Jacksonville advisory committee recommends pausing housing work after larger state allocation

Jacksonville’s technical advisory committee recommended pausing its work on the draft housing needs report and hiring a consultant to incorporate a substantially larger state allocation before forwarding materials to the city council.

The move follows presentation of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (ONA) allocation, which committee members said is “substantially higher” than earlier figures. Staff member, who led the report presentation, said the higher draft allocation will affect land‑need calculations and next steps and that the committee’s conclusions remain valid but require updating.

Agency official urged the pause: “So I would suggest us just pausing this group,” the Agency official said, arguing the TAC should reconvene after consultant work to resolve lingering prioritization discrepancies and to prepare land‑selection analysis tied to state rules. The official said larger allocations mean the city will likely need more land to meet 20‑year housing needs and that site selection will be a city council policy decision shaped by statutory prioritization rules.

Members asked what a pause would hand to the council. A Committee member asked whether the TAC should identify specific UGB amendment sites or provide the council with tools and analysis to make those decisions, noting council members have not attended TAC meetings and will need clear guidance. Staff member said a consultant could help prepare candidate‑site analysis, manage noticing and citizen advisory committee work, and produce a short, bulletized package for council review.

Committee members also urged the TAC to prepare a briefing that explains why it recommends pausing, summarizes work completed to date, and outlines what comes next. One member noted applicants who have been pursuing site amendments are now “in limbo” because the state’s changed process slowed local steps and suggested the briefing acknowledge those applicants.

The TAC did not take a formal vote but generally agreed to keep the committee available on an as‑needed basis while a consultant completes follow‑up analysis and to circulate a revised draft and recommendations by email before placing a final package on a council agenda.

Next procedural steps include hiring a consultant (via request for proposals), adding clearer, bulletized recommendations for council, and returning to the TAC for targeted meetings once the consultant’s analysis is available. Staff member said the city will also need to complete required noticing for property actions outside the current UGB and to form a citizen advisory committee as part of that process.