messed up when they moved in. We will pull their move in
inspection and there will be nothing on there and they signed off on it. I didn't do the
inspection so I don't know. Whoever did the inspection and the tenant are the only two
that are in there. If they both signed off on it then we have to believe that was the case.
Now we are giving them a copy of it and they need to voice their opinion about whether
the apartment is messed up or not at move in. We are trying to address that to them that
this is your time to say this needs to be fixed or not fixed.
Ms. Cherry: And I understand that, I really do but I think it's both sides you know. If
your inspecting an apartment, unfortunately the housing authority do they own, ya know
what can you do? If you see it you should fix it whether they say they saw it or not.
Elizabeth Brooks: Right, but I'm saying on the documentation as far as if our
inspector saw it or not like the mold in that apartment; I would hope and pray that they
would fix it. Benny, if you saw that like that you would send someone to fix it.
Ms. Cherry: But now, like I said this is an ongoing problem. Here's a copy of the
report and I didn't make this up.
Elizabeth Brooks: No maam.
Ms. Cherry: I know that there have been complaints about the mold. There was a new
article about the mold one time and Denny Head said I work for my living and yall
should be happy to just have anything. That's not the attitude that should be taken. This
mold has to be taken care of. Regardless of whether the tenant says I like the color or I'm
ok with it, you know.
Elizabeth Brooks: I understand.
Benny Goforth: The question is what causes mold. It doesn't just start by itself. It
caused by blankets over windows, air down real low, windows opened, and humidity and
other factors. It's not one thing and it's not one person.
n.
Ms. Cherry: This report said something about the windows should be 2 pane or
something. I have to read in it. I do the same thing in my house I'm sure that everyone
else does, I don't put no blankets up on nothing and I don't have mold. This is a problem
cause these are old places and it's had a mold problem for a long time and it's just never
been taken care of. So no matter what a tenant does now, this is old mold from the 90's.
So no matter what a tenant does this mold is gonna come back. It's not gonna go away
just by washing it with bleach and painting it. So when a new tenant .... Right after yall
moved Bobby out of this apartment yall painted it and put somebody else right in it. Even
though yall had a copy of this report.
Mr. Savage: So this never was treated?
Ms. Cherry: This never was treated. It was painted and I guess that same woman is
living down there now. All I'm saying, I'm not trying to put the Housing Authority down,
I just want it to be nice and healthy and decent housing like the law requires. Ya know,
somebody's gonna get sick and then the Housing Authority is gonna have a big lawsuit
because somebody is gonna get really sick with this. Because painting it doesn't work. So
that's all I'm saying is we can do better.
Mr. Savage: I agree. I think we all agree. Yall agree?
Sally Ruthart: Yes.
Ms. Cherry: The other thing, I think if you work in Housing, Public Housing, you
working around black people if you look down on them because or white people because
they are poor, everybody living in housing, aint got a lot of money, you wouldn't even
have a job if not for those people that you are looking down on. Now, LD Ruthart, he put
a lot of racist stuff on his page about he didn't see how the people in Baltimore, recently
had a problem with a lot of people in Baltimore, he didn't see them burn down the
Welfare Office, he work for his living, I've got copies of some of it. I just don't think that
this is acceptable. If you're working with the people you're talking about on Facebook.
Confederate Flag, I know a lot of people say this is my heritage but the EEOC doesn't
say that. Which this is his Facebook page, it's not his job, but the Housing Authority is
looked at a certain way when their employees post stuff like this. I mean, I think it's
shameful. And this thing, "here's a lesson from Ferguson, America ". He didn't write this
he's reposting what Ted Nugent wrote but "here's a lesson from Ferguson, America.
Don't let your kids grow up to be thugs who think they can steal, assault and attack cops
as a way of life and a badge of black dishonor. Don't preach your racist bullshit "no
justice no peace" as blabbered by Obamas racist Czar Al Not So Sharpton and their black
klansmen. When a cop tells you to get out of the middle of the street, obey him & don't
attack him as brainwashed by the gangsta assholes you hang with & look up to. It's that
simple unless you have no brains, no soul, no sense of decency whatsoever. And don't
claim that "black lives matter" when you ignore the millions you abort & slaughter each
and every day by other blacks. Those of us with souls do indeed know that black lives
matter as well as all lives matter. So quit killing each other you f -ing idiots drive safely."
