Response to Grand Jury Report: Requiem for Redevelopment
• Santa Barbara Grand Jury Report titled, “Requiem for Redevelopment – The Life and Death of Redevelopment Agencies in Santa Barbara County”
• Grand Jury Board Letter dated May 1, 2012
• BOS Response Letter to Grand Jury dated May 1, 2012
Informational Responses to Individual Findings and Recommendations
Finding 7: County of Santa Barbara (Isla Vista): over the past 11 years spent $44.1 million; received $39.0 million in Tax Increment; has $17 million in outstanding long-term debt and obligations.
• The Board disagrees partially with the finding and includes the following explanation.
Finding 7 Response -Tax Increment, Revenues and Expenditures
Finding 8: Detailed data are not available on the amount of money spent on individual projects, the recipients of this money, or how these projects have contributed to eliminating blight.
• The Board disagrees partially with the finding and includes the following explanation.
Finding 8 Response - 10yr project expenditure trend
Recommendation 1: That all successor agencies provide on their websites the following for projects funded over the past 10 years, including projects that have been funded, but not completed:
1. List of all projects funding (completed or not) and the designated blight they eliminated.
2. The amounts spent (or to be spent) on each individual project.
3. The names and locations of recipients of over $25,000 associated with each project.
4. Administrative costs and professional services associated with each project.
5. Amounts of principal and interest payments associated with each project.
• This recommendation has been implemented.
Recommendation 1 Response - Expenses over $25k
Recommendation 2a: That all successor agencies provide on their websites their plans for defining and eliminating blight in the absence of RDAs.
• This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not feasible. See the above Board of Supervisors response letter to the Grand Jury for a more detailed response.
Recommendation 2b: That all successor agencies provide on their websites their plans for providing low-income and moderate-income housing in the absence of RDAs.
• This recommendation has been implemented.
Santa Barbara County 2012 Draft Action Plan prepared by the Housing & Community Development Department
Recommendation 3: That all successor agencies provide on their websites debt retirement schedules.
• This recommendation has been implemented.
Recommendation 3 Response - Agency Debt Schedules