BOC – September 2025 Meeting Minutes

Little River Housing Authority 
Board Meeting
Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM.

The meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Little River County Housing Authority was held on Thursday, September 11, 2025 @ 2:00 pm via Zoom.

Members present: Chairperson Barbara Brown, Commissioner Anthony Nelson, Commissioner Terry Smith and Secretary Denise Riley.
Members absent: Commissioner Mike Cranford

Item I: Meeting was called to order by Vice-Chair Commissioner Anthony Nelson.

Item II: Invocation by Vice-Chair Commissioner Anthony Nelson.

Item III: Roll call by Secretary Denise Riley.

Item IV: Election of Officers: Denise Riley explained that the election of officers will be postponed until the end of the month due to missing ballots. There are still 2 ballots out. She will text the results of the election before the end of September.

Item V: Term extension for Commissioner Mike Cranford: Denise Riley discussed the term extension for Commissioner Cranford, noting that his term ends on September 30, 2025, and it will be extended for another five years if both parties are interested. The board agreed to offer Commissioner Cranford the term extension, noting the benefits of his service to the group.

Item VI: Resolutions for Approval and/or Adoptions

• Resolution #2025-16: Approval of Meeting Agenda: Meeting agenda was mailed to all Board members for review prior to the meeting. A motion was made by Commissioner Terry Smith to approve the meeting agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Anthony Nelson. All were in favor. Motion carried.
  
  
• Resolution #2025-17: Approval of Previous Minutes: Previous Minutes were mailed to all Board members for review prior to the meeting. A motion was made by Commissioner Anthony Nelson to accept the previous minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Terry Smith. All were in favor. Motion carried.
  
  
• Resolution #2025-18: Approval to increase Executive Director's salary: A salary study was conducted by The Nelrod Company. A copy of the salary study was mailed to all Board members for review prior to the meeting. Denise Riley explained that she has not received a raise since becoming the Executive Director on July 1, 2016. According to the salary study, Executive Director's salary needs to increase by 8% to bring her salary from $81,216.00 to $87,723.43. Moving forward, Board Commissioners will review ED's salary on a yearly basis. A motion was made by Commissioner Amanda Johnson. Seconded by Commissioner Terry Smith. All were in favor. Motion carried.

Item VII: Executive Director Reports

• Financial Reports: Denise Riley presented the financial report, including bank statements and check registers for the public housing and HCV programs. She explained the transactions highlighted on the check registers, including payments to Precision Ventures LLC for Tankless Hot Water Heaters and a lump sum payment to the Housing Agency Retirement Trust.
  
  
• Management reports: Denise Riley provided a vacancy report, noting seven vacancies and the difficulty in getting local applicants to apply. She explained the process of leasing properties and the preference for local residents. Denise Riley updated the board on the HCV program, noting 49 tenants are leased up and the need to halt issuing new vouchers due to financial constraints.

Item VIII: New Business

• RAD Conversion update: Denise Riley provided an update on the RAD conversion, mentioning the leniency of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Development on flood zone areas for tax credits. She explained the strategy of waiting until early 2026 to apply for tax credits.
  
  
• Capital Fund project: Denise Riley reported that Precision Ventures has completed installing 56 tankless hot water heaters in one (1) bedroom units in Foreman and Ashdown. LRCHA received $36,400.00 back in rebates from tankless hot water heater installations.
  
  
• Other projects: Denise Riley gave a report on the next small project for LRCHA. LRCHA will be cutting down trees on some of the properties in Ashdown. The board discussed the need to address tree issues on the property and the challenges of working with neighboring property owners.

Having no more business, a motion was made by Commissioner Anthony Nelson to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Commissioner Terry Smith. All were in favor. The meeting was adjourned.