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13 <br />1 Jeff Thompson said one of the perspectives of underutilization is matching the building <br />2 to its highest and best use. He said this building would be suitable for a lower rent rate as a <br />3 storage unit. <br />4 Commissioner McKee said he is not arguing against making an investment to make this <br />5 a more useable space. He said there are many agricultural offices that need to be co- located <br />6 for their similarity of purposes in the EAC. He said the records need to be accessible to each <br />7 other. He said the idea was floated of moving these offices to other locations, and his main <br />8 point is that this facility works best for what it is being used for. He said it is meant to be an <br />9 agricultural facility and these departments need to stay together. <br />10 Commissioner Price asked what the difference would be between upfitting this space or <br />11 building a new facility with the same services. She agrees with Commissioner McKee that the <br />12 departments should stay together. <br />13 Jeff Thompson said the existing CIP has the Blackwood Farm, which would be the <br />14 consolidated facility for these uses. He said this is now in the CIP at $6 million. He said if that <br />15 was not there and the County had to replicate this facility, it would be about a $3 million project. <br />16 He said this compares to $1.4 million to keep the current facility in an operational state as a co- <br />17 located facility. <br />18 Commissioner Pelissier referred to the chart and said it appears that one option was to <br />19 put all of these departments into the Government Services Annex. <br />20 Wayne Fenton said this was discussed in November as an option that could work but <br />21 was not ideal. <br />22 Commissioner Pelissier said she understands the need to keep these departments <br />23 together. She said her idea was to move them to the Government Services Annex and then <br />24 use the old building for storage for PFAP, since it is more centrally located. She asked if this <br />25 move would require the departments to share counters. <br />26 Jeff Thompson said yes. He said using industry standards, the space could be <br />27 consolidated; however this does not account for individual needs of the departments, which add <br />28 space. He said these are really four independent departments working individually under one <br />29 roof. <br />30 Commissioner McKee said there are not only 4 separate agencies, but there are 3 <br />31 separate governments in this building. <br />32 Wayne Fenton said this presentation is just about presenting the options. <br />33 Chair Jacobs asked about the next steps for this particular facility and when this will <br />34 come back to the Board. <br />35 Jeff Thompson said this has been an outline of the options, and there is a $1.4 million <br />36 need to keep this building going as it stands. He said this can be done, but if there is a choice <br />37 to move forward with Blackwood Farm, then this old building could be filled with storage. <br />38 Chair Jacobs said he is just asking where this is being left in the decision making <br />39 process for the Board. He asked if this will be brought back to a subsequent meeting with <br />40 options. <br />41 Wayne Fenton said if a decision is made on Blackwood Farms then staff can keep this <br />42 building operational, because there is a goal line. He said the recommendation for the use of <br />43 the facility is more in keeping with being a former grocery store. He said if there are factors that <br />44 make the Board want to keep it then staff will work with that guidance. <br />45 Chair Jacobs asked if this will then be part of the CIP discussion. He said the Board can <br />46 talk about this at work sessions, keeping this information in mind as a decision is made about <br />47 any CIP modifications in relation to this building or Blackwood Farm. <br />48 Clarence Grier said if the building is kept, one suggestion likely to be put forward if is to <br />49 invest the additional $1.6 million to make it structurally sound. <br />