From the Board of Supervisors agenda for Tuesday, Oct. 13:

Recommendation: Approve and instruct the Mayor to sign a lease amendment with Hilton Centre Pointe LLC (Landlord), to extend the lease term for seven years and increase the office space currently occupied by the Department of Public Health located at 26415 Carl Boyer Dr., Santa Clarita (District 5) by an additional 1,659 sq ft and 6 on-site parking spaces, for a total of 7,253 sq ft of office space and 34 on-site parking spaces, at an initial maximum annual rental amount of $242,830.44, with license or permit fees to be used to fund 74% of the rental costs and the remaining 26% Net County Cost; find that the proposed lease amendment is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act; and authorize the following:

The Director of Internal Services and the Interim Director of Public Health or the Landlord, at the discretion of the Interim Chief Executive Officer, to acquire telephone, data and low voltage systems for the additional space at an amount not to exceed $35,000;

The Director of Internal Services or the Interim Director of Public Health, at the discretion of the Interim Director of Public Health, to acquire furniture for the additional space at an amount not to exceed $100,000; and

The Interim Chief Executive Officer, the Interim Director of Public Health and/or the Director of Internal Services to implement the project, effective upon Board approval with the new term to commence 30 days after delivery of the expansion space by the Landlord and acceptance by the County.

PURPOSE/JUSTIFICATION OF RECOMMENDED ACTION

The Department of Public Health (DPH) has occupied 5,594 square feet of office space at the subject facility since July 2008, and is currently operating on a month-to-month holdover basis.

Since that time, demographic, public health service, and planning needs have continued to expand throughout the Antelope and San Fernando Valleys, the two regions that comprise Service Planning Areas (SPA) 1 and 2, respectively. In an effort to address these growing needs on a long-term basis, DPH has determined that more efficient and cost-effective service delivery can be provided by consolidating SPA 1 and 2 functions to an expanded regional office center location.

The facility will continue to house DPH¶s Environmental Health (EH) and Community Health Services (CHS) programs. EH is a direct service program, and through inspection and issuance of licenses/permits, ensures compliance with all applicable food safety and sanitation requirements for Los Angeles County residents/visitors, the food industry, housing, and institution operations, as well as water, sewage, and solid waste facilities. CHS provides administrative planning of community health service functions and coordinates various outreach activities to engage the community as active participants to help improve their overall health and well-being.

The proposed consolidation will allow DPH to develop and provide more relevant services that are targeted to the health needs of those residents located in SPAs 1 and 2, as well as Supervisorial Districts 3 and 5 in a more efficient and timely manner. To implement this plan, it is anticipated that some CHS North Hollywood staff will be relocated to this site.

The facility, as expanded, will increase existing space by an additional 1,659 square feet, resulting in a new total of 7,253 square feet of office space, which will adequately accommodate the approved 27 staff members and provide for anticipated growth within the programs. It will also meet the needs of the anticipated 20 to 30 visitors per day who require access to seek inspection information, plan check, or participate in administrative hearings. Adequate parking will be provided at the facility for both staff and visitors, and in proximity to local public transportation routes.

The existing office space was determined by DPH staff to be suitable for continued occupancy with no issues of deferred maintenance for Hilton Centre Pointe, LLC (Landlord) to address or update. DPH has agreed to accept the new expansion office space in its current ³as-is´condition, and will seek to construct any necessary tenant improvements, install data/telephone infrastructure, and acquire furniture directly.