Minutes 03-11-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Wayne Fenton said if a decision is made on Blackwood Farms then staff can keep this building operational, because there is a goal line. He said the recommendation for the use of the facility is more in keeping with being a former grocery store. He said if there are factors that make the Board want to keep it then staff will work with that guidance. Chair Jacobs asked if this will then be part of the CIP discussion. He said the Board can talk about this at work sessions, keeping this information in mind as a decision is made about any CIP modifications in relation to this building or Blackwood Farm. Clarence Grier said if the building is kept, one suggestion likely to be put forward if is to invest the additional $1.6 million to make it structurally sound. Commissioner Gordon said no one has asked about the specific needs for more office space, co-location and who needs it. She said this information has not been presented in a way that will help them make any decisions. Jeff Thompson said staff reported in November that there was no demand for more office space in the near future. He said the only exception was the Department on Aging. He said there is more office space overall than demand, which results in underutilized space. He said the only facility that is stressed is the EAC. Commissioner Gordon said the principles say that the use of office space for storage space is bad. She asked what the solution is for this, and she asked if this information can be brought back. Commissioner Price asked if staff would recommend moving walls or reconstructing the inside if the EAC building were kept. Jeff Thompson said the storage space was created when planning and environmental health moved out. He said anything is possible for an interior upfit. Commissioner McKee said he is hearing that it would make more sense to renovate the whole structure to standards rather than to spend less and leave other improvements hanging out there. Clarence Grier said the debt service cost gained would bring the building up to code and give staff the desired building and space. Commissioner McKee said this makes sense. He said past conversations have been a stalking horse to move to the Blackwood Farm facility. He said the conversation continually comes back to this being an underutilized facility, and then this leads to conversations about Blackwood Farm, which is a disconnect for him. Jeff Thompson said Blackwood Farms predated this plan, and his point is if the Board of County Commissioners is going to do this, then funding should not be spent in two places. Commissioner McKee said his point is that the funding for Blackwood Farms was jumped forward last year and then back again. He said there is no definitive plan for why the funding was moved forward. Dave Stancil said when staff went through the CIP discussions last year, the idea that this older building was not worth saving was what drove the idea of the Blackwood Farm facility. Commissioner Dorosin said the Board needs to make a policy decision of whether to keep the EAC with the collocated spaces on this site. He said if this decision is yes, then the question of renovating the building is an easier one to answer; if the answer is no, then the Board can look at other options. He said perhaps underutilized facilities should put back on the tax rolls, or for affordable housing or some other use. He said this policy question needs to be answered soon. Chair Jacobs said the funding jumped because the manager at that time saw the proposed costs to renovate and decided to propose moving to Blackwood Farms. He said the Board did not make that decision and they were working on consolidating facilities. He said he