Good evening and welcome to the November 24th, 2025 Towalton City Council work session.

First item on our agenda tonight is a development code update, clear and objective standards for housing.

And this conversation will be led by Madeline.

Welcome, Madeline.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Madeline Nelson.

I'm the associate planner with the City of Twaleton.

And tonight I want to bring to you a new project to update the Tualton Development Code with clear and objective language related to residential housing.

All right.

So as a quick look at tonight's agenda, we'll start with an overview of the project, which will include the timeline, next steps, and then we will conclude with any questions you may have for staff.

So as previously mentioned, this project is to update the TWALT and development code with clear and objective language related to housing.

The purpose of the project is to audit and update the TDC to create an adoptable code that meets Oregon revised statutes 197A.400 or Senate Bill 1564.

For this project, we partnered with consultant group MIG to assist in the audit and draft code development.

And this was funded by a grant with DLCD.

So ORS 197A400 mandates that local governments regulate housing development using clear and objective standards, conditions, and procedures.

The statute is intended to reduce discretionary barriers, uncertainty, delay, and costs that could discourage housing development.

Clear and objective standards are intended again to reduce barriers, support housing needs, and improve accessibility and equity to development.

For some additional context, here's an example of discretionary language that a jurisdiction might find in its code versus clear and objective language.

So a discretionary standard might say new buildings must be compatible with the character of surrounding development.

In this example, compatible in character or subjective and open to interpretation.

The ORS would require clear and objective language, like the example on the right, which states building facades must include at least 30% windows or doors on street-facing elevations.

So in this example, it is the language is specific, measurable, and enforceable.

So our project consultant is currently completing an audit of the Twalton Development Code to identify sections that do not conform to clear and objective standards related to housing.

This final audit should be complete in January.

At that time, we will return to seek the council's feedback on the code audit and receive recommendations on code concepts that are policy driven.

A draft potential code update will be prepared in June of 2026.

This draft will then also be provided to the council for recommendations.

The final draft of the code update should be made available in August of 2026, and that will be revised based on your previous feedback.

And then a final adoptable code and formal hearing is planned for fall of next year.

So when looking towards our next steps, we will return in January with the code audit memorandum, and we'll seek policy direction based on the findings of that audit.

And that concludes our very short introduction of the project.

Are there any questions for staff at this time?

Questions from Madeline.

Council Halligar.

Thank you, Madeline.

Um I'm curious about, and I I haven't looked at them in a while.

What will the audit also look at places where there's might be opportunity to push back on certain things that the state brings as their standards?

I know the goal is to get us in line with state standards, but I think our community is pretty clear about the parking, you know, requirements at the state level and different things like that.

I'm assuming the answer to that question is absolutely not.

We're just making this in line with the state, but I am curious about where we can have local any local autonomy on the rules.

And so that is something that I would look forward to seeing in the January report.

Yeah, absolutely.

And just to provide a little bit of extra context, um, our consultant is has a very narrow scope on just housing and how that relates to our clear and objective standards, but they will probably provide some additional guidance within the memorandum.

Other questions?

Council Brooks.

Um, do we have like a like a rough estimate of the percentage of changes that we need to make?

Not at this time.

Once we get the memorandum in January, it'll kind of give us a better scope of how much of the development code will be impacted by these changes.

But again, within the narrow scope, we're just going to be looking at our code standards related to housing.

And then I guess my other question is does it feed also since it has to do with well, some of the work has to do with environmental things.

Do we have an opportunity there to look at updating the code for more environmentally?

Again, with the narrow scope, if the consultant can identify sections within our environmental code language that have to do with housing, that could be an opportunity to make some changes, but within the narrow scope, they're gonna be pretty much looking at the housing.

Great.

Yep, thanks.

Council Pratt.

Council Pratt.

So it says um ORS when they seven eight four hundred um that regulate housing development using clear and objective standards, conditions, and procedures.

So does this is it more focused on meeting these CFAC rules, or is it actually also looking into making the process easier for the actual housing to get built and processes simpler?

Yeah, so within the memorandum that we're going to receive, some of our procedures also aren't in line with the clear and objective standards.