Reader Advisory Warning: this article attempts to make technocratic government language a bit more understandable. If you don’t love the ins and outs of finance, read the “quick and short” section below, then jump ahead to the article on Urban Renewal: Past and Future. For those brave souls who love understanding details, head forth to the “long and detailed” section!
Talent formed an Urban Renewal District in 1991 that covered Talent’s downtown. That urban renewal district built sidewalks and planters along Main St, replaced old water pipes, installed street lights, and provided grants to businesses that wanted to replace their facades, among other projects. It stopped collecting any tax revenues in 2019, but still exists today through revenue it has collected, but not yet spent.
City Council is now considering a new urban renewal plan that focuses on supporting the rebuild within the burn scar left by the Almeda Fire. Specifically, City Council is concerned that we are seeing a lack of investment in certain rebuild areas of the city – in particular, our affordable housing and commercial areas. They are considering urban renewal as a tool to help. Talent is in a unique situation with the fire, however, since the rebuild is occurring so quickly. The speed of that rebuild impacts how much revenue urban renewal will collect – and how much revenue other taxing jurisdictions may miss out on. It is an important and ongoing conversation.
Join us tonight at 5pm via Zoom, as the TURA Board (composed of the same folks who are on City Council) meet to decide whether to move the plan they’ve drafted to a public review process. If the TURA Board decides to move the plan forward, a copy of the official plan will be sent to all the impacted taxing districts for them to review and provide feedback. They will have 45 days to share their thoughts, before the City Council moves to the next step of holding a public hearing and deciding if they would like to establish the district. However, if the TURA Board decides that they would like to make more adjustments to the plan, future work sessions will be scheduled.
Whether the proposed plan has moved to the public review process or if the Board is making further refinements, we would love to hear from you. Urban renewal plans are ultimately intended to support the fulfillment of the community’s long-term vision, and we can’t do that without you.
Stay tuned for more info!
