TITLE
Recommendation to request a joint study session of the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency within 60 days to receive an update on the current redevelopment projects to strengthen the shared vision between the Redevelopment Agency and the City Council and to understand how the RDA projects are improving our City.
DISCUSSION
The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (LBRA) oversees projects in nearly half of the City and was budgeted to expend about $70 million in projects this year.
In the fall of 2004, the Redevelopment Agency commissioned a study, led by Clarion Associates, to complete an Independent Study of Redevelopment in Long Beach to identify specific actions that should be taken to implement the best practices and recommend areas for improvement.
The first recommendation outlined in the Action Plan of the Independent Study was to "Strengthen the shared vision guiding redevelopment agency and elected officials." One of the recommendations outlined that could be implemented within a year was to conduct more frequent joint City Council/LBRA board work sessions.
Specifically, the Clarion Report stated "Joint City Council/LBRA work sessions (such as the three held during the Independent Study) should be conducted on an annual basis to establish the 'balance' of funds devoted to strategic, revenue-generating projects, versus neighborhood facility and infrastructure projects, to discuss how best to 'spread the wealth' among the various project areas over the next year, and to address potentially complex or controversial issues."
Unfortunately, a subsequent joint study session has yet to take place. With a number of new council members and new RDA board members since the Clarion Report was issued, the timing seems appropriate to have such a joint work session.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER RAE GABELICH, EIGHTH DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER VAL LERCH, NINTH DISTRICT