Saranac Lake Housing Advisory Board re-elects Ben Douglass as chair, plans push for CFEP funding and housing assessment

The Village of Saranac Lake Housing Advisory Board on July 16 re-elected Ben Douglass to continue as chair and selected officers as it outlined priorities for pursuing local funding and improving housing data.

Ben Douglass was nominated and unanimously voted to continue as chair. Steve Erman was nominated and unanimously voted as vice chair, and Doug Haney was nominated and unanimously voted as secretary. Nine members were listed as present in the meeting record.

Board members reviewed the Villages Community Fund Enhancement Program (CFEP), which the record lists as $10,000 in the village budget currently allocated to the DAB, PTAB and Arts & Culture. The Housing Advisory Board noted it does not currently receive CFEP funds and agreed that members will individually research possible uses of CFEP money by HAB and bring narrowed proposals and sample resolution language to the next meeting to request access to a portion of the funds.

The HAB also set several near-term work goals. Members asked for a closer liaison relationship with the Village Board representative to better align advisory work with Village priorities, said the board will continue building a database of properties available for housing development, and requested more information on new housing properties coming online (including a development referenced as the Lofts) and how those properties will be managed. The board discussed exploring funding for a housing assessment survey to provide data on community housing needs and affordability. Members additionally recommended leaders of the Villages advisory boards meet periodically to coordinate priorities and complementary objectives.

No formal resolution or spending decision was adopted at the July 16 meeting; the action taken on CFEP was to task members with research and to return with draft ideas for a resolution. The meeting was called to order at 5:05 p.m. and closed at 6:07 p.m.