York Town News
Workforce housing ordinance won't be on November ballot
By Larry Favinger
YORK - The much discussed, largely misunderstood and often controversial Workforce Housing Ordinance originally scheduled for a public hearing next week with an eye toward inclusion on the November ballot has been withdrawn, at least for now.The Board of Selectmen agreed Monday night that the public hearing next week is no longer necessary as the parties involved have agreed to withdraw the ordinance from consideration for the November ballot.
Instead, the town will establish a new committee to work on preparing something for the voters in May.
All involved with the ordinance - Town Planner Steve Burns, the York Housing Authority and the selectmen - agreed on this course of action as agreement on the proposal at it stood, and, thus, voter support, seemed unlikely.
There were far too many questions and issues remaining, Board of Selectmen Chairman David Marshall explained at the board's meeting at the York Public Library on Monday, Sept. 11.
Town Manager Rob Yandow will put together a draft for a new committee to work on the issue, a committee that will include selectmen as well as representatives from the York Housing Authority, among others.
Selectman Len Dorrian said workforce housing is a "good, workable idea" but there wasn't enough lead-time to properly prepare something for the November ballot.
Dorrian said the committee should be a fairly broad-based group because "this is something that's going to affect the whole community."
Selectmen Vice Chairman Dwight Bardwell said the current proposal included "a number of questions that need to be fleshed out" and said the town should "keep this right in the forefront of discussion" because it is "something many people in town want."
The proposal was aimed at people who live and work in York with a household income of between $58,000 and $95,000 annually.
Under the most recent draft of the proposed ordinance, the housing would have been taxed like any other real estate in town and the ongoing discussions included ways to keep the housing in the affordable range when eventually it was sold.
There were also questions on how to handle the housing stock if the household income of those who purchase the homes eventually exceeded the upper limits of the ordinance.
Jud Knox of the York Housing Authority was present for the meeting as the selectmen noted YHA's agreement to withdraw the plan at this time and bring forward a revised ordinance for a future townwide election, potentially in May or November of next year.
