FILLMORE : Funding for Housing Project Is Postponed

Fillmore City Council members postponed committing city funds to build a low-income housing project this week while they waited to see if the city had enough money to first make earthquake repairs in the downtown area.

While officials said the proposed 60-unit development could be used to house people left homeless in the earthquake, council members said they did not want to pledge $400,000 to the project when downtown might need an infusion of city funds.

“I’m real concerned that we’re taking a piecemeal approach,” Councilman Roger Campbell told his colleagues at their Tuesday meeting. “If we take a little here, a little there, we may have a shortfall in the areas really important to this city.”

Other council members, however, argued that Fillmore desperately needs low-income housing.

“We’ve got a situation where, in the three years I’ve been on the council, we seem to always come up for a shortfall in low-income housing,” said Councilman Don Gunderson. “This solves a long-existing problem.”

Council members agreed to the project informally, but postponed committing funds at least until their next council meeting in two weeks. The move will give city staff time to present the council with a list of spending options.