Summary
HRA swears in new commissioner, elects officers, approves funding and agreements, and notes Astro Commons will not proceed
RichfieldMar 16, 20262 min read
At a glance
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The Richfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) sworn in Brett Stursa, elected Gordon Hanson as Chair, Sean Hayford Oleary as Vice Chair, and John Young as Secretary, approved consent items including a $50,000 VEAP amendment for emergency rental assistance and amended subgrants for Woodlawn Terrace, designated 2026 depositories, and recorded that the Astro Commons development will not move forward after failing to secure tax credits.
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Key decisions
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- Administered Oath of Office to incoming HRA Commissioner Brett Stursa.
- Elected officers (vote 5-0): Gordon Hanson as Chair; Sean Hayford Oleary as Vice Chair; John Young as Secretary.
- Approved the meeting agenda (vote 5-0).
- Approved minutes from the HRA Joint Work Session and HRA meeting of February 17, 2026 (vote 5-0).
- Approved Consent Calendar items (vote 5-0), including:
- - Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with VEAP to add $50,000 in Local Affordable Housing Aid for emergency rental assistance and related navigation/services.
- - Amended and restated Local Housing Incentive Account Subgrant Agreements with Home Source, Inc. and Woodlawn Terrace Cooperative adjusting funding amounts, outcomes, and deadlines.
- - Adoption of a resolution amending the HRA Bylaws to adjust order of operations.
- - Resolutions designating official depositories for the HRA for 2026 and approval of collateral.
- Recorded that the proposed Astro Commons development at 66th and Portland will not move forward after failing to secure tax credits for a fourth consecutive year; staff will evaluate next steps and noted the site is designated high-density multifamily with parcel size considerations.
- Noted the City has begun updating its TIF management plan (originally prepared in 2022) with an updated version expected this fall to guide spending and the affordable housing trust fund.
- Approved claims (vote 5-0) totaling $261,126.69 (HRA Checks $28,232.93; Section 8 Checks $232,893.76).
- Adjourned the meeting by unanimous consent at 7:10 p.m.; minutes approved April 20, 2026.
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Meeting information
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Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Mar 16, 2026, 7:00 PMRichfield Municipal Center, City Council Chambers, 6700 Portland Avenue, Richfield MN 55423completed
Agenda
- 1. Call to Order
- a. Brett Stursa Oath of Office1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical ContextDecision: Call to Order
- b. Election of officers for the Richfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | reports=1Decision: Call to Order
- 2. Roll Call
- 3. Open Forum
- a. Participants can share their comments in person, by voicemail, or email, and may also request to participate virtually. For more information on submitting comments, refer to the [AGENDA_OFFICIAL_BODY] Agenda and Minutes page on the City's Website .1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical ContextDecision: Open Forum
- 4. Approval of the Agenda
- 5. Approval of Minutes
- a. Approval of the minutes of the 1) Joint Housing and Redevelopment Authority and City Council Work Session of February 17, 2026; and 2) the Regular Housing and Redevelopment Authority Meeting of February 17, 2026.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=2Decision: Approval of Minutes
- 6. Presentations
- 7. Consent CalendarConsent Calendar contains several separate items, which are acted upon by the Housing Redevelopment Authority in one motion. Once the Consent Calendar has been approved, the individual items and recommended actions have also been approved. No further HRA action on these items is necessary. However, any HRA Commissioner may request that an item be removed from the Consent Calendar and placed on the regular agenda for discussion and action. All items listed on the Consent Calendar are recommended for approval.
- a. Consideration of an amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with VEAP to provide an additional $50,000 in Local Affordable Housing Aid funding for emergency rental assistance and the related navigation and servicing of the program.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=1 | reports=1Decision: Consent Calendar
- b. Consideration of amended and restated Local Housing Incentive Account Subgrant Agreements with Home Source, Inc. and Woodlawn Terrace Cooperative adjusting the funding amounts, outcomes, and deadline for the creation of new affordable housing opportunities in Woodlawn Terrace.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=2 | reports=1Decision: Consent Calendar
- c. Consider the adoption of a resolution amending the Bylaws of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority to adjust the order of operations.attachments=2 | reports=1Decision: Consent Calendar
- d. Consider resolutions designating official depositories for the Housing and Redevelopment Authority for 2026, including the approval of collateral.1A. Executive Summary 1B. Historical Context | attachments=3 | reports=1Decision: Consent Calendar
- 8. Consideration of Items, if Any Removed From Consent Calendar
- 9. Public Hearings
- 10. Resolutions
- 11. Other Business
- 12. Executive Director’s Report
- 13. HRA Discussion Items
- 14. Approval of Claims
- 15. Adjournment
Documents from this meeting
- Packethttps://richfieldmn.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=5438,plainText=false)
- Agendahttps://richfieldmn.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=5432,plainText=false)
- Minuteshttps://richfieldmn.api.civicclerk.com/v1/Meetings/GetMeetingFileStream(fileId=5536,plainText=false)
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