Travis County Commissioners Court
November 8, 2005
Item 11
This is number 11, which is to consider and take appropriate action on phase 2 options for the 5501 airport boulevard building. 1, relocate cec service center, cjp, e.m.s., fm divisions. Two, relocate cjp, e.m.s., and fm divisions. Three, relocate hhs divisions from palm square. Four, construct a transitional space area. 5, construct parking garage or, 6, maintain status quo. Maybe we need to stand in recess for about five minutes to give our space people an opportunity to come down. Let's do that. We'll be in recess until 10 minutes after 11 by the clock in the Commissioners courtroom.
let's come back to order. We have just taken a very short recess, and I did read item number 10 in its entirety. It lists basically various options for our use of the airport facility, the space that's vacant over there now. And this is our third or fourth discussion of this item, right?
>> yes, sir.
>> okay.
>> I知 the executive manager for executive corporations. I have here roger l. Corey who is the director of facilities management and also jim bar, the design manager -- project manager on this particular project. What you have before you is a discussion on consideration of the options for 5501 airport boulevard. And we will talk about different functions our departments that can be locate understand that building. That building is currently occupied by the district clerk and tax assessor collector, print shop, and we also have plans to put an hr training facility in there and i.t.s. Disaster recovery. We do have, though, more space in that particular building, and about 34,000 square feet, that we would like for you to consider occupying with different offices. And I壇 like to go ahead and turn it over to roger to talk about the options for that.
>> good morning, I知 the director of the facility management department. What you have here is about six options, and the option number 1 is the option 1 to relocate the ces, counselor education service to airport boulevard phase 2, and cjp, e.m.s. And fm -- much of the divisions from 209 west ninth street to airport boulevard. And this way you will have an optimization of space --
>> can I make one correction? Instead of being item no. 10 as I suggested, it's really item number 11. I noticed on the screen up there we have the wrong number, but it's item 11 options that we're considering for use of the 5501 airport boulevard building. Sorry about that.
>> thank you, judge. Option number 1 as you see on the second page of my memo, it shows the table right there that the option number one optimizes space of the 34,500 square feet and has annual lease saving of $459,000. Additional employees to this facility would be about 47 employees, and the renovation costs on that is about $2.4 million. We already have $171,725,000 in our budget for this -- for this project, for one of those options. So option number 2 is the same thing like option number 1, except that the cs located at 5920 i-35 will not be moved to airport boulevard, and that will have a shell out space of about 24,500. You will have with it also a lease saving of $159,000 because we move into cjp, e.m.s. And the fire marshal on west ninth street. And only 22 employee will go to airport boulevard for this option number 2, and we don't need any money for fy '06 and we have enough money in our -- but within the 17125 to take care of option 2.
>> is there a 1-a, and it may be that there is a decision made related to the ces service center, are there options related to only putting that into the airport boulevard so that we can stay on one floor as opposed to having to go to a second floor? Or is the ces automatically a decision that you would have to have a two-story situation because then you have extra loading stuff, you have extra -- you have to have elevators and stairs. I知 just wondering is there an option that you would not have to go up, but we could still use that space?
>> we looked at that one time earlier on a previous discussion and putting only one floor and not put the second floor, there's two issue. First is the energy efficiency because all of that open space up and high because it's about like 21 -- 25 feet high, and it's difficult to put a drop ceiling and try to make it offices and classroom with this kind of height in there. And second is also the optimization of space. Really if we already put one floor in the future, you would instruct us to come and have additional space over there, then it will be disruptive to the first floor to put the second floor and have optimizational space.
>> and help me understand again about the roof because this building is not the same as, I値l call it airport 1, because that was hard space. This is the old lumberyard, and it is a different kind of a situation in terms of renovation than the others, so I知 just asking the question related to is there just a sense that the roof would stay as it is or because it was over the lumberyard that you would have to make some kind of decision about how to deal with the roof, and if you are, you can have these discussions about whether the roof line gets lowered or not or how you shell out the space. I知 just trying to understand all of our options.
