[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6496475,"mediaKeyId","5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8","parentId",5667006,"title","Hubbard County HRA presses DW Jones on Meadows Edge vacancies, tenant screening and collections","audioSeconds",2046,"startMs",506000,"endMs",2552000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8&start=506&end=2552","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8/thumbnail_506000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6496475/Hubbard-County/Minnesota/Hubbard-County-HRA-presses-DW-Jones-on-Meadows-Edge-vacancies-tenant-screening-and-collections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496475-69b528a7594b046b558855c338fefe74/orig.mp4?Expires=1770602491&Signature=T0fNkBUYOlu0nhPMhkANEe-d~idtMjGpVnvsbDslUsftN-CNne2KXMT1Ee2-8g~0uJQNe3pPoPbjbAuTcnSzsJyBlVPA0cHhjzc8laCT-27Ha2wZA42iIYkXGH1W3l7wlODlA2j3~sbsEjYRlG9s1J9qBF784BYlqpbygRFDeDV6Cnc52OZ1iUwZ-HdsZQfGITL14CoG6JeK5swe8a~PpYmeMIoc8ft-ntpi9CwUT1DI1gT40YWa2CeAJ8daOVWXxGF~XowpTGzgRO~FgkCJcP~Bghixx5vzWjF1lxbg5voomsR2r65FXa2cfDvqVui1-l3kVo~3LJPI6H1wm3tmGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hubbard County, MN","date","2025-08-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Hubbard County Housing and Redevelopment Authority on an unspecified date questioned its property manager, DW Jones, about occupancy, tenant screening and collections after one property showed notably different occupancy than nearby buildings.

Board members and staff discussed Meadows Edge' occupancy and whether lowering the tenant credit-score cutoff would address vacancies. Mary (staff member) said leasing staff had recently rejected applicants with credit scores between 570 and 599, below the HRA's current cutoff of 600, and that the property is \"the southern most of the 2 buildings over by Walmart\" and was reported as \"86%\" in the meeting transcript.

Why it matters: the HRA owns the developments and uses third-party managers; changes to screening, voucher acceptance or write-off practices affect rent revenue, taxpayer subsidies and the HRA's cash position.

Discussion and concerns

Mary said she had asked DW Jones for clarification about whether managers were using a conventional credit score or a blended residential score that accounts for eviction and rental history. \"We HLDC uses, what's called a residency rescore, and that takes into account not only credit, but eviction history, rental history,\" Mary said, describing how blended screening generally yields lower numerical cutoffs than mortgage credit scores.

Board members expressed concern that dropping a cutoff to 500 or similarly low levels could increase delinquencies and eviction risk. One board member said the HRA already requires a cosigner for applicants below 600 and asked how effective cosigners have been in practice.

Section 8 (Housing Choice Vouchers)

Board members were surprised to learn during the discussion that some HRA units appear to be accepting Section 8 vouchers. Mary said the HRA originally priced some workforce units \"just above the Section 8 guidelines\" so they would not be subsidized units, but that rents had likely stagnated and now allowed voucher acceptance in practice. Board members asked staff to research whether the HRA has formally elected to accept vouchers, how many units are occupied with vouchers and what legal or contractual steps would be required to change that policy.

Collections, write-offs and financial oversight

Mary read the manager's collection procedures, saying tenants one month behind receive a 15-day notice of intent to evict, followed by phone outreach and options such as a verified payment plan or move-out. \"If none of these options are received by the deadline, we proceed by filing for eviction,\" she said, describing a typical 2-to-4-week court timeline and the agency's practice of forwarding vacated balances to collections, where recovery \"is minimal, if any.\"

The board also flagged apparently large write-offs on year-end financials that the manager had booked directly to the properties. Board members said write-offs historically had been brought to the governing board for approval before being removed from the books and asked staff to confirm whether current practice matches the contract with DW Jones.

Audit and next steps

Mary reported accounting work to reconcile two software systems (Down Home and MIP) and said staff is completing entries and bank reconciliations to enable the auditor to review 2023 and 2024. The board agreed staff should seek legal and accounting clarification on voucher acceptance, write-off authority and vacancy drivers; members also said they want clearer answers from DW Jones about marketing, collections and cash management.

The board did not take a formal policy vote on screening thresholds at the meeting. Several members asked staff to return with counts of voucher users, vacancy data by property and a clearer explanation of advertising and leasing practices.

