The Chapel Hill Town Council will meet on January 18 to consider the establishment of a task force with a purpose of evaluating properties owned by the municipal government.

Pam Hemminger, the mayor of Chapel Hill, explained that the proposed task force would reconcile the potential use of those properties with the needs of the town.

“It’s actually taking a look at the properties and seeing if there’s some strategic ideas to be thinking about,” noted Hemminger.

If established, the task force would contribute to the goals of Chapel Hill 2020, a comprehensive plan for local development that was adopted by council members in 2012.

That plan identifies an interest shared by residents and town officials to increase the ratio of workforce housing by the end of the decade.

“We have some affordable housing that needs to be revamped,” cited Hemminger. “We’re taking a look at that.”

A proposal submitted to council members by Roger Stancil, the town manager of Chapel Hill, states that the task force would assess properties with a variety of considerations in mind.

Those considerations include neighborhood preservation, residential suitability, support for local businesses and creative potential.

“I’m hopeful this committee is going to — and I know they will — come back with a list of many different ideas for many different properties,” stated Hemminger.

Town officials previously approved redevelopment plans for a public library that was built on Franklin Street in 1966 and a fire station on Hamilton Street that was built in the 1950s.

The vote on whether to establish the task force will take place next Wednesday at 7:00 PM in the council chamber of the town hall.