Agenda - 06-02-2009 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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Advantages Allocation of this space to the Board of Elections would allow them to: • Comply with laws regarding storage of voting equipment; • Have professional and adequate operational space for Elections activities for the long-term; • Maintain post-election materials in a convenient and safe manner until they can be disposed of in compliance with the law; • Conduct one-stop voting centers at the BOE site rather than at a remote location, which has been the case for the past several years. • Provide better Handicapped Access to voters and precinct workers. Pre-requisites The GSC Annex is currently occupied by Information Technologies (IT) and the Human Resources and Financial Services Departments. These departments would need to move to the following locations proposed in the space study and previously endorsed by the Board: • IT to the new office building, slated for completion in late-Summer 2009; and • The Departments of Human Resources and Financial Services to the Link Center. During the FY 2008-09 budget approval process, the Board deferred funding for renovation of the Link Center until July 2009. The building remains mostly vacant following the move of the Tax Offices and Register of Deeds to the Gateway Center in February 2008. The extent of remodeling at the Link Center would be limited to office areas and the amount of work adjusted to match the funding and renovation timeframe, if needed. This would allow the relocation of Human Resources and Financial Services by late summer 2009. Programming through Corley Redfoot Zack prior to funding deferral, indicated the best location for the Board room was in the area previously occupied by Land Records on the lower level. Upfit and renovation of this area would be funded in a later CIP. The work to be done to the GSC Annex would commence when those departments relocate to Link. The projected cost of renovations is $1 million. Challenges Although completion of the office building to accommodate IT will be timely, funds for the Link Center renovation were frozen in 2008 so the work has not been completed. However, as discussed below in the Financial Impact section of this abstract, offices in the Link Center may be upfit with existing CIP funding pending BOCC approval of reallocation. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There are two seemingly disparate actions that factor into the funding scenario which would allow the GSC Annex space to be assigned to the Board of Elections. 1. The Board of Elections has received approximately $97,000 in HAVA grant monies in the current fiscal year. These monies can be used to offset costs of renovating the GSC Annex to make it serviceable as an Elections office. Should Commissioners agree to allow the Board of Elections to use these grant monies, Budget staff would bring a budget amendment and capital project ordinance reflecting this change to the Board at its June 16, 2009 regular meeting; 2. The County's 2009-10 Capital Investment Plan (CIP) allowed for debt financing of up to $1 million in FY 2009-10 to replace the County's telephone system. The actual cost of the replacement totals $575,000, $425,000 less than the original estimate of $1 million. In a separate item on this agenda, the Board is asked to award a bid for the replacement. 3. The 2009-19 CIP also included an appropriation of County pay-as-you-go funding of $575,000 in FY 2009-10 to begin renovations at the Link Center. In addition, the CIP allowed for an additional