I find that offensive for a person that's working in a Housing Authority, or talking about
welfare, I work for my living. Housing is welfare. Food stamps is welfare. So why you
looking down on people for getting those things and your making your living off of them.
I think that's terrible.
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Mr. Savage: Did you get a copy of the policy? The Personnel Policy?
Ms. Cherry: The Personnel Policy basically says if somebody does something give
them counseling.
Mr. Savage: I didn't read it all. Is there a morality clause in there?
Sally Ruthart: There's a bunch of...
Ms. Cherry: There's nothing that really addresses that.
Mr. Savage: It's vague.
Sally Ruthart: As far as social media, there's nothing in there.
Ms. Cherry: That was probably made before social media.
Mr. Savage: So, I agree, I don't care if you are a maintenance worker when you are
working in public housing or you're at the welfare office, I just don't think there are
certain things you need to be posting or saying in public or posting publicly.
Ms. Cherry: I believe if you feel that way, you feel that way whether you post it or not,
but if you post it we know you feel that way.
Mr. Savage: That's just not a good thing.
Ms. Cherry: You feel that way you're looking down on people and I think that affects
how you treat those people that you're looking down on. You can't help but to.
Kelly Crawford: Should there be a social media policy?
Mr. Savage: I was gonna say going forward we probably need to think about this as a
board and add a policy we need to add something to the policy there. Doesn't matter what
color, I don't think you should do that. I don't think you should put anything like that on
there. I know even at Campbell Soup, I don't work for public housing or welfare, you can
get fired out there for something you said and I don't think you should make those kind
of comments public at all.
Ms. Cherry: And this "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve ". You know people have
the right to believe what they want to about people, but gay people have the same rights
as anybody else even now by law, you know, with the marriage. I don't care if your
religious beliefs, like that lady over in wherever, she wouldn't give out license and stuff
but if you work in the public then you do what the law says. If you have a gay couple
living in housing authority that training lady mentioned that, you have gay couples in
some housing authorities, you can't discriminate against them or talk bad about them.
Mr. Savage: You can't discriminate, but at the same time, just like, I'm not trying to
talk about gay people, I'm just using this as an example. Gay people have certain rights
and the country provided them this right but people that don't believe that have the same
rights. So if they wanna say that I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman,
they have that right. Just like a person can say that a woman and a woman can get
married, you have the right to say it both ways.
Ms. Cherry: So you're saying you don't see anything wrong with a person putting on
their Facebook page I believe marriage should be between white and white and not black
and white.
Mr. Savage: If they put that on there then I have no problem with that.
Ms. Cherry: I do if you working around people that are gay. You cannot discriminate
just because ... I know that people have big issues with gay people. They don't mind you
discriminating against gay people. Don't discriminate against women. Some men and
women believe that a woman's place is at home not out at no job. Stay at home and take
care of your kids. But you cannot have those attitudes out there when you work with
women or whatever; it's not a good idea. It's not healthy. I mean yes your opinion is your
opinion but if you work in a j ob, government j ob, and you're dealing with people you
look down on, I don't think he should be putting that on Facebook about gay people
cause that's the same as putting something about black people. Or talk about women, or
handicap people.
Mr. Savage: I agree all of that crossed the line. But you went to another point. I believe
people have a right to express their views on, just like if a gay person came on TV and
say I think we should be able to get married, well I think a person should have the same
right to say the Bible say marriage is between a man and a woman. Why wouldn't you be
able to say that?
Ms. Cherry: Then why can't I say that I think black people should still be in slavery?
It's your opinion why shouldn't you be able to say it? It doesn't work that way. You work
a government job and you have attitude that you want to discriminate against people. If
he had her job he probably wouldn't hire a gay person. That's the problem that creates
when.... Discrimination is not acceptable against anybody. It's just not.
Mr. Savage: I think you cross the line when you bring other people in when you say,
I'm not gonna make a comment and say I believe that these two gay people shouldn't
have gotten married. I'm not gonna say that, but I will say that I believe that marriage is
between a man and a woman. I'm' not saying anything about gays.
Ms. Cherry: Are you in a position of authority?
Mr. Savage: No I'm saying in general. And I'm not gonna say that all white people
should work at Campbell Soup and not at KC. I'm not gonna go there, but I might say
that I know that black people have the right to work at the housing authority. You didn't
cross the line; you said black people have the right to work at the housing authority. You
didn't cross the line, you said you believe that...
