Agenda

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C. 61

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	David Twa, County Administrator
Date:	August 11, 2020

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

PUBLIC SERVICE SPACE DESIGNATED FOR USE BY THE MEDIA

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 08/11/2020

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Julie DiMaggio Enea (925) 335-1077
cc:	Public Works Director Treasurer-Tax Collector Auditor-Controller CAO

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: August 11, 2020
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

DESIGNATE Room 204 at 1111 Ward Street, Martinez as the new "Press Room" effective August 1, 2020 and REDESIGNATE Room B6 of the County Finance Building at 625 Court Street, Martinez, (formerly the "Press Room") for County business purposes.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The cost to refurbish Room 204 at 1111 Ward St. was $15,176. The cost to clean up Room B6 was $1,080. All costs were funded from the General Fund, as a charge to the County Administrator's Office. Future space remediation and refurbishment costs for Room B6 will be borne by the Treasurer-Tax Collector and Auditor-Controller Departments, who wish to use the room for staff training and meetings.

BACKGROUND:

In 1990, the Board of Supervisors designated Room B6 in the County Finance Building, 625 Court St., Martinez, as a public service space to be used by the media. In 1995, the Board considered a proposal by the Civil Grand Jury to designate Room B7 as a grand jury meeting room and to re-purpose the "Press Room", B6, to supplement B7 for exclusive use by the grand jury. The decision was ultimately made to retain the Press Room as a public service space and designate only Room B7 as a grand jury meeting room. Since 1995, the grand jury has been meeting in Room B7 and has also been given use of an additional conference

room located nearby in a file storage area of the Finance Building Basement.

Since 2017, the B6 Press Room has had the appearance of being abandoned, and staff who work in the building advised that the room had not been used at least since January 2018, when it sustained water damage due to flooding at the Finance Building. Several desks, old computer equipment, file cabinets, books, files, and other materials were found strewn throughout the room and across the floor, creating an environment for pests and vermin. As the room had not been used for its designated purpose for more than a year and appeared to have been abandoned, staff arranged to have the room cleared and cleaned on February 11. Subsequently, the County Administrator was contacted by two news groups who claimed to have left property in the room. The County Administrator authorized reimbursement to the newsgroups in the total amount of $1,536 for property loss.

Since 1990, technological advances now enable the press to work and access Board of Supervisors meetings from virtually any location with internet access. Press representatives requested replacement space from the County and have accordingly agreed to a smaller room in the downtown Martinez area in lieu of Room B6, which far exceeds the amount of space currently needed by members of the press. Staff recommends that Room B6 be reclaimed for use by the County departments -- Treasurer-Tax Collector and Auditor-Controller -- that occupy the County Finance Building.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Should the board elect not to reclaim the space for County business purposes, the room would likely remain unused and unavailable to County staff or for related County business purposes.