Council approves CRA budget with referral of CDBG block-grant portion for further review

The Los Angeles City Council approved the Community Redevelopment Agency's (CRA) annual budget while referring the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) portion for additional review and a status report.

Councilmember Chick raised concerns about gaps in the CRA budget, including unspecified work plans and staffing levels. City Administrative Officer staff said the budget provided funding for up to 207 positions and that a reorganization and staffing pattern report would be returned to the committee. Councilmember Pacheco requested a clarification limiting a $740,000 transfer to a study area in Council District 7 where a moratorium on CRA projects applies.

Councilmember Mike Hernandez asked that the HUD/CDBG-related portion be returned to the Community Economic Development committee to address timeliness and spending questions; the council approved that referral. After amendments and clarifications, council approved the budget and associated amendments and referred the CDBG elements for additional review. The roll-call vote for the approval and referral was recorded at 10 ayes.