title
Approve and authorize placement of a commemorative plaque on the east facing wall in the anteroom to the Board Chambers in the County Administration Center at 675 Texas Street, Fairfield, to honor former Solano County Administrator David Balmer for his 27 years of service to Solano County; Approve an amount not to exceed $5,000 for the design, fabrication and installation of the plaque; and Authorize the County Administrator or designee to take all necessary actions to effectuate the design, procurement and installation of the commemorative plaque
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve and authorize placement of a commemorative plaque on the east facing wall in the anteroom to the Board Chambers in the County Administration Center at 675 Texas Street (Attachment A) to honor former Solano County Administrator David Balmer for his 27 years of service to Solano County;
2. Approve an amount not to exceed $5,000 for the design, fabrication and installation of the plaque; and
3. Authorize the County Administrator or designee to take all necessary actions to effectuate the design, procurement and installation of the commemorative plaque.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Mr. Balmer was born on December 31, 1915 and passed away on December 5, 2017 at age 101. As a former Solano County Administrator (1954 - 1982) with more than 27 years of public service, Mr. Balmer served under 19 Solano County Board of Supervisors. During his tenure with Solano County, the position of County Administrator was established and he became the first County Administrator, and the longest serving County Administrator to date.
At the December 5, 2017 Board meeting, Supervisor Spering requested that staff consider and present alternatives for the Board of Supervisors to appropriately commemorate and memorialize Mr. Balmer’s tenure and his significant accomplishments as Solano County Administrator, a legacy that has allowed the cities and County to prosper. Most notably is his leadership and advocacy with the Board and the cities in establishing the Solano County Library system, and promoting fiscal accountability through developing comprehensive balanced County budgets for nearly three decades to ensure economic viability. The suggested text for the commemorative plaque is shown in Attachment A.
Additionally, in December 2015, the Board adopted and presented a resolution recognizing David Balmer to celebrate his 100th birthday on December 31, 2015. As part of his centennial celebration, the Solano County Library conducted an interview with Mr. Balmer which chronicled his life and accomplishments with a focus on his tenure as Solano County Administrator. The interview can be found at the following website location:
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMllZgRlaMk>
Staff is recommending that the Board approve and authorize placement of a commemorative plaque in the anteroom to the Board Chambers in the County Administration Center to honor Mr. Balmer. This location is recommended since the commemorative plaque would be located in the space directly adjacent to the Board Chambers. This is befitting since Mr. Balmer worked with 19 different Boards of Supervisors during his tenure with the County in which thousands of actions were considered and approved. Decisions by the Board, based on administrative leadership and direction provided by Mr. Balmer, set Solano County on a constructive path of growth, development and quality of life that is enjoyed by Solano County residents today. The plaque would be of similar material and font design as the dedication plaque for the County of Solano Government Center project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Costs associated for the design, fabrication and installation of the commemorative plaque are estimated not to exceed $5,000, and will be paid from the General Expenditures budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
1) The Board could choose to not approve the commemorative plaque. This alternative is not recommended because Mr. Balmer served as County Administrator for 27 years, and advanced and enabled the Board of Supervisors to make decisions during his tenure that are significant and have benefited all Solano County residents today.
2) The Board could direct staff to place the plaque at a different location than the one recommended. Alternative plaque locations examined by staff included:
a) East-facing wall in the lobby opposite the entry to the Board Chamber anteroom. This location is not recommended since this location is a ‘pass through’ space that is separated from the Board Chambers.
b) West end of the County Administration Center (CAC) exterior courtyard fountain in which ‘The Glass Hull’ canoe sculpture resides. This location is not recommended since a plaque is best situated on a horizontal surface and therefore has low visibility.
c) East-facing plaster wall of the CAC adjacent to the exterior plaza fountain at the entry stairs to the elevated plaza of the County Events Center. This location is not recommended since plaque would be slightly removed from the water feature and would be linked to only a single but very important aspect of Mr. Balmer’s legacy.
d) Solano County Library headquarters at the Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky Street in Fairfield. This location is not recommended since the plaque would be visible primarily to local library users and would be linked to only a single, but very important, aspect of Mr. Balmer’s legacy, the countywide library system.
3) The Board could elect to name a facility in honor of Mr. Balmer. This is not recommended at this time. The Board’s naming policy approved in September 2006 indicates that the naming of a facility can occur two years or more after the individual’s death and Mr. Balmer’s passing was December 2017.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Staff from the Department of General Services and the County Administrator’s Office researched and obtained resource information pertaining to Mr. Balmer’s life and legacy from Solano Irrigation District, Solano County Library Foundation and local newspapers.