CRA board directs staff, city legal to revise services agreement after separate draft raised governance questions

Board member Bill Carlson presented an edited version of the CRA services agreement that seeks to clarify the CRA’s role, brand, and reporting relationships, especially who the executive director and CRA staff report to. Carlson said the intent was to restore clarity after years of blurred lines between CRA functions and city administration and to ensure the CRA can make grant and program decisions consistent with its redevelopment plan.

Carlson walked the board through substantive changes in the draft — including language that distinguishes the CRA board and the City Council, branding provisions to identify CRA projects, and stronger language making clear that CRA staff report to an executive director accountable to the CRA board while maintaining administrative ties to the mayor’s office. Several board members asked that city legal staff and CRA staff discuss the draft with each board member individually and return a revised, hybrid agreement in about a month that reflects board feedback. Counsel and staff said that while the current fiscal year traditionally begins with an approved services agreement, voting the draft down now would not immediately terminate CRA operations, and a revised agreement could be brought back for approval in January.

The board carried a motion directing CRA staff and city legal staff to review Carlson’s draft, incorporate board feedback, and present a revised agreement. Multiple members emphasized the need for legal review and for staff to provide redlined comparisons so the board can see line-by-line differences.