City Council - workshop

Just to clarify, so are these, they're numbered up there, and as I understand it, that's the order of priority, right? They were presented a little bit differently in the memo that we got. So just to confirm, that's the order of priority what's up on the screen? Yes. Yeah.

But that focused on the 80 to 120% AMI. And so I'm just curious if you could share a little bit more about looking at our Oregon Housing Needs Assessment goals, for example. We've done a lot of incentivizing in the 80 to 120%, but we haven't done comparatively as much in the certainly not zero to 30 or 30 to 60. So why scenario three and what would be the plan for some of these other

And let me just correct, too, that you're right to point that out. Thank you. It's the 80 to 120 that we have incentivized a significant amount, mostly through BRRA. So 60 to 80 has not really been incentivized much, and not 30 to 60 and not zero to 30. So thank you for that correction.

So one is on the program and one's on the revenue side. So the revenue side first. Is the committee suggesting that we do not pursue revenue bonds, the 501c3 revenue bonds, or that's one of the different mechanisms if I understand it right? And if so, why?

And then on the program side, what was the reason the committee didn't support the need restricted purchase program?

Yeah, I think just in comparison to the number of units.

Yeah, go ahead for new residential construction excise tax. Our current program is a third of one percent for the expected evaluation of all residential developments. Was there any consideration given to you?

Yeah, but this would be just looking at the residential side. I don't know if this is allowed, but can we do a more targeted tax and either say new homes above a certain size or above a certain expected valuation, over 3,500 square feet or over $2 million or something like that?

Yeah, thank you. I think this is really hard because I was concerned about the lack of support in the lower AMI quintiles. And the easiest way to address that is with an affordable housing bond. I'm going to generate the most amount of revenue and it would be flexible it would be uh it would have a big impact uh however i think that um i have concerns about since i have mixed feelings about asking voters about an affordable housing bond at this time i don't know that that's something that i'm prepared to go and ask our community to support um So I understand the rationale behind it. I'm not su

I'm generally supportive. I have a couple of concerns and things I'd like to make sure we spend more time understanding going forward in the work plan process. I think the affordable housing bond thing is a difficult thing because it's going to be something we have to persuade the community of its value in the investment. I think there's no question, though, that an additional source of revenue is critical to achieving the goals. And we heard that very clearly from the chairs, the co-chairs of the committee. And so I don't see the way around having a thorough and robust community conversation

Okay, I mean, I think I think if there's and maybe maybe it's worth even asking the questions. There's something else that could be done that has not been explored so far that generates some revenue that should be on the table. But I do think the registration fee is part of setting ourselves up to be able to more effectively use some of those other tools. So that's why it's one of the first steps up here.

Good. Okay, great. Are we gonna have like a maybe a phase one in the phase 2 to the work plan? And then maybe also, like, what are we? What's the advocacy stuff that comes out of this? If the land value tax is one of mine.

So what happens if we were in a scenario where We're having trouble meeting the in-stream water rights. What happens in that situation? How does that get managed in terms of, well, somebody's going to have to, some user's going to have to adjust its flow? I'm thinking kind of out into the future. I mean, something like that might happen. What's involved? What's the regulatory process? I mean, I understand it sort of starts cooperatively between us and TOD, right? But then if we can't work it out, then what

And if we had to decrease our water, would we pull more from groundwater? Would we have the ability during that peak season in the summertime to do that?

Uh, yeah, on the Forest Service special use permit it. I'm not aware of any plans to revisit that and and request additional water rights usage. But if someone were concerned about that, it's not the kind of thing that you could just decide on a very short time period to say, Oh, now the city is going to go out for this uh amended use permit. what would we what would that process entail like in other words what would someone want to look for in terms of the city's process if if they were concerned about that and they wanted to see well is the city revisiting this idea because i i feel like we'

Just very quickly in the future, I would be interested in learning about whether the water service providers that serve the other 25% of Ben residents are having similar conservation success or other things that the city could be going to provide them with, you know, The tools to also be successful in that area.

So I have one comment, sort of things to dig into, and then maybe a request actually at the Council, and that is I still have concerns that are we adequately looking at future scenarios that are maybe worse than we might like them to be in a more water-constrained future with the impacts of climate change, especially taking into account glacial retreat and what that's going to mean. And if we're not doing that now, are we going to be ready for it? And we're just going to end up with these kind of really abrupt curtailment situations. And, you know, it sounds like the science is saying basicall

So far. But it seems to me that it's incumbent upon us to think a little bit harder about some future scenarios that might be a little bit worse than we might like to contemplate. And then what does that mean about the choices before us today in terms of conservation and kind of preparing for that in the future? Climate change, from what I see, is happening at faster rates at greater scales everywhere, basically, than what most of the consensus science predictions have shown us so far. So I'd like to know that we're being a little more fast, proactive on the scenario. So maybe it's just hearin

Janet Callahan- has been this well, this is great and I, the more I see it i've been I love how authentic it is, and you know I feel I don't necessarily know the people in those photos, but I know the places. Janet Callahan- So I really like it on pilot new and innovative engagement techniques use at least two forms of engagement. Janet Callahan- I don't want to sacrifice the things that we think are good for something that's new, and so I just want to make sure that you know, for example, I thought. the uh the civic assembly was was uh a really good experience and i don't know if that would c

Um, I, I also support the civic assembly concept of using that. I don't know if we can use it for the whole growth plan, but to pick like a question, but I think it's a great opportunity to, to use that specifically for something that's truly about Ben, like that we have full influence over right? Well, maybe not all of it, but most of the stuff, um, was a little different on the one we did with youth homelessness. Um, I think the other thing I would say is that, um, The neighborhood districts that I'm engaged with them are going to see themselves up here. And I think if they're just a way to

HAB-Jacques Juilland. Those are open to the public, obviously, there is public meetings, but their work session format. HAB-Jacques Juilland. Correct right and they're in public works campus in our fall springs. HAB-Jacques Juilland. And some of the other stakeholder that you were talking about, they will be at the table with us and the discussion or. HAB-Jacques Juilland. You're making sure that they really come and pay attention to this. HAB-Jacques Juilland. For setting the stage for the. Right. HAB-Jacques Juilland.