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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes OB-040 (2)OVERSIGHT BOARD TO THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY REQUEST: SUBMITTED BY: DATE: CONTENTS: Recommendation Veronica Tapia, Accountant II April 8, 2013 Resolution No. OB- 040 March 2013 Review Report STAFF REPORT RECEIVE AND FILE CALIFORNIA STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FINAL REPORT RELATIVE TO PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ASSET TRANSFER REVIEW PURSUANT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 34167.5 (G-o , S BY OVERS HT BOARD ON VERIFIED BY Original on file with City Clerk's Office That the Oversight Board approve Resolution No. OB-040receiving and filing the California State Controller's Office (SCO) Final Report relative to the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency Asset Transfer Review. Discussion Pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 34167.5, the State Controller's Office (SCO) reviewed all asset transfers made by the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency to the City of Palm Desert or any other public agency after January 1, 2011 to determine if each asset transfer was allowable and whether it should instead be turned over to the Successor Agency to the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency. The assets reviewed included (but were not limited to) real and personal property, cash funds, accounts receivable, deeds of trust and mortgages, contract rights, and right to payment of any kind. The SCO began its asset transfer review in Palm Desert on February 5, 2013. The SCO performed the following procedures during its review: • Interviewed Successor agency personnel to gain an understanding of the Successor Agency operations and procedures; • Reviewed meeting minutes, resolutions, and ordinances of the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency, the Successor Agency, and the City of Palm Desert Housing Authority; • Reviewed accounting records relating to the recording of assets; • Verified accuracy of the Asset Transfer Assessment Form; • Reviewed applicable financial reports to verify assets (capital, cash, property, etc) Staff Report Receive and file SCO Asset Transfer Review April 8, 2013 On February 21, 2013 SCO staff met with Successor Agency staff in an exit conference to discuss the review results. SCO staff indicated that although their results would have to be approved by SCO management in Sacramento, they had no findings. On March 14, 2013, SCO issued its final report indicating that all assets had been appropriately transferred and that no unallowable transfers were identified. Sub rty ted by: Verona Tapia, Accou ant II Paul Gibson, Director of Finance Ap royal: hn Wohlmuth, Executive Director (Janet Moore, Director of Housing G:\rda\Veronica Tapia\Word Files\Staff Reports\Oversight Board\Staff Reports \OB SR for RECEIVING SCO Final Report Asset Transfer Review 4-8-13 docx2 RESOLUTION NO. OB - 040 A RESOLUTION OF THE OVERSIGHT BOARD OF THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECEIPT OF THE CALIFORNIA STATE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE FINAL REPORT RELATIVE TO THE ASSET TRANSFER REVIEW RECITALS: A. Pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 34179(3), all actions taken by the oversight board for the Successor Agency to the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency (the "Oversight Board") shall be adopted by resolution. B. There has been presented to this Oversight Board the California State Controller's Office Final Report relative to the Asset Transfer Review pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 34167.5. NOW, THEREFORE, THE OVERSIGHT BOARD FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, HEREBY FINDS, DETERMINES, RESOLVES, AND ORDERS AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The above recitals are true and correct and are a substantive part of this Resolution. Section 2. The Oversight Board hereby receives and files the Final Report as provided by the State Controller's Office relative to the Asset Transfer Review pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 34167.5. Section 3. The officers of the Oversight Board and staff of the Successor Agency are hereby authorized and directed, jointly and severally, to do any and all things which they may deem necessary or advisable to effectuate this Resolution. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 8th day of April, 2013. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ROBERT A. SPIEGEL, CHAIR ATTEST: RACHELLE D. KLASSEN, SECRETARY OVERSIGHT BOARD FOR THE SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY G:\rda\Veronica Tapia\Word Files\Staff Reports\Oversight Board\Staff Reports\OB Reso - rec and file SCO Final Report on Asset Transfers 4-8-13.docx PALM DESERT REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ASSET TRANSFER REVIEW Review Report January 1, 2011, through January 31, 2012 JOHN CHIANG California State Controller March 2013 JOHN CHIANG California tate Controller March 14, 2013 John Wohlmuth, City Manager Palm Desert Redevelopment/Successor Agency 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, CA 92260 Dear Mr. Wohlmuth: Pursuant to Health and Safety (H&S) Code section 34167.5, the State Controller's Office (SCO) reviewed all asset transfers made by the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency to the City of Palm Desert or any other public agency after January 1, 2011. This statutory provision states, "The Legislature hereby finds that a transfer of assets by a redevelopment agency during the period covered in this section is deemed not to be in furtherance of the Community Redevelopment Law and is thereby unauthorized." Therefore, our review included an assessment of whether each asset transfer was allowable and whether it should be turned over to the Palm Desert Successor Agency. Our review applied to all assets including, but not limited to, real and personal property, cash funds, accounts receivable, deeds of trust and mortgages, contract rights, and rights to payment of any kind. We also reviewed and determined whether any unallowable transfers of assets to the City of Palm Desert or any other public agencies have been reversed. Our review found that the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency appropriately transferred $384,499,103 