Redevelopment Home PageGood morning honorable chairman and members of the committee.
My name is Larry Gilbert. I am a resident of Mission Viejo in Orange County. I am here to present testimony in support of AB 1677. Let me also state that I do not represent any special interest group and am personally paying for all of my expenses. I am here to represent the silent majority of taxpayers who cannot afford to attend this hearing.
The issues which this committee can address and correct, relate to "project oversight" and establishment of quantitative criteria for defining "blight." In State Auditor Kurt Sjoberg's report he includes a section on community redevelopment agencies "suggesting a need for more statewide oversight and direction". Allowing the taxpayers the right to vote on RDA bonds is a valid method for early project oversight. With Term Limits in many cities, these RDA projects will exist long after the corresponding elected officials are out of office.
At a recent meeting on redevelopment abuses, Assemblywoman Debra Bowen stated the following: "It makes sense to have a vote before bonds are issued", "not getting good enforcement of existing laws", "it's very difficult and costly for private citizens to challenge RDA".
At the same meeting Assemblyman Scott Wildman made the following statements: "schools are the real losers in redevelopment", "we need to define blight".
Luncheon speaker Joel Fox, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association stated that "the people should have the right to vote on taxes AND bonds", "beautiful downtown areas are called blighted - it's time to look at RDAs".
I spoke to AB 1290 author Phil Isenberg last week on redevelopment in Mission Viejo. He stated that "Michael Dardia's book (on RDA) is very good." He agreed that "we do need more oversight (on RDA)" and suggested that "it should be handled by the Dept. of Finance".
Prior to today's hearing I sent a package to all members of this committee including material from Mission Viejo's Community Development Dept.
"In 1986 Mission Viejo was the first American City to be honored as a world class community" at the first international New Town Conference. In 1992, the same year in which we created our redevelopment agency, Mission Viejo received the award for excellence from the prestigious Urban Land Institute which stated that Mission Viejo "stands alone as one of the most successful American new towns ever realized". Mission Viejo, "the California Promise" has virtually no crime, 94% occupancy in our commercial office buildings, less than 2.5% unemployment, median income over $60,000, 43 parks with 146 sports fields, the U.S. World Cup Soccer Facility, and the world famous swim and dive complex which is the home of the Nadadores, winners of 23 Olympic medals. Let's not forget our $2.5 million dollar animal shelter with heated concrete floors.
In spite of these statistics we have declared our major commercial areas and community college as being "blighted."
In 1996 our City Council negotiated in Closed Session with our Community College for over 2 months without any clue to the public as to the scope of those negotiations. On 10-28-96, while still in Closed Session with the College, they discussed Consent Calendar item #48 after midnight. This item is described as a "Memorandum of Understanding with P & P Enterprises for a lease" that's all - no details. However, in a later review of the Staff report of this item, it states that the City had concluded an agreement to bring a minor league baseball team to our Community College which already had a baseball stadium. This redevelopment project was not included in any of these 8 City or Agency documents. Two major City facilities were leased back to finance this and a second RDA project. Mayor Withrow's letter in opposition to AB 1677 failed to include this unnecessary "stealth" stadium. It's impossible to justify this RDA project when less that 600 people show up at Vigilante games.
On the other hand, the City has spent over 2 years conducting town meetings for a new park across the street from my home. The public has been asked to attend meetings on the proposed park and share their opinions. This is the appropriate procedure to follow with new major projects.
In speaking to one of the College Trustees I was told that they need a new building for their nursing program, not a new baseball stadium. If not for a large outcry from citizen activists, and the fact that the agreement with the college was temporary for the first year, we were able to get the City to scale back the size of this stadium. There is something very wrong with this picture. That is why I strongly urge the creation of specific guidelines to qualify for, or continue to declare project areas as "blighted".
To demonstrate my challenge, I have taken numerous photos of Mission Viejo which I would like you to look at. Most of these photos are from our alleged "blighted college and business area. Others represent the non-blighted areas.
If these photos represent "blight", then every city in California from La Jolla to Beverly Hills, Danville and Palo Alto can all declare "blight".
I urge all of you to allow local residents to vote on future RDA bonds by your yes vote on AB 1677.
Thank you for listening.
-Larry Gilbert
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