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Highlands Today

State Agency To Address AP's CRA Questions

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: January 26, 2009

AVON PARK - Florida Redevelopment Agency representatives will be in Avon Park today to answer questions from the city council and public about legal issues concerning the city's Community Redevelopment Agency.

Questions have been raised whether actions taken by the city's CRA should have occurred during advertised public hearings.

Each of the city's three designated CRA areas - Main Street, Southside and Airport - have an advisory board. The city has one voting CRA board, whose membership is the city council.

Establishing or changing a CRA plan requires a public hearing, but the CRA board hasn't held a public meeting since March 2007. Since then, the CRA board has amended CRA budgets several times at public meetings, but without holding a public hearing.
Councilman Joe Wright said the number one question is to find out when a public hearing is required as opposed to just a public meeting.

Wright also wanted to know how a city the size of Avon Park can have an efficient, practical and inexpensive way to meet all the CRA procedural requirements.

"We have never had these multiple-area CRAs set up as they should have been," Wright said. "I think we have followed the spirit of the CRA rules all along, but that doesn't always keep you out of trouble."

Mayor Sharon Schuler is interested in hearing the questions from the public.

"I don't feel like we've done anything inappropriate" she said. "I want to see what other people have to ask because there are others who feel that we are not handling it properly."

Also, the city would like the opportunity to find out why counties can have three voting CRA boards and the cities can't, she said.

The public meeting with the Florida Redevelopment Agency will be held at 4 p.m.in the council chambers.

A regular council meeting will follow at 6 p.m.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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