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Inaugural members ratified

Yampa Valley Housing Authority board members approved

Christine Metz

The inaugural members of the Yampa Valley Housing Authority were ratified Wednesday at a joint meeting between the City Council and county commissioners, who also discussed the group’s next step.

The city and county approved the 13-member board and two appointed elected officials, City Councilman Loui Antonucci and Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak.

An interview committee comprised of three council members and three commissioners chose the 13 members from 22 applicants. As implied in the intergovernmental agreement that formed the housing authority, preference was given to members of the Regional Affordable Living Foundation, County Commissioner Doug Monger said.



Housing authority board members are John Spezia, Curtis Church, Karen Riggio, James Ballard Jr., Kim Mitchell, Kathi Meyer, Brett KenCairn, Bud Rogers, Ron Goodrich, Tony Seaver, Bud Romberg, Trish Sullivan and Mary Alice Page-Allen.

After the boards approved the members, Monger asked where the authority should go next.



Stahoviak, who participated in the meeting via telephone, said the group would have an initial organizational meeting to make sure members understood the authority’s charter and work toward transferring RALF’s assets to the housing authority.

Another important task would be hiring an executive director, Stahoviak said. The housing authority needs to create a job description and advertise for an executive director.

“Initially, (the authority) should get its feet on the ground, understand the responsibilities and then see how it should go from there,” Stahoviak said.

The two boards agreed that the housing authority should meet at noon on the fourth Thursday of every month, the same time that the RALF board has met. The first meeting will be March 4, moved back a week because of the Steamboat Springs School District’s Blues Break.

Councilman Ken Brenner recommended that a meeting be held to discuss the West End Village project and bring together the housing authority, RALF members, staff, residents of the project and the contractors.

West End Village, created through RALF, was Steamboat’s first affordable housing project in which the residents had a chance to own their homes.

“Let’s talk about the success that took place, what opportunities we want to reproduce, what we have learned and what things we might want to change in the future,” Brenner said.

The housing authority will plan, finance, construct and manage housing projects and programs, which are intended for families with low or moderate incomes and for employees within Routt County.

The housing authority, under the jurisdiction of the county and city, will have the power to ask voters to approve a tax to fund affordable housing projects.

— To reach Christine Metz call 871-4229

or e-mail cmetz@steamboatpilot.com


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