Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Axa Troncoso was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the Warsaw Housing Authority Board of Commissioners.
Troncoso replaces Sue Charlton, who completed six years of service to the board in December. Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins issued the oath of office to Troncoso prior to the start of Monday's meeting. The members of the WHA board are by mayoral appointment and the term of service is three years.
In board business, WHA executive director Laura Kaufman told the board that employees were given salary bonuses for meeting performance goals.
Kim Baney received a $500 bonus for the number of clients she was able to get onto the program. A goal of 80 percent was set for Dec. 1 and, as of that date, the agency was at 83 percent utilization. Additional bonuses will be awarded if a goal of 95 percent is met by June 1.
Kaufman said she ideally would like to see the agency running at 100 percent or more. She added that the utilization rate was in the low 60 percentile when she began working for the agency less than a year ago.
Kaufman said about 10 new people were added to the housing assistance program in November and December. Part of the increase is attributed to the bonus incentive and part to the fact that solicitation letters have brought new landlords into the program.
"We are going in the right direction," Kaufman said.
In other business, the board heard updates on the owner-occupied rehabilitation projects in Warsaw and Pierceton.
Three contracts are expected to be awarded soon in Pierceton for improvements on houses and Kaufman said there likely will be enough money left to do one or two more houses there.
Kaufman told the board that the Dell computer data base was purchased for $879 and is up and running.
The fiscal year 2000 audit was completed earlier this month and, although the written report is not yet available, Kaufman said there were no findings by the auditors.
The WHA board of commissioners meets at 5:15 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month in the office of Lemon, Armey, Hearn & Leininger.
Members of the board are Bob Kline, Sherri Ruggier-Milton, Tom Lemon, Dennis Cultice and Axa Troncoso.
