Title
Health and Human Services Agency, in collaboration with the Chief Administrative Office, Facilities Division, recommending the Board:
1) Receive and file a report on the current status of the County building(s) located at 931 Spring Street, 935A and 935B Spring Street, and 937 Spring Street, Placerville, CA (hereinafter referred to in aggregate as “Spring Street”);
2) Direct staff to develop a conceptual plan to relocate the Psychiatric Health Facility from Spring Street to the Old Juvenile Hall, including engaging a facilities planner to support the moving of the Courts out of the space below the Old Juvenile Hall and into Building C as well as options to move Elections; and
3) Direct staff to utilize the facilities planner to additionally help define programming needs for Health and Human Services and other options for space planning.
FUNDING: N/A
Body
County facilities located at 931 Spring Street, 935A and 935B Spring St, and 937 Spring St provide office space for a number of HHSA programs to serve county residents that require or are seeking services. These addresses combine for a total space of 47,236 square feet, and are broken out by the following:
931 Spring St:
This location was built in 1952 and is comprised of 7816 square feet of space. The site is utilized to house many of HHSA’s Public Health programs including the Vital Statistics Office, California Children’s Services, Clinical Services, and Communicable Disease Control/Prevention.
935A and 935B Spring St:
This location was built in 1947 and is comprised of 18,066 square feet of space. The 935A location is utilized to support The Club - Older Adult Day Services program, which is operated by the Community Services Division. The 935B location is utilized to support the El Dorado County Psychiatric Health Facility to provide intensive mental health and psychiatric treatment.
937 Spring St:
This location was built in 1949 and is comprised of 21,354 square feet of space. This location is utilized to provide the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) programs for residents 60 years of age and older, as well as others. Services programs include Alzheimer’s Support, Counseling Services, Family Caregiver Support Program, Health Education Program, Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, Information and Assistance, Senior Legal, Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Nutrition Services, Senior Shuttle, and more.
It is worth noting that across the parking lot from these 3 locations is a Substance Use Disorder program located at 929 Spring Street in a modular unit, and across an alternate parking lot is the Public Health Nursing Office located at 941 Spring St. These latter two addresses are not a part of this Board item or staff’s recommendation today, however as they are located on the County property and in proximity to 931, 935A and 935B, and 937 Spring St, they are being referenced for situational awareness.
In response to facility needs over the years, County Facilities staff have continued to coordinate and support situational repairs and updates as necessary, however through several recent building studies and assessments it has been determined that a larger plan is now needed for facilitating next steps for the greater Spring St facility. Most recently, in May 2020, the County received a Conditions Assessment report which indicated that the three buildings that make up the 47,236 square feet are considered to be at the “end of life” stage. From this, the Conditions Assessment made the recommendation to consider a full repair or replacement of the facility. To support the necessary repairs, it has been determined that a significant amount of work would be required, estimated at a total cost of approximately $25,000,000. With such a high repair cost, the alternate recommendation of simply demolishing the facility and replacing it could be considered.
To not rely upon only those two options, and since the time of receiving the Conditions Assessment, the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Director and the Facilities Division Manager have begun to explore a variety of other possible options, including the possibility of relocating one or more programs to other locations. The intent of this exploratory work is to understand what available options exist that could be reasonable and available in the foreseeable months ahead and to inform the Board of those options so that facility space needs are considered in the most conclusive and fiscally responsible manner. From the exploratory work thus far, potential relocations under consideration include: 1) sharing space with the El Dorado Community Health Center at their new location specifically for Public Health and Substance Abuse Disorder programs; 2) leasing alternate and available space in the vicinity of Placerville; and 3) reconsidering the use of the old Juvenile Hall Facility located at 299 Fair Lane, Placerville to house the Psychiatric Health Facility. More exploratory work will be needed to confirm some of the above opportunities. At this time, HHSA and the Facilities Division recommend that the Board direct staff to develop a conceptual plan for the relocation of the Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) from Spring Street to the Old Juvenile Hall, including engaging a facilities planner to support the moving of the Courts out of the space below the Old Juvenile Hall and into Building C as well as options to move Election. Staff also request that the Board direct staff to utilize the facilities planner to additionally help define programming needs for HHSA and other possible options for space planning. If approved, staff will work with the facilities planner to also consider if other options may be available in the community and will return to the Board should other opportunities present.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, HHSA would continue to provide services currently housed at the facilities located at Spring Street until further direction is provided by the Board.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 9/25/12, 12-1157, CAO Facilities Services Agreement 199-S1311
2) 10/24/15, 15-1159, Agreement 194-S1611 with Capital Engineering Consultants, Inc.
3) 10/24/17, 15-1159, Amendment I to Agreement 194-S1611 with Capital Engineering Consultants, Inc.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item. Upon identification of a space planner, staff will return to the Board for approval of a contract for these services at which time actual costs will be identified.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities and Good Governance
CONTACT
Don Semon, Director