Hooper council narrowly affirms procedural resolution, spends most meeting debating Smith’s development, CRA and who will pay for lift station

Hooper City Council members approved Resolution 2025-04 by roll call early in the meeting, then devoted most of a work session to a long discussion of a proposed Smith’s grocery project, related rezoning and a lift station needed to serve the site.

Council members and staff focused on three linked questions: whether the city should participate in a CRA or let developers pursue alternative financing (pioneering agreements/impact fees); what conditions should be written into a development agreement before final rezoning; and who would bear the up-front cost of a sewer lift station estimated during the meeting at roughly $1.9 million to $2.0 million.

Why it matters: Council members said the proposal would change the city’s tax base and growth pattern and could require concessions or costs in the near term (construction years) before increased sales and property taxes begin to flow. Several council members said they must weigh constituent opposition in some neighborhoods against longer-term revenue needs for roads, pipes and other infrastructure.

Most substantive points

- Formal action: The council approved Resolution 2025-04 after a motion by Council Member Hill and a second by Council Member Fowers; the mayor called for a roll-call vote and announced, “Motion carries.” The meeting record does not include a complete roll-call tally in the transcript excerpt.

- CRA participation: Council members made clear they do not want the city to be the funding participant in a CRA. Multiple council members said they would be open to letting the developer or other taxing entities pursue a CRA or to permitting…