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Fraser Housing Authority approves Griffith Blessing to manage St. Louis Landing; board directs staff to draft tenant-preference policy
Summary
The Fraser Housing Authority approved a property-management agreement with Griffith Blessing for the St. Louis Landing project, accepting staff edits and a 3% management fee. The Board of Trustees then directed staff to draft a tenant-preference policy using a tiered, point-based lease-up system and return with a formal policy for approval.
The Fraser Housing Authority voted June 3 to approve Resolution 2026601, authorizing a property-management agreement with Griffith Blessing to operate the St. Louis Landing affordable-housing project. Assistant Town Manager Sarah Tanzite told trustees the manager—s compensation would be a 3% management fee on rental revenues, with certain utility and damage fees included in that revenue base and subsidies excluded. The board voted by voice to carry the resolution.
The board heard from Griffith Blessing vice president Tom Pletchek and regional manager Mary Beth White, who described their firm—s experience with income-restricted lease-ups in mountain markets and said the company would place an on-site resident manager and begin marketing and lease-up work during the ramp-up period. "Thirty days usually" is a typical marketing and pre-lease ramp, Pletchek said when asked about the time needed before first occupancy. Mary Beth White said the firm aims for an on-site manager and regular portfolio oversight.
Staff explained how rents and subsidy flows will be handled: trust accounts at UNMB will receive bond proceeds, operating revenues and reserves, and Griffith Blessing will collect rents and access operating funds under agreed procedures. Sarah Tanzite said the board—s edits to the draft contract add a tenant-management plan as Schedule C and clarify the fee exhibits.
After the Housing Authority action, trustees resumed the Board of Trustees meeting and spent the bulk of the evening shaping direction on tenant preferences for St. Louis Landing—s initial lease-up. Staff proposed a three-tier sequencing system: tier one to prioritize Fraser employees and county critical-workforce occupants, tier two to include other county employees or regional public-service staff whose region includes Grand County, and tier three for all applicants who meet AMI and primary-residence rules.
On lease-up methodology the board indicated a preference for a point-based system rather than a pure lottery. Board members discussed points for longevity in the community, local high-school graduates, time on the wait list, and critical-worker status; they also agreed ADA-compliant units should be matched with residents who need those designs. Sarah Tanzite said Griffith Blessing will handle employment and income verification as part of application processing.
A trustee moved, and the board approved by voice vote, a direction for staff to prepare a formal tenant-preference policy reflecting the board—s tiered sequencing and point-based prioritization and to return that policy for formal consideration at a future meeting. The motion did not finalize point weights; staff said they will present specific point-weighting scenarios when they return to the board.
Next procedural steps for St. Louis Landing include executing the management agreement with the agreed edits, continuing coordination on trust-account procedures with UNMB, and staff—s preparation of the point-based leasing policy to be reviewed by legal counsel before returning to the board.
