ONTONAGON — For the past couple months the Housing Commission has asked the Village Council to either waive or reduce the village’s own Housing Commission taxes. On Monday, the commission met and tried getting answers from a Village Council member attending the meeting.

The village is assessing the commission $8,291 in property taxes. At the Dec. 12 council meeting, village attorney Ted Baird recommended the village make an agreement on the property with the commission and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The motion to waive or lower the taxes was tabled at that meeting and not raised at the latest meeting.

The volunteer Commission Board is also requesting the village relinquish the deed to the property to allow the Commission to seek federal funding from HUD to change the heating in the homes from electric to natural gas. HUD will not fund the project unless the property legally titled to the commission.

“This project will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Sally Jarvey, the commission’s executive director. “Our residents, which are on a fixed income, cannot afford the rent increase, and the commission simply cannot afford to pay the current utility bills,”

The commission also discussed a report by council members Don Chastain and Tony Smydra, who are both on the Housing Commission Board, which included unspecified allegations against the commission. Chastain was at Monday’s meeting, Smydra was not.

Commission board members asked Chastain why he had not asked commission members questions regarding the allegations. Chastain answered he was told not to contact commission members.

“p1″>”This was meant to not talk to them outside the Housing Commission Board meeting but to ask your questions at a publicly held Housing Commission Board meeting,” Jarvey responded.  “The numbers you put in your report were not accurate.”

“I got those numbers from reports given to me. I don’t get your report or numbers until I come to your meeting!” Chastain said in a raised voice.

“Our Housing Commission members, including myself, (were) not even given the chance to speak at your council meetings,” said Sue Lockhart, the commission’s secretary.

On a motion by Richard Ernest, the Commission Board voted to send a letter to the Village Council requesting an opportunity to address Chastain’s report. Ernest also made a motion to send a letter to the Village Council asking that representatives of both boards meet to clarify issues.

Don Chastain’s brother, David, asked the board if his rent would increase if it changed from a HUD-managed Section 9 to a different nonprofit-managed Section 8 program.

Jarvey said she didn’t think it would, but she and others are attending meetings and getting as much information as they can regarding the change.

“Right now the issue is keeping the rent as low as we can for those on a fixed income, yet being able to pay our bills,” Jarvey said. “That is why we are working so hard to get the heating issue, tax issue, and ownership of the property resolved.”