HOUSING AGENCY APPROVES DRUG FELON BAN

Applicants who have been convicted of a felony on drug possession,
trafficking or drug use will not be considered for admission to any unit of
the Housing Authority of Winchester for five years, according to a
resolution adopted by the authority Tuesday night.

The resolution also stipulates that persons who have been evicted will not
be considered for five years and then only with good references and no
evictions during the five-year period they are not living in the housing units.

In addition, persons who have applied for occupancy must have their
application completed within six months or have been in touch with the
housing authority to avoid purging and applicants who are employed at the
time of application must have been employed for a minimum of six months
prior to applying for the apartment.

In his executive director's report, Edward Stone announced that 366
apartments currently are under lease. He added that several of the
remaining 34 apartments were vacant due to evictions or deaths while some
are in the process of being renovated.

He added that the audit, being done by John Lane CPA, will be finished in
the near future and that Bill Parker, an engineer from Housing and Urban
development, completed a review and inspection of the properties on Aug. 28
with no findings.

Stone added that furnace cleaning and changing of filters is underway and
that smoke alarms are tested each month. Also Stone said two transformers
have been added in Memorial Park, replacing an electric transformer that
had burned out at that location.

He reported that 34 bathrooms are being renovated. However, the work was
not acceptable to the local authority, Stone said, HUD had stated after an
inspection that the work was below average, but not enough for default on
the bond. He said that the contractor had received payment, made to three
parties, the contractor, sub-contractors and suppliers. "This way," Stone
explained, "we guaranteed that all involved would be paid." Another firm
will be hired to complete the project.

John G. Roche, chairman, presided. In addition to Stone and Roche, others
present were Dorothy T. Givens, vice chairman; Edward Richardson and Mary
Davis, commissioners, and Maxine Tackett, deputy director. Mayor Dodd Dixon
was absent due to conflicting schedules.