in assets to the Palm Desert Successor Agency. These assets consisted of $99,288,486 in housing assets and $285,210,617 in non -housing assets. No unallowable transfers of assets were identified. If you have any questions, please contact Steven Mar, Bureau Chief, Local Government Audits Bureau, at (916) 324-7226. Sincerely, Original signed by JEFFREY V. BROWNFIELD, CPA Chief, Division of Audits JVB/vb John Wohlmuth, City Manager -2- March 14, 2013 cc: Robert A. Spiegel, Chair of Oversight Board City of Palm Desert Redevelopment/Successor Agency Paul Gibson, Director of Finance City of Palm Desert Redevelopment/Successor Agency Paul A. Angulo, Auditor -Controller County of Riverside Steven Szalay, Local Government Consultant Department of Finance Richard J. Chivaro, Chief Legal Counsel State Controller's Office Steven Mar, Bureau Chief Division of Audits, State Controller's Office Betty Moya, Audit Manager Division of Audits, State Controller's Office Nesha Neycheva, Auditor -in -Charge Division of Audits, State Controller's Office Mathew Rios, Audit Staff Division of Audits, State Controller's Office Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency Asset Transfer Review Contents Review Report Summary 1 Background 1 Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 2 Conclusion 2 Views of Responsible Officials 2 Restricted Use 2 Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency Asset Transfer Review Asset Transfer Review Report Summary Background The State Controller's Office (SCO) reviewed the asset transfers made by the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency after January 1, 2011. Our review included, but was not limited to, real and personal property, cash funds, accounts receivable, deeds of trust and mortgages, contract rights, and rights to payments of any kind from any source. Our review found that the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency appropriately transferred $384,499,103 in assets to the Palm Desert Successor Agency. No unallowable transfers of assets were identified. In January of 2011, the Governor of the State of California proposed statewide elimination of redevelopment agencies (RDAs) beginning with the fiscal year (FY) 2011-12 State budget. The Governor's proposal was incorporated into Assembly Bill 26 (ABX1 26, Chapter 5, Statutes of 2011, First Extraordinary Session), which was passed by the Legislature, and signed into law by the Governor on June 28, 2011. ABX1 26 prohibited RDAs from engaging in new business, established mechanisms and timelines for dissolution of the RDAs, and created RDA Successor Agencies to oversee dissolution of the RDAs and redistribution of RDA assets. A California Supreme Court decision on December 28, 2011 (California Redevelopment Association et al. v. Matosantos), upheld ABX1 26 and the Legislature's constitutional authority to dissolve the RDAs. ABX1 26 was codified in the Health and Safety Code (H&S Code) beginning with section 34161. In accordance with the requirements of H&S Code section 34167.5, the State Controller is required to review the activities of RDAs, "to determine whether an asset transfer has occurred after January 1, 2011, between the city or county, or city and county that created a redevelopment agency, or any other public agency, and the redevelopment agency," and the date on which the RDA ceases to operate, or January 31, 2012, whichever is earlier. The SCO has identified transfers of assets that occurred after January 1, 2011, between the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency, the City of Palm Desert, and/or other public agencies. By law, the SCO is required to order that such assets, except those that already had been committed to a third party prior to June 28, 2011, the effective date of ABX1 26, be turned over to the Successor Agency. In addition, the SCO may file a legal order to ensure compliance with this order. -1- Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency Asset Transfer Review Objectives, Scope, and Methodology Conclusion Views of Responsible Officials Restricted Use Our review objective was to determine whether asset transfers that occurred after January 1, 2011, and the date upon which the RDA ceased to operate, or January 31, 2012, whichever was earlier, between the city or county, or city and county that created an RDA, or any other public agency, and the RDA, were appropriate. We performed the following procedures: • Interviewed Successor Agency personnel to gain an understanding of the Successor Agency operations and procedures. • Reviewed meeting minutes, resolutions, and ordinances of the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency, the Successor Agency, and the City of Palm Desert Housing Authority. • Reviewed accounting records relating to the recording of assets. • Verified the accuracy of the Asset Transfer Assessment Form. This form was sent to all former RDAs to provide a list of all assets transferred between January 1, 2011, and January 31, 2012. • Reviewed applicable financial reports to verify assets (capital, cash, property, etc.). Our review found that the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency appropriately transferred $384,499,103 in assets to the Palm Desert Successor Agency. These assets consisted of $99,288,486 in housing assets and $285,210,617 in non -housing assets. No unallowable transfers of assets were identified. At an exit conference on February 21, 2013, we discussed the review results with John Wohlmuth, City Manager; Janet M. Moore, Director of Housing; Veronica A. Tapia, Accountant; and Luis Espinoza, Assistant Director of Finance, who agreed with the review results. They further agreed that a draft review report was not necessary and that we could issue the review report as final. This report is solely for the information and use of the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency, the Successor Agency, the Successor Agency Oversight Board, the Palm Desert Housing Authority, the City of Palm Desert, and the SCO; it is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties. This restriction is not intended to limit distribution of this report, which is a matter of public record when issued final. Original signed by JEFFREY V. BROWNFIELD, CPA Chief, Division of Audits March 14, 2013 -2- State Controller's Office Division of Audits Post Office Box 942850 Sacramento, CA 94250-5874 http://www.sco.ca.gov S 13-RDA-951