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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08131996 - C74 _ � . r C .-7 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS F&HS-01 Contra -, c FROM: Costa FAMILY & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE County :. . DATE: August 13, 1996 �..• �:��N T SUBJECT: PROPOSED RESPONSE TO THE REPORT NO. 9605 OF THE 1995-1996 GRAND JURY SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . Adopt this report of our Committee as the Board of Supervisors ' response to Report No. 9605 : "Child Care Center Public Works Department, " of the 1995-1996 Grand Jury. 2 . Remove this item as a referral to our Committee. BACKGROUND: The 1995-1996 Grand Jury filed the above report, which was reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and subsequently referred to the Family & Human Services Committee. On August 12, 1996 our Committee met to discuss the recommendations and review proposed responses . At the conclusion of those discussions, we prepared this report utilizing a format suggested by a former Grand Jury, which clearly specifies : A. Whether the recommendation is accepted or adopted; B. If the recommendation is accepted, a statement as to who will be responsible for implementation and a definite target date; C. A delineation of the constraints if a recommendation is accepted but cannot be implemented within the calendar year; and D. The reason for not adopting a recommendation. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: 0 RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED IS RCIOIMMENDFID OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED CL A.4-At 13 , I T 3(O Contact: Family & Human Services Committee PHIL BATCHEL .CLERK OF THE BOARD OF CC: County Administrator SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Superior Court Presiding Judge Grand Jury Foreperson County Counsel BY 41 C. DEPUTY Public Works Director e0 "CHILD CARE CENTER PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT" REPORT NO. 9605 The 1995-1996 Contra Costa County Grand Jury recommends that: RECOMMENDATION NO. l.a: The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors establish a committee to oversee the Child Care Center's operational and financial status. This committee is to provide 1996 and 1997 semi-annual reports with a final report at year-end 1997 . These reports will serve as a basis for developing County policy on child care centers for its employees . RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is not adopted. B. The Contra Costa_ Public Works Early Childhood Center is a California non-profit corporation responsible for the operation of the child care facility. The Board of Directors. stands ready to provide reports on its operations and finances to the Board of Supervisors or . any of its committees when called upon to do so. RECOMMENDATION NO. l .b: The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors appoint an ad hoc citizen group to research the policies and practices of other government organizations - local, state and federal - on sponsored child care centers . The purpose of this group would be to gain insight on financial and operational practices and associated pitfalls . Data obtained by the group would be used by the assigned committee for reports to the Board of Supervisors. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted as modified. B. In the event that a County department indicates the desire to establish another child care center, the Board at that time will consider the process for researching other governmental organizations on sponsored child care centers in order to gain insight on financial and operational practices and potential pitfalls . RECOMMENDATION NO. l .c: The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors issue a policy statement precluding development of any additional County-sponsored employee child care centers until a County policy is established. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted as modified. B. There have been no requests to develop additional child care centers . County Ordinance Code Section 82-22 .202 states in part: " . . . It is the policy of Contra Costa County to assist and encourage the development of adequate affordable child care. It is recognized that the provision of child care required a partnership between public and private participants and the role of this county is to establish land use policies and ordinances to promote the establishment of child care facilities and the initiation of child care services in this community. . . "Further, it is a policy of this county to encourage, whenever possible, joint use facilities such as, but not limited to, public schools, churches, parks or other community facilities . (Ord. 88-1 §3) , " The Family and Human Services Committee is directed to establish a mission statement, policies and procedures for the operation of the existing day care center as well as developing a mission statement, policies and procedures, including any proposed County subsidies, for any future County child care facilities . RECOMMENDATION NO. 2 : The Public Works Department determine a reasonable monthly cost for use of telephone, power, water, grounds maintenance, building rental and County administrative overhead. These costs are to be recovered from the Child Care Center. RESPONSE: A. This recommendation is accepted in part. B. Monthly costs have been determined. There is no additional cost for phone service. There are two telephones in the child care center, and both were purchased by the center. They plug into Public Works lines, but there is no additional charge to the Public Works Department for phone service, whether or not these phones are plugged in. Water usage is also minimal, about $1 a month. There is a patch of grass approximately 150 square feet in area, and two children's toilets, and one adult toilet. The latter toilet is not used by staff; in fact, it is used for storing exercise mats . Landscape maintenance is also minimal . There is no landscaping to maintain, other than the aforementioned 150 square feet of grass . The remainder of the Public Works facility is extensively landscaped, including additional lawn areas, and General Services estimated it takes less than 15 minutes per week to mow the child care center lawn, for a total cost of about $50 per month. To estimate the cost of electricity, the $3,000 a month electrical bill was pro-rated by the area of the child care center in proportion to the total square footage of the Public Works facility. This calculation results in a cost of approximately $165 a month of electric service to thechild care center. The non-profit corporation, which operates the child care center, pays the county $800 a month for the use of this building, and in addition had to spend approximately $30,000 to bring water and rest room facilities to the building, and make other building modifications necessary to meet state child care regulations . As to the costs to be recovered from the Center, by paying for the utility services, the County is subsidizing the child care center by approximately $200 per month. Since the child care center can only be occupied by children of County employees, it is considered a benefit to both the employee and the County, and is consistent with the County Child Care Ordinance. The County Administrator is directed to submit to the Board of Supervisors a request for authorization to provide a subsidy for the Center pursuant to Government Code §26227 .