WATER DEMAND COMMITTEE |
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ITEM: |
ACTION
ITEM |
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2. |
Consider Modifications to District Rule 25.5 (Water Use Credits) |
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Meeting Date: |
January 11, 2005 |
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From: |
David A. Berger, General Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Stephanie Pintar |
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SUMMARY:
At its December 14, 2004 meeting, the Board considered a request for a
water credit transfer from a redevelopment site in
District Rule 25.5 currently
allows reuse of a documented Water Use Credit for up to a maximum of ten years
when the credit is established prior to abandonment of use. In the recent public hearing regarding the
water transfer in
BACKGROUND: Over 400
cities and counties in the state have used the authority in California
Community Redevelopment Law (CRL) to establish a redevelopment agency to pursue
the elimination of blight in designated Redevelopment Project Areas. A project area is the specific geographic
location within which blight removal, revitalization of private properties, and
public infrastructure improvements are intended to take place. Under CRL a proposed Redevelopment Project
Area Plan must first go to public hearing, giving citizens a chance to learn
more about redevelopment and to express their views. Thereafter, the Redevelopment Agency and the
City Council may act to adopt the project area plan, take necessary actions to
implement it, and monitor and report on its results. Directly relevant to the subject of this
report, and recognizing the long-term nature of redevelopment activities, CRL
authorizes project area plans created prior to 1993 to be effective for up to
41 years from initial adoption (and 31 years for plans adopted after
1993).
A redevelopment project
area plan describes where and how specific redevelopment activities and public
infrastructure improvements are expected to be undertaken, but it does not
approve any specific project. The plan authorizes the Redevelopment
Agency to undertake certain actions to achieve its goals, such as: to assemble and re-sell land in order to
attract private investment required to revitalize or replace vacant commercial
buildings in a project area; create affordable housing opportunities; and to
use tax increment financing to repay debt issued to fund street repairs,
replace utilities, add public parking facilities and other public
infrastructure improvements required to induce private sector redevelopment
investment in the project area.
RECOMMENDATION: The Water Demand Committee should discuss the merits of adding a provision to Rule 25.5 that would allow a Site (as defined in District regulations) that is part of a Redevelopment Agency approved redevelopment project additional time to use a documented Water Use Credit. Staff suggests that the Committee consider adding at least one additional five-year extension period to the single, five-year extension currently authorized in Rule 25.5. The Committee’s recommendation would be brought to the Board for potential action in the form of an ordinance prepared by the General Counsel.
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