Imagine a scene reminiscent of an old Warner Bros. black and white movie. A death row inmate (in this case, redevelopment agencies) is strapped to the electric chair anxiously eyeing the phone on the wall for a call from the governor. No call, no reprieve.

On February 1, the large switch will be thrown and redevelopment agencies will come to a shocking conclusion.

That is, unless SB-659, the legislation co-authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and Senator Ed Hernandez (D- West Covina), is quickly passed in the Assembly and Senate and then signed by Governor Jerry Brown. To expedite action on the issue Hernandez allowed Padilla to piggy-back on a bill he’d already written and is already moving through the Legislature.

“It has become imperative for the Legislature to act quickly to create a new mechanism for funding local economic development and affordable housing.  That is why I have agreed to co-author a bill with Senator Padilla that will delay the phase out of redevelopment agencies a little bit longer, so we have the time to work with the Governor, our cities, and other stakeholders to craft legislation that will go the distance in providing an effective replacement for redevelopment.

SB-659 postpones dissolution of redevelopment agencies until April 15.

According to the Governor, the purpose for the two redevelopment bills AB 1X 26/27 included in the state budget was to take money from redevelopment agencies and transfer those tax dollars to support schools.

For Padilla, the upcoming deadline of February 1 is too quick to address a number of issues.

“What about those projects that were partially underway? Do they have to cease to exist? Are those construction workers going to be laid off? What about the employees of the previously existing redevelopment agencies? What happens to them?,” said Padilla.

Padilla believes there will be “lawsuits after lawsuits.”

His idea is to move the date back and take a more careful look at the repercussions. One of the biggest questions in his mind is whether or not eliminating redevelopment agencies will even accomplish the goal of funding schools.

“It’s not just assets of redevelopment agencies that may revert to the state for purposes of backfilling our funding for schools, but a lot of the liabilities that come with those obligations. And I’d hate to see a scenario where the state ends up saddled with additional unintended costs because of this action as opposed to revenues we wanted to spend for public education,” said Padilla.

Padilla is hoping with SB 659, redevelopment agencies won’t be compared to a Dead Man Walking.

For more on the City of Santa Clarita’s fight to maintain redevelopment agencies, click here.

Labor groups, public safety advocates, business groups, local government, housing advocates and community groups signed a letter to the legislature urging them to quickly pass SB 659 and another one to Governor Brown asking him to sign it.

According to a spokesperson for the League of California Cities, the groups listed below signed the letter, which was delivered Friday:

Labor

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

Service Employees International Union, California

Air Conditioning Sheet Metal Association

California Chapters of the National Electrical Contractors Association

California Landscape and Irrigation Council

California Legislative Conference of the Plumbing, Heating and Piping Industry

Glendale City Employees Association

Organization of Sacramento Municipal Utility District Employees

Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21

San Bernardino Public Employees Association

San Luis Obispo County Employees Association

Santa Rosa City Employees Association

Public Safety

California Police Chiefs Association

Signal Hill Police Officers Association

Business

California Chamber of Commerce

California Building Industry Association

California Building Owners and Managers Association

California Business Properties Association

California Business Roundtable

California Downtown Association

California Main Street Alliance

California Manufacturers and Technology Association

American Institute of Architects, California Council

Building Industry Association of Southern California

Los Angeles County Business Federation

National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, California Chapter

Valley Industry and Commerce Association

California Association for local Economic Development

International Council of Shopping Centers

American Council of Engineering Companies of California
Greater West Covina Business Association

Inland Valley Business Alliance

San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Chambers of Commerce Alliance Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties

Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce

Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce

Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce

Greater Stockton chamber of Commerce

Highland Area Chamber of Commerce

Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce

San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce

Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce

Alameda Chamber of Commerce

Corcoran Chamber of Commerce

Downy Chamber of Commerce

Emeryville Chamber of Commerce

Fullerton Chamber of Commerce

Harbor City/Harbor Gateway Chamber of Commerce

Lodi Chamber of Commerce

Montclair Chamber of Commerce

Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center

Montebello Chamber of Commerce

Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Orange Chamber of Commerce

Redlands Chamber of Commerce

Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce and San Pedro Chamber of Commerce

Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce

Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce

Vacaville Chamber of Commerce

Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce

Visitors Bureau

Hollister Downtown Association

Downtown Long Beach Associates

Downtown Sacramento Partnership

Eureka Main Street Association

Fairfield Main Street Association

Paso Robles Main Street Association

Playhouse District Association

The River District

3D Visions

Allied Commercial Real Estate

Alliance for a United Montebello

Alma Family Services, Inc.

City Ventures

Civitas Advisors

Deborah Murphy Urban Design and Planning

Ford Mance Company

Games 4 U

Globe Properties

Hall & Bartley Architecture and Planning

Hampton Inn and Suites of Vacaville

Lavish by L&m Inc.

Lawless Financial

Lithopass Printing, Forms, Graphics and More, Inc.

Manteca Visitors Center

Mechling Construction Company

Metro Estates

Mogavero Notestine Associates

The Ometeotl Group

Ontario Convention Center

Opportune Companies

Opper and Varco LLP

Pat Paris Appleby

Rosenow Spevacek Group, Inc.

RRM Design Group

Santa Fe Land Planning

Sportsplex USA Inc.

Stockton Builders’ Exchange

Todos Santos Business Association

Tolar Manufacturing Company, Inc

Vacaville Conference and Visitors Bureau

Vineyard RV Park

Wallace and Smith Contractors

Housing

People’s Self Help Housing Corporation

Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara

Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County

Stanislaus County Affordable Housing Corporation

Community

American Legion Post 772

Banning Cultural Alliance

Give Every Child A Chance

Inland Action

Los Angeles Walks

Local Government

The League of California Cities

California Building Officials

California Redevelopment Association

Cucamonga Valley Water District

Muni Services

Three Valleys Municipal Water District