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Astoria council creates Housing & Community Resiliency Fund, approves school‑district MOU for emergency supplies
Summary
The council voted to close the Astor West special projects fund, open a new Housing and Community Resiliency Fund (141) and transfer remaining funds; it also unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Astoria School District to store emergency supplies and use buses during disasters.
Astoria City Council on Monday agreed to repurpose a previously restricted urban‑renewal special projects fund to support housing and community resiliency citywide.
The council voted in two separate roll‑call motions to first create Housing and Community Resiliency Fund 141 and then to adopt a supplemental budget that closes Astor West Special Projects Fund 140 and transfers the remaining balance into Fund 141. Finance Director Hillary Norton said the change reflects a shift in purpose from projects strictly tied to the Astor West Urban Renewal District to housing and resiliency projects for the broader community; she noted the legal process requires public notices and supplemental budget paperwork and that the fund can be changed again in the future through the same transparent process.
During public comment Marilyn Ditto asked whether the existing special‑fund language could already cover housing without creating a new fund. Norton replied that Fund 140’s stated purpose referenced projects related to the Astor West Urban Renewal District and that the new fund establishes a clearly identified citywide purpose.
Earlier on the consent calendar the council also adopted a memorandum of understanding with the Astoria School District that will formalize storage of emergency supplies at school properties and allow the city to use school‑district transportation in the event of a large evacuation. Fire Chief Dan Crutchfield told council staff had maintained a verbal agreement with the district for roughly two years and identified the middle and elementary schools as preferred storage locations because they sit outside the inundation zone. Council approved the MOU by unanimous vote.
Staff said the city will follow required publication and hearing steps for the supplemental budget and that the new fund’s stated purpose is intended to provide transparent tracking of housing and community resiliency expenditures.
