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Redevelopment Gone Wrong

Starting in fall 2006, voiceofsandiego.org began running a series of investigations into the Southeastern Economic Development Corp., a redevelopment arm of the city of San Diego tasked with revitalizing one of its most blighted neighborhoods. The coverage has spurred investigations and audits, forced change and captured the prestigious Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi award for investigative reporting.

How City Hall Ignored Warning Signs on SEDC Before the bonus scandal incited public outrage, few if any City Hall officials exercised oversight or questioned the redevelopment authority. » By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless \| August 21, 2008
Lawyers Take Aim at Smith's $100,000 Severance Package Two attorneys say the vote on the SEDC president's severance payment should've been done in the open, and one threatens to sue. » By Will Carless \| August 15, 2008	Smith's Termination Agreement Could Stymie Lawsuits A termination agreement between SEDC and its president, Carolyn Y. Smith, could hamper the city attorney's effort to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses paid back to the city. » By Will Carless \| August 13, 2008
SEDC President Ousted Carolyn Y. Smith will receive a $100,000 severance from the redevelopment agency as a result of her firing in the wake of a bonus scandal. » By Will Carless \| July 24, 2008	Owen Signed Over Funds to Developer The transferring of $400,000 from flipping a piece of land to SEDC illustrates the depth of the relationship between the board chairman and the developer, Pacific Development Partners. » By Andrew Donohue \| July 24, 2008
SEDC's Answers on Bonuses Don't Add Up The agency claims the bonuses were in the budget, but the pay information released by the agency shows they were not. » By Will Carless and Andrew Donohue\| July 19, 2008	From the Blogs Mayor Sends Accountant to SEDC: A city staffer will join the agency in an advisory role. Thursday, August 5 -- 5:08 pm Young Says Recall Effort is 'A Shame': Attempt to oust councilman led by SEDC consultant. Wednesday, July 30 -- 1:01 pm Mayor: SEDC's Not Going Anywhere: Jerry Sanders talks about the future of SEDC and CCDC. Monday, July 28 -- 9:41 pm
SEDC Chairman's Relationship Violates Conflict Law, Opinion States The city attorney's letter states that Artie M. "Chip" Owen's business ties to a developer void a pending deal. Meanwhile, the city's political forces consider a major overhaul at the agency. » By Will Carless and Andrew Donohue \| July 18, 2008	SEDC President Resists Push to Resign The agency board is scheduled to review Carolyn Y. Smith's employment in private Wednesday as Mayor Jerry Sanders and three council members call for her removal. » By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless\| July 19, 2008
Mayor Queries SEDC President's $30,000-Plus Paydays The Mayor's Office says SEDC's administration costs are excessive and wants to know why two top officials received dramatically different paychecks throughout the last fiscal year. » By Will Carless \| July 16, 2008	Valencia Business Park A Trail of Broken Promises The Valencia Business Park in southeastern San Diego went wrong for a number of people. But it appears to be going right for a developer with ties to a public official. » By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless \| Nov. 13, 2007
Mayor Widens SEDC Inquiry, Slashes Its Funds As the mayor cuts SEDC's funding by two-thirds, two board members say they tried to ramp up oversight of the agency's budget but were rebuffed or ignored. » By Will Carless \| July 15, 2008	Valencia Business Park A Mundane Zoning Change, a Potential Boon Valencia Business Park, which is currently the subject of a lawsuit against a top redevelopment official, is slated to undergo a zoning change, a move that could significantly increase the land's value for the city of San Diego's chosen developer. » By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless \| Jan. 2, 2008
SEDC Bonuses Could Raise Serious IRS Issues Experts said the way the public agency pays salaries and bonuses to its employees could result in fines to its officials and even cost the organization its tax-exempt status. » By Andrew Donohue \| July 12, 2008	Valencia Business Park San Diego Breaks with Developer on Troubled Project City officials will open the public bidding again for a project, Valencia Business Park, after questions arose whether the public got the best deal possible. » By Will Carless \| March 18, 2008
Chairman Tied to Developer Sets SEDC President's Pay The SEDC board chairman's business relationship with a developer has complicated a pending development project and raised questions about his role in setting the president's salary. » By Will Carless and Andrew Donohue \| July 11, 2008	Valencia Business Park Developer Given Project Again After Questions Raised A city agency has re-awarded a controversial project in southeastern San Diego to a developer it cut from the deal earlier this year. But this time the developer plans to pay $1 million less for the land. » By Will Carless \| July 2, 2008
Without Oversight, SEDC Officials Award Themselves Bonuses For years, the top officials at the Southeastern Economic Development Corp. have received tens of thousands of dollars in extra compensation unbeknownst to the agency's board or the City Council. » By Will Carless \| July 8, 2008	Valencia Business Park How a Public Employee Gets Governmental Immunity An ongoing fraud suit against a top redevelopment official illustrates the limits of the immunity state law provides public officials against personal lawsuits. » By Andrew Donohue \| Feb. 18, 2008
The Budget with an Extra Pay Boost Following concerns about salary increases in its proposed budget, SEDC testified that it was only requesting a 4 percent increase. But its budget used other ways of boosting employee salaries, too. » By Andrew Donohue \| July 27, 2007	Letters and Opinions Conflicting the Board: How can one person's conflict become another's? Friday, July 18 -- 7:18 am Vigilant Verity: I listened to Will Carless' interview on KPBS and I can't help but wonder if the first two people who called in weren't put up to it by the very people he investigated. Wednesday, July 16 An Ode to the SEDC 'Non-response': Highlights of one such unacknowledged letter Wednesday, July 16
Terms Expired, Board Members Remain for Years With the Southeastern Development Corp. and other commissions, the Mayor's Office says it inherited an appointment process in a state of 'total disrepair.' » By Andrew Donohue \| Dec. 20, 2006	Affordable No More Lax oversight by the city's Southeastern Economic Development Corp. has allowed the limits of its affordable housing regulations to be stretched, and at times crossed. » By Andrew Donohue \| Oct. 2, 2006 » Report: Developer 'Almost Cavalier' in Troubled Deal (May 4, 2007)

