Minutes 11-12-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commissioner Price asked what the major cost to bring septic would be. Jeff Thompson said it would be the process of getting under the road and meeting regulatory requirements for the use of 21,000 feet. Chair Jacobs said it was not a productive conversation back then because it was uncertain whether the living machine would work or would be allowed Commissioner Rich said she hopes the septic options will be investigated, but her concern is that $359,000 will be spent to mothball the wings. She asked if this will be a onetime cost, and she questioned the amount for yearly upkeep on the wings. Jeff Thompson said this cost would serve to secure the wings and keep them minimally intact. He said when the facility was fully empty the operating cost was around $100,000 per year, so there will be some cost. He said there would be some additional cost to accommodate storage. John Thomas said some adjustments would need to be made to the fire alarm systems if this is used as storage space. Commissioner Rich said her concern is that these wings will be mothballed and then forgotten about while annual costs are paid on them. She is uncomfortable with the uncertainty of the use and she would like to come up with a solution for the wings. Commissioner Pelissier said the driving factor is not the septic, but it is the question of why this should be mothballed. She said the square footage of this site is more than the Southern Human Services Center, and she questioned why this would be needed in a rural area. She said this wing is not ideal for emergency services, and it would not be used for a park and ride. She likes the plan, but she is not keen on the mothballing part. Commissioner McKee said he would like to see this site developed and not continually pushed back on the CIP. He said there is a dual service model already in Orange County. He would like to see some of these services provided in this rural area of the County, and he would like to shift the funding to use for this. Commissioner Gordon agreed with Commissioner Pelissier about the uncertainty of what all this space would be used for. She said the layout is already beyond the septic capacity, and she does not feel it is a cost effective use to mothball these wings. She said the ideas about repurposing the main space are good, but she would have to think a long time before she would agree to mothball the other wings. Ms. Sue Florence spoke and said the perception in the northern end of the County is that the services were removed from this site. She said many residents were hoping for services here, especially Emergency Services. She noted that phase three of the park is the largest part of the park, and it would need more septic space. She said there needs to be a decision about this septic issue, and if septic cannot be expanded, then the third phase of the park would also have to be abandoned. Chair Jacobs said the Board wants to do more investigation on how to use the parcel across the street; what the options are for septic; and how big the park and ride lot would be. He said the Board is generally supportive of the design, but there are questions about the possible use of the internal space and the provision of services. He said the advisory board did a good job of staying within budget, with the exception of the open room, septic and across the street. He said the most disagreement is with the mothballing option. He said if staff thinks the mothball area could be used for storage, then the cost effectiveness is good. He suggested that this option be considered. Commissioner Price clarified that the mothball idea was not to have it sit there for 15 years. She said the concern was to preserve the integrity and history of the building, and there was also a hope that services would be brought back to the building. She said the preservation of these rooms was intended to prevent having to rebuild the space to provide services.