Needles council adopts Housing Authority budget, taps reserves and a $560,000 weatherization grant

The Needles City Council voted to adopt the fiscal year 20222023 budget for the Housing Authority of the City of Needles, approving a short-term transfer from reserves to cover an identified operating shortfall and accepting a capital grant for unit weatherization.

A presenter for the housing authority told the council the program's revenue is "approximately $645,000" while expenses are "approximately 688" (thousand dollars), leaving a gap the presenter proposed covering from the authority's reserves of about $679,000 so the authority can finish the fiscal year. "So I would recommend that we transfer from reserves, to give them sufficient funding to finish off the year," the presenter said.

The budget as described also includes a capital grant of $560,000 to replace windows and doors across 62 units, a measure the presenter said will improve weatherization of the housing stock. The presenter said after the reserve transfer the projected beginning cash reserve going into the next year would be about $636,000.

Councilors discussed staffing and salary line changes, and the presenter said four positions are budgeted for the authority and that one maintenance position was adjusted from 32 hours to 40 hours per week rather than adding a second hire.

Councilors moved to approve the budget and the related administrative steps needed to advertise for a housing commission following the ordinance that will create it; the ordinance was noted to take effect in 30 days, at which point the city will solicit applicants to serve on the commission.

The council's action was procedural adoption of the proposed HACN budget and did not create additional programmatic obligations beyond approving the transfer from reserves and accepting the capital grant. The city will incorporate the housing authority numbers into the full city budget for 2023 2024 and report back as the housing commission is formed.