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Board outlines budget schedule and says fee cuts helped spur housing development
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Summary
Officials said the city will host a budget work session May 12 and a second reading May 26, with a final reading in June. Board members and staff said a June 10, 2025 fee-reduction policy helped put roughly 500 single-family homes into the development pipeline, citing projects including Walker Farms and Waters at Bartlett.
City staff and board members outlined the upcoming budget schedule and discussed the local effects of a prior fee-reduction policy during open discussion on April 28.
Alderman (addressed in the meeting as Alderman Rees) asked for dates and a brief process overview for the budget cycle. Staff said the city will hold a work session on May 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. for an initial review, a second reading is scheduled for the May 26 meeting, and the final reading is planned in June. Staff said the work session will include presentations from public-private partners such as the library and the YMCA and that it is intended to surface issues ahead of formal votes.
A board member revisited a policy adopted June 10, 2025 that reduced subdivision fees to stimulate development. The mayor told the board the fee changes have "put about another around 500 additional single family residential homes in the pipeline for the next 3 to 5 years," and staff identified projects including Walker Farms, Stelling Place, the Sanctuary and Waters at Bartlett as examples. A staff member offered to provide more detailed figures at a follow-up.
Board members noted that interest rates and longer development timelines affect visibility of projects, and one board member said they would be out of town for the May 26 meeting.
