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Adopt a resolution declaring the former Beverly Hills Elementary School site located at 1450 Coronel Ave, Vallejo, California (APN: 0074-195-010) as surplus property and transferring the property to Child Start, Inc. subject to deed restrictions requiring Child Start, Inc. to use the property as an early learning center for at least 25 years; Approve a Funding and Construction Agreement with Child Start, Inc. to renovate the existing facility for use as an early learning center; and Authorize the County Administrator to execute the Funding and Construction Agreement and any other documents necessary to complete the restricted deed transfer of title to Child Start, Inc.
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _ X __
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X__
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt a resolution declaring the former Beverly Hills Elementary School site located at 1450 Coronel Ave, Vallejo, California (APN: 0074-195-010) as surplus property and transferring the property to Child Start, Inc. subject to deed restrictions requiring Child Start, Inc. to use the property as an early learning center for at least 25 years;
2. Approve a Funding and Construction Agreement with Child Start, Inc. to renovate the existing facility for use as an early learning center; and
3. Authorize the County Administrator to execute the Funding and Construction Agreement and any other documents necessary to complete the restricted deed transfer of title to Child Start, Inc.
SUMMARY:
The First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission (a division within Solano County) purchased the former Beverly Hills Elementary School located at 1450 Coronel Avenue in Vallejo for the purpose of converting it to an early learning center (ELC), which will expand child care and early learning opportunities for children ages 0-5 in Vallejo and throughout Solano County.
First 5 Solano has partnered with Child Start, Inc., for implementation of the ELC. This Board item brings forward the steps necessary to transfer the property to Child Start, Inc., including a Resolution to declare the above referenced property as surplus property, the transfer of the surplus property from the County of Solano to Child Start Inc., with deed restrictions ensuring Child Start Inc. operates the property as an ELC as described in the deed, and a Funding and Construction Agreement with Child Start, Inc., for Child Start, Inc. to renovate the property for used as an ELC.
In addition to significantly expanding child care and early learning opportunities in Solano, these steps will also facilitate the move of the two Head Start classrooms currently located at the Virginia Street County building on the Solano County Health & Social Services Campus, allowing the County to use that space for another purpose.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total estimated cost associated with the renovation of the ELC is $13,000,000. Of this amount, $9,580,000 is approved in the FY2023/24 First 5 Solano Adopted Budget which will be used to fund the Funding and Construction Agreement with Child Start, Inc. to renovate the facility. The secured funds are from the following sources:
• $6,000,000 from two state earmarks secured by Senator Dodd’s office
• $1,870,000 Solano County American Rescue Plan Act
• $1,070,000 First 5 Solano Commission
• $610,000 City of Vallejo
• $30,000 Office of Education
Additional funds from third party sources will go directly to Child Start, Inc., to contribute toward the overall project renovation budget. If First 5 Solano secures additional funds, staff will bring forward amendments to this Funding and Construction Agreement to allocate the funds to renovate the facility.
DISCUSSION:
In early 2021, County leadership requested that the First 5 Solano staff work with Child Start, Inc. to identify a space to relocate two of its Head Start Classrooms located on Virginia Street in Vallejo on the County Health & Social Services campus. Child Start, Inc., Solano’s Head Start provider, has been searching for an alternate site for over 8 years to move their classrooms, but has so far been unsuccessful in identifying another location to serve the families in Vallejo.
First 5 Solano, in partnership with the Solano County Office of Education (SCOE), approached the Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) to inquire about space in which to house these two Head Start classrooms. Through those discussions, VCUSD identified a surplus school site, Beverly Hills Elementary School, located at 1450 Coronel Avenue in South Vallejo, as a space to house these classrooms.
First 5 Solano quickly assembled a team to assess this prospect, including First 5 Solano, Child Start, SCOE, Terra Realty Advisors and VCUSD. Discussions with this team concluded with a recommendation to use of the entire school site, not just the classrooms for Head Start programs. A study commissioned by First 5 Solano identified “lack of facilities” as the primary barrier to childcare expansion in Solano County. Additionally, community data shows a significant lack of available childcare and early learning spaces in Solano County. The team considered this data and the significant lift it would take to renovate the facility and operate it, and ultimately endorsed the development of an ELC. The plan for the ELC is to utilize the entire school site, providing expansion opportunities for local childcare and early learning providers to establish their programs onsite in a shared service delivery model.
On June 27, 2023, your Board approved the purchase of this property and a 25-year Operational Agreement with Child Start, Inc., to operate the property as an ELC. This item brings forward several actions to affect the transfer of property from Solano County to Child Start, Inc., and to renovate the facility. First, staff are asking your Board to adopt a resolution to declare the former Beverly Hills Elementary School site at 1450 Coronel Ave., Vallejo, California as surplus property. Next, staff are requesting your Board approve the transfer of the surplus property from Solano County to Child Start, Inc. pursuant to Government Code section 25372, subject to the deed restrictions approved by your Board in the Operational Agreement.
To support the renovations and subsequent operation of the facility as an ELC, staff is requesting your Board approve a Funding and Construction Agreement with Child Start, Inc. to renovate the existing facility for use as an ELC. Finally, this item seeks approval to delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the Funding and Construction Agreement and any other documents necessary to complete the restricted deed transfer of title to Child Start, Inc.
First 5 Solano will continue to be a partner at the ELC by working to secure full funding for complete renovation of the site, participating on the ELC leadership team and working to problem-solve and addressing issues as they arise. Additionally, First 5 Solano will help to collect data and evaluate the effectiveness of the ELC.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could choose not to approve the declaration of surplus property, the transfer of property to Child Start Inc., and the Funding and Construction Agreement to renovate the property for use as an ELC. This alternative is not recommended since the transaction would allow for a permanent relocation of the two Head Start Classrooms currently located on the County’s Virginia Street site and on the Vallejo H&SS Campus, completing a goal that took over eight years to accomplish. Additionally, staff would not have previously recommended the purchase of the property without a commitment to have the property used as an early learning center for the benefit of the community.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
First 5 Solano has worked with a team including members from Child Start, Inc., Terra Realty Advisors, the Solano County Office of Education, Vallejo City Unified School District, and County Counsel.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION