County promotes workforce housing line, hotel IGA and second‑story Main Street housing as parts of growth plan

Gilliam County court members and community representatives used the July 8 roundtable to update attendees on local housing initiatives and the county’s use of Economic Enhancement funds to incentivize development.

County staff said an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for an old motel property has been presented to the county attorney; the county plans to act on the IGA after legal review and intends to use economic enhancement dollars to incentivize development that could include housing or other uses. The court described the IGA as a tool to influence how land is redeveloped in line with community needs.

Participants also discussed a second‑story housing initiative being pursued in coordination with the chamber of commerce to encourage downtown housing on Main Street. The county described that project as ready for a chamber presentation and suggested it could attract residents back to Main Street and help downtown businesses.

Funding context: attendees reviewed the Economic Enhancement distribution and noted a workforce housing development line item set at 8% of the ordinance distribution. The county also encouraged proposal submissions for the workforce housing pot and asked stakeholders to bring project ideas so the line item can be spent on local projects.

Why it matters: local officials said small cities and the county face supply constraints as builders and contractors work in larger regional markets, and that incentives can help attract projects. The meeting included operational details, such as delivering infrastructure and coordinating with the chamber and cities on implementation.

Next steps: county staff said they will present more detail to the chamber and invite groups to bring workforce housing project proposals for the workforce housing line item; the motel IGA will be acted on after attorney review.