Nathan Nelson, intergovernmental relations manager, told the committee that Representative Fragola is preparing a legislative concept on behalf of Better Housing Together and in consultation with local partners that could allow voluntary annexations of noncontiguous parcels within the urban growth boundary.

Nelson said the proposal is still at the concept stage and that staff and planning director Alyssa Hanson will present local incentive concepts and scenarios at a council work session next Wednesday. He said staff do not yet have draft bill language and that the IGR committee’s role will be to provide direction once language is available.

Council members raised operational and fiscal concerns about noncontiguous annexation, including the cost of bringing streets and utilities up to city standards and the city’s exposure to service demands. "When a call comes in from these locations, we go anyway," one councilor observed, noting emergency response is provided regardless of annexation status. Staff noted some areas already have contractual service arrangements (for example, the River Road area has contracted fire protection through the water district), but members said the city needs clearer expectations about who pays for new infrastructure and how annexation aligns with redevelopment expectations.

Nelson said the process he proposes is: (1) hold the work session to surface council priorities and concerns, (2) obtain draft legislative language for review, (3) return to IGR in December with a recommended position and precise edits to the policy document for possible inclusion in the priorities packet to be adopted before the session in January. The committee did not take a formal position at the Nov. 5 meeting.