Public concern with Urban Renewal

Norris presented to the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee, made up by Hood River City Council, about updates to bylaws that were last revised in 2012. He said this revision is to look at the inner workings of the URA, such as general administration, details of operations, and how overhead is paid for. The URA is also looking at future negotiations with Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and other agencies for transportation planning; they received support from the school board, the transportation district, and city council for such proposals.

Other recent efforts from the URA are directed towards a public engagement plan for Westside development which is expected to be a large part of the 2024-2025 projects. Designated focus groups will be selected to provide public input, from small business owners to builders and housing-vulnerable people.

With no previous framework or plan for outreach and engagement on the Westside, focus groups are intended to bring visibility and increase accessibility as Hood River strives to build a more equitable and inclusive community.

However, in early May, Hood River Library Board President Brian Hackett spoke to city council, expressing his disappointment in decisions made in the name of urban renewal. He stated that choices concerning urban renewal have repeatedly shown disregard for the rest of the county, a pattern he finds both disturbing and cavalier in its treatment of county missions and special districts.

Hackett said that council has taken upwards of 10% of the library budget for urban renewal projects. He said that city council continues to “circumvent the will of the Hood River County voters” who entrusted him and the library with tax dollars that are being reallocated. He is concerned about the budgetary crisis this will lead to at the library and among other districts which will directly impact their ability to do their job, he said.

During later discussion, Mayor Paul Blackburn referenced Hackett’s comments, stating, “There is a little bit of an overarching moral hazard which, to the point of the gentleman from the library district, we’ve got to make sure that we’re not just willy nilly using urban renewal as a sort of convenient amplifier of the city’s goals.”

The mayor wants to ensure that council is consistently made aware of their additional obligations and responsibility to stick tight to the mission of urban renewal, “not just use it to expand the city’s operations.”

Norris said that there are parameters and constraints that only allow for projects that align with urban renewal goals, and Councilor Megan Saunders echoed sentiments that a regular reminder should be made to city council, a body that is entrusted with carrying the weight of the larger community.