BRADENTON BEACH – Proposed state legislative bills that would prohibit new projects for Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRAs) after Oct. 1 prompted Bradenton Beach CRA members to identify several new potential projects to begin before the deadline.
“Ricinda (City Attorney Ricinda Perry) has an update about what’s going on in Tallahassee with regard to CRAs,” Mayor John Chappie said at the April 17 meeting. “That’s going to affect us big time.”
Senate Bill 1242 and House Bill 991 propose that:
- A community redevelopment agency may not initiate any new projects or issue any new debt on or after Oct. 1;
- A community redevelopment agency in existence on July 1 shall terminate on the expiration date provided in the agency’s charter or on Sept. 30, 2045, whichever is earlier; and
- A community redevelopment agency operating on or after Sept. 30, 2045 may not extend the maturity date of any outstanding bonds.
“We’ve got the CRA money for 20 years and if they pass this law we have to quit using the money?” CRA member Ralph Cole asked.
“Correct, no new projects,” Perry said.
“You had authorized me to prepare a letter,” Perry told the CRA. “I have that letter ready for the execution of the chairman stating that we oppose this and see where it goes.”
Perry said the proposed bills are a real threat to the future of CRA districts.
“It springboards me into the next discussion I wanted to have,” she said. “I’ve alluded to this in past meetings that we may just want to go ahead and move forward on all of our projects that we have discussed previously in the CRA and anything in the future that you might be interested in.”
Perry suggested scheduling a special meeting to discuss and commit to possible projects in the CRA district.
“I think it would be appropriate for us to reevaluate where we are on things,” Perry said.
One possible project would be to make paver improvements around the CRA district. Another was to have signs redone in a black and white theme, she said.
“I think revisiting the (eastern) roundabout on Bridge Street and redesigning the roadway system there would be a worthwhile project to look at,” Perry said.
She also suggested revisiting a discussion about a walking trail.
“We talked about doing a trail and scenic routes for bikes and walking that goes to Fifth Street and after you come off of Gulf Drive, all down there it meets up with Bay and then we talked about continuing that forward somehow and connecting going under the city bridge,” Perry said.
She also suggested irrigation estimates along with landscaping projects.
“Some of the areas we talked about landscaping were the two roundabouts and down Bridge Street,” Perry said.
She said seating and lighting could be added to the new gazebo area as a potential project.
“We’ve also looked at parking on First Street North,” Perry said.
She said she is getting pricing from Steve Porter of Duncan Seawall to install a viewer on the pier.
“We had approved and discussed another lift or some dockage for the county’s water taxi on the north side of the pier,” Perry said. “Those waters are more protected with the waves and current action. We had originally talked about putting things in there, but the owners for the Pines Trailer Park, the Jackson brothers, were opposed to riparian access for those slips in there, and I believe that the current property owner is more favorable at granting the city the rights to get in and use that side.”
Chappie spoke in favor of the CRA helping Bradenton Beach merchants to promote Bridge Street.
“I think with the marina (Cortez Marina) coming in across the way, especially a public marina, it’s hard to compete,” Cole said. “It is going to be competition.”
“I think we should start prioritizing the projects we want to put money into and figuring out which ones really are important to the board and for improvement in the CRA,” CRA chair Scott Bear said.
A work meeting to brainstorm and prioritize potential projects was tentatively scheduled for May 8 pending confirmation by the city clerk.
