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ITEM: |
ACTION
ITEMS |
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17. |
CONSIDER CONFERENCE ROOM
UPGRADE TO FACILITATE USE FOR BOARD MEETINGS |
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Meeting
Date: |
December 13, 2004 |
Budgeted: |
$20,000 |
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From: |
David A.
Berger, |
Program/ |
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General
Manager |
Line Item No.: Fixed Assets |
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Prepared
By: |
Rick
Dickhaut |
Cost Estimate: |
$30,000 or $35,000 |
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General Counsel Approval: N/A |
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Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on December 6, 2004 and recommended approval at a cost not-to-exceed 35,000. |
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CEQA Compliance: N/A |
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SUMMARY: Regularly scheduled District Board meetings are currently held in the City of Monterey Council Chambers at a fee of approximately $500 per meeting. The fee includes use of the chambers as well as City owned audio and video equipment. In addition to this fee, District staff spends a considerable amount of time and effort transporting equipment and materials to and from the site, setting up and taking down equipment, configuring the room for use, and cleaning and restoring the room to its original configuration after each meeting.
As directed by the Board at its January 2004 meeting, District staff has investigated the costs of upgrading the District’s conference room to accommodate Board meetings. Staff recently consulted with representatives from Access Monterey Peninsula (AMP) and determined that the cost to install audio and video equipment in the District’s conference room to allow Board meetings to be televised would be approximately $30,000. The required equipment includes three or four cameras, a camera control unit, a camera switcher, a DVD recorder, four LCD monitors, approximately ten microphones, other miscellaneous equipment and installation. Additionally, risers to elevate the Board and improve audience-to-Board visibility could be purchased for approximately $5,000, or perhaps be constructed by District staff for a lesser amount.
The capacity for the conference room as determined by a representative of the Monterey Fire Department is 49 persons. The room as configured on Exhibit 17-A would accommodate the Board Members, General Manager, General Counsel and two other staff members at tables, as well as an audience of 38. When required, an additional 30 – 40 people could be accommodated by setting up chairs and using a television monitor in the lobby.
RECOMMENDATION: District staff recommends that the District’s conference room be upgraded to accommodate Board meetings at a cost not-to-exceed $30,000. If the Board elects to install risers to improve visibility, the not-to-exceed cost would be $35,000. The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on December 13, 2004 and voted 3 to 0 to recommend approval of the conference room upgrade for an amount not-to-exceed $35,000. The Committee further recommended renting risers for use at a meeting to determine whether or not they should be purchased for permanent use.
IMPACT ON RESOURCES: The 2004-2005 budget includes $20,000 for upgrading the District’s conference room to accommodate Board meetings. If the upgrade is approved, an additional $10,000 would be incorporated into the mid-year budget adjustment. If the Board directs that the upgrade includes risers to improve visibility, the amount added to the budget would be $15,000. Based on the number of District Board meetings, workshops and planning sessions held in 2004, the cost to hold all meetings at the City of Monterey would have been approximately $10,000. Based on an annual expenditure of this amount for meeting room rentals, the payback time for the conference room improvements would be 3 to 3 ½ years depending on which upgrade option is selected. This payback is well within the standard time interval to justify a capital investment. Additionally, there would be a considerable reduction in the staff time required to prepare for and clean up after the meetings.
BACKGROUND: Prior to January 2004, District staff conducted an extensive investigation of potential meeting locations within the District’s boundaries. Many of the locations investigated were found to be unacceptable due to limitations in scheduling, parking and available equipment. At the January 29, 2004 Board Meeting, the Board elected to move regularly scheduled Board meetings to the Monterey City Council Chambers starting in March 2004. Staff was also directed to continue to evaluate the District’s conference room as a potential site for future Board meetings.
17-A Proposed Conference Room Layout
U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2004\2004boardpacket\20041213\ActionItems\17\item17.doc