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After public plea, CRA agrees to let Frenchtown hub use lease proceeds for backup generator, directs procurement safeguards
Summary
Following a public comment from the Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, the CRA board amended a lease-transfer agreement to allow $67,200 that would otherwise go to the agency on closing to be reinvested in a permanent backup generator for the Frenchtown community hub, directing staff to require bids, installation plans and contractual guardrails before closing.
The Tallahassee CRA board amended terms related to the lease-transfer of the Frenchtown neighborhood hub so funds the organization had amassed to acquire the property could instead be used to buy and install a permanent backup generator, after a public plea and a contentious board debate over process and timing.
Sonia Chandler, representing the Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association, told the board the hub operates meal preparation, food distribution and workforce programming and that reliable backup power is essential to preserve refrigeration and continuity of services during storms. "Reliable backup power is necessary to protect refrigeration, food safety, kitchen operation, emergency and preparation capacity and uninterrupted service delivery during storms or power outage," she said.
Commissioner Williams Cox moved to amend the agreement so that the $67,200 the organization was to pay at closing could be reinvested in a generator. The motion prompted substitute motions and objections from several members who said more procurement detail and contract terms were needed before waiving a closing payment. Legal counsel and staff explained the closing deadline (staff cited a closing deadline in July) and confirmed the board could direct that the funds be applied to on-site improvements while CRA still owned the facility.
The board ultimately passed the amendment (3–2). The approved direction requires staff and the applicant to document generator specifications, obtain procurement bids and identify installation costs; language will be added to the modified agreement requiring use of the funds for the generator and setting a timeline or conditions for completion prior to closing. Commissioner Matlow and Commissioner Porter dissented, citing process and missing bid information.
Staff said they will return with specific generator size, cost and procurement documentation before closing so the board can confirm compliance with the new condition. The board noted the issue's urgency because hurricane season is underway and the lease-transfer/closing deadlines are near.