>> sure. The roof right now, we're going to replace the roof anyway. That roof is not fit to be -- for over an office. This was a lumberyard, just like you said. But the structure right now, the streel structure, the columns and all that, it's already there. And it has a a deep foundation where the column is. So if you change that, that's lots of expense to take all these down and put the new one in to lower the roof. I will let jim barr also talk more about that.
>> I can deal with we've dealt with it and that's not what we would recommend. We would recommend going to a shell out or going to a second floor. That's okay.
>> the second floor would cost an additional how much now?
>> the second floor, in order to construct a second floor, because the second structure and front only canopy column is about $350,000. That is a real cost we got from a contractor about a year and a half ago when we put this project on for bid. It's a -- I understand that at the time the steel costs went up, but now the steel costs went down since June '05 they start going down, about 20% the steel went down this time. But I think that the 450 plus contingency will take care of that structure.
>> and how much space is this?
>> that will get you about 21,000 square feet additional space.
>> in addition to the money that you have now, you would need additional funding of $450,000?
>> if option number one it shows that I need 675,000.
>> okay. And so if we move the three and number one -- is it three -- four, four departments, four divisions in option 1 there, the total annual lease savings is how much?
>> $459,000.
>> starting in?
>> when we move the ces and all, about like 14 months from now.
>> okay. I知 just trying to get to those would be savings in '07.
>> it will affect fy '07.
>> it's '07.
>> okay.
>> the difference between one and two is ces.
>> that's correct.
>> and two the lease savings would be --
>> $159,000.
>> 159. So would the cost be the same as in one?
>> the renovation cost. If you look at page 2 of the memo it's 379,480.
>> you don't have a second copy of your memo, do you? I had it last time we discussed this --
>> in my thorough review before today I misplaced my memo. [ laughter ] a copy in hand will save a whole lot of questions. We need one more.
>> do we need another recess? [ laughter ]
>> I had it out and I didn't put it back in.
>> while we're getting this copy, if I go to option number 3, it shows option number 2, the services and move from palm square. We don't recommend this option because of the parking situation because the employee they're going to move up to airport boulevard would be about 96 employees. At that time really we do not have enough parking capacity on that.
>> if we were to remove option 3, then that will simplify matters. Move that we remove option 3 from the table.
>> I知 fine with that. I don't think it's an option.
>> seconded by Commissioner Sonleitner. Discussion of that motion? All in favor? Show Commissioner Sonleitner, Gomez, Daugherty, yours truly voting in favor.
>> I知 voting for it, judge.
>> unanimous. Unanimous vote.
>> thank you. Option number 4 is an option -- really what it it will have is it's a 34,500 square feet is kind of like a transition option in which you build the second floor, but the shellout only. Add the roof on the second floor and nothing else. That's in case if we want to move a department from one place to another, we have a home to put it as a transition home until we build out the future permanent location for that department. This one it has a con with it in that we don't know what department is, what the costs would be in the future to finish and fit for a department to move on a temporary basis. It's a good concept, but impractical. It's not something we can support on that because we don't know who is going to move over there. Option number 5 --
>> so what will 4 cost?
>> option number 4 will cost 837,000 -- I知 sorry, $887,000. As you can see, what that means, option number 4, is we have to construct for option number 4, we will have to construct the roof, which is about 81,925. We have to add the concrete (indiscernible) and level to the floor, that's about 771,000 and 84. And cost of second structure, which is about $1,250,000 and was at six percent contingently, about 50,000, and already approved costs for the (indiscernible) and human resource center space for about 230700. The total numbers on that is $887,000. So you build all of those features and then you wait until you have a transition and you can move people into the space.
>> but nobody is -- there's a plan for nobody.
>> correct.
>> so we don't even pick up ces or cjp. It's just simply shell it out for the future, we don't know, and I personally think we ought to have a plan, and this one doesn't fit my needs. If we're going to spend money, we ought to spend it for a client.
>> second the motion to take it off the table.
>> let me write that down because that's not a cost that you just explained to us, roger. That's not in the square for the renovation cost. Tell us again what number 4, the renovation cost would be is 400?
