The City of Hollister released the following statement, with
comments from Mayor Pauline Valdivia, about a proposal to cut
redevelopment agency funding from the state budget:
”
California legislators took an illegal action yesterday when
passing a state budget that eliminates redevelopment agencies and
extort so-called
”
voluntary
”
payments from local governments to balance the state budget.
The City of Hollister released the following statement, with comments from Mayor Pauline Valdivia, about a proposal to cut redevelopment agency funding from the state budget:
“California legislators took an illegal action yesterday when passing a state budget that eliminates redevelopment agencies and extort so-called “voluntary” payments from local governments to balance the state budget. With the limited information available to date, it appears that the voluntary payments would curtail programs to remove blight and for economic revitalization and reduce the number of housing projects that could be assisted to afford the significant payment to the state required to let us continue to operate.
‘I am grateful and commend the courage and support of Assembly Member Alejo and Senator Canella who voted against the elimination of Redevelopment in California. I also laud Assembly Member Alejo’s efforts to sponsor AB 1250 to reform rather than abolish Redevelopment in California.
I am extremely disappointed in the state lawmakers who passed not only a reckless but an illegal budget yesterday, ignoring the dire consequences their irresponsibility will have on local community. This elimination and hostage taking of local redevelopment funds sends our city and the entire state of California on the wrong track. At a time when California, the nation and world fear a double-dip recession, it is unconscionable that the state Legislature would vote to shut down our most powerful job-creation tool,’ said Mayor Pauline Valdivia in the statement.
Shutting down the City of Hollister Redevelopment Agency will have dire consequences for our community. The Agency funding is one of the few tools Hollister has to implement the vision in Hollister’s General Plan for compact growth realized by transforming the West Gateway corridor and revitalizing downtown with mixed commercial and residential land uses.
The legislation could shelve these local programs and changes our General Plan to nothing but a paper plan:
– 1 million dollars of bond funding dedicated for streetscape improvements to the west entrance to Hollister on Fourth Street (estimated 34 construction jobs and $204,000 in local and state tax revenues).
Funds for a comprehensive downtown fault study that could clear multiple properties from the requirement for a surface fault investigation that now costs over $100,000 per property.
Opportunity to develop the 400 block downtown as a ̳catalyst’ project will be lost.
Terminate a pilot program to refurbish the abandoned second floor of a downtown building for re-use with apartments.
The Leatherback property will be sold without consideration to the vision of the Hollister General Plan or economic revitalization
Loss of a potential site for the YMCA at the Leatherback property
Elimination of the graffiti abatement program
Annual match funding to assist façade improvements to commercial buildings and associated jobs for design, signs, painting, carpentry and plaster (e.g. Clock tower building).
San Benito Street Beautification Phase II – Post Caltrans relinquishment
Shutting down Hollister’s Redevelopment Agency housing programs punishes an Agency that has exceeded requirements in redevelopment law for production and expenditures for affordable housing. Agency assisted housing has been one of the few sources of local construction jobs since the recession started. Over half of the housing construction since 2008 has been assisted with redevelopment Funds and provided jobs to local contractors. The bill approved yesterday could also do the following:
Cancel local foreclosure prevention counseling services
Eliminate hiring of local contractor’s to rehabilitate foreclosed homes as part of the Hollister Neighborhood Stabilization Program
Jeopardize a partnership with the County Mental Health to explore a site for Mental Health special needs housing and other potential partnerships for special needs housing that is unavailable in Hollister
Reduce match funds for the construction of affordable housing
‘I call on Gov. Jerry Brown to do the right thing and veto AB 1X 26 and AB 1X 27 and help put California back on a road to economic recovery,’ Valdivia said in the statement.
