Yountville Weighs Affordable Housing Playbook as Council Hires Town Manager

Yountville needs 72 new homes under its state housing target and has 29, and the Town Council spent more than 90 minutes on Sept. 15, 2026, learning how nonprofit developers could close that gap at the town-owned Commons site. The same session produced a permanent leader: a 5-0 roll call appointing Fairfax Town Manager Heather Abrams at a $305,000 base salary, despite a petition urging the Council to wait until after the election.

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• Burbank Housing walks Council through affordable development, from tax credits to fair housing limits on local preference
• Heather Abrams appointed Town Manager 5-0, starting Oct. 19 with a possible home loan up to $750,000
• Liquidity Summit helps drive record hotel tax months, and the event returns May 23-26, 2027
• Residents press for answers on the former town manager's severance, and the town attorney promises a response

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The Commons Question: Build It or Partner

The basics: The Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) is the state-set count of new homes each city must plan for. Area median income (AMI) sets eligibility and rent limits for subsidized units.

Why it matters: The town has a 2031 deadline and a large shortfall. "We have 72 homes to build and recently had a presentation. We're only 29 in," said Hillery Trippe, Councilmember.

Where things stand: Interim Town Manager Ken McNabb said this was staff's fourth presentation responding to concerns about the Commons. He framed it around four questions: income levels, unit mix, long-term ownership and negotiating leverage. One option on the table, he said, "is to partner with an affordable housing developer like Burbank Housing to construct housing."

Jocelyn Lin, Chief Real Estate Development Officer, Burbank Housing, walked through four phases of a project's life cycle and warned that state funding is competitive. "It often takes us two, three tries before we get our tax credits on our projects," she said. Her advice on Measure S, the town's local housing funds: commit early. "Having local funding in a project early on helps with your leveraging score when you apply to HCD and you apply to tax credits," she said.

The constraints: Councilmembers asked about reserving units for local workers. "Under fair housing rules, we cannot legally restrict units for local residents or local workforce," Lin said. She added that the town could fund a local rental subsidy to push rents below tax-credit maximums. Lin said smaller projects run about 25 to 30 units at minimum. Asked about the "missing middle," she said Burbank's 80% AMI units in Healdsburg have been hard to fill. Erica Sklar of Napa Valley Community Housing said 80% AMI rents in her group's Arroyo Grande property bump up against market rents.

Labor costs, clarified: Lin said state funding usually triggers prevailing wages. Town Attorney Gary Bell went further. "Anytime there's more than $1,000 of public funds, it triggers prevailing wages," he said, including fee waivers or a reduced lease cost. Trippe noted the town's December bids all came from union contractors. The upshot is that a subsidized partner project and a town-built project likely face similar labor costs.

The other side of the ledger: John Dunbar, former Mayor, urged the town to stay out of the developer role. "Cities don't own, build, manage development projects," he said. Dunbar noted the $11M already spent on the Commons property can offset land costs.

Two buildings for sale: During earlier public comment, resident Ashley Tencher flagged an eight-unit property at 6778 Yount St. and the 13-unit Mulberry Apartments. McNabb said Sklar is researching funding. An administrative services director said "approximately half a million dollars" of Measure S is available. The planning director cautioned that buying existing units likely would not count toward RHNA.

What's next: The presentation was informational, and no vote was taken. Staff will report back on the two properties.

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Abrams Gets the Job, and a Bridge Manager

Where things stand: The Council adopted Resolution 26-4441 appointing Heather Abrams, currently Fairfax's town manager, by roll call (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0). The yes votes were Councilmember Robin McKee, Councilmember Hillery Trippe, Councilmember Eric Knight, Vice Mayor Pam Reeves and Mayor Margie Mohler.

McNabb recounted the search run by Ralph Anderson. It drew 42 applicants, led to six interviews and produced two finalists. Bell said the contract includes standard benefits, stipends, relocation and a possible home loan of up to $750,000. "The agreement in front of you this afternoon provides a base salary of $305,000," he said.

The other side: A petition urged the Council to wait for the election. Mohler said town operations must continue regardless. McKee cited strain on employees. "So to have a leader in place as we head into 2027 just seemed like a prudent thing to do for our staff," she said. McKee also said she will push for a 360-degree review of the new manager by direct staff.

