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June 26, 2026 Special Meeting Minutes

The Board of Commissioners of the Beaufort Housing Authority convened a special meeting on Friday. June 26, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., via Zoom. The meeting was called to order by Chair Ethan M. James, and upon roll call those present and absent were as follows:

Commissioners Present:

  • Chairman Ethan James
  • Vice Chair Marilyn Harris
  • Commissioner William Achurch
  • Commissioner Linda Robinson
  • Commissioner Natassia Allen (Via Zoom)

Commissioners Not Present:

  • Commissioner Janie Glover

Staff and Guests attending the meeting included the following: 

Staff:

  • Aris Hanchard Ferguson, Interim Executive Director
  • Tammy Doe, Financial Administrator

Guests:

  • Joseph Dickey, Legal Counsel, Haynesworth Sinkier Boyd, P.A. (via Zoom);

Call to Order 
Chairman James called the meeting to order, took roll, and a quorum was recognized.

Freedom of Information Act Statement
The Interim Executive Director confirmed that the meeting was publicly noticed, posted, and distributed in compliance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.

Adoption of Agenda
A motion was made by Commissioner Robinson and seconded by Vice Chair Harris to adopt the agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

Public Comment
It was reported that there were no members of the public present at the BHA office and no public participants joined via Zoom. No public comment was received.

Old Business

Approval of Fiscal Year 2025 Audited Financial Statements and Related HUD FDS Submission

The Board considered approval of the fiscal year 2025 audited financial statements and related HUD FDS submission.

The Interim Executive Director explained that the item concerned the Housing Authority's annual independent financial audit and the related FDS submission required by HUD for the fiscal year ended September 3(), 2025. The audit was prepared from the Authority's financial records and supporting documentation, including the general ledger, bank reconciliations, grant and program activity, fixed assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. It was noted that the independent auditor reviews that information and issues the audited financial statements, while the FDS is HUD's required electronic reporting format.

The Board discussed several aspects of the audit including:

  • the increase in liabilities from the prior year, including the role of outstanding construction and renovation costs and the timing of reimbursements under the South Carolina Public Housing Capital Fund Program;
  • the use of Neal's Construction for a substantial amount of repair and capital work during the year, and the importance of ensuring competitive procurement practices going forward;
  • staffs efforts to develop broader procurement tools and pursue a pool of qualified contractors through future solicitation;
  • the overall cash position of the Authority;
  • the absence of any audit findings, material weaknesses, reportable noncompliance, or concerns identified by the auditors regarding the sampled documents and controls.

It was also noted that the audit needed to be submitted to HUD by June 30, 2026.

A motion was made by Commissioner Church and seconded by Commissioner Robinson to approve the presented fiscal year 2025 audit and related HUD FDS submission, and to authorize any amendments suggested by counsel if necessary. The motion carried unanimously.

New Business
No formal new business items were presented.

The Interim Executive Director shared that the Authority had been conditionally approved to become an optional employer under the PEBA health benefits program. She reported that based on initial discussions, the change would likely reduce employer premium costs while also providing employees with an opportunity to add dependents at reasonable rates. A resolution related to that matter is expected to be brought before the Board at the July meeting.

Questions and Comments: Next Regular Meeting 
The Board discussed the date of the next regular meeting in light of scheduling conflicts and the July tax credit application submission timeline.

By consensus, the Board agreed that the next regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners would be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Beaufort Housing Authority.

Adjournment
A motion was made by Vice Chair Harris and seconded by Commissioner Allen to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously, and the meeting was adjourned at 1:37 p.m.