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City staff seats county appointee, outlines URA plan update and new website timeline
Summary
City staff announced Matt Whitman as Park County’s appointee to the Livingston Urban Renewal Agency and said planning director Jen Severson will take a larger role in URA work; staff expects the URA plan update to start late summer and a new URA section on the city website by the end of the summer.
City staff announced that Matt Whitman has been seated as Park County’s appointee and a full voting member of the Livingston Urban Renewal Agency during the board’s April 28, 2026 meeting, and outlined a timeline for an URA plan update and a new city website that will include a branded URA section.
A city staff member told the board Whitman was appointed under 2025 Senate Bill 3 provisions that entitle overlapping county and school districts to seats on URA boards; staff described Whitman as the county’s public works director and said he had been appointed by the county commission to a four‑year term. Whitman was present and greeted board members, saying he was glad to serve and asking staff to brief him on downtown CIPs and URA priorities.
Staff also updated the board on next steps for an URA plan update: results from a downtown business‑owner outreach will be transmitted to the city commission on May 3, and staff expects the URA plan update to initiate later in the summer, likely August or September. The city’s planning director, Jen Severson, will take a more prominent role with the URA going forward, handling application review and policy development with staff supporting implementation.
On digital outreach, staff said the city is moving ahead with a website update and plans to integrate an independently branded URA section that functions like a stand‑alone URA site on the front end while sharing back‑end infrastructure with the city; staff estimated the new site would be live by the end of the summer or within six months.
During public comment earlier in the meeting, Paul Recker, executive director of Prospera, offered the nonprofit’s assistance for downtown business development and noted a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant opportunity that could support county capacity for economic and community development. Recker described ongoing Prospera services in Park County, including monthly free business counseling, business cohorts, occasional events, and lending support, and encouraged the URA to consult Prospera on grant options.
Staff did not announce a school‑district appointee at the meeting and said they expected that appointment to be resolved in the coming weeks.
