Ferndale Housing Commission Stops Wilson Payment, Votes to Sell Dodge Charger
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 29, 2015)
As former Housing Director Deborah Wilson sits in a prison cell for 1-15 years for breaking into vulnerable resident’s apartments and stealing their prescription medications, the Ferndale Housing Commission (FHC) continues to unravel the mess left she left behind.
The FHC, which is overseen by HUD and mainly federally-funded, had their most recent meeting Wednesday. The group is tasked with righting an organization gone awry in the course of Wilson’s 29 year administration. Along with listening to residents’ concerns and multiple complaints, FHC commissioners are tackling a long list of problems uncovered by recently published HUD report.
Among HUD’s findings was that the $130,000 severance package given to Wilson by the Commission after her resignation was not a justifiable expense and could not be paid for with federal dollars.
Commissioner Carole Morency made a motion to stop payment on the remaining balance for that settlement to Wilson, and fellow Commissioners agreed. According to Acting Director Emily Vickey, the last payment was to have been paid on August 11, 2015 for $21,698.16. They are also going to look further into options for recouping money that HUD determined was improperly spent by Wilson, including travel expenses, alcohol, and person items. The $21,689.16 will remain in escrow until it is clear of any legal challenges that could come. “Deborah Wilson is not going to be using it right now. We have all this stuff to pay for,” Morency said.
The “stuff to pay for” includes repayment of federal program dollars that the administration misspent, the costs of making repairs in the buildings that have deteriorated, and other costs of bringing the FHC program up to HUD expectations.
The Commission also voted to sell the Executive Director’s work vehicle, a red Dodge Charger that was purchased about five years ago.
“I don’t believe it is appropriate to have that type of asset in the books,” said Commissioner Dan Martin.
Both the captured payment and the vehicle sale are just drops in the bucket compared to the over $200,000 that the FHC is facing repaying HUD programs, but it is a start with a clear message of making program needs a priority.
Wednesday’s meeting had multiple other votes and announcements. FHC approved a new policy that helps protect Section 8 voucher holders from eviction based on neighborhood blight. The old policy, which was at the center of two recent lawsuits, stated families could not live in a home with abandoned or boarded up properties nearby. The new policy said the site itself must be free of specific dangers.
It was also announced that FHC attorney Justin Smith had submitted his resignation the day before the HUD report was released. Smith said he needed to take care of his ill mother. He also told Commissioners Wednesday, “Ultimately we know I’m not going to be the one carrying the reins forward.” The HUD report included Smith’s contract as one that did not get proper HUD approval and would need to be cancelled. Smith said he disagrees with the HUD finding. He explained that HUD requires approval for any contract over two years. Smith’s contract was for two years with the option to extend for a third, so he did not believe notification was necessary.
The Commission voted to remove a provision of the bylaws the prohibited someone from serving on the Commission if they also served on City Council. Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter appointed Councilperson Martin to the Commission after City Attorney Dan Christ found legal precedence for it.
Once the provision was removed, Commissioners voted Martin to be President and Ann Heler to be Vice President.
One plan they had was to expand the board so there could be more resident representation and more people working together on the problems they face. However that idea was abandoned since the State of Michigan has specific rules for Housing Commissions, including that it must be a five member board.
Other outcomes include the Commission asking for financial reports to be presented in a more timely manner, removing the Director from the Commission itself, adopting a new FOIA policy to comply with new state laws, and listening to resident concerns. Among the concerns is a lack of air conditioning in the buildings. HUD does not fund air conditioning, so staff and the Commission continue to explore possible funding options.
Commissioners thanked The Ferndale Community Foundation for planting flowers at the apartment buildings, along with help from FHC staff that volunteered their time. Also the City of Ferndale donated a trash can and picnic table for Autumn House, which residents are already putting to good use.
For the full coverage of the FHC’s challenges and steps towards repair, see our timeline of stories from the past six months: http://oaklandcounty115.com/2015/06/28/timeline-of-ferndale-housing-commissions-struggles-and-progress/