SEDC on NBC 7/39

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Redevelopment Gone Wrong

Before the bonus scandal incited public outrage, few if any City Hall officials exercised oversight or questioned the redevelopment authority.

» By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless | August 21, 2008

Two attorneys say the vote on the SEDC president's severance payment should've been done in the open, and one threatens to sue.

» By Will Carless | August 15, 2008

A termination agreement between SEDC and its president, Carolyn Y. Smith, could hamper the city attorney's effort to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses paid back to the city.

» By Will Carless | August 13, 2008

Carolyn Y. Smith will receive a $100,000 severance from the redevelopment agency as a result of her firing in the wake of a bonus scandal.

» By Will Carless | July 24, 2008

The transferring of $400,000 from flipping a piece of land to SEDC illustrates the depth of the relationship between the board chairman and the developer, Pacific Development Partners.

» By Andrew Donohue | July 24, 2008

The agency claims the bonuses were in the budget, but the pay information released by the agency shows they were not.

» By Will Carless and Andrew Donohue| July 19, 2008

A city staffer will join the agency in an advisory role.

Thursday, August 5 -- 5:08 pm

Attempt to oust councilman led by SEDC consultant.

Wednesday, July 30 -- 1:01 pm

Jerry Sanders talks about the future of SEDC and CCDC.

Monday, July 28 -- 9:41 pm

The city attorney's letter states that Artie M. "Chip" Owen's business ties to a developer void a pending deal. Meanwhile, the city's political forces consider a major overhaul at the agency.

» By Will Carless and Andrew Donohue | July 18, 2008

The agency board is scheduled to review Carolyn Y. Smith's employment in private Wednesday as Mayor Jerry Sanders and three council members call for her removal.

» By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless| July 19, 2008

The Mayor's Office says SEDC's administration costs are excessive and wants to know why two top officials received dramatically different paychecks throughout the last fiscal year.

» By Will Carless | July 16, 2008

Valencia Business Park

The Valencia Business Park in southeastern San Diego went wrong for a number of people. But it appears to be going right for a developer with ties to a public official.

» By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless | Nov. 13, 2007

As the mayor cuts SEDC's funding by two-thirds, two board members say they tried to ramp up oversight of the agency's budget but were rebuffed or ignored.

» By Will Carless | July 15, 2008

Valencia Business Park

Valencia Business Park, which is currently the subject of a lawsuit against a top redevelopment official, is slated to undergo a zoning change, a move that could significantly increase the land's value for the city of San Diego's chosen developer.

» By Andrew Donohue and Will Carless | Jan. 2, 2008

Experts said the way the public agency pays salaries and bonuses to its employees could result in fines to its officials and even cost the organization its tax-exempt status.

» By Andrew Donohue | July 12, 2008

Valencia Business Park

City officials will open the public bidding again for a project, Valencia Business Park, after questions arose whether the public got the best deal possible.

» By Will Carless | March 18, 2008

The SEDC board chairman's business relationship with a developer has complicated a pending development project and raised questions about his role in setting the president's salary.

» By Will Carless and Andrew Donohue | July 11, 2008

Valencia Business Park

A city agency has re-awarded a controversial project in southeastern San Diego to a developer it cut from the deal earlier this year. But this time the developer plans to pay $1 million less for the land.

» By Will Carless | July 2, 2008

For years, the top officials at the Southeastern Economic Development Corp. have received tens of thousands of dollars in extra compensation unbeknownst to the agency's board or the City Council.

» By Will Carless | July 8, 2008

Valencia Business Park

An ongoing fraud suit against a top redevelopment official illustrates the limits of the immunity state law provides public officials against personal lawsuits.

» By Andrew Donohue | Feb. 18, 2008

Following concerns about salary increases in its proposed budget, SEDC testified that it was only requesting a 4 percent increase. But its budget used other ways of boosting employee salaries, too.

» By Andrew Donohue | July 27, 2007

How can one person's conflict become another's?

Friday, July 18 -- 7:18 am

I listened to Will Carless' interview on KPBS and I can't help but wonder if the first two people who called in weren't put up to it by the very people he investigated.

Wednesday, July 16

Highlights of one such unacknowledged letter

Wednesday, July 16

With the Southeastern Development Corp. and other commissions, the Mayor's Office says it inherited an appointment process in a state of 'total disrepair.'

» By Andrew Donohue | Dec. 20, 2006

Lax oversight by the city's Southeastern Economic Development Corp. has allowed the limits of its affordable housing regulations to be stretched, and at times crossed.

» By Andrew Donohue | Oct. 2, 2006

SEDC on NBC 7/39