HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-07-13 City Council (15)City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
8
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:CITY MANAGER’S
OFFICE
DATE:JULY 13, 1998 CMR:307:98
SUBJECT:REQUEST FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR STAFF TO ACQUIRE
LEASED SPACE FOR THE RELOCATION OF THE UTILITIES
ENGINEERING DIVISION TO 1007 ELWELL COURT ON EAST
BAYSHORE ROAD; APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT
ORDINANCE IN THE AMOUNT OF $231,700 FROM THE GENERAL
FUND AND $385,775 FROM VARIOUS UTILITIES FUND RESERVES
TO ACQUIRE THIS SPACE AND CONVERT CIVIC CENTER A
LEVEL SPACE TO ACCESSIBLE RECORDS STORAGE; AND
AUTHORIZATION FOR STAFF TO PURSUE LEASING SPACE TO
ACCOMMODATE THE CREATION OF A ONE-STOP PERMIT
CENTER
REPORT IN BRIEF
This report provides information on the space needs in the Civic Center tower complex and
requests that Council approve staff’s recommendation to acquire leased space for the Utilities
Engineering Division at ’1007 Elwell Court. on East Bayshore Road for a specified term and
per square foot cost. The term of the lease is related to the estimated time required to analyze
and provide a recommendation to the Council on the long,term viability of the Municipal
Services Center (MSC) buildings and to incorporate the needs of the Utilities Department
into the long-term construction of MSC facilities. Staff is also requesting Council approval
of a Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO) to acquire this space and convert the archival
storage area on Level A of the Civic Center to a readily accessible storage and record area.
Finally, staff is requesting authority to pursue leasing space to accommodate the creation of
a one-stop permitting center in the Downtown or at an appropriate alternative location
elsewhere in the City of Palo Alto, should an appropriate leased facility become available
within the range of prices and lease terms discussed in the report.
CMR:307:98 Page 1 of 12
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
Authorize the Mayor to execute the lease of 9,202 square feet at 1007 Elwell
Court, for a term not to exceed 10 years and a rental cost of $2.35 per square
foot triple net (NNN), plus $0.55 per square foot for support costs (taxes,
insurance, janitorial, etc.) for a total annual cost of $320,250.
Approve a Budget Amendment Ordinance to: acquire leased space for Utilities
Engineering in the amount of $385,775 to cover $303,100 in one-time
relocation expenses and $82,675 in rent payments in excess of rent currently
paid by Utilities Engineering to the General Fund; to create a new capital
improvement project to relocate Level A archival storage at a cost of $47,500
to cover $32,500 in one-time renovation and relocation expenses and $15,000
in first year remote storage fees; and to reduce General Fund reserves by
$184,200 due to a reduction in rental income paid to the General Fund by
Utilities Engineering.
Direct staff to pursue leasing of space for the creation of a one-stop permit
center subject to the parameters set forth in the following two options: a) up
to 7,000 square feet in the Downtown at a per square foot lease cost not to
exceed $4.50 NNN plus $0.40-$0.60 per square foot for support costs; or b) up
to 14,000 square feet in an area of Pal. Alto other than Downtown at a per
square foot lease cost not to exceed $3.60 NNN, plus $0.40 ’ $0.60.per square
foot for support costs.
BACKGROUND
Staff has been working since February 1998 to prepare a comprehensive-space planning
proposal to alleviate severe overcrowding conditions in City facilities over the next five
years, after which additional long-term space solutions will be explored in conjunction with
the construction of a Public Safety facility. Priority is being given to space that can be
occupied in the next 6 to 12 months by staff currently occupying the Civic Center complex,
due to the critical nature of the overcrowding there. A plan for Community Services staff
located at the three community centers (Mitchell, Lucie Stem and Cubberley) will be the
focus of concentrated effort as soon as the space deficit in the Civic Center is eased
somewhat.
Staff provided a summary of efforts to-date in developing a plan as part of the request for
approval of a Budget Amendment Ordinance in order to provide funding to convert the
Downtown Library Community Room to office space for Planning Division staff
(CMR:204:98). In that report, staff indicated that the two most promising avenues for
additional space appeared to be the relocation of Utilities Engineering staff to leased office
space on East Bayshore Road, proximate to the Municipal Services Center (MSC); and the
CMR:307:98 Page 2 of 12
conversion of Level A archival storage to storage space for records that need to be accessed
on a regular basis but which are not required to be located immediately adjacent to the staff
using them.
DISCUSSION
Current Space Inventory/Identification of Deficit
Staff performed an inventory of all space currently occupied in the Civic Center tower in
order to prioritize the need for additional space. The square footage occupied by workgroups
on each floor was measured, in addition to filing, storage, conference rooms and special
equipment areas. Each department was asked to submit its space needs for prioritization on
a workgroup basis. Attachment 1 is the Space Needs Prioritization Request Form used by
departments. In addition to square footage information, departments were asked to provide
information on the following, in order to evaluate their requests for additional space:
O
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Customer service needs
Safety requirements and related issues
Work group dependencies and the need for physical proximity
Unique space/equipment requirements
In order to priodtize objectively, staff acquired information from building industry sources
about standard square footages per employee for various types of occupational classifications
and used these guidelines to compare current occupancy. Departments were asked to use
these industry standhrds in preparing a justification for prioritization of their space needs.