>> 887,103.
>> any discussion of the motion to take it off the table? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> thank you. Option number 5 deal with the parking garage. A parking garage in the -- where the metal structure right now, it's about -- it has a footprint of 21,000 square feet. You go up to three levels with some kind of adjustment that's about 54,000 square feet of parking garage, and that parking garage can accommodate about 198 parking space, let's say 200 parking space, and the cost of renovating that garage is about 2.3 million -- $2,258,000. Of which I have 1,000,725 what's left for fy '06 needed to build the garage and only three story up, $533,000 needed in fy '06.
>> judge, I知 willing to take this one off the table right now because I don't think we've reached -- we're kind of working through all these things. We don't have a critical mass here that would trigger this particular thing, and there could be another decision at a later point because there is a critical mass at this site.
>> second.
>> any more discussion of the motion to take the 2.258-million-dollar garage off the table?
>> [ inaudible ].
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you.
>> option number 6 is the status quo.
>> did you get one, Commissioner Sonleitner? You're going to vote right today. [ laughter ]
>> we're going to work through it, judge.
>> thank you, Commissioner. And I知 willing to take status quo off because we have to get off the status quo.
>> seconded by Commissioner Gomez to take status quo off the table. We're going to have to take a recess for some more options the way we're taking them off the table. All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. So what are we left with?
>> may I make a recommendation that we do number one then?
>> can we just talk through 1 and make sure that we understand the implications, what the costs really are, how secure we are that those costs are the costs? And for the departments that are impacted, for them to know what their temporary situation is going to be and how long before they get into new digs. We need to be really clear with folks about what number 1 means. And that's just me.
>> no problem. I second that motion while we're clarifying this. Roger, clarify number one for us. Exactly what does it entail?
>> sure. Option number one, it has the counseling education service located on i-35. Right now they're about 1500 square feet located in that particular facility.
>> 1500?
>> I mean 15,000, I知 sorry. 15,000 square feet plus or minus. And they are on one level. They have a parking spaces over there, and I think legal aid right now owns the building and legal aid is moving to the second floor, they are renovating the building and moving to the second floor. I met with the legal aid and they have the construction going until January 2010 to finish construction -- January 10 to finish construction on the second floor. Yesterday I met with mr. Summerland. He obtained a list of some issues from our -- from a client at the i-35 location, a list whaf needed to be done at that facility, such as carpet cleaning, mini-blinds, some wall painting and all of that, restroom renovation. This renovation is in the work right now. They're going to do restroom renovation within that time frame by January 10th. And mr. Summer larnd, who is the deputy director of legal aid, indicated that he's going to do all of that by the time when they finish the construction. They're going to get the carpets cleaned, paint the wall, especially in the lobby area, and get the mini-blinds and all those requests have been given by I believe the program manager. And he said he's going to do that.
>> what about the parking situation? We've talked about that two or three times. And when the gentleman was here, the director was here in court, he seemed to have suggested he could do additional things to work with us to meet our needs. And the question is --
>> the parking situation, judge, one of his departments -- he's supposed to -- in the original plan he's supposed to consolidate all his departments located in three different location in Austin into this facility. If we stayed there for one more year or 14 months from now in that facility, one of his departments is going to stay where it is right now. So there's about 15 space that will not be moving to the existing location at 4920. I believe at this time the parking situation up there, they might be overflowing on the weekend or in the -- I知 sorry, it's in the daytime, but according to him, he will work with us to make sure that the parking is enough for our clients, for us, for the county. So that will get the commitment from him on that issue. So that because really what's happening is the schedule for it is during the day, in the morning, nothing in the afternoon, is that correct?
>> so that's what happened is you've got peak flow of peak parking in the morning, but still some space left in there to accommodate our employees and visitors and his employees.
>> are you able to park on the street? The street that goes east and west.