Ms. Cherry: That's just common sense because I believe anybody has the right to work
at the housing authority that qualifies. I'm not saying black people should work there.
That's not what I was saying. I was saying that black people along with every other race
should be allowed to work at the Housing Authority.
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Mr. Savage: Because if you don't then Webster should probably be sued years ago, I'm
mean if you look up the definition of marriage that might say between a man and a
woman.
Ms. Cherry: I mean Webster is not a book. You can write whatever you want..
Mr. Savage: Somebody wrote it.
Ms. Cherry: A company wrote it, I mean that's not up for a lawsuit.
Mr. Savage: But you're right, I think we need to add a morality clause into the by -laws
because that stuff should not be, that's offensive. It is. But we need to come back with
that and add that. All of us. I think that's something that we need to come together on
there and add.
Kelly Crawford: A Social Media Policy?
Mr. Savage: More than just Social Media.
Ms. Cherry: So what you're saying is if you're racist, don't put it on Facebook.
Mr. Savage: You can't stop nobody from being a racist. If they're racist then they are
racist.
Ms. Cherry: Well, what I'm saying is he put his on Facebook. It's already done. The
woman at the Board Meeting she said that's unacceptable. So which... I think he needs to
be written up or something. Because you can't just say ok so we found out about it and
say LD don't put that on there anymore it's ok you go on. You should be held
accountable in some kind of way.
Mr. Savage: OK, I agree. But we cannot as a Board cannot act on that.
Ms. Cherry: I'm not saying we could, but what I'm saying is everybody knows how he
feels, everybody knows he put it on Facebook.
Mr. Savage: You got anything Dewayne? I don't have anything.
Elizabeth Brooks: Well, along with this Social Media Policy we could write some
kind of Morality Policy also, Code of Conduct kind of thing. Well, what he posted, he
should not have posted. We work for the government; we work for people who are
considered on Welfare. We would not have a job if it were not for those people on those
programs and the morality clause and the conduct clause, I mean, we need to address that
because like you said there is nothing in the Personnel Policy that addresses that.
Ms. Cherry: Let me say this, stuff like this is the same thing that was out at Turner
Industries. They lost a lot of money because it's illegal. But you know the stuff out there
was theirs, you know. It wasn't posted on Social Media there. You setting yourself up for
certain things when you let stuff go.
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Patricia Pridemore: I think what she is saying is that there isn't anything in the policy
that can be done about that now. So now we need to add a morality clause into the policy.
Benny Goforth: So it doesn't happen again.
Mr. Savage: So we went back and ask some questions after the meeting, and one of the
things in the training, people do have an option to seek legal counsel about something
like that. So, all I'm saying is that I know exactly what you're saying but there is nothing
we can do right now. There is nothing this Board can do on that. There's something Sally
can do, but there's nothing we can do.
Ms. Cherry: Oh well. Just let it go. He can do what he wants.
Mr. Savage: I'm not saying that.
Ms. Cherry: That's how it go.
Mr. Savage: There's nothing in the policy right now then there's nothing we can do.
Ms. Cherry: OK.
Mr. Savage: There's nothing really that she can do because if she did, then what you
said about the lawsuit, then you're really setting yourself up for a lawsuit. If you don't
have it covered in a policy, then how can you do anything?
Ms. Cherry: The federal law overrides any....
Mr. Savage: And that's where you would go through the legal system.
Ms. Cherry: You cannot have people spewing racism.
Mr. Savage: I agree. I didn't say I like it.
Ms. Cherry: That's federal that ain't the Housing Authority.
Mr. Savage: Right. But we are not federal officers. What can we do?
Ms. Cherry: Well, who mentioned that you could set yourself up for a lawsuit? I think
something should be done, I don't think you should just dismiss it, let's not even address
him. I don't believe that. But if that's how it's gonna go then that's how it's gonna go.
But, you can't say you didn't know. The Board can't say they didn't know and Sally
can't say she didn't know.
Mr. Savage: Right. Point well taken. Any other discussion on that issue? OK. Item #10
motion to adjourn.
No further business or questions, a motion for adjournment from Gary Savage and
seconded by Dewayne Dangerfield. Motion passed 3 -0. The meeting was adjourned at
3:20 pm.
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APPROVED THIS day of 92015
Sally Ruthart, Secretary
Gary Savage, Chairman
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