Adopt a budget resolution establishing a County Administrator/County Counsel Office capital project fund and appropriating $100,000 for project design and construction; authorize related actions to implement project. (General fund impact $100,000) (4/5 vote required) (Pogledich/Nunes)

1. Adopt a budget resolution (Attachment A) establishing a County Administrator/County Counsel Office capital project fund and appropriating $100,000 for project design and construction; and
    
2. Authorize General Services to take additional actions necessary to obtain design and construction services and otherwise implement the project.

The purpose of this project is threefold: (a) to create additional office space necessary to accommodate existing needs within the County Counsel’s office; (b) to provide needed security improvements by adding a common reception area for the County Administrator and County Counsel offices and installing controlled access to staff work space; and (c) to provide for efficient reuse of the space formerly occupied by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo). An initial design and budget for the project is included as Attachment B, and it will be referenced in the following discussion.

As shown in Attachment B, the proposed project would expand the County Counsel’s office into the space currently utilized as a conference room for the County Administrator. The conference room would be divided into two new offices, one of which will be used as a small conference room and reserved as future office space. Other significant elements of the project include:
 

• Modifying the existing entrances to both offices to create a common reception area;
• Adding a new entrance door and short hallway to the County Counsel’s office immediately adjacent to the new common reception area, near the existing conference room space;
• Providing needed security improvements by adding securitized (cardlock) entrances to the County Counsel’s office and staff work space within the County Administrator’s office; and 
• Relocating the County Administrator conference room within the LAFCO space.

Altogether, the proposed project will remodel the County Administrator and County Counsel offices to address existing and future space, security, and functional needs of both departments.   

The initial project budget is $104,000, including standard administration and contingency sums. County staff continue to work to refine project details with the objective of reducing cost to about $90,000 and improving the efficient use of space, particularly within the former LAFCo area. To ensure sufficient funding for the project, however, the budget resolution includes an overall allocation of $100,000 for the project.