Ashland City Council - August 18, 2026

The Ashland City Council held a business meeting on August 18, 2026, focusing extensively on housing policy amendments, utility fee ordinances, and capital improvement projects. Key procurement-related discussions included approval of a contract amendment with Knife River Materials for the Ashland Municipal Airport Pavement Rehabilitation project, increasing the contract by $394,000 due to unforeseen subsurface conditions. The council also approved resolutions for property line adjustments and established an alternative procedure for the sale of city-owned real property to streamline future disposals. Significant deliberations occurred on land use code amendments aimed at streamlining residential development reviews and expanding housing opportunities, including single room occupancies, in compliance with recent state housing legislation. The council voted to approve the first reading of Ordinance 3307, which implements these changes, including administrative review processes and modifications to notice requirements. Additionally, the council discussed utility fees, particularly the parks fee, debating whether to remove its sunset clause to maintain funding stability. The meeting included motions to direct staff to proceed with ordinance development and budget prioritization for housing and infrastructure projects. Several votes passed motions related to these procurement and policy actions, reflecting the council's intent to address housing affordability and infrastructure maintenance proactively.