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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-19-2007-6gORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 19, 2007 Action Agenda Item No. (v '" Q SUBJECT: Lease Approval: Solid Waste Administrative Offices DEPARTMENT: Purchasing & Solid Waste PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Jones (919) 245-2652 Gayle Wilson (919) 968-2885 PURPOSE: To consider approving a lease for approximately 1,600 square feet of space at the Courtyard at Cedar Falls on Weaver Dairy Road to be used for Solid Waste Department administrative offices for approximately one year, beginning November 1, 2007 until completion of the new Solid Waste Operations Center. BACKGROUND: Construction of a new Solid Waste Operations Center was originally scheduled for completion in September, 2007; however, it has only recently been released for bidding. Pursuant to information provided by the architect, the delay was largely a result of time needed to design and get approval of the stormwater and wastewater systems for the project. As the Board may recall, the design includes an innovative water reuse system, which is a major sustainable building feature. Even though the County purchased six adjacent acres of adjacent land to allow for more efficient development of the Solid Waste Operations Center site, site considerations, particularly with respect to the need for a large pond on the property; forced a change in approach to pre-treatment and disposal system. The system was designed and submitted for review to the appropriate County agencies in December 2006. The final approval was received around August 23, 2007. Bids were accepted through September 13, 2007 and will be presented for Board consideration in October, 2007. Meanwhile, the University of North Carolina is moving forward with the remediation of the Hazardous Waste dump on property that lies within the proposed Carolina North development. The remediation effort affects property in close proximity to both the current Animal Shelter and the Solid Waste administrative offices; and while the University was able to leave the current Shelter location intact by fencing the area and developing alternative access to the site, such is not the case with the Solid Waste administrative offices. The lease offered for Board consideration is the culmination of significant effort to identify alternatives for Solid Waste Administrative offices.. A summary of the options staff explored include: 2 1. Requested the University allow additional time on the current site by allowing: a.) temporary use of other buildings previously occupied by Chapel Hill Public Works; or b.) office trailers to be placed adjacent to the Animal Shelter location, out of the remediation danger zone. The University declined the request. The University did, however, allow the County to remain on the site until October 31, 2007, which is a one-month extension of the previously stated deadline. 2. Considered moving the existing modular office trailer to aCounty-owned site or to a site offered by Town of Chapel Hill at its new Town Operations Center. The lease option was deemed a better choice since moving the office trailer would have been costly both in . moving the structure and in developing the infrastructure to serve it at the new site (water, septic, utilities). Getting permits for the new site would have likely not allowed the County to vacate the MLK Blvd site by the University deadline as well. Further, the County had intended to relocate the current office trailer to the landfill for use by landfill staff when it was vacated by administrative staff. The Solid Waste Director has indicated the current condition of the unit would not likely allow two moves and still remain habitable, so essentially its intended re-use would be lost. 3. Considered upfitting the old Orange Enterprises on Valley Forge Road in Hillsborough. The Valley Forge Road site, while available more quickly seemed as if it would have been afairly significant disruption to Southern Orange County. The move to Valley Forge would have required phone numbers to be changed to a Hillsborough exchange and would have left no Chapel Hill site for distribution of recycling bins. (Bins are distributed from Solid Waste Department in Chapel Hill and Public Works Department in Hillsborough). In addition, the Valley Forge site would have required the County to complete some cosmetic upfit of this facility. Of the options considered, leasing the office space seems to provide the best alternative in respect to both cost and timeliness of relocation. Staff is proposing a lease for approximately 1,600 square feet of office space at The Courtyard at Cedar Falls on Weaver Dairy Road for a period of one year. The space is conveniently located for residents and is easy to find. It offers adequate parking for the public as well as the eight employees that would relocate to the site. Minimal upfit is required so meeting the October 31, 2007 deadline to vacate could be achieved. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The lease amount for the twelve month lease period proposed is $27,408 ($17.13per square foot.)-and would be paid from Solid Waste operations funds. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve atwelve-month lease as described; and authorize the Manager to execute the lease, subject to final review by the County Attorney.