It should be noted that, with the exception of the Planning Division of the Departmentof
Planning and Community Environment, no allowance was made for any staff growth for the
five year time frame projected for the space planning effort. (In the case of the Planning
Division, staff is in the process of developing a resource request that will be reviewed by the
Finance Committee on July 21, 1998, that will include the staffing projected in this analysis.)
The space inventory also does not include any contingency for additional square footage that
may be required due to changes in technology or ergonomic requirements. Staff felt that,
because the industry guidelines appeared to be somewhat liberal compared to the conditions
under which staff is currently operating, such subsequent needs for space could be
accommodated during the five year time frame which the space plan is intended to address.
Attachment 2 summarizes the inventory of square footage currently occupied by the
workgroups that submitied space needs requests, and compares it to the required square
footage per the industry guidelines. The square footage shown should not be construed to
have the accuracy of engineering estimates; It was intended only to establish relative
priorities for additional space between workgroups, and to provide a working estimate of the
overall space deficit in the Civic Center. This analysis shows a "space deficit" in the Civic
Center of approximately 21,000 square feet, if space was allocated to employees according
CMR:307:98 Page 3 of 12
to industry guidelines.
Some of the most egregious problems with the current Civic Center space allocation that
were documented as part of this review include the following:
o
o
O
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The City Attomey’s law library currently serves quadruple duty as a library,
hourly office space, typing area and conference room. A small closet is filled
with files and space is rented offsite for files and records. Yet file storage still
extends into work areas making them extremely congested.
In Information Technology, crowded space in the computer room has, in some
cases, prohibited access to the equipment for repair and service needs.
Accidental contact with computers and peripherals is dangerous, and the
equipment’s performance is threatened by close proximity and the resultant
excess heat.
Also in Information Technology on the second floor, offices for the Systems
Analysts (the management employees responsible for applications definition
and development) currently average only 52 square feet, with two cubicles
measuring 42 square feet. The area used by the Network Engineer (48 square
feet), Intemet Coordinator (48 square feet) and NT Systems Administrator (36
square feet) are housed within a single cubicle. Consequently, the Internet
Coordinator must stand up and move aside to allow the Systems Administrator
to gain access to his desk. Each of these positions work closely with
customers who must also fit into the cramped space.
In Revenue Collections~ there is only 53 square feet of useable space per
employee. Because this area is purposely secured behind a locked door, a
separate fax, copier and printer are located together in a crowded central area.
If a staff member is using any piece of office equipment, other employees
cannot move around the office until this employee is done.
As mentioned previously, the Planning Division will be proposing the addition
of up to 10 new staff members in one to two years to implement the
organizational evaluation recommendations, new Historic Ordinance and
proposed residential neighborhoods program. Even with the recent move of
Planning staff to the downtown library, the 5th floor is already seriously
overcrowded, and the addition of work spaces for these employees is not
possible.
Pro_r_o_p_~_ o ed Strateg~
Staff is proposing that the current Civic Center space deficit could be addressed through a
combination of: acquisition of leased space for Utilities Engineering; re-use of the Level A
archival storage as accessible storage for all departments; and the creation of a one-stop
permitting center outside of the Civic Center office tower through leased space either as a
"mini"center in the downtown or as a larger "full-service" center in another area of Palo
CMR:307:98 Page 4 of 12
Alto.
Staff believes that these three strategies will ease overcrowding in the Civic Center for the
five year time frame covered by this space plan. By the end of this five year period, it is
expected that a Public Safety facility will be completed. This facility has the potential to flee
up significant space within the Civic Center that might be used to bring the one-stop permit
center back on-site or to address other space needs. Should Council decide to build
additional floors above the current Police wing, rather than construct a new Public Safety
Building, staff believes a one-stop permit center will only be possible using leased space,
either in the Downtown or another location in the city. In addition, during the five years
addressed by the space planning recommendations in this report, staff expects to develop a
long-term plan for the MSC which is anticipated to include space for Utilities Engineering,
thus bringing this division back into a City facility. The retrofit of the A level archive space
for more active filing and storage needs is considered to have long-term value and is
expected to be retained as a permanent improvement to Civic Center space usage.
