8/6/2019 Weisner Demands AHA Board Resignations

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Sent: Mon, Aug 1, 2011 5:36 pmSubject: MOA

MEMORANDUM

To: AHA Board MembersFrom: Mayor Tom Weisner Date: Monday, August 01, 2011

This afternoon, I received a copy of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) approved by theBoard on July 27, 2011, one day before the first “Community Forum.” The agreement clearlyarticulates the Aurora Housing Authority’s (AHA) intent to rebuild at the Jericho Circle site.

The City of Aurora will no longer participate in these so-called “Community Forums” because itis clear they are a sham. There really is no open public process to explore alternatives torebuilding Jericho Circle. Instead, the AHA is simply trotting out consultants and experts to

make their case for Jericho Circle part 3, which the MOA indicates will be spelled out in aMaster Developer Agreement one month from today on September 1, 2011.

Why the AHA has decided to build a third low income housing complex on the same site, after two resolute failures, is baffling, especially given the fact that even HUD officials said thelocation of Jericho was not the type of site where mixed income complexes have succeeded.

The Board voted to approve the MOA the night before the “Community Forum” at which theBoard was supposed to listen to community input. Instead of waiting for that input, the Boardvoted, at a virtually unpublicized meeting, to approve an agreement with the developer to buildspecifically at Jericho Circle.

Clearly, the people who attended the next day’s forum were wasting their time.

The MOA contemplates up to 225 total units being built on the Jericho Circle site, which is a54% increase over the 146 units presently at the site.

Furthermore, the MOA states “It is anticipated that the rental units will be a mix of public housingACC units and/or site-based Housing Choice Vouchers and LIHTC units, it being understoodthe ultimate mix of each will be subject to the financial feasibility of the project.” This means thatall of the units could be “extremely low income,” not “mixed income” and that the onlydiscernable difference between the proposed project and the previous failures at the Jericho sitemay be that the new project will be even more dense and more problematic.

Did you knowingly vote for this? Or once again did AHA leadership provide a last minutedocument that required your approval? I ask because nowhere on the agenda did it indicate theboard would be voting on this document. This is an apparent violation of the Open Meetings Act.

The MOA indicates the AHA will be seeking financial assistance from the city for water, sewer,paving, grading and other infrastructure improvements. The AHA will also need to seek a“Special Use” permit to rebuild the proposed project at the Jericho site. I will not support either request, nor do I believe the City Council will.

8/6/2019 Weisner Demands AHA Board Resignations

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I am an advocate for compassionate housing programs to take care of our poorest citizens, andespecially their children. In fact, the City has collaborated with the faith-based community toimprove life at several AHA public housing complexes. But I don’t believe in warehousing thepoor and exposing children to unhealthy living conditions or to being forever labeled as kidsfrom the “housing project”. I think we can do better.

The previous AHA Housing complexes at the Jericho site have been dismal failures. If you wishto continue following the short-sighted vision of the AHA’s attorney (who is, for all practicalpurposes, running the AHA) and continue to do the bidding of outside developers who stand toprofit greatly at the expense of our community, I suggest you resign immediately.

Certainly, if you continue on this course, I will be forced to replace you on the AHA Board at thefirst opportunity.

Thomas Weisner Mayor of Aurora