Vancouver Connects

September is Preparedness Month

Wildfires, storms, outages, earthquakes and other emergencies can happen anytime. A little planning now can make a big difference later. This Preparedness Month, create a household plan, gather supplies (don’t forget pets), and sign up for Public Alerts. Learn more about how Vancouver and our partners prepare, and how you can too, in my full update. 

Vancouver has the second-lowest staffed police department among Washington cities our size. With 1.19 officers per 1,000 residents, officers are often required to work added and longer shifts, which increases overtime costs and puts additional strain on officers.

This November, Prop. 5 will ask voters to consider approving a property tax levy to fund up to 13 new full-time police officers, along with the equipment, vehicles and resources needed to support them across the justice system.

What would it cost?

The levy would increase Vancouver’s regular property tax by $0.15 per $1,000 assessed value. For the owner of a $500,000 home, that would be about $75 per year, or $6.25 per month.

The City is updating its comprehensive plan and zoning regulations.

Part of the update will include allowing for a wider variety of housing types in neighborhoods, including duplexes, townhouses, fourplexes and cottages. Allowing for these kinds of housing, called “middle housing,” supports our community’s need for more diverse housing options both in form and affordability. Vancouver is also required by state law to allow middle housing.

Explore the online StoryMap to learn more about the plan update. Then, provide your comments by Sept. 8 to help shape the final map and plan for Vancouver’s future.

Construction is underway on a new affordable housing community at 615 W. 6th Street. The project will transform a nearly one-acre parking lot into a six-story, 95-unit building reserved for low- and moderate-income households. The City invested $1.27 million from our Affordable Housing Fund, sold the land for $1 to ensure affordability, leveraged the state’s construction sales tax exemption, and reduced impact fees to help make it happen.

The project marks the first construction milestone in the City’s work to develop the 6.4-acre Waterfront Gateway.

Construction on Main Street from Fifth Street to 15th Street launched in January. Just eight months later, we celebrated the reopening of the first block, from Mill Plain Boulevard to 15th Street. 

This project is part of the City of Vancouver’s investment to make Main Street safer, more accessible and better connected for residents, businesses and visitors.

We're now accepting applications for openings on 14 boards and commissions. These boards give our community a direct voice in shaping the policies that impact Vancouver’s livability, health, safety and future. You don’t need a long resume or political experience, just a passion for this city and a desire to help shape its future. Meet current board members and learn more about serving at a drop-in Boards & Bagels event this Saturday, Sept. 6.