Trippe said performance goals belong in strategic planning, not the contract. "It's not something that's easily put into an agreement that rolls over every year," she said.

The only public speaker on the item had opposed the search, then praised the result. "I was very vocal in my opposition to the search," the commenter said, before citing Abrams' ICMA membership and strong references.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Abrams arrives ahead of 2027 strategic planning, labor bargaining and rate studies. Staff get a permanent boss after an extended interim period. Residents who signed the petition did not get the delay they sought. The home-loan provision reflects how hard it is to recruit executives who can afford to live in Napa Valley.

The bridge: The Council also appointed Public Works Director John Ferons interim town manager under Resolution 26-4442 by voice vote (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0). He will serve for about a month while keeping his Public Works duties. "His pay rate will be $142.76 an hour," McNabb said, describing the out-of-class pay adopted on consent.

What's next: Abrams starts Oct. 19, and public meet-and-greets are planned.

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Summit Money Lifts Hotel Tax Past Budget

Why it matters: Transient occupancy tax (TOT), the tax on hotel stays, is a core revenue stream for Yountville. Staff say a new business-tourism event is pushing it to records.

Where things stand: Beverly, Deputy Director of Marketing and Economic Development, said the 2026 Liquidity Summit filled all 10 Yountville hotels. It generated 866 room nights in town plus 570 in Napa. "May 2026 TOT revenues exceeded $1 million, which was an increase of almost 5% when compared to May 2025," she said. June brought in $971,726, up nearly 25%, and TOT reached 102.7% of the adopted estimate for the fiscal year.

The summit returns May 23-26, 2027. "We have confirmed seven of the 10 hotels with room blocks here in Yountville," Beverly said. The Parks and Recreation director said the community center exceeded its revenue goals.

The marketing work runs through the "Yountville Portfolio," which uses the vendors Define Marketing, Mesmeric Concepts and Cvent. McKee noted it is funded by the tourism improvement district. "And that's a 2% assessment that goes on to room nights," she said.

The other side: Councilmembers praised the results but pressed on resident access, benefits for small businesses and limits on events. "I do think we need to be careful about our community facilities and making sure that even with these large events, people have access to their parks and their community center," Trippe said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Mohler framed the revenue as a resident benefit. "So I see it as an overall circular economy that is really going to drive even further the success of Yountville," she said. Hoteliers and the town budget gain the most. Residents' main stake is fair access to facilities during big events. The presentation was informational, with no vote.

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Severance Questions Return to the Dais

Where things stand: Two residents used non-agenda public comment to challenge what was described as a roughly $250,000 severance paid to the former town manager, who resigned. Jill Turner, returning after raising the issue at the Aug. 4 meeting, said the June 2023 contract "states that if the town manager resigned, he is entitled only to payment of accrued vacation leave."

Turner called comparisons to St. Helena and Calistoga irrelevant and cited the California Constitution's open-government guarantee. She asked five questions: what the legal basis was, whether the departure was a resignation or a termination, the total cost, whether the money has been paid and what recourse the town has. "It's about accountability, transparency, and responsible stewardship of public funds," she said.

A second public commenter echoed her concerns. "We're hoping that we can have an agenda item and you all can bring this out in the public," the commenter said.

What's next: Bell asked for time to respond. "If staff is going to provide a further response, if we could have some time to circle back on that," he said. The Council took no action.

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Minor Items

• Neighborhood Sculpture Stroll approved unanimously: Under Resolution 26-4443, the town can keep sculptures rotated off the Art Walk and place them in neighborhood parks, using a roughly $86,000 Community Foundation arts fund.
• Conflict of Interest Code updated: Resolution 26-4437 adds the Zoning and Design Review Board, which functions as the Planning Commission, to Form 700 disclosure filers (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0).
• Imagine Yountville grants expanded: The 2027 program adds $250 to $2,500 small grants alongside $2,500 to $20,000 large grants, and applicants need not be nonprofits.
• Vista Neighborhood roads go to bid: Resolution 26-4439 approves plans for a Measure U-funded roadway rehabilitation project and authorizes staff to seek bids.
• Closed session housekeeping: Minutes were approved after Mohler explained that the Aug. 13 closed session was adjourned by consent because she had inadvertently failed to adjourn it.

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Looking ahead: The Council's next regular meeting is Oct. 6, 2026. Abrams takes over Oct. 19.