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The Legislature’s Capital Plan Review Committee today recommended that the County proceed with a modest expansion of its Human Services Building to house the Community Justice Center’s Day Reporting Program, enabling the County to vacate the Old County Library.

The recommendation calls for adding the expansion and renovation project to the County’s five-year Capital Program at a cost over just over $1.5 million, and to execute a contract with LaBella Associates for project architectural and design services.  The project would add a 1,600 square-foot one-story bump-out on the southeast corner of the building and reconfigure interior space to accommodate Day Reporting, while also maintaining current functions of the Department of Social Services and preserving a mid-size conference room in the building—the current Livesay Conference Room would be reduced by about 40%.

The measure notes that the County has diligently pursued alternate locations for the CJC for more than three years, and that an exhaustive review of available real estate has found no suitable alternative existing locations for the Day Reporting Program.  It is noted that the ongoing 20-year debt service cost, projected at $112,000 a year, would be nearly offset by the approximately $100,000 in annual cost, were Day Reporting to continue to occupy the Old Library.

The Committee vote was 3-1, with members Dooley Kiefer, Martha Robertson, and committee chair Mike Lane voting in favor, and Frank Proto voting no.  Mr. Proto said that, while he believes something needs to be done to relocate Day Reporting, he cannot support an expenditure of this magnitude at this time, suggesting that a continued search for space might be appropriate.  Before the vote, he had suggested that a provision be added to apply proceeds from future disposition of the Old Library building to the renovation cost, which failed to win support from other committee members.

Chair Lane noted that this step would culminate a process that began with work of the Legislature’s Old Library New Futures Committee 12 years ago; that the committee has thoroughly evaluated its other options; and that relocating Day Reporting to an existing County building and moving out of the Old Library makes sense.

The recommendation next proceeds to the Legislature’s Facilities and Budget committees, before being considered by the full Legislature.

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