Agenda - 02-05-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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12 1 Commissioner McKee asked about the driver for the increased costs for the community 2 center. 3 Michael Talbert said that staff had talked to Chapel Hill about what size facility could be 4 built on the site and he said the size of the facility has been increased because they want a 5 commercial kitchen and a green building, and more room for other projects. 6 Commissioner Gordon said that they need to figure out what they need in the building 7 first and then figure out the cost. 8 Michael Talbert said that RENA is currently working with an architect, but the goal is to 9 get this funded now so that there is assurance that it will be built. The plan will come back for 10 refinement. 11 Commissioner Jacobs suggested inviting OWASA officers, Attorney, and Executive 12 Director to the AOG meeting to hear the conversations. 13 Commissioner McKee said that he would support this increase in costs but he does not 14 want to chase a moving target. 15 Commissioner Foushee said that there was discussion about having enough money for 16 flexibility for the future and it is less expensive to do it now rather than later. She said that 17 Habitat is not going to be the agency that constructs the building and the County will need to 18 contract with someone to do that. 19 Commissioner Hemminger said that Habitat wanted a figure they could work with and a 20 range. 21 Michael Talbert agreed that Habitat will contract this out, which limits volunteer help. 22 This is what caused some of the increase in costs. 23 Michael Talbert went over the Business Plan briefly. He reiterated that this is a dream 24 and what they want to do for the next 10 years. Several new initiatives include day care, 25 fostering economic development through a catering business, and a business incubator to 26 promote businesses. The budget includes $208,000 in year one, which would start after the 27 building is complete. By year three, the budget will be $345,000. Much of the revenues in the 28 beginning will come from grants - $129,000 out of $208,000. The income from new initiatives 29 would kick in starting in years two and three. 30 Commissioner Yuhasz asked where the grants would come from and Michael Talbert 31 said that this was not specified. He thinks that they would explore all opportunities. 32 Commissioner Yuhasz said that his concern is that this facility will be built and then the 33 neighborhood will look to the Board of County Commissioners to manage and maintain it from 34 now on. He would feel more comfortable if he knew where this money would come from. 35 Commissioner Foushee said that a lot of this goes back to dreams. She said that this 36 group has operated without the County's help for many years. The goals and expectations are 37 that they will continue to operate with little or no help from the local governments. She said that 38 the operational funding needs to be more clear. She said that if this center gets built, the 39 neighborhood will be able to sustain it. 40 Commissioner Yuhasz said that he believed that this would be the intent, but the 41 approval of this center will have attached to it conditions from the Town of Chapel Hill and may 42 make it difficult to operate on a shoestring. 43 Commissioner Hemminger said that it would be very appropriate to put in that the 44 County Commissioners are excited about the plan but the County will not be providing 45 operational funds. 46 A motion was made by Commissioner Hemminger, seconded by Commissioner 47 Foushee to send the message that the Board of County Commissioners is pleased with the 48 recommendations and with the RENA plan and to direct staff to find an additional $150,000 for 49 the upfront startup costs of the community center, and to provide comments back to the task 50 force.