Next Up at City Council 3/14-15, 2007

The highlight of the Portland City Council’s agenda for March 14 & 15 is on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., when there is a public hearing to Accept the Urban Forest Action Plan as an implementation strategy for the 2004 Portland Urban Forest Management Plan. An adopted Plan without an implementation strategy, and funding to pay for it, tends to sit on a shelf. This Action Plan has been formulated in a good public process and written by staff who care about the goals and know how to get things done. It’s likely to pass with lots of well-deserved pats on backs. Citizens are encouraged to show up to enjoy earned success, and to acknowledge a process done well.

There are several Local Improvement Districts on the agenda. Known as LIDs, this is a funding mechanism by which a group of property owners share in the cost of transportation infrastructure improvements such as street paving, sidewalks, and installing a stormwater management system. More rarely, LIDs can be used to install sidewalks on existing streets, something SW residents often discuss. Lots of good LID information on the Office of Transportation site.

I don’t know what this one is: *244 Authorize a land use covenant with Multnomah County to acknowledge zoning for placement of a City proposed steel lattice communications tower to be positioned next to farm and forest land (Ordinance). It’s an emergency ordinance, and my guess is someone’s going to be steamed when the “steel lattice communications tower” goes up.

Ever wonder what the City considers a reasonable price for a modest new home? Wednesday’s agenda will set it, for one program designed to help people purchase a newly built home. Guess, before you read the rest.

252 Establish $275,000 as the maximum price for newly constructed, single-unit housing eligible for a limited property tax exemption in a Homebuyer Opportunity area for 2007 according to Chapter 3.102 (Resolution introduced by Mayor Potter and Commissioner Sten). The code definitions of these Homebuyer Opportunity Areas in 3.102.090 allow up to 20% of the city, generally outside Urban Renewal Area boundaries, to be designated for assistance to homebuyers in the form of property tax relief. The areas are mapped, and a cap set on the price of homes eligible for the assistance. This is one program the City uses to help people buy homes outside of Urban Renewal Areas.

The other regular agenda item on Wednesday is *253 Authorize the Office of Sustainable Development to enter grant agreements to fund organizations working to make high blends of biofuels readily available, creating quality local biofuels jobs and supporting Oregon agriculture (Ordinance introduced by Commissioners Leonard and Saltzman). The City is giving nearly half a million dollars in grants to companies working on biofuels. Hmmm…. those folks funding the LIDs I mentioned above, are paying for sidewalks out of their own pockets.

Nothing on Wednesday afternoon. Thursday afternoon is when you’ll often see land use cases, and March 15 has a continued hearing, 257 2:00 PM – Appeal of Goose Hollow Foothills League against the Hearings Officer’s decision to approve the application of Cynthia L. Hilliard for a Zoning Map Amendment from R7 to R2, in compliance with the existing Comprehensive Plan Map designation of Low Density Multi-Dwelling Residential and four Adjustment Reviews at 1970 SW Mill Street Terrace (Hearing; Previous Agenda 130; LU 06-109528 ZC AD). I previewed this case in early February, with the only information I can readily find on line the Staff Report. If anyone knows more about it, please post in the comments.