Carrie Stambaugh/The Independent
Catlettsburg — Residents of Grandview Manor in Catlettsburg will have to wait until the Housing Authority’s next meeting to air their grievances against the agency’s staff and recent policy changes.
The Catlettsburg City Council told a room of Grandview residents Monday night that it had no authority to address their complaints.
The residents, council members said, will have to follow the proper grievance procedure to complain to the Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners.
City Attorney Jim Moore, at the request of Catlettsburg Councilman Jimmie Epling, explained to residents at a special meeting — originally called to listen to and address resident concerns about the housing authority — that legally there was very little the council could do.
Under the Catlettsburg Housing Authority’s policies, all residents are required to first file a complaint with the executive director. If an agreement cannot be reached, the resident should then take it to the agency’s board of commissioners, according to Moore.
The Housing Authority of Catlettsburg meets the third Thursday of the month. It will have its next regularly scheduled meeting on Jan. 21.
Housing Authority Board of Directors Vice Chairman David Lee said he believes a special called meeting has been set for the first week of January, but housing authority officials could not confirm that on Wednesday.
The board of commissioners is comprised of Catlettsburg’s mayor or a designee and four additional members appointed to four-year terms.
According to Moore, the city has no other authority or oversight over the agency.
Lee said Monday night he was unaware of the complaints until that evening and no residents have attended a previous board meeting to complain.
CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