Staffhas been actively looking for possible sites for leased space, both in the East Bayshore
area and in the Downtown. Below is a survey of comparable leased:
iLocation Size (Sq. Ft)"$ Rent/Sq. Ft/Mo.Lease Date Term
Downtown
525 University Ave.8,932 4.70 NNN*12/31/97 60 120 months
530 Lytton Ave.6,780 4.33 NNN 2/27/98 60 months
530 Lytton Ave.10,000 4.00 NNN Avail.
124 University Ave.’6,579 3.69 FS 3/10/98 48 months
East Bayshore ~ ~9-- __
1007 Elwell Court 9,202 2.35 NNN Avail 84 months
1001 Elwell Court 10,531 2.10 NNN 1/5/98 60 months
1005 Elwell Court 5,692 2.35 NNN 6/1/98 60 months
3500 Bayshore Road 8,544 2.43 NNN 2/9/98 60 months
1731 Embarcadero 6,231 3.70 FS 3/6/98 56 months
1816 Embarcadero 9,446 2.95 NNN ’ Avail.
1870 Embarcadero 8,400 3.75 FS 4/2/98 12 months
2370 Watson Court 5,666 3.61 FS 4/28/98 28 months
*NNN ("triple net) leases are defmed as rent exclusive of all expenses; the City would therefore be responsible for taxes
msurance, utilities and janitorial expenses, estimated at an additional $0.40 to $0.60 per square foot per month.
FS, ("full service") leases .include the costs of the above items.
Relocation of Utilities Engineering Division to East Bayshore Road
Utilities Engineering currently.rents the third floor of the Civic Center office tower at a cost
CMR:307:98 .....Page 5 of 12
of approximately $3.00 per square foot. The space survey showed that Engineering presently
occupies 5,430 square feet, but requires 8,940 according to industry standards and is
therefore approximately 3,500 square feet short for the size and type of its operation. It is
currently operating with bookshelves in the aisle.s, mapping printers stuffed into cubicles
accessed from the aisles, and a number 0fEngineering personnel working in small, cramped
spaces. There is no additional room to add another employee or temporary staff member to
help with the current workload. Relocating this group will provide adequate space for all the
reference material, drawings and books that are a part of the Engineering Division; and will
provide space for the individual employees and their sophisticated computer dratting and
design computers, printers and plotters.
Relocating Engineering to the leased space proposed at 1007 Elwell Court on East Bayshore
Road has severaladvantages for the Utilities Department. First, the cost of leased space on
East Bayshore is less than the rent charged for Civic Center space. Relocation will provide
the Engineering Division with a significant increase in space with a relatively small increase
in space rental costs due to the difference in rates between the Downtown and East Bayshore.
Second, six inspectors are stationed at the MSC, while the engineers they work with and the
managers they report to are located at City Hall. Consequently, the inspectors must drive
each day to the Civic Center to discuss projects with their co-workers and receive direction
from their supervisors. Finally, relocating Enginee ’~ring to East Bayshore will greatly enhance
the communications between Utilities Engineering and the Utilities Operations Division,
which is located at the MSC. It will be much easier and faster for members of both groups
to get together and discuss projects and problems, attend joint meetings and generally have
more interaction. This will provide better project coordination, decrease field problems and
provide better customer response.
A suitable facility has been located at 1007 Elwell Court, less than a half-mile from the MSC
and within 100 yards of the City fiber optic fing~ This 9,202 square foot facility is currently
vacant, and the owners, McCandless, Ltd., would remodel the space to meet the needs of the
Utilities Department. Rent for the facility would be based on a per square foot cost of $2.35
NNN. McCandless, Ltd. will construct all of the tenant improvements at its expense~ The
City will be responsible for its share of the pro-rated taxes, and will provide for janitorial,
electrical, telephone and maintenance (including the heating, ventilating and air conditioning
system) services, as well as pay a pro-rated share for all common area maintenance, at a total
additional per square foot cost of $0.55 per month. A refundable security deposit of $23,115
and the first month’s rent will be required upon execution of the lease. (See Attachment 3
for a summary of the lease conditions.) The estimated commencement date of the lease is
September 1, 1998. During the term of the lease, the annual rent will increase by three
percent per year. The term of the lease would be for 10 years, and the City would be able
to sublease the space in the event the City constructed a new facility at the MSC for the
Engineering Division within the ten-year time frame. The rent for 1007 Elwell Court is
considered to be market value for the immediate area and significantly less expensive than
comparable space in the Downtown.
CMR:307:98 Page 6 of 12
Build-out of Civic Center Level A Storage Area
The Level A space is currently used for inactive records storage. These records are accessed
on an infrequent basis (an average of 75 times annually). Staff recommends that these
records be moved to an outside facility so that the area can be utilized to address the storage
of files or other active records requiring frequent access. Staff is currently in the process of
prioritizing the uses of the area. For example, staff is exploring the relocation of the City
Attorney’s law library to the area. Other possible uses of the area include the storage of
Planning Division project files, the relocation of optical scanning equipment and associated
records, and the storage of parking citations and utility bill payment stubs.
There are a number of benefits that can be obtained by relocating the City’s inactive records.
