Some more background on the Cultural Redevelopment Program

While on the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board last year, I - along with other then-members of the CRA, initiated the Cultural Redevelopment Program and brought in Hands-on Consulting (principals involved in the Paducah "miracle") We worked on attracting the Palm Beach County Cultural Council and that is now playing itself out. The CRA also was THE applicant for $25 MILLION of federal Neighborhood Stabilization Grant (NSP-2) program money which will be combined with the Cultural Redevelopment Program to bring about the renaissance of one of our most blighted neighborhoods in the city. We'll find out if the CRA will receive the money early in December.

By way of contrast, the City Commission did little in way of assistance in putting together the application for NSP funds and, had it been up to them, no application would have gone in and we would never have a chance at the $25 MILLION of grant money. This even though our need score was "through the roof", according to our grant writer. It was after the CRA made the application for the money that the City Commission, led by Commissioner Golden, called for takeover of the CRA for more control over our spending. She even remarked that she wasn't sure about the application for federal money ($25 million) since they would tell us how to spend it and we know better how money should be spent here.

Now, Commissioner Golden claims she "took the lead..." in getting the Neighborhood Stabilization Program grant money in her campaign literature.

No she didn't - instead she played the role of critic and was unable to see how the $25 million would help the city.
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