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Clackamas County directs staff to develop expanded business grants and a strategic land bank program
Summary
Commissioners directed staff April 7 to further develop an expanded small‑business development grant program and a strategic land‑bank program to centralize county‑owned or acquired property for redevelopment; staff will return with specifics for future approval.
The Clackamas County board voted April 7 to ask staff to further develop two economic‑development tools: an expanded business development grant program and a strategic land‑bank program.
Dan Johnson, director of Transportation and Development, told the board staff had reviewed an extensive list of possible incentives and proposed two near‑term steps. The first would broaden an existing lottery‑funded grant program (currently focused on traded‑sector business grants) to target capital improvements and development projects that support local priorities. The second would create a program to inventory and strategically manage county‑owned or county‑acquired parcels (a "strategic land bank") to seed redevelopment and return properties to the tax base.
Commissioner Helm moved to direct staff to further develop both the expanded grant program and the strategic land‑bank program for future board consideration; Commissioner West seconded. The clerk recorded a 3–0 vote in favor. Staff will return with program details and any acquisition proposals for board approval.
Johnson and staff emphasized that any property acquisition would come to the board for review and that the proposed program is intended to centralize and coordinate existing county property work rather than to create a stand‑alone land‑bank authority at this time.
