Agenda - 03-13-2007-5g - Laserfiche WebLink

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meetings, independent living meetings for older foster children, group sessions for adolescent parents, group training for potential foster and adoptive parents, and group training for parents in child protective service cases. The agency would also like to have one room large enough to provide training for all the staff located in Hillsborough. This design would allow the DSS staff to have some relief at the Whitted Building and would also allow for some of the functions at Southern Human Services to occur there. Rooms for serving clients and for any meetings have become problematic at all sites. During space study discussions regarding the use of this building, the Board expressed interest in accommodating the KidsCope program at the site, assuming it was required to vacate the existing space at Central Elementary School. It is staff's understanding that the issue under discussion between the Orange County Schools (OCS) Board of Education and the KidsCope program is centered on fiscal responsibility for the space, rather than whether the space will remain available to the program. Staff has requested and been told that the County will receive additional information regarding OCS's discussions concerning KidsCope. Review of the DSS space needs leads to management's recommendation that the DSS space requirements are sufficiently urgent to warrant use of the Valley Forge site and is the better use far the building. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Social Services currently has pilot funds available through June 30, 2007 that could help with the furnishing of the Work First office space. The agency can also receive reimbursement of part of any renovation costs through administrative procedures. In order for Social Services to utilize some of these existing funds, it is important that the project move forward. Therefore Social Services requests to use existing funds within its budget to hire an architect to design the space and to develop plans for the renovation of the site. The cost for the design phase will be provided through funds already available in the Social Services budget. Depending on the recommendations and on the planned use of the building, Social Services will be able to use some existing funds to help with the costs of the actual renovations. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board authorize the use of the building for DSS programs as outlined above; and authorize the Manager to sign a contract for architectural services with a firm that will be selected following a short selection process.