Board Dysfunction Contributes to Executive Director Resignation
Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority (GMHA) - March 17, 2026
Meeting Info: Regular meeting held on March 17, 2026 at 4:00 pm (EST) in the Conference Room at Murray Manor at 385 Center Street, Chardon, OH 44024. This meeting was rescheduled from the regular meeting date to facilitate the five year plan timing by meeting just following the public comment period. This meeting was in-person only.
Agenda: An agenda was provided at the meeting. It is not available online. The documented
proceedings below follow the agenda and are presented sequentially.
1. Call to Order - 4:00 pm
2. Attendance: Chairman Jeff Markley, and board members Sandy Grassman, Michael Petruziello, Walter (Skip) Claypool and Susan Kemerrer were present. No legal counsel was present.
Staff Attendance: Dawn Farrell, Executive Director, and Carrie Carlson, Chief Financial Officer, were present.
Others Present: This Observer and four other members of the public were in attendance, including Ben Young, Chardon City Manager, and Anastasia Nicholas of the Geauga Times Courier.
Observer Note: The Board Chairman indicated they were recording the audio of the meeting. These recordings are not routinely published.
3. Pledge of Allegiance - Recited
4. Discussion/Approval of Minutes: February 2026 Regular Meeting
The board reviewed the minutes from the February 20 meeting. No corrections were raised, and the minutes were approved.
5. Financial Statements and Writeoffs
Ms. Carlson, CFO, presented financial statements for December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026. She explained that the December statements reflected final year-end closing entries completed with the outside accountant. Section 8 finished 2025 slightly in the red, by just under 3 percent, while public housing ended the year in the black, with income outpacing expenses. Observer Note: It is assumed that the 3% refers to being 3% over budget, although this was not stated.
Ms. Carlson noted that January’s operating statements did not materially change, but the balance sheet shifted because of year-end entries. February was included because it had just been closed.
Ms. Grassman asked whether there was concern that Section 8 had already reached close to 40 percent of the budgeted negative amount for the year. Ms. Carlson responded that the issue was primarily tied to voucher utilization. Ms. Farrell said outreach continued to new landlords and additional available units, and noted that administrative fees had declined. Ms. Farrell acknowledged concern but said reserves remain available if needed and that utilization remains an area of focus.
The board voted by roll call to receive the financial statements for December, January, and February. The motion passed unanimously.
There were no writeoffs.
6. Commissioner’s Report
Chairman Mr. Markley used his report to address broader concerns about the authority’s direction and board culture following Executive Director Ms. Farrell’s offer to resign. Reviewer Note: See article in Cleveland.com that stated that the Executive Director told the President of the Board of her intention to resign due to untenable tensions with the Board. Mr. Markley said the news was disappointing and especially difficult given other recent losses to the authority, including long-time legal counsel Todd Petersen and a former board member.
Mr. Markley said his intent was to run the meeting in a way that might convince Ms. Farrell to rescind her resignation offer. He said the board needs to become more efficient, more focused on the agency’s mission, and more disciplined in how meetings are conducted. He stressed that the board should work in a more parliamentary and businesslike fashion, with better preparation in advance of meetings so the board can make decisions more effectively. Referring to the authority’s bylaws, he said the board operates under Robert’s Rules of Order and that he intended to follow that structure more closely in order to keep meetings on track and move discussion more efficiently toward decisions. He also said agenda materials should be submitted earlier, and that items not ready in time may need to be removed from future agendas.
He emphasized that GMHA must keep its attention on its core mission of affordable housing. He also said the authority should do more to explain the role of Section 8 and affordable housing in the community, noting that the program is often misunderstood or viewed negatively when it is fundamentally a tool to help people secure housing. Mr. Markley added that regardless of personal views about federal regulations, the agency was created under HUD and must operate within those rules. In his view, the board’s role is governance while the executive director manages day-to-day operations.
