January 28, 2026 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Commissioners of Northwest Georgia Housing Authority
Held January 28, 2026
The Board of Commissioners of Northwest Georgia Housing Authority met at its annual meeting at 326 W 9th St. Rome, Georgia, 8:30 a.m., on the 28th day of January, 2026.
Called to Order
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Betty Sue Hickman, and, upon roll call, those present and absent are as follows
Present: Betty Sue Hickman, Billy Cooper, Mary Clark (tardy), Corey Townsend, Ronnie Wallace
Absent: Brian Bojo
Chairperson Hickman declared a quorum present.
Others in attendance: Justin Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Hannah Turner, Chief Operating Officer, Amanda Fox, Chief of Staff, James Garvin, Chief Financial Officer, Billy Pasley, Director of IT, Rand Nichols, Director of Security & YouthBuild, Le Shay Denton, Director of Housing, Madonna Murphy, Director of Compliance, Howard Gibson, Director of Maintenance, Tom Couch, General Public
Election of 2026 Officers
Chairperson Hickman opened the floor for nominations for Chairperson. Commissioner Cooper nominated Chairperson Hickman for Chairperson. Commissioner Wallace seconded. There were no further nominations. The floor was then closed. Ms. Betty Sue Hickman was approved unanimously as Chairperson.
Chairperson Hickman opened the floor for nominations for Vice-Chairperson. Commissioner Wallace nominated Vice-Chairperson Cooper for Vice-Chairperson. Commissioner Townsend seconded. There were no further nominations. The floor was then closed. Mr. Billy Cooper was approved unanimously as Vice-Chairperson.
Yes - Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Approval of Minutes of regular meeting held on December 17, 2025 - Chairperson Hickman asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. Commissioner Townsend made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Commissioner Cooper. The motion was approved unanimously.
Yes - Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Approval of Minutes of special called meeting held on January 14, 2026 - Chairperson Hickman asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. Commissioner Wallace made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Commissioner Townsend. The motion was approved unanimously.
Yes - Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Old Business
Chuck Hufstetler Park project has relocated from Brookwood Avenue to Garrard Park on Redmond Circle. Rome City will oversee the new build project named Chuck Hufstetler Playground.
New Business
Approval of Resolution 02-2026: Approval of RAD Application Submission- Ms. Hannah Turner discussed the process for submitting the RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) applications for all properties. NWGHA will be transitioning its remaining portfolio through the RAD program. The Board will provide approval to submit the RAD applications by January 31, 2026. There are currently twelve properties remaining that need to be transitioned to RAD. The benefits of this transition include long-term stable funding and a 20-year Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract, both of which are positive aspects for the agency and residents. Commissioner Wallace made a motion to approve Resolution 02-2026, seconded by Commissioner Townsend. The motion was approved unanimously.
Yes - Clark, Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Approval of Resolution 03-2026: Approval of Elevator Modernization HR2 & HR3 Contract - Ms. Madonna Murphy presented the cost proposal for the Elevator Modernization project at Highrise 2 and Highrise 3. A formal scoring mechanism was utilized in the vendor selection process to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation. The contract has been awarded to Metro Elevators, which submitted a proposal in the amount of $584,005.00 for the modernization project. Capital funds will be used to finance this project. Commissioner Townsend made a motion to approve Resolution 03-2026, seconded by Commissioner Wallace. The motion was approved unanimously.
Yes - Clark, Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Approval of Resolution 04-2026: Approval of Resident and Applicant Communication Policy - Hannah Turner presented the Resident Policy and the Applicant Communication Policy. The policy encourages residents to schedule appointments when meeting with staff, reinforces adherence to the established Chain of Command, and aligns with industry standards and best practices. Commissioner Townsend made a motion to approve Resolution 04-2026, seconded by Commissioner Wallace. The motion was approved unanimously.
Yes - Clark, Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Reports
Finance Department Update - James Garvin reported that due to reporting issues from BDO, financials have been amended for November 2025. November 2025 ending cash available is $632,674. The total Operating expenses for November 2025 are $13,110,188. Approval of NWGHA Financial Statements for November 2025:
Yes - Clark, Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Chief Executive Officer Comments
The February Board Meeting will be held on February 25, 2026.
Commissioner Comments
Chairperson Hickman discussed the upcoming renewal of CEO Justin Jones' contract, which is set to renew in July 2026. Mr. Jones will distribute a copy of his current contract to all Board members for review.
Executive Session
Chairperson Hickman asked for a motion to enter into Executive Session for the purpose of real estate matters. Commissioner Townsend made a motion to enter into Executive Session, seconded by Commissioner Wallace. The motion passed unanimously. No action was taken during the Executive Session. Commissioner Cooper made a motion to return to Regular Session, seconded by Commissioner Townsend. The motion was approved unanimously.
Yes - Clark, Cooper, Townsend, Wallace
No - None
Adjourn
Commissioner Wallace made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Commissioner Townsend. The meeting was adjourned at 9:55 AM.
