Title
Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign a Memorandum of Understanding by and between the County of Monterey and the City of Salinas regarding the mutual planning and implementation of government services and facilities in downtown Salinas.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign a Memorandum of Understanding by and between the County of Monterey and the City of Salinas regarding the mutual planning and implementation of government services and facilities in downtown Salinas.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On May 8, 2012, the Board of Supervisors approved and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU Agreement A-12212) with the City of Salinas wherein the two agencies agreed to collaborate on planning for a multi-agency campus style government center located in downtown Salinas (Attachment B). Each agency owns and/or occupies a significant share of downtown properties, and the County and City each recognized that the concentration of government offices in the downtown is beneficial for the efficient and effective provision of many government services and functions. In addition, it is agreed that a well-planned government center could be beneficial to the economic health and well-being of downtown Salinas. With this in mind, the City and County drafted the MOU to work together to provide resources necessary to develop a comprehensive planning and implementation program for a government center.
During the implementation period of that original MOU, the City and County made considerable progress on a number of items in the MOU including entering into a license agreement to provide juror parking at the Intermodal Transportation Center (train station) parking lot; development of a City of Salinas Downtown Vibrancy Plan; evaluation of potential rehabilitation and use of the East and West Wings of the County Courthouse; creation of a downtown Community Benefits District; and the due diligence for the potential acquisition/disposition of the County’s former Public Works yard (312 E. Alisal Street) and the City’s police station.
The proposed MOU reaffirms the County’s and City’s intent to provide resources necessary to develop a comprehensive planning and implementation program for a Downtown Government Center. The MOU is drafted to help focus City and County resources in Government Center planning areas that have already been identified such as assessing parking and facility needs, exploring partnerships for leveraging funding opportunities for capital and infrastructure projects, and considering improved pedestrian linkages with the downtown. Exhibit A of the MOU highlights some of the current or potential planning and implementation projects in the Government Center campus area. Implementation of projects identified in the MOU is contingent upon specific project and funding approvals by the appropriate City or County authorities at their sole discretion. Staff will provide an annual update on the progress in these program areas to the City Council and the Board of Supervisors.
This MOU would not constitute an entitlement for development and is an expression of intent, with any development being subject to all requirements of law, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Such development would be the subject of other actions by public entities or of permits to be sought at later times, and all future development would be subject to appropriate environmental review under CEQA. As such, this MOU would not constitute a project for purposes of CEQA.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Resource Management Agency (RMA) and the City of Salinas Community and Economic Development Department worked together to draft the MOU. The MOU has been reviewed by legal counsels for both the County and the City. On January 22, 2016 the Board of Supervisor’s Capital Improvement Committee supported approval of the MOU.
FINANCING:
In the proposed MOU, the parties agree to continue to provide staff and financial resources necessary to develop a comprehensive planning and implementation program for a Government Center. The scope of work included in the MOU was developed to be implemented using existing staff resources. Sufficient funding is included in the FY 2015-16 Recommended Budget.
Execution of the proposed MOU simply constitutes a good faith agreement to work toward continued planning and development of the downtown Government Center. It is understood that implementation or funding of any project identified in the proposed MOU is dependent upon specific project approvals by the appropriate City and/or County authority in their sole discretion.
Prepared by: John Guertin, Acting RMA Deputy Director
Approved by: Carl P. Holm, AICP, RMA Director
Attachments: Attachment A - Proposed MOU
Attachment B - Memorandum of Understanding (Agreement A-12212)