Regular meeting

Hood River’s Urban Renewal Agency administers four urban renewal districts. Three are active – Waterfront, Heights, and Westside — and one, the Columbia-Cascade District, has ceased collecting tax and is in the process of closing down.

Urban renewal districts use a financing program, called tax increment financing, that permits using expected future property tax growth to make economic development investments in designated districts today, via loans.

Hood River’s Urban Renewal Agency has a nine-member board consisting of the Hood River City Council plus two elected members from the Port of Hood River. The agency is responsible for performing all normal board duties, including adopting a budget. The agency also works with a seven-member advisory committee, the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee (URAC). The advisory committee also serves as citizen budget committee members for the agency.