HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-06-28 Housing MIN
ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION
MINUTES
JUNE 28, 2007
CALL TO ORDER – Chair Bill Street called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Development and Engineering
Services Building, 51 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR.
Commissioners Present: SOU Liaison: Sunny Lindley, Absent
Bill Street, Chair
Richard Billin Council Liaison: Alice Hardesty, Present
Regina Ayars
Carol Voisin Staff Present::
Bill Smith Brandon Goldman, Housing Specialist
Absent Members: Sue Yates, Executive Secretary
Steve Hauck
Aaron Benjamin
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Voisin/Ayars m/s to approve the minutes of the May 24, 2007 meeting. Voice Vote: There was
unanimous approval of the minutes.
Comment: Street has heard from the Council and some members of the community criticisms concerning the assumptions of
the Rental Needs Analysis and he wondered if those concerns could be answered and results defended. Hardesty suggested the
Housing Commission members watch the online video of the June 12, 2007 Planning Commission meeting to hear first-hand
the comments made concerning the Rental Needs Analysis. The Commissioners agreed to add this item to next month’s
agenda.
PUBLIC FORUM - No one came forth to speak.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
Education – Smith reported the RVTV show went well, they received good feedback and they learned some things. They
would like to reach a broader audience. Voisin urged the committee to select callers and prepare critical and substantive
questions to raise interest in topics. Street said one of the goals for this program is to educate the community that affordable
housing is about more than just low income residents of Ashland but about a whole range of people.
Finance – They are working on the housing trust fund and have settled on a mission statement. They plan to use the CDBG
model and see how those goals would work within a housing trust fund. They will then prioritize their preferences and goals.
They will plan to bring it to the Housing Commission in July and hold a public meeting in August to review the priorities that
have been preliminarily identified. Goldman said he would investigate how the money that is in the general fund earns interest.
Land Use – No meeting was held.
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Condo Conversion Update – The ordinance went to the Planning Commission and City Council on June 19. The Council held
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a public hearing, received comments, and began deliberations. A motion to approve was tabled until July 17 when a decision
will be made (first reading). It is not too late for the Housing Commissioners or the public to comment.
LIAISON REPORTS
Council – See Condo Conversion above.
Parks – No report.
Schools – Street reported the school board had a meeting (for the first time ever) and in-depth discussion of affordable housing
and school properties. It seemed to go very well. Street said the hope is that the school board will identify housing as a goal.
It has to be a goal in order for the superintendent to act on it. The school board wants a stream of income from housing. Smith
offered to locate models from universities that have been doing this for over 20 years.
Planning Commission – Hardesty would like to see the Housing Commission better communicate their goals and purposes to
the Planning Commission. Voisin said she would be willing to set up lunch meetings with different Commissioners (two from
Housing and two from Planning). Hardesty and Goldman agreed to assist her. Note: Street will be out the whole month of
July.
Tripartite - Street, Hardesty and Goldman attended but no one else came. Hardesty will set up the July meeting and work the
meeting date around the school board members. Goldman will write a brief memo to the school board outlining their options
for putting together an application for a successful project. There is not an advantage in identifying a specific property at this
point. His hope is to keep the ball rolling. Hardesty cautioned that we don’t want to overwhelm the school board. She will get
in touch with Goldman before the e-mail is sent.
2007-2008 GOAL SETTING
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Goldman handed out a process for setting goals. The Council will be establishing their goals on July 14 and it would be
valuable for the Housing Commission to weigh in. He reminded the Commissioners that the Housing Action Plan goals should
direct their strategy.
Brainstorming:
o Write a specific goal that resonates with enough people that they can remember what it is - a goal that becomes short,
achievable, measurable and time sensitive. The Goal: That we, in collaboration with the Planning Commission, City,
and City Administrator, identify a piece of city land that can be developed as housing for a wide range of incomes
with particular focus on City employees.
o Keep track of vulnerable properties; that is, properties that have USDA grants. Work with non-profits to understand
their strategies and track the properties. Define vulnerable properties. Vulnerable properties could include trailer
parks. Long-term plan to deal with vulnerable properties.
o Build better relations with the Planning Commission.
o Complete the housing trust fund.
o Build housing above parking lots (a larger parking lot than the Lithia lot). Develop a Request for Proposals for
housing over a parking lot. Document the lessons learned from the Lithia lot.
o Stay strong in liaison work.
o Land use regulation – regulatory controls related to housing, zone changes and annexations.
o Finances available for acquiring land for affordable housing.
o Create a program(s) to use the $20,000 (in the Housing Commission budget) that had once been identified but
underutilized for rental assistance and down payment programs.
o Examine feasibility of zoning incentives to create rental housing.
o Ongoing education to raise awareness of housing needs through public information programs.
o Identify land to be purchased and /or constructed with Strawberry Lane fund to build workforce housing.
o Complete annexation ordinance.
o Limit development of “for-purchase” housing on multi-family zoned property.
o Examine expanding financing options such as bonds and tax credits
Refine Priorities
The Commissioners voted (with dots) for their top three priorities that will be sent to the Council. They will still keep the other
goals. They decided on the following priorities:
1. Collaborate with the City Council and Staff to identify a piece of City owned land to accommodate housing
for a whole range of City employees for at least 25 housing units.
2. Complete the housing trust fund.
3. Complete the annexation ordinance.
Goldman will draft the letter to the Council and send it to Voisin for her review.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS
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Next Housing Commission meeting - July 26, 5:30 p.m. (check for a quorum).
Review all the goals at the August meeting
The Education committee will not meet in July.
ADJOURNMENT – The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by,
Sue Yates, Executive Secretary
ASHLAND HOUSING COMMISSION
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MINUTES
JUNE 28, 2007