One of the primary benefits is the ability to consolidate all such records storage at one
location. Currently, the City utilizes a number of facilities for inactive records storage. This
is both costly and administratively cumbersome. By moving all of the City’s inactive records
off-site, the City can contract with a facility that provides access to City records 24 hours per
day. These facilities ensure the records are preserved by maintaining temperatures and
humidity at constant prescribed levels. They also provide enhanced security systems to
protect records from theft and vandalism. The one-time costs for moving the Level A
records to an off-site location are $2,500, with the annual operating costs for storing the
records offsite totaling $15,000.
After the records are moved, some remodeling of the area would be needed. A wall would
need to be constructed to make utility equipment housed on one side of the area inaccessible
to the public. In addition, ceiling tiles, lighting, doors, minor electrical modifications and
flooring would need to be installed. The costs for retrofitting Level A tatal$30,000.
One-stop Permit Center
The purpose of a one-stop permit center is to provide a single point of contact for members
of the public seeking a development entitlement or permits to complete a regulated
construction-related project. Objectives of a one-stop center include:
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CIVIR:307:98
Increase convenience to the public by having plans checked and permits issued
at one location rather than multiple locations in City Hall.
Make more efficient use of staff resources by providing close proximity of all
staff involved in plan checking, permit issuance and inspections.
Provide the public with a clear process for acquiring various types of permits~
Improve communication among staff from different departments involved in
the plan check and permitting process by providing a physical arrangement
where staff can be in close proximity.
Improve communications between City staff and the public on matters related
Page 7 of 12
to development regulations and procedures.
Increase productivity by consolidating records management functions and
information processing procedures.
Given the "donut" shaped layout of the Civic Center-and the building’s current crowded
conditions, it is not feasible to create a one-stop permit center in the space presently available
in the Civic Center. One possible long-term solution is to use the space currently occupied
by the Police Department for a permit center, if the new Public Safety Building results in a
vacation of that space. While this long-term solution will be fully evaluated, staff feels it is
of critical importance to pursue a more immediate course of action to establish a one-stop
permit center. Action is required now in order to achieve the customer service and staff
efficiency goals outlined above and alleviate the Civic Center’s significant overcrowding
described throughout this staff report.
At this point, staff is currently exploring two alternatives to create a one-stop permit center
in a site outside of the Civic Center in the next 18 months. These two alternatives - a full-
service center and a mini center - are described briefly below. The space estimates for the
full-service and mini one-stop permit centers are based on standardized office square footage
for various types of occupational classifications and guidelines for space needs of similar
one-stop centers. In addition, staff completed several site visits to recently created one-stop
permit centers in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
Full-Service One-Stop Permit Center
A full-service one-stop permit center is one that would include all staff who are part of the
development permit process. Such a facility is estimated to require approximately 14,000
square feet. It would provide adequate space for approximately 80 personnel, as well as a
public waiting area, public counter, conference room, plan storage area~nd self-help area
(access to computerized building records, microfiche, block books, Assessor records, etc.).
The full-service center would house all personnel in the Inspection Services and Planning
Divisions (approximately 5.0 positions), as well as key development review and inspection
personnel from the Fire (10 positions), Public Works (8 positions) and Utilities Departments
(2 positions) with related support staff from all departments (10 positions). This full service
facility could be located in the Downtown, or in another area of Palo Alto as long as it is
convenient to customers (e.g. adequate parking and access) and has adequate
telecommunications linkage to the Civic Center.
Mini One-Stop Permit Center
Staff has developed an alternative "mini center" concept that could improve customer service
for permit-related functions with fairly minimal disruption to staff relationships until a full-
service center can be built, presumably in conjunction with implementation of the Public
Safety Building. The mini center is not an optimal solution, but will be explored if
appropriate space for a full-service center is not located, since staff is committed to
implementation of some version of the one-stop center as expeditiously as possible. Staff
CMR:307:98 Page 8 of 12
estimates approximately 7,000 square feet is needed to adequately house a "mini"one-stop
¯ permit center. The 7,000 square feet will accommodate approximately 30 personnel who are
involved in the development review and permitting functions of the City. This includes key
personnel from the Inspection Services and Planning Divisions, and Fire, Public Works and
Utilities Departmentsl This space allocation only includes those individuals who need to be
available to the general public and carry out the functions necessary for the operations of the
center. It does not include all personnel, such as managers or supervisors, nor would it
include the building or hazardous materials inspectors. There would be challenges to be met
from the perspective of location of central records, since many files, maps and plans are not
accessible electronically at the present time. Hearings for the Architectural Review Board
and Historic Resources Board would have to continue to be held in the Civic Center,
necessitating transporting voluminous files and large displays from the off-site one-stop
center to the Civic Center. For these reasons, and to ensure customer service is not decreased
in separating this function from support services in City Hall such as Revenue Collections,
staff believes it is critical that a mini center be located in leased space as close to City Hall
as possible. However, staff feels that the inconveniences to staff are outweighed by the
improved customer service that the mini center would make possible.
