Resident urges quick use of $500,000 for Jamestown housing infill; public hearing set May 19

City staff said a 30-day public comment period on proposed reallocations runs April 16 through May 16, 2025, and that a public hearing is scheduled for May 19 at 6:45 p.m. in the council chambers before the voting session.

At the public hearing, a resident urged the Jamestown City Council to move quickly to spend what the commenter described as "half a million dollars" on home development and infill projects, citing long-standing deterioration of housing stock and regulatory barriers that the speaker said have slowed rebuilding.

"For 20 years, I personally advocated for small houses to be reused and redeveloped," the resident said, arguing the town has allowed abandoned housing to remain and that zoning and comprehensive-plan requirements have created barriers. The resident asked for a concrete schedule that would show construction progress in the current year rather than next year.

The resident asked the council to avoid delays tied to zoning changes and variance processes, saying demolition of blighted units should be followed quickly by replacement housing "this construction year, not next year."

No formal vote or council decision on the funding reallocations was recorded in the segment of the meeting covered by the transcript. The city’s announcement gives the public until May 16 to submit written comments and points to the May 19 hearing for spoken public testimony before any council vote.

The hearing record and public comments filed during the 30-day period will be part of the council’s materials prior to the scheduled vote at the May 19 session.