The Philomath City Council will consider changes to the city’s commercial building façade grant program and a three-year extension of its planning services contract when it meets at 7 p.m. Monday at Philomath City Hall.
City Manager Chris Workman is recommending the council switch the Commercial Building Façade Grant Program from an annual funding cycle to a rolling, year-round application period.
The program was designed to draw four to six applications a year with the top three projects funded. In practice, Workman said the city has typically received only two or three applications at a time and property owners have sometimes waited six months or longer for the next application window, according to the agenda packet. Some owners have opted to move forward with their projects without seeking grant help rather than wait.
To date, the city has funded two façade projects — Dirt Road Brewing and Creative Graphic — totaling $20,000. A third award was approved but later withdrawn by the property owner. A fourth recipient, EvenFlo Plumbing, is asking the city to extend its completion deadline from Sept. 19 to Nov. 19 so it can still collect a $10,000 reimbursement.
Under the proposed change, staff would no longer rank competing applications against each other but would instead approve any project that meets the city’s funding criteria, up to a cap of three grants per year.
Workman reported that the shift reflects growing interest from property owners in improving their buildings to match Philomath’s “Timber Town” design theme.
Also on the agenda, the council will also consider a three-year extension of the city’s contract with Pathfinder Land Use Consulting LLC, which has provided planning services to Philomath since August 2025 under owner Laura LaRoque.
The proposed amendment would extend the agreement through three additional years with the hourly rate increasing each year while keeping the annual not-to-exceed amount at $60,000.
According to the agenda packet, LaRoque has handled daily planning inquiries, coordinated pre-application meetings, prepared staff reports and decisions, and advanced a lot line adjustment project on South 16th Street. She is also currently updating the city’s administrative, commercial and industrial code sections.
Additional new business items include a League of Oregon Cities legislative priorities poll and a Landmark Drive assessment lien. The council will also receive several informational reports.
The city provides a livestream of the meeting on the city’s YouTube channel.