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Hernando Today

Housing Authority 'Has A Lot Of Work To Do'

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: May 20, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The Brooksville Housing Authority still has a long road ahead to reach the standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

That's the conclusion HUD officials reached after spending three days in March to evaluate the progress the authority has made.

The authority must make improvements in a range of categories to escape its troubled status, John Niesz, HUD's director of public housing based in Jacksonville, wrote in a letter to housing board Chairman Randy Woodruff.

"Overall, the visit proved the housing authority has a lot of work to do," Niesz wrote.

The housing board is slated to discuss the report at its regular meeting slated for 6 p.m. today at Brooksville City Hall, 20 N. Howell Ave.

Among the findings:

- Data about the authority's apartments, such as work orders for repairs, annual inspection reports and the amount of time units are vacant between tenants was "inaccurate" or "incomplete."

- The authority is "very negligent" in updating tenant files and records.

- The authority has yet to submit a full budget for the 2008 fiscal year.

- The authority was notified that it must submit a new public housing authority plan for 2008 and advertise it to the public for review, yet "the PHA plan still has not been posted, and the housing authority has not even advertised the availability of the plan for comment with the public."

- After a housing manager resigned, another employee was allegedly hired, but "her actual employment status has not been disclosed or discussed with the HUD office."

Another employee hired named Jason Reekmans "did not have any knowledge of public housing or HUD programs." And the maintenance director had enlisted his brother to help with him with maintenance duties.

"There has been much impropriety at this housing authority without having to go through the stigma of further impropriety," Niesz wrote. "The housing authority has been notified on several occasions that they must keep this office apprised of all procurement issues that take place."

Executive Director Ronnie McLean did not return a call Monday seeking comment on the report.

Two Brooksville housing commissioners said they were troubled by the findings.

Commissioner Brian Adair said he was under the impression that McLean and the board were making progress with the help of a HUD-appointed consultant.

"I don't understand why there's a disconnect like this," Adair said.

The housing board is working to improve the authority with hopes of folding the agency into the Hernando County Housing Authority. The county board has invited their city counterparts to its next meeting May 28 to discuss the issue, but county board members have said they won't be willing to merge until the Brooksville authority has shed its troubled status.

Commissioner Gary Schraut said he wondered if the findings are a sign that McLean, who has been in his post for nearly a year, is right for the job.

"Ronnie McLean came on board at time when the housing authority was not operating at its best, and, quite frankly, this wasn't his background," Schraut said. "This would have been a tremendous undertaking for someone who has the background he doesn't have."

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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