Herkimer Housing Authority

SPRING 2018 NEWSLETTER Herkimer Housing Authority Spring 2018 Inside this issue: Plumbing issues 2 Spring clean up day 2 Furniture Disposal 2 Smoke Detectors 3 Air Conditioners 3 Inspection Schedule 3 Bed Bug Policy 3 Special Tenant Election 3 Kindergarten and Pre-K 4 Head Start Preschool 4 Security Deposit Tips 4 Social Security Online 5 NYS OTDA Income 5 Message from the Director Many apartment fires are caused by grease on stove tops, ovens, or range hoods or by unsupervised children playing with matches or lighters. Avoid leaving children alone at home where they can start fires if playing with matches, and clean grease off your stove and range hood, and keep your oven clean to avoid fires while cooking. In addition, do not leave food cooking if you cannot be there to watch it, and never use ovens or burners on the stove to heat your apartment. Other dangers around your apartment that can cause fires are frayed electrical cords or broken plugs or electrical cords that are run under rugs. Also, you must keep all exits clear of clutter, and windows should not be blocked by furniture or other obstructions that cannot be easily moved. In case of fire, exit your front or back door. Most importantly, never disconnect your smoke detectors. Taking batteries out of, or disconnecting smoke detectors is a serious violation of your lease for which you could be evicted. Income Tax Forms 5 Facebook/Website Info 5 Pick up toys 5 Richard M. Dowe Executive Director Grounds/Cigarette disposal 6

Plumbing Issues We have had some significant plumbing issues over the past few months which were the result of people disposing items in toilets and drains such as baby wipes, food, grease, and other items that do not belong in the plumbing. Baby wipes and other feminine products are never to be flushed, even if they say on the carton that they are flushable. They just do not break down and cause serious issues with the plumbing. Even a small amount of grease can cause big problems. Keep an old mayonnaise jar, peanut butter jar, or tin can for the disposal of grease. (Be sure to cool the grease before pouring it into plastic, and put the tin can in a plastic bag before disposal) Once full, it can go right into the dumpster. Besides being an awful chore for our maintenance men, plugged up pipes are a costly issue when we have to hire someone with the proper equipment to clean out the drains. Furniture Disposal If you need to get rid of furniture or other items such as chairs, couches, mattresses or box springs, please be advised that there is a charge of $20.00 for each item. You may place the item along side the dumpster (not in it) for maintenance to pick up. Small items such as end tables can be put into the dumpster at no charge provided there is room. You must call the office to report any large item that is being put out to the dumpster, and your account will be charged accordingly. When items appear at the dumpster without informing the office, the cameras will be checked to see who put them there! SPRING CLEAN-UP/FREE JUNK REMOVAL DAY In order to prepare for annual inspections and to assist in spring clean-up, we are offering a FREE TRASH DAY at Creekside Courts, Eastern Gardens and Mid-Town Apartments. Participating in spring clean-up day will help you fulfill your Community Service requirements! Creekside Courts: Maintenance will place our flat bed trailer on site on Thursday, April 12th for any large items you wish to discard at no charge. The trailer will remain on site through Monday, April 16th. Maintenance will be happy to assist any Senior Citizens who requests help. YARD CLEAN-UP DAY will be held on Friday, April 13th. We will gather by the maintenance garage at 10:30 a.m. If you are required to perform community service, this is a perfect opportunity to build up some time. Just have one of the staff sign your timesheet. Come out to help with grounds clean-up and help keep your complex a place you re proud to call home. Eastern Gardens: The flat bed trailer will be on site on Thursday, April 19th for any large items you would like to discard at no charge. The trailer will remain on site through Monday, April 23rd. Maintenance will be happy to assist any Senior Citizens who request help. YARD CLEAN-UP DAY at Eastern Gardens is scheduled for Friday, April 20th. We will gather by the maintenance garage at 10:30 a.m. As mentioned above, please come out to help keep Eastern Gardens a place you can be proud of. Midtown Apartment residents will be able to get rid of any broken furniture or large household items on April 26th through April 30th. If you need help, please call the office to make arrangements for maintenance to come and help you move the items. Page 2

