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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAHAB Minutes 08-09-2017 Community Affordable Housing Advisory Board Wednesday, August 9th, 2017 8:00 AM, Madison Room (upstairs), 121 N. Rouse Ave. A. 08:03:11 AM (00:01:54) Call meeting to order Present Were:  Commissioner I-Ho Pomeroy  Kevin Thane  Brian LaMeres  Anders Lewendal  Brian Guyer  Hattie Baker Graham B. Changes to the Agenda C. 08:03:36 AM (00:02:19) Public Comment – Please state your name and address in an audible tone of voice for the record. This is the time for individuals to comment on matters falling within the purview of the Committee. There will also be an opportunity in conjunction with each action item for comments pertaining to that item. Please limit your comments to three minutes. D. 08:04:59 AM (00:03:42) Minutes Approval:  6.14.17 Minutes Draft o 6.14.17 Meeting Video  6.28.17 Minutes Draft o 6.28.17 Meeting Video 08:05:00 AM (00:03:43) MOTION to approve minutes: Anders Lewendal 08:05:07 AM (00:03:50) MOTION SECONDED: Brian Guyer 08:05:13 AM (00:03:56) Discussion: Board member Kevin Thane pointed out that the minutes for May were approved in the June meeting, but were not noted as approved. It was confirmed that this change would be made on the June minutes. 08:06:06 AM (00:04:49) VOTE: All in Favor – Motion Passes Unanimously E. 08:06:14 AM (00:04:57) Action Items: 1. 08:07:55 AM (00:06:38) Presentations by Terry Cunningham and make desired motion(s):  08:08:10 AM (00:06:56) Fee-Based Alternative to Inclusionary Zoning 08:09:23 AM (00:08:06) Thane asked how and where the fees are assessed for Fee based alternatives to inclusionary zoning. Cunningham responded by stating there are a variety of ways this could be done, but that in this example, they are based on ‘permitted values’. 08:23:09 AM (00:21:52) Thane asked about the fact that MT has a law that prohibits a real estate transaction tax and whether fee based alternatives would be an option. Cunningham responded that he asked one person, but that he wasn’t able to answer definitively. Director of Community Development, Martin Matsen stated that it would depend on how and when the fee was assessed, noting that Bozeman may not have the option to assess the fees exactly, but that there were most likely options. 08:25:14 AM (00:23:57) Board member Anders Lewendal stated that he felt that everyone in the community should contribute to the affordable housing fund and asked if that was possible with this system as an alternative to builders paying for it through the permitting process. Cunningham responded that growth pays for growth – it is what causes the lack of affordability and what pays for it. A restaurant that opens uses its patron’s funds to pay the expense as an example. 08:31:50 AM (00:30:33) Thane suggested discussing this type of program in a future CAHAB meeting to research whether this is a viable concept to bring to the City Commission. Thane stated he’d like to get the City Attorney’s opinion on whether this would violate state law. 08:33:49 AM (00:32:32) Lewendal reiterated that he would like the board to come up with an idea that would incorporate fees from a larger group – the entire community – in order to pay for global housing. Cunningham argued that with new gas stations, restaurants, etc., the entire community and visitors to our community would pay for these fees. Chair LaMeres confirmed that the fees would also include remodeling, expansions, not just new construction – Cunningham confirmed. Public Comment: 08:35:10 AM (00:33:53) Mayor Taylor commented that he felt the City’s attorney would be the logical next step to see if this is a viable option. He urged the board to look at this as a supplement to mandatory inclusionary zoning in order to prevent mandatory inclusionary zoning to 20% (currently at 10%), which is what many communities require. Taylor stated that the city would not be able to waive impact fees entirely, that the funds would need to come from somewhere. Taylor also commented that if market based economics are accurate, high demand and selling based on that high demand is giving extra profits to builders and developers and that permit fees are not taking away from those markets, but ‘evening out’ those profits. He clarified that those were his personal opinions. 08:40:08 AM (00:38:51) MOTION to request the Interim City Manager to request an opinion from the City Attorney relative to the legality of creating some type of fee based model to help support affordable housing in Bozeman: Kevin Thane MOTION SECONDED 08:40:52 AM (00:39:35) Director Matsen cautioned that the City Attorney would not be able to respond to this request in as timely a manner as the board may hope as their office is at capacity. 08:41:52 AM (00:40:35) Board member Hattie Baker Graham recommended that the board ask the Association of Realtors regarding the legality of fee based alternatives to inclusionary zoning. 08:43:29 AM (00:42:12) VOTE: All in Favor – Motion Carries  08:43:44 AM (00:42:27) Employer-Assisted Workforce Housing 08:55:51 AM (00:54:34) Thane asked if they examined what would happen if the units were full, but an employee no longer works for the employer. Cunningham explained that for one University, the employee must be benefit eligible and active 9 months or longer so that the employee is ‘bought in’. Cunningham said that he would research what would happen if an employee leaves the employer and how that would affect their eligibility for the housing unit. 08:56:56 AM (00:55:39) LaMeres asked if the general model would be that actual housing is provided to employees as opposed to a cash subsidy? Cunningham stated that the employer based emphasis on the nexus between work and their employees. If the employees live closer, they spend less time commuting and more time at work, which benefits both the employer and employee. 