>> we have to go west a little bit because the building actually takes up the whole block that's just directly east of it is i-35. You do have to go one block west to start parking in the neighborhoods. So you will definitely hear some of that probably in the evening. I don't know what you get on the weekends, but I went over there the day after we met last week and at 10:00 in the morning there were 34 spaces not being used. Earl said yesterday when he was in my office that there were 60 spaces not being used. So during the day is not really the issue. The issue probably will be evening, and I guess -- I haven't seen the weekend.
>> it's the mornings.
>> could you come up?
>> I知 theresa gotham. Mainly the parking issue is in the morning between 8:00 and 12. I know when you came out last week we weren't busy, but this past week we've been busy, people are parking in the street. It has a lot to do with the church. Before there was no one there, now there's like 30 cars there and then we have the day laborers that are parking. And earl did mention to me yesterday that he's already talked to the church and he's already talked to the day labor informing them that we would need those parking spaces.
>> have the day laborers been authorized to park on this parking lot?
>> at one time they were allowed to park up against the fence, but, you know, we need the space.
>> okay.
>> there's probably, what, theresa, maybe only a dozen against the fence? So it's not like the day laborers inundate the parking areas there. I do think what we need to talk to the clientele, because what we're trying to do is buy a year, 14 months, but I think that we need to tell the clients that we're going to try to accommodate you as much as we can, but if there are issues, then you do need to get dropped off or you need to do whatever it takes because you may not have a spot. The parking doesn't seem to be -- the overly large issue during the major times if you're saying like in the mornings, it's not a situation -- hey, down here is 50 times worse than it is trying to get out there and park in that area. Not that you don't have inconveniences, but I think it's something that we can probably work with.
>> and do we have assigned parking for our employees?
>> no, we don't. First come, first serve.
>> that would be my first recommendation, if you can. I mean, I think we ought to take care of my employees because they've got to be there at work.
>> he did mention something to that effect yesterday that if it becomes an issue that we could look into assigning parking or having special tags on the cars.
>> we can go out there ourselves and put reserved on a number of spaces to accommodate our employees. I mean, they have to be there at work, whereas the clients get there whenever the classes are scheduled, then if parking's not available, they just have to park on the street, kind of part of the punishment for the offense. So I guess I would take care of our employees first.
>> judge, help me walk through a few of these things. Related to this building, it's a very long building. Are you planning on any kind of anything related to I値l say the facade related to this section of the building so that when people have kind of a visual cue of some sort that that's the entrance that is difference than the one that is basically going to be a Monday through Friday daytime, you will never be going through that entrance to get to this part of the building. Are we planning on something that's been included within the budget for that particular entrance, which will be different from the county clerk tax entrance area?
>> sure. They're going to have a separate entrance.
>> my question is whether there's something related to the facade and signage and different things.
>> sure.
>> that's what I知 asking.
>> jim ba are. R with the facilities management department. We're presently working on a design for a sun shade canopy. It's a western exposure. That canopy will run the entire 300-foot length of this addition and the original part of the building and actually turn the corner at the tax office. It will provide a uniform facade at the building. We'll have separate entrance signage for the county clerk and tax office and then another identical one down at that northern end that will identify the entrance to phase 2.
>> because we have some departments who will not be -- have business hours when the ces folks are there, are we going to be able to have some secured areas that if it's something related to -- that folks will not be able to wander the building at leisure in terms of other people who have offices here during the non-hours of operation?
>> sure.
>> I want to make sure it's included within the budget because those things cost money.
>> it's a long hallway right now, and on the north side of the facility, this is going to be secured and we have another entrance for the middle building. It will be totally separate.
>> you just don't want them wandering up into the other offices when those are areas that they are not supposed to have access to during y'all's hours. Related to a break hour, have we thought through a break area related to this section of the building? Because clearly they're not going to be over in the break area of the other part of the building. Have we made accommodations for that?
>> sure. In the original plan we have, we have a break area for the ces and also we have a break area for the e.m.s. And the fire marshal on the second floor.
>> what's going on with the dogs?
>> the what?
>> the dogs for the fire marshal. What are you thinking? Because we're talking about if the fire marshal is moving over there, they have dogs, right?
