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Highlands Today

AP Ponders CRA Director Position

SHIREY TEMPORAILLY OVERSEEING BUSINESS

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By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: February 24, 2009

AVON PARK - The city's Community Redevelopment Agency Board agreed with City Manager Sarah Adelt that one person should be hired to direct the city's CRAs.

The council members, sitting as the CRA board on Tuesday, discussed the issue at length.

The CRA plans have to be right and the budgets set the way you want them, Adelt told the CRA board.

"My other big concern is erroneous information that gets out of our office and not because we try to sabotage it, it's just that there is not one [CRA] person and we are short staffed" she said.

"There are six of us and whenever someone walks in the door somebody tries to help them and may in fact give them the wrong information," Adelt said.

To make certain there are good and proper decisions, the city should consider some type of CRA director, she said.

Until a director is hired, "I really do not think we should commit any funding for anything," Adelt added.

Councilwoman Brenda Gray said CRA business should continue because it has already been held up.

Mayor Sharon Schuler said whether or not CRA business is put on hold, "we need some type of director."

People have many questions and they receive different answers for the same question, she said.

Airport Director C.B. Shirey could fill the position temporarily until the position is filled, Schuler said. As the former city manager, he is knowledgeable about the CRAs.

Councilman Al Joe Hinson questioned whether Shirey was the right person for the temporary position.

Since he was involved with CRA business before, "we still have the same problem and you are going to hire somebody that started this?" Hinson said.

Councilman Joe Wright said he is not opposed to a CRA director, but a review of the CRA budgets, which would pay for the position, should be conducted.

"I am not opposed to C.B. covering that in the interim," he added.

Deputy Mayor George Hall once again voiced his opposition to CRAs.

"I still think we spend way too much time and way too much energy and way too much dollars on CRAs and think we do better with doing away with them all together," he said. "There are other opinions; I know I'm in the minority on that."

At the least, the three advisory boards should be disbanded, Hall said. One person from each of the advisory boards along with three more people should be seated with the council as the CRA board.

Why pay somebody to attend four meetings a month when only one meeting is needed? he said. There is a great deal of redundancy that makes us less efficient, he added.

Shirey will temporarily oversee the city's CRA business while the city explores permanently filling the position.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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