HomeMy WebLinkAbout0457.095•
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@ 0 m' City of Palo Alto
.\ . ('.t~ " City Manager's Summary Repor!
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ATl'ENTION:
FROM:
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
POLICY AND SERVICES COMMITTEE
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: ADMINISTRA TlVE
SERVICES
AGENDA DATE: NOVEMBER 13, 1995 CMR:457:l15
SUBJECT:
BEOUEST
RECOMMENDED REHSIONS TO THE RENTAL RATE
STRU(TURE AT C(}BBERLEY AND NEED FOR A LONG
TERM ~"'ICIAL PLAN FOR THE CUBBERLEY
COMMtJNITY CENTER
This report requests Council approval 0(. rental reduction fOe four nonprofit long-term
ten.ants aI!he Cubberlcy Community Center and recommends tha! staff return during the
1996-98 budget proeess with options and recommendations fOe along-tenn financial plan fOe
the Cnbberley Center_
RECOMMEJIIDATIONS
Staff rerommends that Coun<:i1 authorize staff 10 reduce !he rental rates fOe four nooprofit
long-term tenants leasing space at the Cubberley Community Center, in or&:. to eliminate
inconsistencies in thcir rental rates, and direct staff to return with the 19%-98 budget with
• recommeudation fOe a long-term financial plan fOe the Cubberley Community Center.
PQl,ICY IMPI.ICAIIONS
The report recommends implementation of. revised policy fOe rental rates fOe nonprofit
tenants at Cubberley.
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EXf'.CIITIVE SUMMARy
III response 10 "'quests from two Cubberley tenants and in an eflOct 10 maintain equily i'1
rental n.!e<., stoff is proposing. reductioo in rental mt., fur four of!he Cubberley nonprofIt
tenants. In \he Ioog Ienn, iI has hecome apparenllhat reductions in Cubberley rental revenue
and \he fact that utility user tax (UU1) revenues are w.¥e. than what had been previously
fure<:ast, require that \he entire financial plan fur Cubberley be .e·evaluated.
FISCAL IMlACT
The resu/t of de<:reasin8 \he four CUlTent tenants' rental rates 10 \he standard nonprofit rate
ls.1oss ofapproximately $80,000 annually. Cubberley rental in<:ome MlI then total $1.2
million, roughly equal'" \he "pass-through" Jeaze revenue due \he Palo Alto Unified School
District (pAUSD). However, revenues from the UUf "''''' the pasi several years have been
less than originally anticipated, and future I""oj ... ~s do oot I"""'"ide for significant in<:reases
in uur revenues. The reduction in expected !JUT revenue, combined with the de<:rease in
Cubberley rental income, indicat .. that funds from !hese sources may not be sufflcient 10
Sllpp<lrt future improvements or provide adequate Iong·term maintenance at the Cubberley
site.
ENVIRQNMENTAL u"f;ssMENT
The lease of an existing facllity is categorically exempt under C1ass I • (Existing Facility)
requirements of the Califumia Environmental Quality Act (CEQAJ.
Related StalIReports: CMR:291:K
CMR:445:9
CMR:240,91
CMR:43K:92
PRF..PARED BY: Martha Miller, Financial Analyst
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DEPARTMENT HEAD APPROV AL~_--',(i-/"""-_' .... !'!hJ.'I .... ·l..1.!-<Cc..."'CJ<...:.. • ...;) __
EIill"fY Harrison
Deputy City Manager,
dministrative .
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
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City of Palo Alto
City :Manager's Report
SUBJECT: RECOMMElliDED REVlSIONS TO THE RENTAL RATE
STRUCTURE AT CUBBERLEY AlI<'D llrEEO FOR A LONG-TERM
FINANCIAL PlAN FOR THE CUBBERLEY COMMUNITY CENTER
RECOMMENDATIONS
St. "t recommends that Council authorize staff 10 reduce !he rental rates for kur nonpro&
long-term tenants leasing space a! the Cubberley C<>mmunlty Center, in or&:r 10 .runina!e
inconsistencies in their rental rates, and recommends that .taffreturn during the 1996-98
budget process with options and reconml<'ndations fur a Joog-terrn financial plan !be the
Cubberley Community Center.
BACKGROUND
The renlal rates approved by Cooncil in 1991 were structured so that the noo-sub.Mized
ferumls in place when the City firslieased the site from the Palo Alto Unified School District
(p AUSD) would remain 81 their curren! "market" rental rates, which ranged from $1.0910
$1.39; and the noopr.,fit rental rate and artist reDial rat. would remain 8t the rates that
C.ouncil approved fur the Jordan facility in 1988 (CMR:29H). Ea<:h of ~ t!t= rates
have been increased annually by the Consumer Price Index, and the current rat .. are as
fuIlows:
T):per.fIl ..
Nonsu~idi.red Market Rate
Nonprofit
Artist
Repft] R.tes
S1.l21O$L49
$.76 10 $1.20
S.42 resident
$.46 na.C5idu ,
In June 1995, the owners of ZoharD:mce C<>mpany senl staff a letter stating that they were
applying fur nonprofit status and, theFefure, were requesting. reduction from their current
market ren!al rate of $1.14 per ,;quare foot per month to the current nooprofit rental rate of
S.76 square lOOt per month. During this same period, staff met wr.h the directors of the
facility, previously known as Sy.tex Day Care, now the CIuldren's Preschool <:en:e., and
c:r1SC~ optiocs fur renewing 0 sublease wltb!he Children', Preschool Center at a reduced
rental rate from its current market ren!al rate ofSl.49fsquare fuotlmonth. The andrea's
Preschool Center is a nonprofit organiz.l!tioo. that bas leased approJdmately 8,700 square f<:el
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oC space ot Cubberley since 1984, with • majo.iIy ofits funding provided by the fumler
SynteJ< fuporatiort Roche Bioscience fuporation, since acquiring Syntex, has decided that
it will no Iooger provide It .. same level oC funamg to operate this day care site. In addition
\0 the ChikIren's Preschool <A:nter, there are two otMr nonprofit tenants, the Hua Kuang
Chinese Reading Room and the Palo Aho Preparatocy Schoc!, wOOse leases were assigned
10 the City by the Palo Aho Unified Schoo! District (PAUSD) in 1989 and wOOse rents were
never acfjUSled downward \0 the nonprofit rental rates approved by Council in 1991
(CMR:44S:9).
