Land Banking Program Development Task Force – Membership Adopted

On March 31, 2026, the Lane County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Order 26‑03‑31‑11, formally establishing a 13‑member Land Banking Program Development Task Force. The Task Force expands upon the seven‑member structure originally authorized in Order 25‑05‑20‑07, reflecting the Board’s interest in stronger regional representation, broader subject‑matter expertise, and deeper engagement with community partners.

 

Recruitment for the Task Force generated significant community interest and a highly qualified applicant pool representing diverse backgrounds and regional perspectives. The strength and breadth of the applications were key factors in the Board’s decision to expand the Task Force from seven to thirteen members.

As established in Order 26‑03‑31‑11

 

District 1:
• Taylor Kohn
• Benjamin Abbe

District 2:
• Fabian Hernandez
• Gary Jones

District 3:
• Melissa Graciosa
• Luke Lonstrum

District 4:
• Margaret Thumel
• DJ Kelly‑Quattrocchi

District 5:
• Liz Cawood
• Jenny Jonak

County Administrator Appointments:
• Brooke Standifer
• Mike Fleck
• Karen Hall

The Task Force is authorized to convene immediately and will meet regularly through August 1, 2026, to evaluate program options, review technical information, and gather community input. A final report with recommended program parameters will be submitted to the County Administrator by September 2026, followed by Board consideration later in the year.

Lane County extends sincere appreciation to everyone who applied to serve on the Land Banking Program Development Task Force; the level of interest, expertise, and lived experience reflected across the full applicant pool was exceptional. While only a limited number of applicants could be appointed, we encourage all community members to remain engaged throughout the development of the land banking program. All materials presented to the Task Force—including meeting agendas, presentations, and supporting documents—will be posted on this website so the broader community can follow the group’s progress and continue contributing to this important work.

Meetings

Meeting dates and times can be found on the County Administration Calendar.

Questions

If you have any questions please contact Eric Mongan, Housing Production Manager, at [email protected]. 

***Updated April 2, 2026

Housing Land Banking Program Task Force – Recruitment Update

• We received 36 applications for the Housing Land Banking Program Task Force, with generally even representation across all five Commissioner districts. We appreciate the strong community interest in supporting the County’s land banking efforts and advancing housing affordability, availability, and choice throughout Lane County.

• Commissioners will receive application packets this week for review and may contact applicants directly with any follow-up questions.

• County staff will meet next week to consider candidates for the two staff-appointed positions.

• Appointments to the Task Force are currently scheduled for March 31st at the regular meeting of the Lane County Board of County Commissioners.

• Thank you to everyone who applied. We appreciate your patience with recent timing adjustments. Additional updates will be posted here as the process moves forward.

• For questions, please contact Eric Mongan, Housing Production Manager at [email protected]. 

Lane County Announcement:  Applications Open for the Housing Land Banking Program Task Force are now CLOSED.

The application period to participate in the Land Banking Task Force has closed. Please check here for further information as the applications are reviewed. If you submitted an application and no longer wish to be considered for the Task Force please contact Eric Mongan at [email protected].

Lane County Announcement:  Applications Open for the Housing Land Banking Program Task Force

 

Lane County is seeking community members to serve on a limited-duration, non-partisan Task Force that will shape the development of the County’s new Housing Land Banking Program. This program is a key action identified in the 2019 Affordable Housing Action Plan and represents a major investment in Lane County’s long-term housing strategy.

Background

On April 1, 2025, staff presented implementation options from the 2019 Affordable Housing Action Plan to the Lane County Board of Commissioners, including a focused discussion on establishing a countywide land banking program. The Board expressed strong support for staff to continue working to establish a land banking program here in Lane County.

In late May, the Board adopted ORDER 25-05-20-07, establishing a Task Force to ensure that the program is designed with strong community involvement and grounded in best practices and the County’s adopted policy goals.

With approval of the FY 25–26 Lane County Budget, the Board has seeded the future Land Banking Program’s revolving loan fund with $2 million in Oregon Video Lottery Funds, enabling the County to begin acquiring land once the program framework is finalized and adopted.

The Task Force will contribute directly to the development of the draft program that will be presented to the Board for consideration and adoption. Once the program is adopted, the Task Force will be disbanded.

Task Force Commitment

Potential applicants should consider their ability to meet the time commitment should they be selected and appointed to the Task Force. It is anticipated that the Task Force will meet for 6 to 8 one-hour meetings, however, this may change as the Task Force begins its work drafting the program. As stated, the Task Force will be disbanded following Board consideration and approval. Tentative first meeting of the Task Force is Scheduled for the last week of February or first week of March 2026.

Ideal Candidate

The Task Force will be responsible for drafting the County’s Housing Land Banking Program. The concept of land banking is not a new one and there are statutes and rules regulating the acquisition and dispensation of real property by municipal (county) agencies. The Task Force is being asked to create the goals of the program, the measures of success, the opportunities for improvement, the cycles of review and reporting, and most importantly provide the community member insight and values that will ensure all efforts are made to create a program that promotes the best stewardship of public funds.

If you are an educator, project manager, team leader/executive, serve in a role that requires regular customer service, or just have a strong commitment to maintaining public trust you are encouraged to apply!

Task Force Structure

Per Board ORDER 25-05-20-07, the Task Force is to be comprised of seven voting members with each Commissioner selecting one member and the County Administrator selecting the remaining two voting positions. At the first meeting a Chair and Vice Chair will be selected, and the Task Force will be briefed on the requirements of Oregon Public Meeting Law and Roberts Rules of Order. The Task Force meetings will be conducted in a hybrid format allowing for in-person or remote attendance of Task Force members, staff, and the public. It is staff’s intention to provide agendas for the first six meetings and to get those meetings scheduled by the completion of the second meeting.

What is Next

The County will accept letters of interest for 30 days (January 9, 2026, to February 9, 2026). The County Administrator will then convene a select group of county staff to review and select applications for the Board’s review, consideration, and appointment. Appointments to the Task Force are slated to occur at the first or second Board of County Commissioners Meeting in late February or early March 2026. Appointed community members will then be contacted by staff to get the first two Task Force Meeting dates scheduled (March 2026). If practicable the Task Force will meet every three weeks until the draft program is complete (6-8 one-hour meetings).

Questions

Please contact Eric Mongan, Housing Production Manager, at [email protected] or 541-731-4215.