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New Smyrna Beach CRA adopts $4.06 million budget after resident urges stormwater focus
Summary
The Community Redevelopment Agency approved a $4.06 million FY2024-25 budget and heard a resident urge redirecting redevelopment funds to stormwater and a temporary moratorium on development; the agency's director said CRA spending is restricted by Florida statute and the CRA plan.
The New Smyrna Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on Sept. 24 adopted a $4.06 million budget for fiscal year 2024-25 after a resident urged the board to redirect redevelopment funds toward stormwater drainage and impose a moratorium on new development until flooding issues are addressed.
Cindy Harris, who gave her address as 1035 South Glencoe during public participation, told the agency that residents are being "flooded out of their homes" and asked the board to "put a moratorium on building, all development until we get this issue fixed." She said many homeowners may be unable to rebuild or secure insurance after repeated flooding since Hurricane Ian and urged the agency to contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for help.
The plea came before the agency took up its proposed FY2024-25 budget, which Economic Development Director Samantha Bergeron presented as a balanced plan showing about $1,000,000 in county TIF, $2,300,000 in city TIF and a $639,000 rollover for total proposed revenues of $4,060,000 and matching proposed expenses. Bergeron outlined programs funded in the plan, including commercial and housing grants, a reuse/adaptive-reuse grant program along the US 1 corridor, septic-to-sewer conversion projects, single-home rehabilitation grants, Pettus Park improvements, public infrastructure projects and a historic preservation grant program.
Bergeron told the agency that the CRA was created in 2015 after a finding of necessity and that the district and its spending are governed by a specific map and statutory requirements. She said the agency must meet seven statutory criteria and obtain county approval to create the CRA district. "It's highly regulated by a Florida statute of what we can and cannot do with those dollars," Bergeron said, explaining that CRA funds are restricted to projects within the CRA boundaries and cannot be used for projects that have been on the city's CIP plan for three years. She offered to meet with any member of the public to walk through the plan and eligibility rules.
After discussion, the board moved to approve "resolution CRA 03-24," the budget for FY2024-25. The clerk called the roll and Member McGurk, Member Hartman, Member Martin and Chair Cleland each voted yes, and the resolution passed.
The agency did not adopt any specific moratorium or new stormwater project at the meeting; Bergeron said certain stormwater and water-to-sewer projects are recognized in the CRA plan but that statutory and county restrictions limit how CRA dollars may be used. The board adjourned and proceeded to other agenda items, including a grant for a commercial redevelopment project on North Dixie Freeway.
