City Council

City Hall Meeting Minutes 601 4th Avenue E Olympia, WA 98501 City Council Information: 360.753.8244 Tuesday, February 21, 2017 5:30 PM Council Chambers Special Meeting of Committee Chairs of General Government, Finance and Land Use & Environment 1. ROLL CALL Councilmember Roe called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Present: 3 - Councilmember Jim Cooper, Councilmember Julie Hankins and Councilmember Jeannine Roe 2. BUSINESS ITEM 2.A 17-0198 Special Meeting to Develop a Referral to Various City Council Committees or a Newly Formed Ad Hoc Committee for the Purpose of Developing a Broader City Response to Housing Affordability City Manager Steve Hall noted the purpose of an Ad Hoc Committee on Housing Affordability is to make sure the City is focusing on a number of housing related tools to address housing affordability. The group discussed how to move the issues forward, whether to create a new committee or distribute the work to the other Council committees. The group agreed to move forward with an Ad Hoc Committee on Housing Affordability. The Ad Hoc Housing Committee on Housing Affordability will work with City staff, Thurston County elected and appointed officials, the cities of Lacey and Tumwater, and local service providers to develop a greater understanding of housing affordability issues and to consider policy options for addressing these issues. The Committee will gather and package information and bring forward options to the full Council for consideration. The Committee’s responsibilities will cover: 1. Examining Housing Funding Options 2. Exploring Partnerships Options 3. Considering Public Engagement Options 4. Reviewing Financial and Regulatory Tools City of Olympia Page 1 City Council Meeting Minutes February 21, 2017 The group discussed a timeline for the work and how often they would meet. They agreed to meet every two weeks until the end of July. The group invited members of the audience to share their thoughts. The following people spoke: Housing Authority of Thurston County Executive Director Chris Lowell noted housing issues need a champion. She hypothesized if Olympia were the lead on this issue, other jurisdictions would follow. She offered 30 years of expertise of the Housing Authority to assist the Ad Hoc Committee with their work. She noted additional funding for housing could be used to create housing options in areas beyond the downtown core. Home Fund committee member Mike McCormick referred to statistics that indicate voters would be interested in supporting additional funding for homelessness. Interfaith Works Program Director Meg Martin offered assistance with data, surveys and resources to assist with discussions. She noted the ten-year plan will have useful information and definitions to help anchor discussions. The discussion was completed. 3. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 6:45 p.m. City of Olympia Page 2