While a full-service center will better achieve the City’s customer service and efficiency
goals, in the short-term, it may be necessary to implement a mini-center. While it is
premature at this point to make such decisions, the choice between the full-service and mini-
center will likely depend, on the square footage, location, and cost of the space that is
available.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Relocation of Utilities Engineering
Ongoing Costs
Relocation of the Utilities Engineering Division to 1007 Elwell Court will result in an annual
rental cost of $320,250, including janitorial, utilities, and other support expenses. This
represents an increase of $99,210 over the $221,040 that Utilities Engineering currently pays
the General Fund annually for rent in the Civic Center. It is anticipated that the Elwell lease
will commence in September 1998, resulting in 10 months of lease cost in the 1998-99
budget totaling $266,875. This represents an $82,675 increase over the $184,200 that
Utilities Engineering would have paid to the General Fund during this 10 month time frame.
Thus the Budget Amendment Ordinance (BAO) reflects a reduction in the various Utilities
Funds Rate Stabilization Reserves of $82,675 for increased rent payments and a reduction
in the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve of $184,220 (the amount of rent that the
Utilities Department will now be paying for commercial space rather than to the General
Fund). Rental costs will be part of the Utilities Department operating budget and the General
Fund revenue budget will be reduced accordingly in subsequent years.
CMR:307:98 Page 9 of 12
One-time Costs
Staff estimates the one-time costs for moving Utilities Engineering to 1007 Elwell Court to
be $11,100. The third floor of the Civic Center is currently all hard wall offices, so 32
workstations will have to be purchased for the leased space, plus conference and lunch room
furniture, for a total cost of $152,000. Finally, telecommunication costs and the link to the
fiber optic ring will cost $140,000. One-time costs therefore total $303,100, and will come
from the various Utilities Rate Stabilization Reserves.
Build-out of Civic Center Level A Storagg__Ar~
Ongoing Costs
It will cost approximately $15,000 annually for the maintenance of off-site archival records
once they are relocated from the Civic Center A level.
One-time Costs
Transformation of the archival storage on Civic Center Level A will require approximately
$32,500 in one-time costs, including $2,500 to move archived files and $30,000 to renovate
the space. Funding will be from the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve.
FIRST YEAR COSTS (1998-99)
Utilities Engineering Relocation Renovation ofLevel A Storage
COSTS TO UTILITIES FUNDS
One-Time Costs
Ongoing Costs
Sub-Totah First Year
Costs to Utilities Funds
$303,100
(relocation expenses)
$82,675
(incremental rent above current
payment to General fund)
$385,775
$0
$0
$0
COSTS TO THE GENERAL FUND
One-Time Costs
Ongoing Costs
Sub-Totah First Year
Costs to General Fund
Total
$0
$184,220
(loss of Utilities rent payment to the
General Fund)
$184,220
$32,500
(Level A re~ofitand filerelocation)
$15,000
(off-sitefilestorage ~es)
.$47,500
$569,975 .$47,500
Total
$303,100
$99,210
$385,775
$32,500
$199,200
$231,700
$617,475
CMR:307:98 Page 10 of 12
One-Stop Permit Center
Ongoing Costs
The cost of leasing space for a one-stop permit center will depend on whether the mini or
full-service alternative is pursued and whether space is located Downtown or elsewhere in
Palo Alto. The larger, full-service center alternative is more viable in space outside of the
Downtown area, given the limited quantity and high cost of Downtown space~ The mini
center alternative is more viable in the Downtown area, since proximity to City Hall will be
necessary if located space does not permit managers and support staff to be relocated to the
permit center.
If appropriate Downtown space is located, staffis proposing an amount not to exceed $4.50
NNN per square foot per month, plus support costs of $0.40 to $0.60 per square foot, or an
annual cost for 7,000 square feet of between $411,600 and $428,400. Ifa full-service facility
of up to 14,000 square feet can be located outside the Downtown, staffwill ask for authority
to negotiate a lease at a per square foot cost not to exceed $3.50 NNN, plus support costs of
$0.40 to $0.60, or an annual lease cost of up to $655,200 to $688,800 per month.
Funding for either option would be from the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve and
Utilities Rate Stabilization Reserves for the balance of the 1998-99 fiscal year and would be
included in operating budgets in subsequent years. Permit revenues, which support the
functions that would be housed in the one-stop center, are sufficient to support this level of
rental charge, in addition to the salaries and non-salary costs of the permit functions:
If staff is able to locate appropriate space, it will report back and provide additional
information on both the one-stop concept and the specific configuration, location and cost
of the center.
One-time Costs
The one-time costs for creating either a mini or full service one-stop center will be prepared
and brought to the Council with a lease, should space be located.
Renovation of Vacated Civic Center Space
One-time Costs
Space vacated by Utilities Engineering and those personnel moved to an off-site permit
center will need to be reconfigured to accommodate the needs of overcrowded workgroups
that remain in the Civic Center. The first step, retrofitting the third floor of the Civic Center
to an open office environment, is estimated to cost approximately $135,000 for demolition
and remodeling, as well as changes to the telecommunications and computer linkages.
