[BoulderCouncilHotline] Comments on 2/29/2018 Council Agenda Items

[Young, Mary]

Dear Colleagues and Community,

As I will not be in attendance tonight, below are my comments on some of the meeting agenda items:

Shared Equity Middle Income Downpayment Assistance Program
Thank you Bob and Sam for bringing this forward and to staff for doing the work.
Responses to staff questions:
Who qualifies?
In addition to 120% AMI, live or work requirement and first time buyer, I would support further consideration of a person’s racial and/or ethnic status given these groups’ historical lack of access to wealth.

What homes will qualify?

Luxury is not solely based on price due to inflated real estate within the city of Boulder. To establish qualification of a property, consider using a comp (size, age, condition, amenities) from surrounding area to determine a home’s eligibility.

What is an appropriate rate of appreciation?

I do not support higher appreciation for higher incomes as it seems regressive and inequitable. I would support making it the same as H2O.


Should the pilot require a ballon payment?

In order to make the program sustainable, this seems like a necessary component. Whether it is 7, 10 or 15 years could be a function of the amount of subsidy. I like the Planning Board’s idea of an appeal process based on circumstances.


Should inspection process be required?

Yes, basic life safety would seem appropriate.


How to address home improvements?

I would support the current policies in the current home ownership program.


Should the city partner with lenders?

Only if partnering does not increase the cost to borrowers.


Funding scheme #6 seems to have the least impact to the availability of housing and general funds for other city purposes.


Wonderland Lake

Thank you OSMP staff for your work on this so far and for recognizing the need for public engagement more in line with the city’s current process which was not in place at the time of the NTSA. Thank you also for recognizing that the pier and boardwalk do not fit within the City’s Open Space Charter purposes.


I support moving forward with a more robust community engagement process and finding opportunities on park land to the south for collaboration on community desires that do not fall within Open Space purposes but more neatly work with Park’s mission.


Thank you.

Mary Dolores Young
Boulder City Council
303-501-2439

“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.
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