>> we have an area on the outside -- that's the original plan, but we need to sit down with the fire marshal and go over that with him. We have an area, a fence right now, it's on the -- next to the print shop and imaging, and between the print shop and imaging in the middle area of this area. We can build an area for the dog to be housed over there.
>> we need to think in terms of neighborhood issues in terms of a dog being unattended during certain hours and making sure that's one of those things.
>> where is that dog kept now?
>> I don't know.
>> nice calm dog. [ laughter ]
>> by the way, for the public, this dog is used to help investigate suspected arson cases, right?
>> yes, sir. Pete baldwin, interim emergency services coordinator. Currently the one dog, hank, is housed at the handler's home. Because of the situation where we are currently located, he only goes to fires that -- when they're requesting a dog. The dog actually helps to identify areas of possible arson much more quickly than what it is to dig and take samples all the time. There are some specific issues that we would need to address with roger regarding fire marshals, as far as evidence, places like that, so we can do those, we can sit down and visit about those issues.
>> would it help for us to indicate that we expect for the dog to be accommodated in the same manner in which it is accommodated today?
>> that would be helpful.
>> a stay at home dog.
>> he's staying with the handler right now, right?
>> yes.
>> I知 just making sure we talk through these things, because if people think the dog will stay at home and then people have expectations the dog is coming to the office, we need to talk through these things. My last one, and you can already predict this one is going to happen, because of us being in another building, we did spend a little bit of money related to a smoking area for our lovely ces clients, not no way, no how on county property in terms of are we building a smoking area when we are not building a smoking area for our own employees. There are rules and regulations in terms of staying away from county owned public buildings, which this one is, where the other one isn't. So what are we going do with the smokers?
>> right now we have an ordinance and we comply with the city of Austin ordinance about 15 feet from a public entry. Smoking is prohibited. Now, right now what they do as we speak there's a canopy right now in the back. Some people go in the back doors and smoke and the parking lots under the canopy right now in the airport boulevard building. When we build the second floor -- when we build the phase 2 project, we will have some designated area in the parking lot where they can go out from the back door, the employee, and then smoke there, just like any employees with the county. This is kind of what we do right now with all our county facilities that nobody can smoke within 15 feet and they have to smoke away from the public entrance. And the same thing will apply for this phase if it happens.
>> there just needs to be an understanding by the clients, carol, that right now they've got a special covered area that was built for them, and it's going to be quite a different scene in terms of they're going to have to stay away from the building in terms of where you smoke, and that is not negotiable for me.
>> so what's the situation over on 35 and 51st?
>> carol colburn, ces director. There was a buildout of an area where they can smoke, recovered area with a little bunch that they go to. It's on the back parking lot side next to the workers and the church area back there. But this is an issue because when these people take breaks, they do smoke quite a few of them, and unless we have a designated area, they would probably walk out in the parking lot. We can make sure it's past 15 feet and they can smoke. But I hear roger saying there's something in the back. I don't know if our clients are going to be accessing the back of the building because they'll be coming in the front, we're going to want them to come in and go out just one entrance. So the front or side. We originally had looked at that side along the ditch and talked about it, but that's not within 15 feet. So that's an issue.
>> we can work on that. Let's work on that.
>> so right now, though, the employees and the clients go to the outside canopy. We built a covering, so I guess in the event of inclem meant weather they would sort of be out of it.
>> judge, it looks like a little capital metro stop. You go out there and there's a bench, probably four or five people can sit and it's probably got a five foot by 12-foot little covering. So it's not go out there and have a jamboree, it's pretty small, but fairly close to the door. You can accommodate it.
>> I want to make sure I understand where are the smokers going now when you're talking about behind the building. Are they at least 15 feet away from that back door?
>> well, there's -- they're supposed to be 15 feet --
>> the question I知 asking, because the city -- they are very clear that you have to be away from entrances. I don't think they're saying just the main entrance, they mean entrances to the entrances and exits to the building. It's like, I知 sorry. That's life.