Depending on which workgroups are moved, additional workstations may be required. Costs
for furniture and equipment will be identified when a final relocation plan is determined.
Funding for the retrofit of the third floor and the purchase of workstations was set aside in
CMR:307:98 Page 11 of 12
the 1998-99 budget in the General Fund Non-Salary Contingent Account.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This recommendation is not inconsistent with any existing City policies.
TIMELINE
Considerable work remains to ensure that the best use is made of the space freed up by
implementation of the space planning strategy proposed. Staff feels it is important to move
expeditiously to acquire leased space, with allocation of vacated space occun’ing on a parallel
track. If leased space is acquired, it will take approximately 11 months, for example, to
renovate the vacated third floor space in the Civic Center to accommodate relocation of a
workgroup or workgroups. Obviously, renovation of vacated and newly occupied space will
occur sequentially as workgroups relocate. Staff will use the time between Council approval
of the space planning strategy and the time the space is physically vacated in City Hall to
review the priorities of various workgroups and allocate the available space.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Leasing of office space and the associated interior renovations are exempt from California
Environmental Quality Act.
ATTACHMENTS
Budget Amendment Ordinance
Attachment 1: Space Needs Prioritization Request Form
Attachment 2: Civic Center Space Deficit
Attachment 3: Summary of Lease Conditions for Space at 1007 Elwell Court
Space Planning Committee: Melissa Cavallo, Roland Ekstrand, Bill Fellman,_Fred Herman,
Lynne Johnson, Ed Mrizek, Eric Riel, Audrey Seymour,
Karen Smith, Larry Starr, Paul Thiltgen
PROJECT COORDINATOR: " ~~~.
"~MILY HARRISON
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL.~
CMR:307:98 Page 12 of 12
ORDINANCE NO.
ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1998-99 TO
PROVIDE ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION TO: ACQUIRE LEASED SPACE
FOR UTILITIES ENGINEERING IN THE AMOUNT OF $385,775; TO
CREATE A NEW CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PROJECT, NUMBER
19921, RELOCATION/CONSOLIDATION OF LEVEL A ARCHIVAL
STORAGE, AT A COST OF $47,500; AND REDUCE GENERAL FUND
RESERVES BY $184,200 DUE TO REDUCTION IN RENTAL INCOME
FROM UTILITIES
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Section 12 of Article
III of the Charter of the City of Palo Alto, the Council on June
22, 1998, did adopt a budget for fiscal year 1998-99; and
WHEREAS, staff performed an inventory of all space currently
occupied in the Civic Center and documented considerable space
allocation deficits throughout the complex, and concluded that the
relocation of certain staff and records to leased space will need
to occur; and
WHEREAS, staff has recommended the relocation of the Utilities
Engineering Division to leased space on East Bayshore Road, in order
to provide adequate space for employees and their design equipment
and improve coordination with the Operation Division of the
Municipal Service Center .(MSC). This recommended relocation will
result in an additional cost of $385,775 ($82,675 additional rental
costs, $303,100 one-time moving costs); and
WHEREAS, the Utilities Engineering Division currently pays rent
to the General Fund for Civic Center space and will, pursuant to
this ordinance, pay rent to a leased facility on EastBayshore Road
beginning in September, 1998; and
WHEREAS, staff has recommended that the City’s inactive records
currently stored in the Civic Center Level A space be relocated to
an outside facility] for a total cost of $17,500, and
WHEREAS, staff has further recommended that after the inactive
records are.moved, the Civic Center Level A space be retrofitted to
allow for storage of active records requiring frequent access, for
a total cost of $30,000; and
WHEREAS, the budget needs to be amended to create and fund a
capita! improvement program project number 19921,
Relocation/Consolidation of Level A Archival Storage; and
WHEREAS, City Council authorization is needed to amend the
1998-99 budget; and
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does
ORDAIN as follows:
SECTION i. Capital Improvement Program Project (CIP) Number
19921, Relocation/Consolidation of Level A Archival Storage, is
hereby created. A description of the CIP is shown on Exhibit "A"
attached hereto and made a part of this ordinance.
SECTION 2. The sum of Forty Seven Thousand Five Hundred
Dollars ($47,500)is hereby appropriated to Capital Improvement
Project No. 19921, Relocation/Consolidation of Level-A Archival
.Storage, and the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve is
correspondingly reduced.
SECTION 3. The relocation of the Utilities Engineering
Division to East Bayshore Road will hereby reduce the General Fund
interfund revenues for facilities rent by the sum of One Hundred
Eighty Four Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($184,200), and the General
Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve is correspondingly reduced.
SECTION 4. The transactions authorizedin Section 2 and 3 will
reduce the General Fund Budget. Stabilization Reserve from
$17,166,000 to $16,934,300.
