9/04/8  For Cheap, but not for low income housing.

Is The Dallas Morning News campaigning for Mayor Leppert to sweep the current Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) Board out of office?  It certainly seems so by reading some of its published op-eds and columns, like  Releasing details of Ann Lott's severance is step in right direction for embattled Dallas Housing Authority (James Ragland, 8/30/8); Gerald Britt: A blueprint for a successful DHA (8/26/8). 

The terms of three board members expired last March.  They have been serving as holdovers since. Three current Board members are new and are serving unexpired terms of former members.  Two members' terms are not expired. 

In  December 2007, after an OIG (U.S. Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General) audit found money not accounted for at DHA, Mayor Leppert gave DHA President/CEO Ann Lott six months to fix the problems.  At that time, he put Board appointments on hold.  The Board and Lott met the Mayor's deadline.  The Board continues to work on the total problems at DHA.

 

During the same six months, The News has conducted a campaign to have the Mayor replace all current Board members.  It is a mystery as to why The News is pressing so hard against this current Board, when none of the problems identified in the OIG Audit happened under their watch.
 

Former DHA President Ann Lott (since resigned under board pressure) cut a sweetheart deal with Dallas Central Ministries to build 180 market rate apartments on Hall street on former Roseland Projects land valued approximately $12 to 14 million dollars - land owned by DHA .  The DHA would control only 55 units for affordable units, no low income.  Dallas Central Ministries would bring no money to the table.  Instead, they would hire their own developers, construction people,  etc. and receive a development fee.

The deal breaker came when DHA Chairwoman Betty Culbreath asked if the project was being bid, and staff said it wasn't.  Betty said DHA could not do the DCM deal because it involved  government land purchased by taxpayers.  The Board agreed and requested the project be bid and reworked so that CDM would bring some equity to the project and have more housing available to DHA.

The DMN allowed Gerald Britt, a Central Dallas Ministries staff member, to write a four column viewpoint (see link above) calling for Mayor Leppert to make a "clean sweep of the DHA Board".  Rev. Britt recommends the Mayor appoint developers and executives with low income housing experience to the Board.  Rev. Britt did not say one word about low income housing.  Nor did Rev. Britt disclose his a conflict of interest.  The DMN should have acknowledged the conflict, but they did not.

As part of The DMN's campaign to get the Mayor to replace the current DHA Board, columnist James Ragland writes week about Ann Lott's sick leave being paid (see link above).  Ann Lott left the DHA July 29, 2008, but a month later on August 30, 2008 The DMN prints James' column saying "this is not Ann Lott's fault".  He says it's wrong for an agency (the DHA Board) to have this type of sick leave policy.  The City of Dallas has a similar policy allowing employees to accrue unused sick leave and take a lump sum payment at termination, retirement or resignation.  Former Mayor Miller hated the policy.

If one employee uses their sick leave, and another employee does not, it would be unfair to the non-absent employee not to be compensated when they actually worked more time.  It is very expensive for an employee to be out sick.  Someone must do that employee's work.  If another employee is pulled from his/her regular assignment, that causes inefficiency and potential delays.  So, it is cost effective to compensate employees who do not use their sick leave.  Although, I agree the compensation should be annual, not accrued over years.

Ann Lott (the President/CEO) was responsible for writing policy to present to the DHA Board, which included the sick leave policy.  How is she not responsible for what James Ragland considers a bad policy?

How can The DMN hold a volunteer Board responsible for a policy passed 28 years ago by another DHA board and its director?

The DMN is trying to pressure Mayor Leppert, but he does not know all the behind-the-scene politics and players.  Private developers and politically-connected privateers have long used and continue to use the DHA for personal gain.  Never before in the DHA's checkered history has The DMN campaigned to have an entire Board removed - particularly when it is doing the right thing.

They don't really want the entire board removed.  They are after Chairwoman Betty Culbreath.

Betty will question sweetheart deals and has not allowed business as usual.  Under her chairmanship, the DHA has followed the law and all regulations and not created ways around the law.  There are many more sweetheart deals like the Roseland/DCM mess waiting in the DHA wings.  EG., Little Mexico projects property and Trinity River Project property.  It's all about the money.
 

Ann Lott is gone.  A new Board would only have staff input without guidance from experienced board members.  It would be a disaster for the DHA.

In 2001, the DHA was a high performing agency.  In 2008, the DHA is one step from "troubled" by HUD standards.  The decline was caused by Ann Lott.  Mayor Leppert should reappoint this Board and give them a chance to use their experience to do get the DHA back on track with a new President/CEO.

I served on the Plan Commission with Betty Culbreath as Chair.  She's a smart, tough woman.  Mayor Leppert needs to reappoint her as Chair of the DHA and reappoint the other two holdover board members.  We need their experience.

sb

Ward politics is the Devil's key to the soul of the city council.  It is how some council members got themselves in trouble in the past.  It is the bait that will get others in trouble in the future. 4/6/8