>> as the crow flies coming out that door, it's not 15 feet. Now, if you want to walk four steps that way and you want to walk three steps that way, you can get 15 feet out there, but good god, we can make this thing work. I知 in agreement with you. Hey, if you want to, just say, if you come to class, you don't smoke. You probably can't do that with folks, but I think we can find a place to get them away from the door, comply with rules and regulations, but do you know what? I mean, people are -- smokers, they're hacked off that they've got to do it anyway. You really have to be pretty vinl lent to go out and say, do you know what, I致e got my tape measure out here, you're 15-foot, eight inches, you need to move back another five inches. People can do this.
>> I知 willing to say we need to be in full compliance with the city of Austin regulations related to distance from public buildings related to smoking now and in the future because I will tell you there are a lot of people that have very serious allergies and we had it in our own parking garage here of people that just wanted to be a little bit closer and you have to go through this stuff to get into a building. And it is not fair and let's just say it's the law, move on. So let us talk through the smoking situation and if we have any current situation, it needs to be dealt with.
>> it's something that you're saying that we can work out, though, from what's being said here today as far as getting some place where the person can go out and have a smoke within the regulated area. It's something that can be worked out. It's something that we're doing right now anyway, but it's something that can be included in what we're talking about.
>> we can work this issue out.
>> we do have employees that smoke. Not at airport, but that would have to be a separate area for ces. It would be ces employees and clients, right?
>> and judge, Commissioners, there is another issue that we would need to work through if ces is to go to the airport facility, and that would be the morning classes. We had talked about perhaps renting another site that could accommodate about three classrooms for our morning classes, so just as a reminder that would be an issue that we have to work through.
>> I知 not understanding that. I thought we were putting -- we're not talking about renting more stuff. It's like if the 20,000 is not sufficient, then it needs to be a different number.
>> well, this was an issue with, I believe, parking during the daytime when our clients would come during the daytime, there wouldn't be enough parking considering the tax office and such, so we had talked about the possibility, yes, of renting additional space for those morning classes.
>> renting additional space or finding additional parking? Those are two very different things.
>> I would love to go the parking route, but we had talked about space, but the parking would be easier on us.
>> it seems to me we ought to build out enough space to accommodate you because the ces classes will go on forever unless the law changes, right?
>> uh-huh.
>> I mean, it seems to me that that ought to be a prerequisite. I know we had kind of thrown a parking issue, but I thought we were building out enough space to accommodate classroom needs. Do we need y'all to huddle over lunch and see if that's the case?
>> yes, sir.
>> we also had an option if you remember to lease additional parking spaces.
>> let me make sure that I知 -- I知 confused now. Carol, are you saying -- you're talking about once you all go to the airport space given that there may not be enough parking, the reason that you're saying that you may need some space somewhere so they can go to a space and then have parking there.
>> yes, sir.
>> oh, then I -- that's where I would come and say, do you know what, if the spaces are taken, you find a way to come to class and do whatever you've got. I mean, I知 not -- I do not feel compelled as a Commissioner to take a customer, somebody that's coming to these classes, and saying we're going to assure you that you're going to have a parking space. Now, maybe that makes your life, your people are more upset because they can't park or this or that, but I知 sorry, we need to let people know that we are trying to maximize and trying to make sure that we spend these tax dollars the best that we can. I知 all for giving you as much space as you can. That is my goal, as is my goal to make sure that this office space that you all are going to have to stay in if we pass this, is that I will work closely with earl, and if things aren't being done as expeditiously as indicated because that was the question, then I知 more than happy to get as involved as we need to tr there, but this parking I think at some point in time, we need to let people know that maybe it is a first come, first serve basis and you may have an issue and you may have to find a parking space or you may need to get dropped off or you may need to take public transit.
>> I知 not sure I understand. Carol, are you saying that even with moving to the airport boulevard thing, you think you need three more classrooms someplace else?
>> no, Commissioner, it's not a space matter, it was that if our clients come to those classes, we have the classroom space, it would crowd out the whole parking lot so much. It was a parking issue. We are fine with -- we would rather have them at that site. It's much easier on our resours to have all of our classes at the same site. It was a parking issue, not a space issue.