Ending

Staff will produce the requested data and confer with auditors and counsel; the board signaled it expects follow-up reporting before any change to tenant screening or formal voucher acceptance policy.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HRA/EDA Board - 19 Aug 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Hubbard County Housing and Redevelopment Authority on an unspecified date questioned its property manager, DW Jones, about occupancy, tenant screening and collections after one property showed notably different occupancy than nearby buildings.","taxTitle","Hubbard County, Minnesota","taxId",73153,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6496467,"Hubbard County HRA approves up to $75,000 to help Akeley complete year‑round restroom at park",538,2802000,3340000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8&start=2802&end=3340","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8/thumbnail_2802000.jpg","/articles/6496467/Hubbard-County/Minnesota/Hubbard-County-HRA-approves-up-to-75000-to-help-Akeley-complete-yearround-restroom-at-park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496467-360c367eee4e956cc9aa5e4ee83f5343/orig.mp4?Expires=1770602491&Signature=Ae04hPOsqjgde9H64fLAnhJfsuwpJ-Wd1i5UWSvE2IreZmt6qIkW8GnAYZBSLbTWPub4Lu8HCrxkg4Z9HZbqRWy7r2cySq~SzyMba9NXbUf7pfrcsMedEzU7QgDKIw870WhdZ-BhZ9I6nowhgplZvnL7CLCQHhe1QulAPkdw~EqraDw~w2FVyiVHHj2mvxiWblwTJwfYfTxB~zGE59SiDjq~CQ2CvxWW7F49xmx1poZDZDCpnxOWYna4CJ99bvUDbZCOeIbib4c~QY42OMwstK6ya2f9zrziVKshgVIJMVXPFD4Q757AOSadROH7Bn~rFq9P~D3TJhSEFRrtYwzGUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hubbard County HRA approved a motion to contribute up to $75,000 from budgeted economic-development (EDA) funds to help the City of Akeley complete construction of a year-round restroom serving a local park.

What the board approved

The board voted, by voice, to provide up to $75,000 toward the restroom project. Mary (staff member) said Akeley's initial bid estimates were \"just north of $200,000,\" though staff expected the city to obtain final bids and to reduce the county contribution to the difference once the exact cost is known.

Funding sources and local context

Mary noted the HRA had EDA dollars available this year that could cover the request. The Parks Department previously contributed $65,000 to related parking improvements, and Mary said the community had recently received an additional $20,000 from a local bank, reducing the remaining shortfall.

Mary also supplied data from Placer AI showing increased visitors tied to the parking lot and suggested the restroom would support local businesses and trail users. The board discussed soliciting additional community donations and potential participation by the Minnesota DNR but approved the contribution to move the project forward.

Vote and next steps

A board member moved to approve \"up to $75,000\"; another board member seconded. The motion carried by voice vote. Staff said the county contribution will be reduced if actual bids come in lower than the estimate and that the city would submit final bids for the board to administratively allocate the funds.

Ending

Staff will track final bids and adjust the county's contribution to the lesser amount needed to complete the restroom; no additional appropriations were made at the meeting beyond the authorized up-to amount.","The HRA voted to contribute up to $75,000 from economic development funds toward construction of a year-round restroom at a City of Akeley park, contingent on final bids; the board approved the motion by voice vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6496470,"Hubbard County HRA tables fixed-asset capitalization policy pending county update",249,2517000,2766000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8&start=2517&end=2766","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5667006-2df82e45e2246eaef866de023831b7c8/thumbnail_2517000.jpg","/articles/6496470/Hubbard-County/Minnesota/Hubbard-County-HRA-tables-fixed-asset-capitalization-policy-pending-county-update","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496470-4925f491b9abf30f81dd60957d1ccb3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770602491&Signature=UgTldDMuo~qVqDlvDtGvzno4zTw0igM7p1tytr1TOU1COUWZbKTy1zcKe5u5Sz4u5tNkhYYDIGmGZAH3dxubu3~eyAyUdX-L97CKn~zoMe8jb9F3HBs1-RQfvvzZxH7L4Tun8XWVGqFMv9JvT9d~5lNHzyuEBgBg5e6B10~HY0s7iE2ylyKyxixUVL59geVEyWcjns4II1IaJmt~~eHuDZRZzVVGp0D6NKHqOZbdSmd816yjw9v1rglkDgGDuUEKtSYhnsZc3TxKRIstcAnXc2KVGObGynNgmLp1tZMhnUxl-0pPdWL5aQPCIg9~zh3FcC-3geGUholnsAtJ-AbX5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hubbard County HRA on an unspecified date tabled consideration of a fixed-asset capitalization policy so the authority could adopt the same language and thresholds the county plans to use.

Staff recommendation and rationale

Mary (staff member) recommended setting a capitalization threshold at $5,000 to avoid tracking low-value items such as appliances. \"In most cases, these purchases are well under $1,000,\" Mary said, adding that using a $5,000 threshold would simplify depreciation schedules and reduce administrative burden.

County alignment and board caution

Mary told the board the county is updating its capital assets policy and recommended the HRA hold off adopting its own policy until the county finalizes language and thresholds. \"So you need to see the language before you can vote on approving a policy,\" Mary said.

Board action

A motion to table the item carried by voice vote. Board members asked staff to return with the county's updated policy text and a proposed HRA policy that mirrors county language.

Ending

The HRA will revisit the fixed-asset capitalization policy after the county finalizes its update; board members emphasized they wanted the final draft language available before any adoption vote.","The HRA deferred adoption of a fixed-asset capitalization policy after staff recommended aligning the authority's threshold with an upcoming county policy update and board members asked to review final language before voting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hubbard County HRA presses DW Jones on Meadows Edge vacancies, tenant screening and collections

Hubbard County HRA approves up to $75,000 to help Akeley complete year‑round restroom at park

Hubbard County HRA tables fixed-asset capitalization policy pending county update