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CASE # <br /> <br />CONSIDER CREATION OF AN EDA HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE <br /> By: James E. Norman, City Administrator <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />The EDA discussed the creation of EDA subcommittees during the meeting of March 11. The <br />primary discussion during the March 11 meeting, focused on the creation of a Town Center Task <br />Force. The City Council did create the Task Force prior to the EDA creating its own <br />subcommittee. <br /> <br />A second suggestion for a subcommittee involved the possibility of a housing commission, <br />however, it was not discussed at any length during the March 11 meeting. <br /> <br />Observations: <br /> <br />State Statute allows cities to create economic development authorities with a number of <br />responsibilities. State Statute 469 includes the language that economic development authorities <br />are created "in order to promote the economic, commercial, housing, and industrial development <br />and redevelopment of the City..." While past practice of the EDA has been to focus primarily <br />on the industrial and commercial development, clearly housing is among the responsibilities of <br />the EDA. The relation with housing is obvious because if EDA is in the business of creating <br />jobs, it should also be in the business of creating housing for those jobs. An example of recent <br />involvement of the EDA in housing was the bonding authorization for the ACCAP housing <br />project at Highway #47 and Sunwood Drive. Since the EDA's focus has primarily been on <br />industrial and commercial development, staff would recommend that the EDA create a <br />subcommittee that can focus more directly with housing issues. <br /> <br />The City has immediate need for a citizen's advisory in the housing area. Projects include the <br />land on the eastern side of the City Hall campus where the soon-to-be constructed Helium Street <br />extension will connect with Alpine Drive. A second project is the recently purchased property <br />between Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Sunfish Lake. Recommendations of the housing <br />subcommittee would be made directly to the EDA, which in turn would be recommended to the <br />City Council. <br /> <br />Authority Action: <br /> <br />Based upon discussion. <br /> <br />Reviewed by: <br /> <br />City Administrator <br />Community Development Director <br /> <br />EDA: 05/13/02 <br /> <br /> <br />