DISC! ISSION
In an effort \0 maintain equity in =tal rates among the nonprofit tenants, staff is proposing
that all lOur oCthese nonprofit tenants' rents be r~ \0 the cwren! nonprofit rental rate
c,{ $. 76 per square lOo< per month or $120 per square foot per month with weeldy janitO<ial
service. Each oCthese tenants is currently provkled weekly janitO<i.1 service, 0 benefit for
which the tenants wiD pay a higher rate.
Each oC these tenants has approximately three Y."" remaining 00 their current subleases,
after which the spac~ will be made avallable \0 other nooprc>flt ~gencies ,i. Request for
Proposals.
Staff is safu tied that the noosubsKfI1'.ed market rate is sml appropriate, given t.he market
reetal rates in the commercial and industrial real estate rental markets in Midtown and the
CbarlestooISan Antonio sectioos oC Palo Aho. The noosubsidized market rate is applicable
10 approximately lOur tenants, inclucflDg foothiU ec.Dege.
In establishing. sublease and rental rate plan, staffhas attempted 10 maintain an ann uallease
revenue sufficient 10 meet an e1emen! oflhe 1989 Lease and C<wcnanl Noclo Develop called
"pass through rent· The "pass through rent" due the FAUSD was initially set at $1 million.
which was the gross rent exclusive of operational 0< mcinlenance costs that PA USD "as
reponedly earning from leases at the sile. The ·pass throogh rene requirement incrc=
annually by !he Ioca1 CPI and is currently at approximately S 1.2 milli<HL This amount of
lease revenue will be met "ith the proposed new rental structure; ho,,;ever, anyadditiooal
funds for providing any capita! improvements oc enlw>ced maintenance will tlOI be feasible.
Markel rental rates in !tis ..-ea of Palo Aho have remained somewhat stagnant over the past
several years, and this is JI(J( reflected in the rent due PA USD for the Lease and C<>venant
NO! t<> Seu oc Develop, which is increased annually by the CPI..
Re\enues from the utility users tax (UUI) were expected 10 be sufficient 10 cover payments
..-iated with the Lease and Covenant NOIIo Sen or Develop, as weD as 10 provide funcfmg
for eliminating !he backlog oC streets and sidewalks repairs over time, provide for operatiooal
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and mainlerumce costs associated with the Cubberley CcmmunilY Center, and, over a period
..xyean, fund~ital improvemellts outlined in the Cubl>erley Master Plan (CMR:240:91).
However, uur revenues over the past several years have been less than originally
anticipated. This is due primarily 10 the increasingly ,ompetitive rate environmetJ1 "ilhin
..tich the City and lelepbooe utilities are operating. Future revenue projections do no! show
significant increases in UUT revenues or Cubberley rental income. This means funds will
probably no! be sufficient \() support ~ital improvements at the Cubberley site.
Of additional conc:ern is the fact I.'un the operatioo and maintenance budget fur the Cubberley
site bas remained relatively low, although the growth in boIh the oommunity uses and tenant
occupancies have continued \() increase the demand fur operations and maintenance. Exhibit
A provides • graphic ill L1Stration of the past two years actual expenses and this year',
projection of UUT ",,'eoues and expenses.
ALTERNATIVES
In light of stagnant VUT funding and the di fficult financial position resulting from pro\iding
• community center and rental facUity at below market rental rates, staff believes that
funding IOc future capital improvements from current revenue sources supporting CubberIey
are no! realistic.
Alternatives may include,
• Reallocate funding from streets and sidewalks (currently $1 million per year);
• Allow capital improvements fur the Cubberley Cooununity Center \0 compete with
other General Fnnd projects fOr limited Capitallmprovemenl Program funds;
• Re\ise curren! a!location of City revenue generated at Cubbcrley (recreation classes,
field uses. etc.) 10 Cubberley operations budget, rather than 10 General Fnnd
progr:uns; and
• Consider borrowing from General Fnnd reserves 10 pro'ide immediate capital
improvements that will augme!1t lease revenue from Cubberle)-and, over time, pay
IOc themselves.
Staff intends \0 assess these alternatives, and any other aJternztives that may be developed.
and will return 10 Council with the 1996-98 budget with a reccmmendation.
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f.NYJRONMENTAI. ASSESSMENT
The lease of an exioting facility is categorically exempt under Class 1 (Existing Facility)
""l"imnenU of!hc California Environmental QuaIity Act (CEQA).
AUACHMENIS
A) Graph of OUT Incoroeand Expenditures
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7200
7000
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REVENUES
City UtirJties
Telephone
CubberIey Renla!
T o!aI Revenue
EXPf:NOITURES
Payments 10 PAUSO
Operalionl Maintenance
&reels & Sidewal\<s
ClP
T olaI Expen<f~lKes
Revenue -Expencfrtures
EXHISIT A
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1995/96
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1993194 1994195 1995196
3,830 3,892 3,831
1,624 1,515 1,523
1,401 1.447 1.460
6,855 6,854 6,B14 •
4.575 4,855 4.739
1,070 1.285 1,340
1,230 1,000 1,000
0 240 350
6,875 7.1S(} 7.429
(20) (326) (615)