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Monthly Archives: May 2013

Re-Imagining Albany High School A Town Hall Meeting

By albanyhousing | Published: May 28, 2013

A Town Hall Meeting

 

As the City School District of Albany partners with the community

to plan for the future of Albany High School

all community members are invited to participate

in this discussion of the academic, social-emotional and

extracurricular programs that will best serve

all students in the decades to come.

Monday, June 10

6:30-8:30 p.m.

William S. Hackett Middle School

45 Delaware Avenue

 

District representatives will lead a conversation and answer questions

about programs and services that would be offered

in a new or renovated Albany High School.

The forum will be held in the Hackett cafeteria. Parking will be available in the rear lot, accessible from Leonard Place off of Delaware Avenue.

Please call the Communications Office with questions at 475-6065.

We hope you will be able to participate!

Town Hall Meeting Flyer

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Father’s Day Community Breakfast

By albanyhousing | Published: May 24, 2013

Treat your Father or Father Figure to Breakfast

Father’s Day Event:

  • Father’s Day Awards
  • Music, Food and Drinks
  • Prizes and Giveaways
  • Father of the Year!
  • Free Community Breakfast

Contact Urban Arts for more information and Nominate your Father for the “Father of the Year” award by submitting an essay telling us how great he is and e-mail to info@toodeepentertainment.com or please call (518) 380-6701.

SATURDAY, JUNE 15th, 2013

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Arbor Hill Recreational Baseball 2013

By albanyhousing | Published: May 20, 2013

Boys and Girls Ages 7-12
Instructional and Fundamentals Clinic
10:00 AM Every Saturday
Arbor Hill Baseball Field
Lark St. and Manning Blvd.

AHRB

For more information contact:
The Department of Recreation 434-5699

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Albany Housing Authority gets rated High Performer!!

By albanyhousing | Published: May 14, 2013

The Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) score attained by the Albany Housing Authority for the year ending December 31, 2012, ranks it among the best public housing authorities in the country.

Publication

The PHAS score is a compilation of a housing authority’s overall performance in the areas of physical plant, financial, management and resident satisfaction. HUD uses the PHAS evaluation to assess its portfolio in order to ascertain whether a public housing authority is providing its residents with safe, decent, affordable housing.

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Update from Capital South Campus Center!

By albanyhousing | Published: May 14, 2013

Report One, May 14, 2013   •   Capital South Campus Center   •   20 Warren St. Albany, NY

City Streets: Good   •   Site Conditions: Dry   •   Purpose: Scheduled inspections   •   Photographs: Below   •   Inspector: Robert Becker

4/29/13

  • After site clearing and preliminary staging areas were prepared building line E was excavated.
  • Clay mixed with ashes and miscellaneous debris was encountered

5/06/13

  • Excavations continued to complete building foot print pile cap sub grade.
  • Materials encountered were consistent with pre construction soils investigations.

5/07/13

  • View from 3 Lincoln Square indicating geotextile fabric and crushed stone base material.

5/8/13

  • Completed excavation and stone base ready for driven pile operations

Short term schedule:

  • Commence pile driving (test piles) 5/15 to 5/17
  • Dynamic testing 5/18
  • Pile driving 5/20 through 6/7
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Young Scholar and Albany High School Featured in the TImes Union!!

By albanyhousing | Published: May 14, 2013

Albany – June Criscione faced a choice in middle school that would shape the course of her life:

She chose where she wanted to attend high school. Though her parents said she could choose among a host of Capital Region private schools, she felt only one place would push her in the right way: Albany High School.

“I looked for the school that would challenge me the most,” she said. “I felt Albany High would have everything I needed.”

She made the right choice.

Criscione, 18, is graduating next month. In the fall, she’ll head to Harvard University. Earlier this month, she was named one of 141 U.S. Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest academic honors for high school students. Criscione had a perfect score on her ACT exam and an almost perfect score on her SAT. She plays violin and runs cross country. She made the choice in fifth grade to be a good student.

“Presidential Scholars demonstrate the accomplishments that can be made when students challenge themselves, set the highest standards, and commit themselves to excellence,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement.

Criscione’s success is also a reminder that Albany High consistently produces a crop of students who head off to the nation’s top colleges. Though it is a frequent target of critics, she said Albany High has plenty of success stories like hers.