SECTION 5. The sum of Three Hundred Eighty Five Thousand. Seven
Hundred Seventy Five Dollars(S385,775) is hereby appropriated to the
following Utility Funds, and the Rate Stabilization Reserves are
correspondingly reduced:
Electric Fund
Gas Fund
Water Fund
Wastewater Collection Fund
$179,000
$86,028
$72,140
" 8,6o8
SECTION 5. The appropriation authorized by Section 5 will
reduce the following Rate Stabilization Reserves (RSR):
Electric RSR
Gas RSR
Water RSR
Wastewater Collection RSR
From:
$23,210,000
$11,022,000
$6,316,000
$6,759,000
To:
$23,031,000
$10,935,972
$6,243,860
$6,710,392
SECTION 6. As specified in Section 2.28.080(a) of the Palo
Alto Municipal Code, a two-thirds vote of the City Council is
required to adopt this ordinance.
SECTION 7. This project has been determined to be categorically
exempt under Section 15302 of the California Environmental Quality
Act.
SECTION 8. As provided in Section 2.04.350 of the Palo Alto
Municipal Code, this ordinance shall become effective, upon adoption.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTENTIONS:
ABSENT:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Senior Asst. City Attorney
Director,
Administrative Services
Department
City Manager
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
This project will fund the relocation and consolidation of the City’s inactive records from City Hall and other City
locations to an outside facility and will allow for the use of A-Level storage space to store active records requiring
frequent accessl After the removal of the inactive records from the A-Level storage space, various retrofitting will
need to occur including: the construction of a wall, and the installation of ceiling tiles, lighting, doors, minor
electrical modifications, and flooring.
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
By consolidating all of the City’s inactive records off-site, the City can contract with a facility that can provide 24-
hour access, ensure record preservation, and enhance security. Additionally, the removal of inactive records from
A-level will ease the Civic Center space deficit by allowing for the storage of active records, project files, or other
materials that are not required to be located immediately adjacent to staff using them.
FISCAL YEAR AMOUNT
PY Budget
1998-99 $47,500
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
Source of Funding: General Fund
COMPONENTS
To renovate A-Level space, move records offsite, and pay for the first
year costs of rental space for offsite storage.
IMPACT AND SUPPORT’ ANALYSIS
Environmental:Categorically exempt under section 15301 of CEQA, minor change to existing facili-
ties.
Design Elements:None.
Operating:$15,000 a year starting in 1999-00 for rental of storage space.
Telecommunications:None.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Comprehensive Plan contains no polices or procedures directly related to this project.
ATTACHMENT 1
SPACE NEEDS PRIORITIZATION
REQUEST FORM
Requests for space apply only to work groups located in the Civic Center and the
3 community centers - Lucie Stern, Cubberley and Mitchell Park. This form is to
be filled out on a work group basis. Each department is required to prioritize
requests from work groups on a department basis. To be considered, request
forms are due to Emily Harrisoh in the City Manager’s Office by May 8, 1998.
Department:Department Priority"
Work Group:Number of Staff in Work Group:
Current Sq. Footage *Sq. Footage Per Guidelines
* Please see attached information; for more detailed information on specific, work
groups is required, please contact Karen Smith, Public Works Facilities, X6973.
Please describe your space needs. Attach additional pages, drawings, or other
information as required to ensure that the Space Planning Committee evaluating.
your request has as much information as possible to use in prioritization. Please
refer to the criteria established for evaluating and prioritizing space requests,.
including:
O Square footage required on a per employee basis (note: calculate based on
guidelines set by Public Works Facilities:
Department head
Support staff
Management/supervisory
Professional
Engineer/Planner/Design
Conference room
CAD workstation
180-200 square feet
90-100 square feet
140-160 square feet
100-120 square feet
150-180 square feet
6 person - 120 sq. ft.; 8 person - 220 sq. ft;
16 person - 450 sq. ft.
190-200 square feet
ATTACHMENT 1 (page 2)
Temp/Intern/Field 50 square feet
0
0
0
0
Customer service needs. (includes such things as average daily number of
customer visits, public waiting space needs, etc.; if there are unusual one-day
public space needs, please discuss)
Safety requirements and issues (includes ventilation, earthquake safety, fire
access, etc.)
Work group dependencies and need for physical proximity (please be sure to
indicate, if there are work group dependencies that are significant, whether
the dependent work groiaps can be relocated as well)
Unique space/equipment requirements,(this can be either for individual work
stations or shared work areas, and includes such things as need for storage
space, computers, other special equipment, need for confidential meeting
space, need for group meeting space, requirements for quiet office space due
to proximity to public counter area, vaults, engineering drafting tables, etcr)
2
ATTACHMENT 2
CIVIC CENTER SPACE DEFICIT
Department
Square Footage
Per Guidelines
Current
Square Footage Estimated Deficit
Attorney 2588 1433 1155
ASD
Information Tech
IT- Computer Rm
Revenue Collections
Purchasing
Accounting
2346
1043
1300
1553
3082
1856
818
810
1208
2047
490
225
490
345
1035
Planning
Administration
Planning Div
Building
Transportation
575
7906
4594
1576
260
2449
2930
929
315
5457
1664
6~7
PW Admin/Eng
Utilities
Info Systems
Engineering
Marketing Serv
Competitive Assess
Resource Mgmt
Meter Read/Field
4393
1587
10281
1150
1513
3111
805
3188
670
5431
812
836
2373
277
1205
917
4850
338
677
738
528
TOTAL 49402 28327 21075
ATTACHMENT 3
Lease Summary
1007 Elwell Court
Lessor:McCandless Limited
Tenant:
Premises:
TelTn:
Rent and Common
Area fee:
Build Out:
Repair, Maintenance
and Janitorial:
Taxes:
Utilities:
Subletting:
Holdover:
City of Palo Alto
1007 Elwell Court,
9,202 square feet
Ten years
Base rent of $21,624.70 NNN per month with an annual 3% increase.
