JACKSON, Wyo. — After more than three years and over 20 meetings, on Monday night Town Council unanimously agreed to seek a special joint meeting to further discuss the 90 Virginian Lane housing project, with the intention of determining options to proceed, or not to proceed.
Continuing her trend from recent meetings, Housing Director April Norton took the stand. This week she presented a new mix of housing options — namely option 1C, which is an alternative to options 1A and 1B that were presented in May — that the council was to vote on. Option 1C would make the units slightly more affordable, but keeps the total public funding request at $5 million. The proposal shifts $1 million in subsidy from the rental portion to the ownership portion of the project, lowering the target affordability levels from 126% to 123% Median Family Income (MFI) for rentals and from 152% to 145% MFI for for-sale units.
The vote would result in bringing a new suggestion to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) in an effort to continue the joint effort to complete, or begin, the housing project.
At the last joint meeting emotions ran high, with heated conversation passing between Commissioners and Councilors on the split decision. This week was no different, as former councilwoman (and current Town Council candidate) Jessica Sell Chambers took the stand she expressed concern for the price of the project climbing from month to month, and suggested that there might be some nefarious motives behind escalating costs.
The audience shifted around, glances were exchanged, and some uncomfortable chuckles could be heard within Town Council Chambers during the comment.
Another resident who declared “no skin in the game” suggested starting the project fresh from the beginning.
Councilor Jonathan Schechter commented almost immediately during council discussion: “What’s the urgency? What’s the emergency? … I don’t see this as a fundamentally different proposal than five weeks ago.”
“The thought here is just to discuss [the project] and see where we’re at, … because we have to have another meeting with [the BCC] regardless,” Councilor Devon Viehman later pointed out in discussion.
At the end of the day, the 90 Virginian Lane conversation will continue at a special joint meeting, although the date of that meeting is as yet undetermined.
