The Summit County Council tabled a vote on bylaws for its fledgling housing authority last week while it decides on a workforce housing vision.
“Putting [the housing authority] together is kind of the next step in the process, and then starting to advertise for people to occupy the board of that again, prior to that discussion, I think it would be a mistake,” Councilmember Roger Armstrong said Feb. 12.
The council is scheduled for a guided discussion on long-range affordable housing goals on March 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The conversation will be a continuation of the October retreat where councilmembers discussed goal-setting, including whether they should follow Park City, which set out to build 800 affordable housing units before 2026.
Summit County Housing and Economic Development Director Jeff Jones said that was to maintain the percentage of Park City’s workforce that lives within city limits: 12%.
It would take thousands, not hundreds, of housing units to keep 36% of Summit County’s workforce living within its boundaries, according to Jones’ estimates at the October retreat.
Summit County Manager Shayne Scott said Parkite Erin LaCombe, founder of public relations firm CV Strategies, will moderate the March 12 discussion.
After that, councilmembers may adopt bylaws for the semi-governmental housing authority, which will determine who can serve on its board.
And just because the council is waiting doesn’t mean it’s having second thoughts, Chair Tonja Hanson tells KPCW.
“We’re going to move forward with the housing authority. There's no doubt,” she said. “But there's a lot of discussion of how we should be moving forward strategically, and do we wait for Mr. Jones to hire the person who will be overseeing the housing authority so they're involved in these conversations? I think that would be the way to go.”
Jones previously said the housing authority’s first priorities will be publishing accurate housing market data, subsidizing utilities costs and helping employers find housing for workers.
