The single decision to come out of Brevard County’s contentious April 13 workshop on the future of community redevelopment agencies was a proposal to set up interlocal agreements with each agency in the county. That proposal got its first hearing on April 25 with a recommendation that each commissioner draw up a list of ideas to be discussed as early as May 9.
Commission Chair Curt Smith recommended that CRAs say how much money they need to finish their current plans. He also raised these questions: Would the agencies oppose using some CRA funds for county roads? Will they sunset their organizations after their last scheduled project? What are the debt service amounts and the terms, and what is the county oversight on this?
“It seems CRAs never go away,” Smith said. He cited the county-run Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency as an example. The agency developed its original plan in 1988. The blighted area has long since been corrected but additional projects will keep the agency busy to 2042.
“By then the 1988 project will be blighted again,” Smith said. “When does this ever stop? We need to have a finite time and plan when they are done.”
Commissioner John Tobia said interlocal agreements should prohibit taking on new debt.
“We struggle with what is legally allowed for us to do as a board,” Commissioner Kristine Isnardi said. “I would like clear and concise answers as to what we can do. And I like to have us submit our recommendations individually.”
Commission Vice Chair Rita Pritchett said she thinks that setting parameters is not likely to cause consternation among the CRAs. “But there will be a lot of pushback if we try and control debt service,” she said.
Commissioner Jim Barfield added that legislation in Tallahassee can affect whatever is decided. He referred to HB 13, which passed the House on April 26 and was sent to the Senate. The bill requires that a county or municipality petition the legislature to create a new community redevelopment agency and mandates ethics training for community redevelopment agency commissioners.
It also requires the Department of Economic Opportunity to maintain a website identifying all inactive community redevelopment agencies, creates an end date for agencies, and sets up requirements for audits and financial oversight.
“Let’s come up with what . . . [commissioners] would like to see, and get back to the county manager before the next meeting,” Smith said.
Besides concerns about how long they stay in existence, objection to CRAs stems from the belief by some commissioners and other county officials that the agencies syphon off property tax money the county could better use for road repairs and other projects, and that they function without sufficient financial oversight by elected officials.
