Title
Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division, recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Approve the use of the Design-Build construction project delivery method for the New Placerville Juvenile Hall Facility Project;
2) Authorize the release of a Request for Proposal for Construction Bridging Documents for the Placerville Juvenile Hall; and
3) Authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to submit a request to the United States Department of Justice to repay a portion of the grant funds for the South Lake Tahoe Juvenile Treatment Facility to be directed toward the new Placerville Juvenile Hall Project. (Est. Time: 30 Min.) (Cont. 1/7/20, Item 28)
FUNDING: Senate Bill 81 Local Youthful Offender Rehabilitative Financing Program ($9.6 million) and General Fund ($5.9 million).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Design-Build and RFP
An El Dorado County Juvenile Hall Needs Assessment Study, commissioned in 2014 determined the most pressing need confronting the County juvenile justice system was the replacement of the aged, antiquated and now closed Placerville facility. The assessment indicated that the facility lacked adequate program space and was not sufficient to support today’s juvenile justice treatment practices. The study concluded that expansion or renovation of the existing facility would not be cost effective, and recommended total replacement of the facility.
Senate Bill 81 (2007) provided grant funding to local governments for the expansion, replacement or renovation of existing juvenile hall/treatment facilities. In late 2014 an application for funding was submitted to the Board of State of Community Corrections (BSCC) per El Dorado County Resolution #231-2014. In early 2015 a letter was received from BSCC stating that El Dorado County was issued a conditional award of $9.6 million for a 40 bed facility. After further review, Chief Probation Officer, Brian Richart, requested of the BSCC a scope change to reduce the original proposal from a 40 bed facility to 20 bed facility.
On February 6, 2019 the El Dorado County Board discussed changes to scope and re-confirmed the previous authorization for the construction of a 20-bed facility with infrastructure and support for up to 40 beds and increased the current General Fund cost by $4.8 million, for a total not to exceed project cost of $15.5 million.
The project includes the design and construction of a new juvenile detention facility of approximately 14,000 square feet on county-owned land at 300 Fair Lane, in the city of Placerville. The new facility will provide housing, program, healthcare, custody, administrative and support space, visitation, food service, and a vehicle sally port. In addition, the project includes the demolition and removal of the existing former Sheriff Administration facility and former jail building.
The new housing area will house up to 20 male and female youthful offenders. The program and support spaces are expected to include a multipurpose/contact visitation area, shared day room, medical examination and group therapy rooms, bakery, kitchen, laundry area, intake and booking area, and public lobby area. The project will also provide an outdoor recreation area and staff and visitor parking spaces. It is the intent that the design will incorporate considerable natural light and a simplified housing design that will contain “home-like” features and finishes.
Staff is recommending that the Board approve the use of the Design-Build construction project delivery method for the Placerville Juvenile Hall Facility Project. Utilizing a competitive process, the County would contract with a design-build contractor that would perform the complete design of the facility, usually based on a preliminary scope or design (performance specifications). The County and contractor would negotiate a guaranteed maximum price to complete the Project's design and construction work. The design-build team would not only be responsible for construction of the project, but also for design. Since the construction team is working together from the outset, the design-build method offers the opportunity to save time and money through value engineering.
Repayment of Grant Funds for the South Lake Tahoe JTC
The South Lake Tahoe Juvenile Treatment Center (JTC) was constructed in 2004, funded by a grant through the Federal Department of Justice (DOJ). As a condition of the grant, the County agreed to continue operation of the facility for an approved criminal justice purpose for a period of 30 years, or be required to repay a pro-rata share of the grant funding to DOJ. The repayment amount varies based on how long the facility was engaged in an approved use. At this point, this payment is estimated at $2 million. If the County were to repay the funding, thereby securing title for the facility from DOJ, the Board would then have complete discretion over the use of the facility.
In September, the CAO wrote to the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a division of the DOJ, to ask whether the proceeds from the County’s repayment of grant funds to the DOJ for the JTC could be directed to the construction of the new Juvenile Hall in Placerville. The initial indication from the BJA is that it would be possible for the County to retain title to the JTC and repay the remaining grant funds to the DOJ, who could then direct those funds toward the Placerville Juvenile Hall project. This would allow the County to retain title to the JTC building and have discretion over its use with the ability to put the $2 million dollar purchase price back into the construction of the new Juvenile Hall in Placerville.
Gaining discretion over use of the facility will provide the Board with the option to repurpose the facility once the new Placerville facility is constructed. The trends in juvenile justice, statewide and nationally, indicate continued declines in juvenile arrests and detentions. In El Dorado County, the average daily population (ADP) of both facilities combined has decreased 65% over the last 10 years, to an ADP of 13 in Placerville and 5 in South Lake Tahoe, which does not warrant the operation of two juvenile hall facilities in today's fiscal climate.
If the Board authorizes the CAO to submit the purchase request, the County and the BJA would work together to determine the amount owed and confirm that DOJ would allow the funds to be redirected to the Placerville project. The CAO would return to the Board for final approval.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board approve a Design-Build construction project delivery method, the production of bridging documents is a necessary component of this project delivery method. The Board could decline to release the RFP and the project will potentially be terminated.
The Board could choose not to purchase the JTC. It would then be necessary to continue to use the facility for an approved criminal justice purpose through the remainder of the 30-year commitment.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
December 2, 2014; Legistar 14-1586; Item No. 39: Authorized submittal of an application to the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) for Senate Bill 81, Round Two Local Youthful Offender Rehabilitative Facility (LYORF) Construction Funding Program.
June 28, 2016; Legistar 14-1586; Item No. 63: Formally accepted the Local Youthful Offender Rehabilitative Facilities (LYORF) funding award for $9.6 million, selected 300 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 as the recommended future construction site, updated the cash match amount to a minimum of $480,000 (5% of project cost), and updated the scope of the initial project from construction of a forty bed facility to construction of a twenty bed facility.
December 6, 2016; Legistar 14-1586; Item No. 6: Identified additional general fund cash contribution of $720,000, for a total County cost of $1.2 million.
June 6, 2017; Legistar 14-1586; Item No. 42: Authorized the Chair to sign the Project Delivery and Construction Agreement for the SB81 Local Youthful Offender Rehabilitative Facility Financing (LYORF) Program.
February 6, 2019; Legistar 19-0170; Item No. 17: Authorized the construction of a 20-bed facility, confirming the previously approved scope of the facility, and increasing the current General Fund cost by $4.8 million, for a total not to exceed cost of $15.5 million, authorized the closure of the existing Juvenile Detention Facility in Placerville, effective June 30, 2019 with a commensurate reduction in force, and directed staff to explore uses for the closed Placerville detention facility as well as alternative uses of the South Lake Tahoe Juvenile Treatment Center which would remain in compliance with allowable uses of that facility based on grant restrictions associated with the original construction of the facility.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Probation Department
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Loss of $9.6 million in grant funding should the Board not approve.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
NA
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Brian Richart
Chief Probation Officer
Russ Fackrell
Facilities Division Manager