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Council agrees to reserve employer-partnership priority at Lumberyard amid equity concerns
Summary
Council directed staff to include a capped employer-partnership priority in the Lumberyard deed restriction but asked staff to design limits and time bounds after outreach; opponents called the proposal 'pay to play' and pushed for caps and limited terms.
Staff proposed an employer-partnership program that would allow local employers to pay a fee to move employees ahead in the Lumberyard priority list. Chris Everson described a possible cap on the program so the public would retain adequate access; he said staff’s current recommendation was around 50 units but that outreach in 2026–27 would determine pricing and uptake.
Council members were sharply divided. Christine (council member) warned that “it is pay to play” and raised concerns that large organizations could dominate access; others, including Mayor Rachel Richards and council member Bill, supported reserving a modest portion of units to capture revenue for transportation or housing programs while imposing caps and time limits to protect equity. Council gave staff majority direction to include a capped, time-limited employer-priority option in the deed restriction to be refined in follow-up work.