It will soon be time to put in air conditioners again. Air conditioners may be installed no earlier than May 1st and must be removed by October 1st. The fee for each air conditioner is $40.00 per season and must be paid prior to installation. Anyone living in Eastern Gardens or Creekside Courts must have a platform for their air conditioners to protect the new window frames. If you don t have one from last year, please call the office to order one. There is no charge for the platform. YOU MUST PAY THE SEASONAL AIR CONDITIONER FEE BEFORE INSTALLING IT! HAPPY EASTER! Easter this year is on April 1st! Apartment Inspection Schedule 1/18/18 101-118 and 201-219 4/19/18 A1-A8, B1-B6, C1-C8 and E1-E8 5/17/18 F1-F6, G1-G8 and H1-H6 6/14/18 M10-M15, N10-N17 and R10-R17 9/13/18 J10 J21, K10-K21 and L10-L13 10/18/18...301-319 and 401-419 Special Tenant Election We are holding a special election to elect one person to a 1 year term to fill a vacancy on the Board of Commissioners. Notices have gone out to inform all tenants of the Special Election and to encourage tenants to run for the seat on the Board. If you are interested in running for the position, you can get a Nominating Petition packet at the office. All you need are 20 tenant signatures to get your name on the ballot. If you would like more information, please contact the office. The election will be held on Monday, April 2, 2018. Please make arrangements for an adult to be home on your scheduled inspection day. SMOKE DETECTORS Do not touch the smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. If you hear beeping, call in a work order to the office immediately. If it starts beeping after business hours, if possible, please wait for the next business day to call the office. If maintenance has to come out after hours to replace a battery, you will be charged $30 for an after hours maintenance charge. HHA policy: Removing any batteries from smoke/carbon monoxide detectors OR failing to notify the landlord if the detector is inoperable for any reason is a cause for termination of your lease. Bed Bug Policy Bed bugs are a world wide nuisance! We have been fortunate here at Herkimer Housing Authority, but want to remind everyone about our bed bug policy. If you suspect that you may have a bed bug problem, you must call the office right away. Your call will be kept in confidence as much as possible. Maintenance will evaluate the situation, and if bugs are found, we will have a pest control professional treat your apartment at no cost to you. The only time you might be charged is for repeat instances of bed bugs (3 times or more). The sooner the problem is reported, the easier it is to treat the area, so please call us immediately if you suspect you may have a problem. If it is confirmed that there are bed bugs in your apartment, the problem can be resolved with just 2 treatments. Remember, it is not a reflection on your housekeeping, but a reality in today s world! If you would like a copy of our Bed Bug Policy, please call the office. Page 3

Kindergarten and Universal Pre-K Registration Herkimer Elementary Kindergarten registration for children who will be 5 years old on or before December 1, 2018: Tuesday, March 13, 2018 from 2-5 p.m. Herkimer Universal Pre-K registration for children who will be 4 years old by December 1, 2018: Tuesday, March 20, 2018 from 2-5:00 p.m. Herkimer BOCES Targeted Pre-K registration Thursday, March 22, 2018 8 a.m.-3 p.m. You can contact the Elementary School office at 315-866-8562 for more information or to request a kindergarten registration packet. Head Start Pre-School at Creekside Courts and Eastern Gardens Head Start is accepting applications for their waiting list for the following pre-school classes: Creekside Courts Toddler classroom for 18 month to 36 month old children Creekside Courts Infant classroom for 6 week old to 18 month old children Eastern Gardens Pre-K for 3 year old to 5 year old children Call 315-624-9930 to set up an appointment for an interview to get your child placed on the waiting list. Don t forget, Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 11th this year! Tips on getting your Security Deposit back after you move out: Be sure to give proper notice. We require a full calendar month s notice. That means you need to inform us in writing on or before the first of the month that you are planning to move out at the end of the month. Move out paperwork can be found on our website, www.herkimerhousing.org or by requesting the paperwork from the office Be sure to remove everything from the apartment. This includes broken furniture and bags of trash and garbage Make sure the floors and appliances are clean Make sure kitchen and bathroom are cleaned Make sure the grounds around your apartment are clean Be sure to return all keys that were issued to you. If you do not return all your keys, there will be a $50 per door charge plus $9.50 for each key that was issued to you for changing the locks and keys Make sure your rent is paid and up to date Provide the office with your complete new address so we know where to send the Security Deposit If you do these things, and there is no damage in your apartment other than normal wear and tear, you will receive your Security Deposit refund within 30 days of your lease termination! Page 4