Tenant to pay an additional $1,490 per month its pro-rated share (28.44%)
of the common area charge.
Owner to remodel premises at its expense to Tenant requirements prior to
occupancy. (Four additional enclosed offices, ADA rest rooms facilities,
drop ceiling, glass to replace roll-up doors, new paint and carpet.)
Tenant to provide janitorial and all repair, maintenance including
maintenance of the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning System.
Tenant to pay its pro-ra~ed share (28.44%) of any assessments and taxes.
Tenant to pay for all its utilities.
Tenant must have Lessor’s permission to sublet any portion of the
premises.
If Landlord authorizes a holdover period, Tenant and Landlord will
negotiate the terms of the hold-over period. If Landlord does not authorize
a hold-over period, .Tenant will pay double the then daily amount of the
rental then in effect.
8
TO:
City of Palo Alto
MEMORANDUM
City Council Members
July 13, 1998
SUBJECT:AGENDA ITEM NO. 8 - REQUEST FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL
FOR STAFF TO ACQUIRE LEASED SPACE FOR THE
RELOCATION OF THE UTILITIES ENGINEERING DIVISION
TO 1007 ELWELL COURT ON EAST BAYSHORE ROAD;
APPROVAL OF A BUDGET AMENDMENT ORDINANCE IN
THE AMOUNT OF $231,700 FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND
$385,775 FROM VARIOUS UTILITIES FUND RESERVES TO
ACQUIRE THIS SPACE AND CONVERT CIVIC CENTER A
LEVEL SPACE TO ACCESSIBLE RECORDS STORAGE; AND
AUTHORIZATION FOR STAFF TO PURSUE LEASING SPACE
TO ACCOMMODATE THE CREATION OF A ONE-STOP
PERMIT CENTER
The attached photographs illustrate Civic Center space usage as described in CMR:307:98.
Assistant City Manager
REVENUE COLLECTIONS
First Floor
Work stations are small and close together, leaving limited space for storage and circulation.
REVENUE COLLECTIONS
First Floor
When staff members use office equipment, the area’s main aisle is obstructed.
UTILITIES INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Mezzanine
Boxes, documents and files crowd offices and aisles, making access more difficult.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Second Floor
Small stations, crowded with equipment, make it difficult for staff members to work in tandem.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Second Floor
Tight quarters raise the risk to computer equipment fi’om bumping and excess heat.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Second Floor
This cubicle houses three staff members, making client visits and even access to individual desks
difficult.
UTILITIES ENGINEERING
Third Floor
Current space is insufficient to allow easy access to, and efficient use of, office equipment.
UTILITIES ENGINEERING
Third Floor
A small work space is made more cramped by plans and other documents.
PURCHASING
Fourth Floor
This small area houses four work stations which are further crowded with files and documents,
ACCOUNTING
Fourth Floor
This storage closet is filled to capacity, making access to filing cabinets difficult.
ACCOUNTING
Fourth Floor
Due to a lack of storage space, boxes are kept under desks, leaving very little leg room.
ACCOUNTING
Fourth Floor
Small work stations make it difficult for staff members to work with their internal clients.
ACCOUNTING
Fourth Floor
Several staff members share a small space to process paper work.
BUILDING INSPECTION
Fifth Floor
A relatively small space has been subdivided into numerous work stations.
BUILDING INSPECTION
Fifth Floor
Small work stations and inadequate storage space make it difficult to review and store plans and maps.
BUILDING INSPECTION
Fifth Floor
This area is used for storage,, electronic data retrieval and other functions. Space in this area is so limited
that staff has been unable to install new plotting equipment that remains in its box.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Sixth Floor
Limited work space in small work stations is further encroached upon by files and documents.
PUBLIC WORKS
Sixth Floor
Multiple staff members crowd into shared work spaces.
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
Seventh Floor
The Law Library serves as a reference center, storage area and office space for hourly staff.
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
Seventh Floor
A small closet is filled to capacity with files.
PLANNING AND BUILDING DIVISION COUNTER
Space needs monitored on July 7, 1998
Photos show’croxvded lobby, uncomfortable waiting room and a typical 10-
30 minute wait prior to being .served.
There are 16 people with multiple sets of plans waiting within a 6 foot wide
area.