The City Council has approved a five-year plan to guide grant funding for community development and housing. The 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, which was presented by management analyst Angelique Shenk, outlines priorities for using federal grant funds to address local needs.
During her presentation, Shenk noted that the plan was shaped by feedback from residents collected through in-person meetings and an online survey. She emphasized the importance of maintaining affordable and quality housing in the city. “A primary objective of the city’s block grant plans is to benefit residents with low and moderate income, and to expand the availability of safe, affordable housing,” Shenk said.
Following approval, the plan will be sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for review. More information on the plan can be found here.
In addition to adopting the consolidated plan, council members voted to allow more flexibility regarding how long use permits remain valid. This policy aims to encourage timely completion of developments while giving council members discretion when needed.
Earlier in the day, at a work session, council members heard presentations about proposed zoning ordinance amendments for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and discussed forming a focus group on a possible ordinance that would ban camping and storage on public property. No votes were taken on these issues.
Discussion about camping centered around creating a stakeholder group to study feasible approaches before any decisions are made. The council plans to revisit both ADU regulations and public property camping ordinances later in the year.
The day began with a walking tour of the Phoebus business district. Representatives from the Phoebus Partnership introduced new businesses and discussed neighborhood priorities with city officials.
Video recordings of both sessions are available online.