09:03:06 AM (01:01:49) Director Matsen commented that he has been told by Deputy Mayor Andrus that she has arranged meetings with Montana State University regarding this type of housing. He recommended that CAHAB touch base with Deputy Mayor Andrus so that work is not duplicated. Matsen clarified that he did not know whether these meetings were specifically for Affordable Housing, but that discussions were taking place when the opportunity presented itself. 09:08:34 AM (01:07:17) Lewendal supported the City taking a leadership role in workforce housing and suggested that the board encourage the City to manifest the idea, create a model, test the concept, build housing and place City staff into the housing and see how it works. If it works for the City, they can encourage other employers to follow suit. 09:09:38 AM (01:08:21) Thane commented that the City Commission approved a Habitat for Humanity project on Oak and Laurel Parkway that could in part provide workforce housing for City employees. Thane and Matsen discussed the fact that there were some additional items that needed addressed prior to the project moving forward, but the Commissioners were supportive. 09:13:40 AM (01:12:30) MOTION to request that Deputy Mayor, Cyndy Andrus provide a presentation at the next available CAHAB meeting to discuss her activities with the large employers of Bozeman (for workforce housing): Anders Lewendal 09:14:06 AM (01:12:49) MOTION SECONDED: Kevin Thane 09:14:14 AM (01:12:57) Discussion: Board member Hattie Baker Graham suggested that Terry Cunningham return to present to Deputy Mayor Cyndy Andrus 09:15:17 AM (01:14:00) VOTE: All in Favor – Motion Carries 09:16:02 AM (01:14:45) Thane suggested that the board look at incentivizing companies who want to move to Bozeman to provide workforce housing to their employees. He asked what CAHAB could do in order to get on the forefront of this issue to encourage employers to participate in building workforce housing. 09:17:42 AM (01:16:25) Graham asked if it would be beneficial to invite the Director of Economic Development, Brit Fontenot, to the meeting with Deputy Mayor Cyndy Andrus as well to be part of the discussion. The board made this a friendly amendment to the recent motion. 09:19:50 AM (01:18:33) Formation of sub-committees to work on: a. Updating the Affordable Housing Action Plan b. Replacement / Alternative to Inclusionary Housing Ordinance The board discussed the fact that they had created subcommittees in a previous meeting. The board continued to discuss needing to appointment chairs for those committees. 09:24:08 AM (01:22:51) The discussion also covered the need to fill the vacant positions on the board and the possibility of creating task forces that would include members outside of CAHAB, which would need to be cleared by the City Clerk’s office. 09:29:09 AM (01:27:52) Board members discussed working with Director Matsen and the consultant he’s working with in coming up with an alternative to the mandatory inclusionary housing ordinance. 09:30:48 AM (01:29:31) MOTION to appoint Brian Guyer as the Chair of the Affordable Housing Ordinance re-write: Kevin Thane 09:31:06 AM (01:29:49) MOTION SECONDED 09:31:13 AM (01:29:56) VOTE: All in Favor – Motion Passes Unanimously 09:31:40 AM (01:30:23) Lewendal discussed with the board how to gauge the importance of affordable housing to the City Commission as well as the Community and encouraged the board to consider conducting a survey to gather community members opinions on Affordable Housing. 09:42:03 AM (01:40:46) The board resumed discussion on the Subcommittees and gathering input regarding affordable housing to present to the Commission. Guyer 09:44:08 AM (01:42:51) MOTION for Anders Lewendal to be Chair of CAHAB Action Plan subcommittee: Kevin Thane 09:44:29 AM (01:43:12) MOTION SECONDED 09:44:30 AM (01:43:13) VOTE: All in Favor – Motion Passes F. 09:44:52 AM (01:43:35) FYI/Discussion 1. HRDC Monthly update (Brian Guyer)  Guyer informed the board that HRDC has come across some obstacles with their Hoover Way Subdivision – they will need to apply for a variance due to Wetlands.  The 24th & Beall tiny home project is moving forward – infrastructure will be installed in early September. The homes will be constructed off site and will be moved to their destination in two pieces. The goal is to ‘go vertical’ in this building season. 09:46:33 AM (01:45:16) Thane updated CAHAB members that the Memorandum of Understanding with Professor Johnson for the cemetery land is ‘wiggling’ its way forward. Mayor Taylor thought that the memorandum could be approved administratively through the interim City Manager. 09:47:22 AM (01:46:05) Guyer offered an update on the Housing First Village on campus. HRDC has started construction of a demonstration unit in the HRDC parking lot to show the community what the tiny homes will look like. 2. GAR Gallatin Assoc. of Realtors Summary (Hattie) 3. CAHAB Member updates and future agenda items G. 09:49:02 AM (01:47:45) Adjournment For more information please contact Brian LaMeres at blameres@bozeman.net This board generally meets the second Wednesday of each month at 8:00 AM Committee meetings are open to all members of the public. If you have a disability and require assistance, please contact our ADA coordinator, Mike Gray at 582-3232 (TDD 582-2301).