>> there's nothing to say that anybody was guaranteed. If anybody comes to the downtown campus, it's like there's a parking list, even our own employees are not guaranteed a parking slot as 400 people can attest to.
>> we can make it work.
>> I知 sorry, y'all, I致e got to go so I can make it back by 1:30.
>> in regards to the parking situation, as you know, we have 354 parking spaces right now. I did talk to chair king down in houston head quarters, and we agreed that they can lease us 50 additional space. I got a proposal from them. I知 working right now with the county lawyers to have an extended lease to come for your approval, 50 parking space in addition to 354 we have at the airport. And they told us where the spaces should be, and they are close to our operation, close to our parking lot, and I have a map that those where those spaces are, an additional 50 for $500.
>> $500 a month.
>> $10 per space per month. That's great. And I have this proposal right here.
>> can we pick up the discussion after lunch? We've already lost Commissioner Gomez.
>> got a motion and a second outstanding.
>> I think we can finish this thing off real quickly as soon as we all get back.
>> doesn't bother me. What are we going to do with the five minutes between now and noon?
>> I have a luncheon to get to and five minutes will get me there on time.
>> I move we break for lunch.
>> what do we do with the motion, judge? Hold the motion?
>> let's hold it. Move that we recess to 1:30.
>> second.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote with Commissioner Gomez temporarily off the dais.
before we recessed for lunch we were discussing item number 11, which is various options for the use of the 5101 airport boulevard building which is owned by Travis County. We had ruled out several of the options, and there was a motion by Commissioner Daugherty and seconded by the county judge to go with option number 1, relocate ces service center, cjp, e.m.s. And fm divisions and we were discussing the ramifications of this option to make sure we understood it clearly of what it entails, what kind of precautions we should take, parking we think may be a problem, smoking. Is security an issue also?
>> at this time, no, it's not an issue. I think when they move, they have their own security also, ces. Am I correct?
>> for evenings and Saturdays we do.
>> okay. This option would be to build a second floor. And that would require an additional investment of $675,000.
>> 675,000 additional to complete option number 1.
>> okay. But we think that the annual savings, lease savings, would be roughly $459,000.
>> correct.
>> if we move all of these departments to that location.
>> that's correct. And that would be realized in fy '07.
>> after the move-in.
>> that's correct.
>> judge, to make sure we cleared up the additional parking because I don't think Commissioner Gomez got to hear this part. In doing option 1 there is zero promise about anything related to parking availability if ces goes in there in terms of whether there is or is not a space for you. We've got lots of spaces, but there's no guaranteed slot for people over there, and there's a possibility we've got some options related to getting more parking, but we've not made that decision, and that will be a decision that will come at a later point, but we're not going to do any kind of split three classrooms elsewhere because there are concerns that there will be some parking issues. This is going to move ces, that's it, and there's not going to be another location other than your intake area in the 1101 nueces, is that correct, carol?
>> yes, Commissioner, that would work fine for the department.
>> there's another issue that's been brought to my attention around the noon hour, and that is that four for individuals from these departments that have a lot of business downtown, that they really need a parking space. And when they move, will they vacate some county spaces?
>> eventually when they move to airport boulevard, yes. Let me tell you what happened when we moved the tax office. All the parking spaces were vacant right here when they moved except for one assigned parking for (indiscernible). Any time they come downtown they have assigned parking right here on the parking lot. So I would recommend the same thing would happen for the department, let's say, one for the ces and one for the cjp or any other department going to the airport boulevard. This is a space right here for folks that have lots of business in the downtown area coming and meeting with the downtown department, so that would be it.
>> we've got open spaces across the street in terms of for the public to be able to use, and what we're just talking about is to recognize the needs of the downtown operations, that they would wut some signage on four slots at a minimum so that these folks who go off site can be guaranteed to be able to have a parking space.
