Henderson City Council member Garry Daeke, chair of the Community Development Committee, reported to the city council on Monday evening that a letter had been sent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) asking it to foreclose on Beacon Light.
On April 19, Daeke’s committee, whose regular members consist of council members Mary Emma Evans and Lonnie Davis, along with Ranger Wilkerson, Elissa Yount, Lynn Harper, Bobby Gupton, and City Manager Jerry Moss heard a presentation from George Carr of Beacon Management.
The “beacon” names are coincidental.
At that presentation, which was heard at the strong suggestion of a HUD representative, Carr presented a plan to renovate the decrepit apartment complex using tax credits. However, because the deadline for tax credits had passed for this year, Carr told members that the project would have to wait until next year.
He informed the committee that his partners were willing to advance $200,000 towards repairing the property until an anticipated $8 to $9 million in tax credits came through.
It was the general consensus of members of the council and the city manager that $200,000 would not begin to touch the problems of Beacon Light. Council members were also strongly against continued habitation in the complex, which is necessary for it to maintain its Section 8 status.
After Daeke informed the council that the letter requesting foreclosure had been sent, Moss told the council that there had been some confusion among residents of Beacon Light as to what was happening. He communicated to the council that he had distributed a flyer to the apartment complex management, but HUD had directed the city not to communicate with the tenants and the flyer had to be pulled.
The flyer contained a telephone number for HUD.
Moss asserted that the tenants were being misled, but that HUD had said it was their business and the city should stay out of it.
“After the authorized letter, we’re out of it,” council member Mary Emma Evans stated, clarifying Moss’ remarks.
Henderson Mayor Clem Seifert stated that Beacon Light residents are also Henderson residents and HUD cannot prevent us [city government] from representing them as council members.
Evans asked if council members could respond to questions from Beacon Light residents about whether they would be thrown out into the street. Moss assured Evans that that would not happen, although he did admit the possiblity that they could be relocated to another county.
Daeke stated that residents should have some amount of choice in relocation.
Council member Lynn Harper told the council that it needs to stay on top of the matter. She advised members that they could not forget about the raw sewage, black mold, and other substandard health risks that were witnessed on the council tour of the property.
“A better, safer place to live is primary here,” Harper said.
Seifert stated that the city has “some very good friends” in Washington. He said that Senator Burr will be in Henderson and “we can let him play next to the sewer”, reviving an image witnessed by members of the council of children at the complex who were playing next to a puddle of sewage.