Grass Valley Mayor Dan Miller responded to a statement about the use of City redevelopment money made by County Supervisor Terry Lamphier in a recent editorial in the local newspaper. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Miller closed the meeting by saying Mr. Lamphier’s accusations about money spent on the Dorsey Drive interchange were inaccurate.
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Lamphier had written that the City had diverted taxpayer dollars that could have been used for City water, sewer and street repair. Instead the money went to the Dorsey Drive Interchange Project which Lamphier states would only benefit the development of the Loma Rica project. Following the meeting Miller explains that the City was in a “use it or lose it” position regarding the 5 million dollars in redevelopment funds.
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Miller goes on to say that by entering into an agreement between Grass Valley, the redevelopment agency and Nevada County Transportation Commission the city was able to protect those funds and fund the completion of the Dorsey Drive Interchange.
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The Dorsey Drive Interchange project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2014.
terry lamphier
Mayor Dan Miller said the $5.2 million bond had to go to Dorsey in a "use it or lose it" situation.
Please note that if it had not gone to Dorsey, the $5+ million would have gone to local schools, the County, NID and special districts. As a member of the Grass Valley RDA dissolution oversight board, I note for the record that the State sent a letter saying the transfer was inappropriate but chose not to contest it.
City did not want to "lose it", instead choosing to have county agencies lose it instead.