(1) The governing body of a city or an authority at its direction for the purposes of the Community Development Law may formulate for the city a workable program for utilizing appropriate private and public resources to eliminate or prevent the development or spread of urban blight, to encourage needed urban rehabilitation, to provide for the redevelopment of substandard and blighted areas, or to undertake any or all of such activities or other feasible activities as may be suitably employed to achieve the objectives of such workable program. Such workable program may include, without limitation, provision for (a) the prevention of the spread of blight into areas of the city which are free from blight through diligent enforcement of housing, zoning, and occupancy controls and standards; (b) the rehabilitation or conservation of substandard and blighted areas or portions of such areas by replanning, removing congestion, and providing parks, playgrounds, and other public improvements by encouraging voluntary rehabilitation and by compelling the repair and rehabilitation of deteriorated or deteriorating structures; and (c) the clearance and redevelopment of substandard and blighted areas or portions of such areas.

(2) As part of a workable program formulated under subsection (1) of this section, the governing body of a city or an authority may develop guidelines for the consideration or approval of redevelopment projects that are financed in whole or in part through the division of taxes as provided in section 18-2147. Such guidelines may establish general goals and priorities for the use of funds from such division of taxes or limitations or restrictions on the use of funds from such division of taxes within such city.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Community Development Law, where the local governing body certifies that an area is in need of redevelopment or rehabilitation as a result of flood, fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm, or other catastrophe respecting which the Governor of the state has certified the need for disaster assistance under federal law, the local governing body may approve a redevelopment plan and a redevelopment project with respect to such area without regard to the provisions of the Community Development Law requiring a general plan for the city and notice and public hearing or findings other than as provided in this section.