Council adopts housing production strategy and planning/engineering fees; extends Downtown EID

At the June meeting the McMinnville City Council took action on three items that advance planning, development fees and downtown business assessments.

Housing Production Strategy adopted

The council unanimously adopted Resolution 2025‑18, the city’s 2025 Housing Production Strategy (HPS). The HPS responds to state requirements under House Bill 2003 and outlines 16 actions grouped across long‑range planning, regulatory amendments, incentives, land‑based programs and housing choice/preservation. The plan sets an eight‑year implementation horizon with a midpoint check‑in and directs staff to pursue funding, coordinate with the Affordable Housing Committee and bring code‑ or policy‑level items back to the Planning Commission and council as needed.

Planning and engineering fee schedule adopted

Council adopted Resolution 2025‑21 to update planning and engineering permit fees based on the January‑to‑January CPI (2.9% this cycle). The schedule also incorporates a 50% permit fee reduction for qualifying affordable housing projects and will take effect Aug. 1. Staff said the annual update will return to council for approval; council voted to approve the resolution unanimously.

Downtown Economic Improvement District (EID) extended

Council adopted Ordinance 51‑62 extending the duration of the McMinnville Downtown Economic Improvement District for three more years with no change to the current assessment rates: 8.5¢ per square foot for the defined downtown core and 4.25¢ per square foot for a secondary zone. The ordinance passed on a recorded vote of 5–0; two members recused from the EID vote because of potential conflicts of interest related to downtown business ownership. Finance staff noted the required protest threshold (33%) was not met during the hearing, so council could proceed with the extension.

Votes at a glance (formal actions taken)

- Resolution 2025‑18 (Housing Production Strategy): motion to adopt carried 6–0. (Mover: Councilor Peralta; Seconder: Councilor Cunningham.) - Resolution 2025‑21 (Planning & Engineering fee schedule): motion to adopt carried 6–0. (Mover: Councilor Payne; Seconder: Councilor Gary.) - Ordinance 51‑62 (Downtown EID extension): motion to adopt carried 5–0; two council members recused. (Mover for final adoption recorded as Councilor Cunningham; Seconder: Councilor Gary.)

Quotations and procedure

Staff noted the HPS had been reviewed by the Planning Commission and supported unanimously. Finance staff confirmed the planning and engineering fee updates will become effective Aug. 1 and that building permit fee updates will follow state review and a July 22 council hearing. For the EID ordinance, finance staff confirmed the district maintains non‑residential boundaries and the extension does not change assessment rates.

Ending

Council action advances an 8‑year housing implementation work plan, updates permit fee schedules (including targeted affordable housing fee relief), and keeps the downtown EID in place for another three years. The council recorded unanimous or near‑unanimous support for the measures taken at this meeting.