Title
a. Receive a preliminary response to Board Referral No. 2022.16 to pursue State grant funding to complete the new Juvenile Hall; and
b. Consider updating the referral to combine it with Board Referral No. 2017.24 to retain a consultant to conduct an initial assessment of feasibility of consolidating the Youth Center with the new Juvenile Hall.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a preliminary response to Board Referral No. 2022.16 to pursue State grant funding to complete the new Juvenile Hall; and
b. Consider updating the referral to combine it with Board Referral No. 2017.24 to retain a consultant to conduct an initial assessment of feasibility of consolidating the Youth Center with the new Juvenile Hall.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Board Referral No. 2022.16 was submitted on May 10, 2022, directing County staff to pursue State grant funding opportunities to complete the new Juvenile Hall. The Board provided direction on prior, related Referral No. 2017.24 on April 26, 2022, designating $70,000 for the County Administrative Office to contract a consultant to provide an analysis on consolidating the Youth Center with the new Juvenile Hall.
On August 22, 2017, an early assessment by a senior project manager at Kitchell CEM concluded that consolidating facilities would necessitate a new construction project, including master planning and redesign of the new Juvenile Hall, estimated to require up to two years and millions of County dollars. Specific challenges identified were a limited site area, separate client populations and a programming space. Due to concerns around loss of SB 81 grant funding, consolidation at that time was not recommended.
On August 28, 2020, Probation provided an update due to the descoping of the Juvenile Hall construction project, which eliminated a high security unit, classroom, kitchen, laundry, dining area, maintenance shop, storage and a total of 40 beds. The modified construction significantly reduced housing and programming capacity and presents challenges to serving higher and lower risk populations, and longer duration stays up to the age of 25 years. Most recently new State legislation SB823 realigned the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) population from the State of California to Counties and set June 30, 2023, as a hard closure date of all DJJ facilities. Monterey County youth currently in DJJ will then return to local custody to finish court ordered commitments, further impacting Juvenile Hall capacity.
The County Administrative Office is currently preparing to contract a consultant to provide viable options for consolidating the Youth Center with the new Juvenile Hall while meeting current and future rehabilitation standards and the needs of the youth, public and staff. This initial assessment to determine the feasibility of collocating multiple disparate populations and identify any statutory and programming challenges is anticipated to require up to six months. Once complete, the consultant would offer potential recommendations for modification, which may include both infrastructure and program additions and changes that will require additional investment. Until the scope of any necessary modifications is known, staff would not have the requisite details to apply for the appropriate State grant funding. However, staff will continue to monitor all opportunities that might offset any required future investments or otherwise be advantageous to County.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
This report was reviewed by the Probation Department. The Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) addressed a budget letter to the State Legislature in May in support of additional funding for County Probation facilities.
FINANCING:
Acceptance of this report has no fiscal impact.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The recommendation supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives:
Economic Development
X Administration
Health & Human Services
Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Bella Lesik, Administrative Analyst, ext. 6767
Approved by: Ezequiel Vega, County Budget Director, ext. 3078
Approved by: Dewayne Woods, Assistant County Administrative Officer, ext. 5309
Attachments: Board Referral No. 2022.16