>> yes, ma'am. The reason I bring that up is primarily with cjp because the majority of their meetings are downtown with the criminal justice folks, and they do need someplace to be able to provide parking when they get down here. And depending on the scenario or the organization that lays out may have another executive manager or executive coordinator out there that will need to have access downtown. So it's a consideration of being able to come back down and conduct business.
>> we would be able to flesh it out between now and then?
>> that's correct.
>> but we've surfaced it as an issue.
>> are we going to have this brought back -- we've got a motion and we're headed towards a conclusion here of taking a look at the layout of the building and getting people who are going to be tenants of this area to sign off that yes, indeed, we're in accordance and -- we talked through all these things.
>> absolutely. We're going to have signatures from every department head that are moving over there, but before we do so we have to sit down with them and go back and open the old plan and look at the program right now currently and what they need for at least five years down the road because what we do is we plan and design things, we plan for five years, two percent growth in their f.t.e.'s, convert it to space and we'll be working with the department. When we finish all of that, all the layout, the whole thing and then they sign off on that, we'll bring it to the court for approval. It's not until the court approves it, approve the layout and all.
>> and there's no connectivity between what I値l call airport one and aift two?
>> that's correct.
>> internal.
>> there's one big hallway right now. There's only one doorway temporarily opened right now. When we go and plan and everything we're going to close it off. Because on the airport number 2 they will have their own restrooms and all of that stuff, yes.
>> so you're not going to be able to go from airport two into airport one. You would have to exit the building and go back into another entrance, correct, jim?
>> actually, Commissioner, there's a large hallway on the north side that runs from west to east or east to west, from the front to the back. That hallway, all of the doors in that hallway are card key access or locked. And that hallway will be a necessary access. That's actually going to probably be the main entry point for part of this phase 2. It's going to be a required hallway, but -- unless you have a card key, you can't get through any of the doors into phase 2. But as a technicality, that hallway is actually under the roof of the phase 1 part, but it will be -- it's a secured hallway so that even now no one that gets into that hallway can enter any other parts of the building.
>> and that's part of my question is making sure it's a secured hallway so that there's not moving around into areas where other independent elected official have lock down.
>> it's secured, especially on the county clerk area. Even my key cannot open the county clerk area. [ laughter ]
>> so the entrance for these four departments will be the north side of the building?
>> yes, sir.
>> okay. Any other questions or comments? We left the motion pending. We can get another one if we need to.
>> I want to be sure and vote today. [ laughter ]
>> number 1 is my motion.
>> and my second. And with all the clarifying points we made and with the understanding at some point that we will get a design that we will approve basically. And when you chat with the department, it is not like we're asking for their permission, it's an option that the court is approving after much, much discussion and reviewing of all kinds of other options. So it's the one we're moving on to save you a lot of time. How's that?
>> judge, I just want to -- before we take the vote, I wanted to let the folks know in the ridgetop neighborhood association that we really have worked hard to bring service to this community and of course adjacent neighborhoods to ridgetop and we'll be as less intrusive as possible. I think all of these things that have been put forth today have been a build up to where we are and will bring services to the existing services that are there at the airport site now. So I just want to thank the Commissioners court for thinking of the neighborhood's concerns. Thank you.
>> with voting on this, I think this is actually sending the message to legal aid that we will be leaving ces there. Would that be rogers' -- whose responsible for letting them know that we are going to be staying there?
>> I will.
>> and you do have the understanding with legal aid that it's a punch list that you have from theresa van carol that those things will be done by the first -- middle of January? By somewhere in January, and that by the end of 2006 we will hopefully be able to move ces and all of these people into airport. That will be our goal in January of 2007.
>> January 2007. And one more thing I might add --
>> and we might have modifications anyway.
>> I will go ahead and have the extension of this and all of that will be looking for the extension of at least 14 months.
>> if this passes make sure that the director knows that it has the full support of ms. Colburn and ms. Dobbs -- goff. And ms. Dobbs, the third one. [ laughter ] any more discussion or delay? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank y'all very much.
>> thank you.
>> thank all of you for your dedication, hard work, etcetera.
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, November 8, 2005 6:21 PM