Mr. Markley also described the chairperson’s role as a liaison between the board and the executive director and suggested that this could help create a buffer and improve communication. He said his goal was to demonstrate that the board could conduct itself professionally and efficiently enough to restore confidence in its work, leading to Ms. Farrell rescinding her offer to resign.
Discussion followed among board members about governance, authority, and meeting process. Mr. Claypool emphasized that all commissioners have equal authority and cautioned against overstating the chairperson’s role. Ms. Kemerrer said meetings had drifted away from their earlier, more focused style and suggested that board members themselves needed to be more concise. Others stressed that every commissioner should still have the chance to be heard. The discussion reflected continuing tension over how the board should function and how responsibilities should be divided. Reviewer Note: The Board has failed to appoint an attorney and has had continuing disagreements over the extent of Board involvement in various decisions. See LWVG Observer Reports for January 20, 2026 and February 20, 2026 for more information.
7. Report of Counsel
There was no report of counsel. The board noted that Mr. Petersen had not signed an extension, leaving the authority temporarily, since March 4, 2026, without counsel while legal services were being reconsidered.
8. Report of the Director
a. February Programs Report
Executive Director Ms. Farrell referred members to the written February programs report and invited questions. Most of the discussion took place under the specific report items that follow below.
b. Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)
Ms. Farrell reported that the capital needs assessment was moving ahead. Inspections were scheduled for March 23 and 24, with two inspectors assigned to divide the work among the properties. Staff were also working through a substantial questionnaire for each property and gathering information in coordination with maintenance and architecture/engineering support.
c. Landlord Outreach
Ms. Farrell described continued efforts to recruit more landlords, including outreach to mobile home park managers. She said the authority has been trying to explain that the voucher program can assist residents already living in those communities by helping pay rent (which in the case of a mobile home is termed “lot rent”), with payments made directly. She clarified that if repairs are required after inspection, those repairs would be the responsibility of the mobile home owner, not the park management. Reviewer Note: See information about mobile home rents and charges here.
Board members discussed the potential value of preparing real-life examples to show managers exactly how the payment arrangement would work. Ms. Farrell said outreach had included visits and follow-up efforts, but direct contact with managers had been difficult. She also noted that seniors appear to be among the groups most at risk of homelessness, making this type of outreach especially important.
d. National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE)
Ms. Farrell said there was one final step needed to complete the NSPIRE-related matter, but she had not been able to get a response despite emails and phone calls. She said she hoped the matter would be wrapped up soon.
e. 2024 Audit Results
Ms. Farrell reported receiving a HUD letter acknowledging completion of the 2024 audit. She said the audit contained no findings and no management letter concerns directed to the agency. Board members congratulated staff on the favorable outcome.
f. Auditor of State Subpoena
The Auditor of State subpoena remained unresolved, and the board discussed the fact that the matter was still being worked on by someone associated with the GMHA’s prior legal representation, apparently because it was already in progress and subject to a response deadline. Mr. Petruziello raised questions about the contractual basis for that continued work since an extension for services was not completed. Mr. Markley asked Ms. Farrell to follow up and have the legal representative provide documentation resolving this question. Observer Note: This is the first mention of a subpoena from the Auditor of State in a GMHA meeting. The details were not discussed.
g. Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Grant
Ms. Farrell reported that the Family Self-Sufficiency grant had been funded again for the year. The board welcomed the news.
9. New Business
a. MM & HH Keyless Entry
The board discussed the proposed keyless entry project for Murray Manor and Heritage House. Ms. Farrell explained that only one bid had been received, so the scope of work would need to be revised and re-solicited.
She said some contractors had objected to the specific product originally identified, so staff planned to broaden the specifications to make the project more attractive to bidders while still meeting GMHA’s needs. Ms. Farrell clarified that the project involves building access, not access to individual apartments. The security benefits were discussed, particularly the ability to quickly disable access for former tenants, former employees, or others who should no longer enter the buildings.
