[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Further clarification on my vote last night on commercial linkage fees

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Jones, Suzanne

Dear All—

Last night I tossed and turned and couldn’t sleep for thinking about my vote last evening on commercial linkage fees to provide funding for affordable housing. Even though it would not have changed the outcome, I kept wishing I had sent a clearer message with my vote on final passage--hence this email.

This past November, I voted for higher linkage fees of $15/square foot of new commercial development per the modest staff recommendation, a vote which failed 4-5. I then voted with the 6-3 majority to accept $12/square foot, as it was an improvement over our current linkage fee of $9.53/sq ft.

Last night’s discussion played out similarly. However, given how the motion was made, there was not even a chance to vote affirmatively for a higher fee of $15/sq ft.  My general preference is to vote for what I support, rather than what I oppose—so I again voted for the $12/sq ft compromise.

But in hindsight, I wish I had voted no, if only to underscore my belief that the fee should be higher and to better reflect how divided Council is on the best ways to address this thorny issue of providing more affordable housing.

I think my colleague Sam Weaver’s summary statement said it well: over the next 25 years, potential commercial development is likely to create the need to house an additional 18,000 employees, but a $12/sq ft linkage fee will only provide enough funding for 982 development units. This is a large affordable housing gap that will only further exacerbate our current challenges.

While commercial linkage fees is only one small tool in our arsenal to provide for more affordable housing (and arguably not the best), this growing gap underscores the imperative to employ additional tools to address this pressing housing need and to positively influence our housing-jobs imbalance.

Again, while it would not have changed the final outcome, I wish to be very clear in what I stand for (at the very least so I can sleep better).

Thank you,
Suzanne Jones
Mayor, City of Boulder



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