Redevelopment Agency Funds Recovered by City

The city council voted Tuesday night in a specially convened council meeting to become the successor agency, and successor housing agency, when the city’s redevelopment agency is officially dissolved in February.

The special city council meeting, which had no public speakers, was called in order to act upon a California Supreme Court decision handed down Dec. 29 that upheld and affirmed the State's decision to dissolve redevelopment agencies in the state. Cities were required to act upon the decision by Jan. 13.

In its decision the city ensures any obligations held by the former redevelopment agency will be upheld as well as allowing the city to recover $250,000 per year out of the revenues lost because of the redevelopment agency’s elimination. The city is eligible for the money until the current agreements have been fulfilled.

The lion's share of redevelopment obligations were to Vallco Shopping Center—which should be completely bulldozed quipped one citizen who showed up for the quick-resolve meeting after council chamber doors were locked.

The 4-0 vote was unanimous, with Councilman Orrin Mahoney absent.

In Memoriam

Mayor Mark Santoro opened the meeting with a tribute to John Earl Records, a longtime city employee who died Dec. 31.

Records started working for the city in 1994 and was the lead man of the tree group for the city’s urban forest, Santoro said.

A celebration of Records’ life will be held at Quinlan Center on Jan. 12 at 11 a.m.