The item was tabled, with the expectation that a revised scope of work would be circulated to the board before the matter returns for action.
b. Legal Services
The board then took up the selection of new legal counsel. Mr. Markley summarized the review process that was followed as agreed upon in the prior board meeting. He explained that a separate committee, including the two board members selected by the board during the prior board meeting (Mr. Markley and Ms. Grassman), had reviewed five proposals using an evaluation form. He said the scoring was done independently and that price was not considered until the non-price evaluation was complete. Based on that process, DeCaudo, Pitchford & Yoder emerged as the top-ranked proposer.
Ms. Grassman said the review had been thorough and time-consuming, with committee members spending several hours going through the proposal materials.
This item produced the lengthiest discussion of the evening. Mr. Claypool argued that legal counsel should not be handled exactly like other professional services because the relationship between attorney and board is especially important. Mr. Petruziello said finalists should have been interviewed before any recommendation was brought to the full board. Mr. Claypool also objected to wording provided to all responders referring to an “apparent successful proposer” being chosen. He argued that it could give the impression that a decision had already been made outside of the board’s public session.
Other members responded that the board had approved the process at the prior meeting, including use of a committee and return of a recommendation to the full board, and that no interview stage had been part of that approved process. They also said the procurement language did not amount to a final award of contract and that language was standard in all procurement cases as such.
Mr. Claypool also objected to the executive director being the GMHA representative who would sign the eventual contract and how legal counsel’s relationship to the board and agency should be structured. That discussion reflected the same broader disagreements about governance that arose earlier in the meeting.
After debate, the board voted on a motion to approve legal services with DeCaudo, Pitchford & Yoder for the period March 18, 2026 through March 17, 2027, with two renewal options. The approved hourly rate was $275 per hour, and the motion authorized the executive director to sign the contract.
The motion passed 3–2. Mr. Markley, Ms. Kemerrer, and Ms. Grassman voted yes. Mr. Petruziello and Mr. Claypool voted no.
c. Housing Services, Inc.
The board considered a transfer of $2,000 in non-federal funds into the Housing Services, Inc. account. Ms. Carlson explained that the account balance was too low to cover current expenses, including directors and officers liability insurance and nonprofit taxes. Ms. Farrell also noted that earlier funds placed into certificates of deposit had generated some additional income.
The motion to transfer the funds passed unanimously by roll call.
10. Hearing of the Public
No public comments were offered by the audience.
11. Executive Session
The board voted to enter executive session under ORC 121.22(G)(1) to discuss the employment of a public employee. The motion passed unanimously. The executive session began at 5:09 p.m.
12. Any Further Business
After returning from executive session at 5:45 p.m., the board resumed open session. The chair, Mr. Markley, noted that part of the executive session period had been consumed by dealing with an issue involving someone accidentally locked in the mailroom who had to be assisted, but said the board had completed the discussion with Ms. Farrell regarding her employment situation.
Mr. Markley then stated that Ms. Farrell was tendering her resignation and that the board would need to act so the search for a replacement could begin promptly. A motion was made to accept Ms. Farrell’s resignation, as set forth in her March 16, 2026 letter, and to authorize the executive director to assist the board in advertising for a replacement executive director.
The motion passed 4-1, though several votes were expressed with reluctance. Mr. Markley voted yes. Ms. Kemerrer voted “reluctantly yes,” Mr. Petruziello voted yes, Mr. Claypool voted no. Ms. Grassman voted “a very reluctant yes.”
Board members expressed appreciation for Ms. Farrell’s 20 years of service to GMHA and acknowledged the significance of her departure.
More broadly, the meeting reflected significant internal strain within the board. Members disagreed not only over specific agenda items, but also over procedure, governance, and the proper boundaries of board and administrative authority. Those tensions formed the backdrop for the evening’s major decisions, including the hiring of legal counsel and the acceptance of the executive director’s resignation.
13. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 5:55 pm.
Next Meeting: The next regular meeting of the Board is Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 4:00 pm at Murray Manor. More information about the Geauga Metropolitan Housing Authority can be found here.
Observer: David Lewis
Editor: Carol Benton
Reviewer: Gail Roussey
Date Submitted: March 19, 2026
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