At today’s Council and RDA meetings:

• the Board received an update on the RDA’s Draft Housing Framework, which would formalize the roles and responsibilities of the agency in affordable housing development. This is part of the ongoing effort to streamline the City’s various resources for developers into a single review and application process. The framework would also establish one set of rules and guidelines. In addition, RDA staff proposed the Board’s priorities be established through an Annual Housing Development Funding Strategy. This would help target housing funds as needs and opportunities change. The next step is for staff to draft ordinances for Board review.
  
• the Board discussed policy options for using Northwest Quadrant (NWQ) tax differential funds, sometimes known as tax increment, which was negotiated by the City and set aside for affordable housing efforts. The amount of these funds is unknown at this time, but it is expected to grow as the area develops. The Board indicated it would like to focus on mixed-income housing, including rentals and ownership opportunities, in the areas adjacent to the Inland Port. This would be combined with additional efforts for neighborhood building and economic development in the area to help close the opportunity gap between the west and east sides of the City.
  
• the Council received updates from the Mayor and her administration on:
  • the City’s evolving response to protests in the City. The Council may have follow-up discussions on this topic in future meetings.
  • recent developments from the federal level that enable residents who sustained damage in the March 2020 earthquake to apply for federal relief dollars. More information on this process will be available in the coming weeks.
  • the progress of the Commission on Racial Equity in Policing, including efforts to add members to the Commission and potentially make future meetings public.
    
• the Council discussed Budget Amendment No. 1 for Fiscal Year 2020-21. The proposal includes approximately $82 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding from the federal government. The first $66 million is expected to be used over two fiscal years (Fiscal Year 2021 and Fiscal Year 2022) to decrease fees that airlines and concession businesses pay the Airport for plane landings and space rentals. This is intended to improve financial stability. The Airport is evaluating how best to use the remaining funding which can be used to reimburse operating expenses or debt payments. The Council has scheduled public hearings on the proposal for Tuesday, August 11 at 6 p.m.* and Tuesday, August 18 at 7 p.m.
  
• the Council held the first of two public hearings on the proposed ordinance that would regulate the use of shared mobility devices in the City like dockless bikes or scooters. Information on the proposal can be found here. The next public hearing will be held on Tuesday, August 11 at 6 p.m.*

All agenda-related comments received through any source are shared with the Council and added to the Council public meeting record.

*Please note, the August 11th formal meeting will be held at 6 p.m. to accommodate the 7 p.m. State-required Truth in Taxation public hearing. If the Council is not able to finish the formal meeting prior to 7 p.m., the meeting will resume after the Truth in Taxation hearing concludes.