CRA to be put on AGENDA. Citizens say NO MORE CRA

CRA Plan 6 is to be put on the Agenda for a Public Meeting.

Public Speakers at both the Redevelopment Agency and City Council spoke against the continuation of the CRA. The Staff provided a report for its extension with a raised debt level. The raised debt levels would continue to remove funds from the General Fund and put the majority of the funds into the hands of the CRA.

Noted was that past use of CRA has been abusive and counter to the purpose of the CRA. When the CRA build a Senior Center it did not insure it was built to code, as just an example. Further example was the building of commercial businesses adjacent to residential property without providing proper road construction prior to occupancy to the businesses. Commerce Road should have been built Prior to allowing businesses with heavy truck travel on roads built for light residential traffic.

No one tied the location of the Senior Center/Housing a CRA project with the planned termination of Bus Services in Grand Terrace. Because the CRA / Ex City Manager/ CRA Director went against the General Plan and devised a Town Center Plan the Senior Housing was placed in a remote location distant from shopping and existing public transportation. Now that the Senior Housing is occupied the Call A Ride services have increased and the cost to provide them is not something the RTA is fairly compensated for. These riders could have used the 25 bus if they were on Barton Road as the General Plan had called for.

The CRA funds have been co-mingled improperly with the City's General Fund and expenditures have not been accounted for in such a way that an accounting trail can be established to eliminate the possibility of fraud and self interests being served by city managers and employees.

The Citizens are tired of the Shell Game called the CRA. Calls for it to expire and not be expanded were the majority view of the participants.