Advisory board signals support to draft resolution for consultant after residents press for action in Bahama Village

Multiple residents and a former board chair urged the Redevelopment Advisory Committee to move quickly to hire an outside consultant to help the CRA manager and advisory members coordinate projects and funding. Aaron Castillo (Bahama Village resident) and others said the board has voted before to hire Thaddeus Cohen and that the CRA budget can cover consultant help; Castillo said the board "has the money" and urged immediate action.

Thaddeus Cohen addressed the board and highlighted the advisory board’s responsibilities to make recommendations to the city commission sitting as the CRA. He criticized prior spending priorities, noting examples where he said funds moved away from community needs, and urged the advisory board to make cogent recommendations and to use CRA authority (including land acquisition) to steer redevelopment. Several board members said they supported bringing a consultant proposal forward but requested that the resolution specify term length, budget, deliverables and whether the role would duplicate the manager’s duties.

After discussion about process and legal requirements for contracting, members agreed by consensus (not a recorded roll-call vote) to have a resolution drafted and returned as an action item the next meeting or at the workshop; legal and procurement steps will be addressed in the resolution drafting. Members and public commenters emphasized the priority of Bahama Village projects and tracking outstanding items through Smartsheets or similar tools.

Why it matters: Residents said immediate consultant support is needed to accelerate recommendations that affect neighborhood infrastructure, housing and cultural projects. The board’s action to draft a resolution begins the process that could lead to a contractual consultant engagement; final approval would rest with the city commission acting as the CRA.

Next steps: A board member will draft resolution language; legal staff will assist with verbiage and procurement steps; the resolution will be placed on a future agenda as an action item for formal consideration.