Council reviews draft ordinance to initiate downtown urban renewal agency; staff prefers council-only board

At its regular meeting the Prineville City Council reviewed Ordinance No. 1295, a staff-drafted measure to initiate a downtown urban renewal agency and begin a multi-step process toward creating an urban renewal district.

Planning Director Joshua Smith told council the item is for review only and that adoption would not occur tonight. He outlined three governance options: (1) include two members of the Prineville Downtown Association (PDA) on the agency board, (2) codify the PDA as an advisory committee, or (3) have a council-only agency board with PDA representatives attending as interested parties. Smith said staff’s logistical preference was option 3 because rotating PDA membership created scheduling and budget-committee complications. A PDA representative told council the PDA would prefer advisory status so members would not have a mandatory meeting obligation.

Smith summarized the draft plan’s scope — public infrastructure, property acquisition, façade improvements, downtown pocket parks and later commercial recruitment — and gave a long-term estimate for debt service. “The debt service on this one is going to be, like, $47,000,000, I think, at the end of the 30-year period,” Smith said, adding the plan is a living document and individual projects would require later approvals. Following discussion, staff said it would revise the ordinance and return a new draft to council in two weeks. No final vote to establish the agency occurred at this meeting.