“There’s nothing here that can hold you back from achieving,” she said.

Criscione is one of at least three Albany high seniors heading to Ivy League schools in the fall. Hillel Adler will join her at Harvard and Asha Pollydore will attend Dartmouth College.

Criscione said Albany High had a unique mix of high-level classes, especially advanced placement and International Baccalaureate that she said other local high schools did not offer. She credited the school’s extensive extracurricular activities and its music programs and diversity as well as a lot of help from her parents — a lawyer and a former teacher — as the reason she got into Harvard.

“She has yet to find her limits,” said math teacher Margot Plumadore, her mentor. “It’s so exciting to see what is going to happen next, when the bird flies the nest. It’s nice to be in her aura.”

Though she could coast through the rest of the year, as high schools seniors throughout the land are doing this month, Criscione was anxious to head home for studying. She has a new crop of AP exams to take, even though Harvard won’t accept them as credit.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” she said. “I put effort into the classes, I want to see how well I mastered the material.”

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Young-scholar-high-honor-4512654.php#ixzz2THmkUN6e

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AHA Board of Commissioners May Agenda

By albanyhousing | Published: May 10, 2013

AGENDA

ALBANY HOUSING AUTHORITY

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013 at 2:00 P.M.

200 South Pearl Street

1.         Roll Call.            

2.         Community Forum            

3.         Reading and approval of the minutes of the previous meeting held April 8, 2013            

4.         Action Calendar

05-13-18         Approval to send 11 staff members to Philadelphia, PA. from June 9th – June 12th  to attend a Tenmast National User Conference.  Amount totaling $13, 461.58 for the Hotel stay and Conference.   Attendance is necessary as we will have a first major Tenmast upgrade which effects Section 8, Applications, and Public Housing and Tax Credit staff.  Upgrade is scheduled for September 2013.  The conference has 2 days of hands on training and is the closest location to AHA.

  • Cost of Training:  $695.00 PP
  • All will drive to location
  • All will stay at the same hotel

05-13-19         Approval to award Contract #03-2013-5 for Repair of Flood Damage at 200 South Pearl Street to the low bidder MasterSeal of Albany, Inc. for $67, 500.00 pending approval of Housing Authority Insurance.  (Ratified)

2nd Bid:           $113,390.00, Wainschaf Associates, Inc.

3rd Bid:            $210,112.56 Quick Response Commercial, LLC.   05-13-20

Approval to award Contract #03-2013-4.1 for Carpet and Linoleum Tile Replacement in Flood Damaged Areas 200 South Pearl Street to Mohawk Valley Carpets, LLC for $41,100.00  pending approval of Housing Authority Insurance.  (Ratified)

2nd Bid:           $47,800.00, Flooring Environment, Inc.,

3rd Bid:            $48,600.00, Landmark Flooring. 05-13-21

Approval to award Contract #03-2013-4.2 for Carpet Replacement in Non-Damaged South Wing, 200 South Pearl Street to Mohawk Valley Carpets, LLC for 41,100.00.  (Ratified)

2nd Bid:           $47,800.00, Flooring Environment, Inc.,

3rd Bid:            $53,600.00, Landmark Flooring. 05-13-22

Approval to enter contract with Natural Gas and Electricity provider for transportation and consumption services for Natural Gas and Electricity to AHA properties.  (Vendor to be determined based on pricing refresh and current market conditions) This RFP process is coordinated by Ameresco Inc. as AHA’s energy performance contractor and coordinator for natural gas and electricity procurement.  Pricing is valid in for 24 hour periods and will be executed to the provider offering the best value for AHA.  (Ratified) 05-13-23         Approval to enter into a three (3) year contract with highest scoring firm, Gallivan Corporation for AHA’s Lawn Maintenance.  This contract will cover existing AMP’s requirements in the annual amount of $142,966.46 for the contract term May 14, 2013 thru May 13, 2016 with 2 additional – 1 year options to extend contract. Ancillary services incorporated into this contract on an as needed basis include:

  1. One (1) cu. yd.  of  “Dark”/”Midnight” mulch:                                Cost: $43.10
  2. Tree removal services:                                                                      Cost: $280
  3. Aeration per Acre                                                                               Cost: $324
  4. Hydro seeding per acre;                                                                     Cost: $1,973
  5. Shaping of existing shrubbery at all sites:                                        Cost: $4,547
  6. Spring & Fall Clean Outs at all sites:                                                Cost: $14,067

Results of the RFP, evaluation scores, the 1 and 3 year proposal amounts are as follows:

Vendor Score Out of a Possible 100 Pts. 1 year proposal Amount 3 year Proposal Amount
1st Gallivan, Corporation

93.2

 $142,966.46 $428,899.38
2nd Lawn Pro

90.8

 $157,430.00 $472,290.00
3rd T&P Lawn and Landscape

69.9

 $199,160.00 $597,480.00
4th Hitchcock Building and Grounds

67.3

 $121,290.00 $363,870.00
5th Superior Landscaping

62.4

 $216,229.00 $648.687.00
6th Premier

51.6

 $162,760.00 $488,280.00
7th A Cut Above Landscaping

67.3

 $165,750.00 $497,250.00

05-13-24         Whereas HUD has encouraged the adoption of smoke free policies in multifamily housing rental assistance programs and the Center for Disease Control has found that prohibiting smoking in all U.S. subsidized housing would lead to cost savings of about $521 million a year, ($341 million in Health Care costs, $108 million in renovation costs, and $72 million in smoking related fire costs) the 56 units under construction titled South End Phase III and the 22 units under construction at Academy Lofts on Swan Street shall be totally smoke free and Management shall establish smoke-free housing policies for those units that comply with all applicable fair housing and civil rights requirements.  

  1. Reports of Committees

 

  1. Unfinished Business

 

  1. New Business:

  8.         Bills and Communications   9.         Report of the Executive Secretary

  1. A.    Monthly Management Report
  2. B.    Monthly Financial Report (Deputy Director)
  3. C.    Items for Advisement and Discussion
  • Bank Balance as of 5/9/13                            

10.       Adjournment –

NEXT MEETING:

Monday, June 10, 2013 @ 2:00 p.m.

200 South Pearl Street, Albany, New York 12202

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Hudson River: Health Advice on Eating Fish You Catch

By albanyhousing | Published: May 9, 2013

Fishing is fun and fish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish contain high quality protein, essential nutrients, healthy fish oils and are low in saturated fat. However, some fish contain chemicals at levels that may be harmful to your health. The primary chemicals of concern in Hudson River fish are called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and they can build up in your body over time. Health problems that may result from eating fish with PCBs range from small changes in health that are hard to detect to effects on birthweight and cancer. (Visit www.health.ny.gov/fish for more info.) Eating Hudson River fish can be a concern because fish can have many thousands times more PCBs than the surrounding water. New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) offers advice about eating fish you catch. The health advice about which fish to eat depends upon:

filet_diagram_450x292

Who You Are
Women of childbearing age (under 50) and children under 15 should not eat fish or crabs from the Hudson River from the Corinth Dam to the New York City Battery. Women who eat highly contaminated fish and become pregnant may have an increased risk of having children who are slower to develop and learn. Chemicals may have a greater effect on the development of young children or unborn babies. Also, some chemicals may be passed on in mother’s milk. Women beyond their childbearing years and men may face fewer health risks from PCBs. For hat reason, the advice for women over age 50 and men over age 15 allows them to eat more kinds of sport fish and more often, particularly in the lower Hudson.

Hudson Fish Info

Where You Fish
The advice on eating Hudson fish depends upon where on the river you fish. The Hudson River around Hudson Falls has been more affected by industrial chemicals. In general, fish from the lower Hudson are less contaminated. For example, from the Troy Dam to the Bridge at Catskill, no one is advised to eat striped bass. However, south of Catskill, men and older women can eat up to one striped bass meal a month. The Hudson River advice also applies to its tributaries and connected waters if there are no dams, falls or barriers to stop the fish from moving upstream. This is because chemicals remain in fish when they move from one waterbody to another.