Social Security Benefits Online: Social Security launched My Social Security, a personalized online account that people can use beginning in their working years and continuing throughout the time they receive Social Security benefits. If you require proof of your income from Social Security, Social Security beneficiaries and SSI you can go online and get an official benefit verification letter instantly. The benefit verification letter serves as proof of income to secure loans, mortgages and other housing, and state or local benefits. Additionally, you can use the letter to prove current Medicare health insurance coverage, retirement or disability status, and age. You can print or save a customized letter. You can go to http://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ to sign up for an online account. A link to this website is posted in the New News portion on the front page of our website. NYS OTDA Benefits If you receive SSI you should also be receiving a small deposit from NYS OTDA every month. You will receive a notice in the mail informing you about the amount you will receive. Please bring that notice in so that we can make a copy for your file. This income is reportable and failure to report it may result in you owing a repayment amount to the housing authority. You can request a copy of your award letter by calling 1-855-488-0541. Remember to keep a copy of your income tax returns and Social Security award letters which you will need for your annual recertification. If you wish, you can bring them in to the office, we will copy the pages we require and place them in your file. Then when it s time for your recertification, you won t have to hunt around for them! Like and follow our Facebook page! We post items of interest to tenants and people in the community such as office closings and schedules, local job postings, safety issues, etc. We also have a website where you can find documents such as complaint forms, move out paperwork, policies, forms and other information which may be helpful. You can find us at: www.herkimerhousing.org Nice weather is just around the corner. Please remind your children to put away their bikes every time they use them to avoid being stolen or picked up by our maintenance workers. Bikes can be chained to the railing on the back door area. Toys must be picked up every evening as well and stored according to the rules of our Policy for Tenant Personal Items on Herkimer Housing Authority (HHA) Grounds. This policy is on page 6 of this newsletter. Maintenance WILL pick up and store any items left on the grounds. In order to get your item back, you will need to call the office. Page 5

Please read and abide by this excerpt from page 20 of the Tenant Handbook: XIII. Policy for Tenant Personal Items on Herkimer Housing Authority (HHA) Grounds The family apartment complexes have become unsafe and unsightly due to tenant personal items on the HHA grounds. It is also time consuming and costly for our maintenance staff to move tenant belongings and pick up litter so they can mow the lawns. Therefore, we would like to remind everyone of the following Policy which went into effect on July 1, 2010. Personal items belonging to tenants must be kept inside the apartments. No personal items may be left unattended on the grounds of the Herkimer Housing Authority. Grounds include all lawn areas, clothesline blacktop areas or any area on the ground. Items include, but are not limited to, all toys, coolers, clothing, etc. You may, of course, take toys outside when being used and attended. All items not attended must be picked up and taken back inside your apartment. Any items left on the grounds will be picked up by the maintenance staff and placed in storage for a maximum of 7 days. If you would like the item returned, you must call the office to place a work order. After 7 days, unclaimed items will be disposed of. The only exceptions are: Creekside Courts Barbecue grills and lawn chairs may be stored neatly on the blacktop area and bicycles may be chained to the back porch railing on the blacktop area only. Eastern Gardens Barbecue grills and lawn chairs may be stored neatly on blacktop area on the back door patio and bicycles may be chained to the porch railing on the concrete patio area. Porches According to the lease, The Resident Agrees To: keep the dwelling unit and any other areas assigned for the Resident s exclusive use in a clean and safe condition. This includes the porches, porch steps and walkways from the sidewalk to the apartment. Tenant porches must be kept clean, neat and uncluttered at all times. Litter Please teach your children not to litter on the grounds. There are garbage cans conveniently located for papers and litter to be placed in. Cigarette butts must be picked up at all times. Cigarette butts thrown on the lawns outside apartments within 25 feet of your apartment could be considered proof of a smoking violation, and you will be penalized appropriately per the No Smoking Policy rules. The pictures below are not acceptable. Cigarettes must be disposed of in either the dumpster or carried inside and disposed of in your garbage. You must make sure they are not still hot to avoid a fire. This type of cigarette disposal is not acceptable! Cigarette butts littered all over the lawn. Page 6