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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMHA 10/13/2021i RECEIVED I +_E:RztS OFFICE Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Mansfield o sing Authority held via GoToMeeting on 1 FTa ' I A 11: 49 Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 7:00 PMq f j-i R The Members of the Mansfield Housing Authority met in Special Session in person and by video conference at 7:00 PM. The Meeting was called to order by Chairman Kevin Doyle at 7:00 PM and upon roll call, those present and absent were as follows: Present: Absent: Kevin Doyle Olivier Kozlowski Debra Tatum Mary Kate Flynn William Snyder Also present was the Executive Director, Andrea McDougall, Jim O'Halloran Maintenance Supervisor, Steven Rose, Maintenance Technician and 5 remote callers. A copy of the Notice of Meeting, pursuant to Section 23A of Chapter 39 of the General Laws, with the Certificate as to Service of Notice of Meeting attached thereto was read and ordered spread upon the Minutes of the Meeting and filed for record. NOTICE OF MEETING Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 23A of Chapter 39 of the General Laws that a Meeting of the Mansfield Housing Authority will be held online via GoToMeeting at 7:00 PM on October 13, 2021. CERTIFICATE AS TO NOTICE OF MEETING (Section 23A, Chapter 39, General Laws) I, the undersigned, the duly appointed qualified Executive Director of the Mansfield Housing Authority do hereby certify that on October 8, 2021, 1 caused to be filed, in the manner provided by Section 23A, Chapter 39, General Laws, with the Clerk of the Town of Mansfield, Massachusetts, a Notice of Meeting of which the foregoing is a true and correct copy. IN TESTIMONY HEREOF, I have set my hand this 20'" day of October 2021. Andrea McDougall, em6utive Director & Acting Secretary A Motion was made by Ms. Flynn and seconded by Mr. Snyder to Approve the Mansfield Housing Authority Mask Policy. Mr. Kozlowski inquired as to what the Board of Commissioners is relying on for the authority to implement a mask policy. Mr. Doyle stated that the Department of Housing and Community Development Public Housing Notice 2021-18 provided guidance. Mr. Kozlowski referenced PHN 2021-18 and quoted PHN 2021-11, "LHAs may consider posting signage asking non -vaccinated residents and visitors to wear masks in community rooms and other common areas. These requests are not enforceable and LHAs should not query tenants or community room visitors about their vaccination status as it may violate various privacy and civil rights laws to do so. LHAs should be aware that there may be disputes among residents about mask wearing and vaccination statuses; unfortunately, these may be difficult for LHAs to resolve given privacy restrictions and absence of state mandates.' Mr. Kozlowski stated that his interpretation of the DHCD notices was that the Board could regulate employees and visitors but that it should not include the residents. Mr. Doyle disagreed with Mr. Kozlowski's interpretation. Mr. Kozlowski requested that the policy be reviewed by an attorney to ensure the policy is legal for the Housing Authority to implement. Mr. Doyle instructed the Executive Director to consult with DHCD and/or an attorney to have the policy reviewed. Ms. McDougall read an email she had received earlier in the day from a resident opposed to the mask policy. Ms. Flynn reported that out of 97 COVID-19 cases documented in Mansfield in September, 40 of them were of fully vaccinated individuals. Mr. Snyder stated that he agrees with the drafted Mask Policy because of the high -risk population that resides at the Housing Authority. Ms. Tatum agreed and added that she felt the mask policy was very important because of the variants and the need to protect the residents and employees. Ms. Flynn added that she agreed with Ms. Tatum and Mr. Snyder and reiterated that the older adults and people with underlying medical conditions which make up the majority of the Housing Authority population. She added that Mansfield was listed as a Town with a high rate of transmission. Ms. Flynn quoted from the 2 DHCD PHN 2021-18 "The guidance provided in PHN 2021-11 is still In effect, although with the recent rise in transmission DHCD does emphasize that decisions about community room opening and mask wearing can be decided locally." Pointing out that PHN 2021-11 is strictly guidance. Mr. Doyle said that after the vote the Executive Director will submit the policy to DHCD and have the state attorney's review it. Mr. Kozlowski asked Mr. Doyle if he was saying the policy should be passed and then reviewed. Mr. Doyle said "that's right." Ms. Flynn asked that the policy be modified to include that the policy is intended to be temporary and will be reviewed monthly, and that it could be rescinded when Mansfield maintained two consecutive weeks of low to moderate transmission levels as reported by the Mansfield Board of Health. The Board of Commissioners voted 4-0-1, with Mr. Kozlowski abstaining, to include that the policy be rescinded when the Town of Mansfield maintain two consecutive weeks of low to moderate transmission levels. The Executive Director stated that by implementing the policy she would not be able to enforce the policy with the residents. She felt that the objective could be obtained by highly suggesting wearing mask in lieu of a mandate. Ms. McDougall felt that by educating people and leading by example, the Housing Authority could achieve the same results rather than making a policy that placed requirements on the residents. Ms. McDougall expressed concern over the inability to enforce a policy. Mr. O'Halloran, Maintenance Supervisor addressed the Board. Mr. O'Halloran stated that he did not feel this should be a mandated policy. Mr. O'Halloran noted that the Maintenance Department worked through the entire pandemic and that they all received their vaccinations. Mr. O'Halloran said they did everything they were asked to do, in order to move forward and that he felt this was a step back. He stated that there is a degree of difficulty in breathing when working with a mask on, as most of the maintenance work is labor intensive. Mr. O'Halloran also stated that the maintenance department recently completed the annual Inspections for the entire portfolio and only one resident asked them to put on a mask, and they obliged. Ms. Flynn responded by thanking the maintenance supervisor for his efforts and the efforts of the entire department. Ms. Flynn noted that this mandate is not meant to be punitive, it is meant for the safety of the residents and the employees. Upon Vote the Motion passed by a Vote of 4 to 1. There being no further business to come before the Board, a Motion was made by Ms. Tatum and seconded by Mr. Snyder to Adjourn at 7:46 PM. Upon Vote, the Motion passed by a Vote of 5 to 0. Approved on November 3, 2021 - Board of Commissers: 77 0