What You Catch
Some species (kinds of fish) have higher levels of chemicals than others. In general, smaller fish are less contaminated than larger, older fish of the same species. PCBs are also found at higher levels in the fat of fish. Reduce PCBs by trimming, skinning and cooking your catch as shown in the diagram on the back of brochure. Certain species with a lot of fat, like catfish and eels, should be avoided because they have high levels of PCBs.

HUDSON FISH

Visit www.health.ny.gov/fish for the latest fish advisory information

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AHA wins Excellence in Historic Preservation Award

By albanyhousing | Published: May 2, 2013

Read the Full Article here courtesy of readMedia and the Preservation League

ALBANY, NY (05/01/2013)(readMedia)– The Preservation League of New York State has selected the Albany Housing Authority to receive an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation as an outstanding organization.

The League’s statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York State’s irreplaceable architectural heritage.

“Albany, like many upstate cities, has struggled with the issue of vacant and abandoned buildings. While other municipal organizations have made the decision to raze and rebuild, the Albany Housing Authority has committed to retaining and restoring the historic buildings that give the city’s neighborhoods their distinctive, historic ambience,” said Jay DiLorenzo, president of the Preservation League. “The rehabilitation of houses in Albany’s South End and Arbor Hill neighborhoods is a sustainable choice that bolsters the desirability of urban living for clients of the Housing Authority and neighbors alike. Finally, by providing space for the administrative offices of the Albany County Historical Association in the renovated King’s Place property, the Housing Authority has forged a strong partnership with one of the beacons of Arbor Hill’s cultural, historic and artistic renaissance.”

Contributing to the success of the Albany Housing Authority are City of Albany Mayor Jennings; Capitalize Albany Corporation; Albany County Historical Association; Harris A. Sanders Architects, P.C.; Norstar Development USA; Omni Housing Development, LLC; CK Dennis Architect; AOW Associates, Inc.; County of Albany; Wainshaf Associates, Inc., CSArch Architects; Cannon Heyman & Weiss, LLP; and Taconic Title Agency, all of Albany. Funding support was provided by NYS Homes and Community Renewal; US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, Key Community Development Corporation; PNC Bank National Association; Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and Community Preservation Corporation.

Mayor Gerald Jennings called the King’s Place project “another significant milestone in achieving the goals we set forth in the Arbor Hill Neighborhood Plan of 2003,” while Michael Yevoli, Commissioner of Development and Planning and the President of the Capitalize Albany Corporation, described the Albany Housing Authority as an “exceptional partner in our revitalization of the Arbor Hill neighborhood.”

Darren Scott, the Director of Planning and Development at Albany Housing Authority, said, “Thank you to the Preservation League of New York State for recognizing the role that the affordable housing community can play in the preservation and revitalization of what are often both our most treasured and at-risk neighborhoods. The Albany Housing Authority accepts this award with honor on behalf of our entire team of funders, project participants, and neighborhood stakeholders, whose support and hard work allow the Authority to be an able partner for those who wish to transform their future, and that of their community, into one of choice.”

The awards will be presented at the Preservation League’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony in New York City at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15th at the historic New York Yacht Club, 37 West 44th Street.

The complete list of award winners is: the New York State Capitol, Restoration of Skylights and Laylights, Albany County; East 180th Street Station, Bronx; Keramos Hall, Brooklyn; Hotel @ The Lafayette, Buffalo; The TAUNY Center, Canton; The Central Trust Building, Rochester. Albany Housing Authority will be honored for organizational excellence. The Buffalo News: Dawn Bracely, Editorial Writer and Stanford Lipsey, Publisher Emeritus, will be honored as an outstanding publication.

“As we launch our 40th Anniversary celebration in 2013, the Preservation League is looking forward to exploring not just the past, but the future of historic preservation. Many of the 2013 award winners provide valuable examples for other practitioners by incorporating energy efficiency techniques, adaptive reuse strategies and Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits,” said DiLorenzo. “Each year, we are impressed by the number and variety of laudable nominations, and this year was no exception. We are delighted to celebrate the work of the Albany Housing Authority.”

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The Preservation League’s Excellence in Historic Preservation awards program is funded by a generous grant from the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation.

The Preservation League of New York State invests in people and projects that champion the essential role of preservation in community revitalization, sustainable economic growth, and the protection of our historic buildings and landscapes. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs all across the state.

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