The Philomath City Council plans to convene at 7 p.m. Monday at Philomath City Hall for a meeting that includes possible action on a proposed affordable housing project that would be located at the corner of Main and North 20th.
Earlier this month, city councilors and the mayor went on a tour of an apartment complex in Corvallis that was constructed 18 months ago by Commonwealth Development Corp. The company, which specializes in affordable housing, then met with the council during the Aug. 11 meeting.
The City Council is scheduled to go into executive session near the beginning of the meeting as allowed by law “to negotiate real property transactions.” The city attorney suggested that certain details of the proposed project take place in a closed meeting. No decisions can legally be made in executive sessions, only in open meetings.
Also on the agenda, the council will discuss dissolving the Downtown Safety and Streetscapes Public Art Ad-Hoc Committee and forming a new citywide Public Art Ad-Hoc Committee. The original committee, formed in late 2021 to support art projects tied to the Downtown Safety and Streetscape Project, held its last meeting in June 2024.
Assistant City Manager Chelsea Starner through an agenda item summary explained that forming an art committee is one of the City Council’s top strategic plan goals for 2025-26, aimed at developing sustainable funding strategies and expanding public art installations throughout Philomath.
The proposed new committee would have five voting members, including up to two with professional art experience and one representing the business community. The committee’s duties would include drafting a public art plan and advising on art selection and funding opportunities.
In addition, the council will vote on three separate resolutions addressing a recent Oregon Government Ethics Commission advisory opinion that prohibits public bodies from providing food or beverages to officials unless included in their official compensation packages.
The ethics commission’s guidance affects common practices like providing meals during meetings that occur over lunch or dinner hours, volunteer appreciation events and holiday gatherings.
For those not attending in person, the city livestreams meetings on its YouTube channel.
Public comments are limited to three minutes and residents can participate in person or submit written comments by noon on the day of the meeting.