AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY WORK SESSION DATE: June 13, 2016 AGENDA ITEM TITLE: A Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners approving the remodel and addition to the Courthouse Plaza Building at 530 E. Main Street, Aspen, Colorado. STAFF RESPONSIBLE: Jon Peacock, County Manager ISSUE STATEMENT: Time has been set aside at today’s meeting to consider a resolution approving the Courthouse Plaza remodel and addition, and respectfully overruling certain conditions placed on the project by the City of Aspen in Ordinance No. 10 Series of 2016. BACKGROUND: Pitkin County is an administrative arm of the State and provides essential public services. Title 30 of Colorado Revised Statutes establishes Aspen as the County Seat, and requires certain County offices to be maintained in Aspen. Since 2006 the County has identified the challenge of inadequate facilities as a barrier to providing quality and essential public services. Areas of special concern include, but are not limited to: law enforcement; the Ninth Judicial District; Elections; public hearing and meeting spaces; community planning and building services, etc. In 2006 the County engaged in two planning processes that set the stage for this project. First, in January of 2006 the County completed a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan that identified significant facility deficits for essential public services, and provided several alternatives for meeting then current and future facility needs. Alternatives included facilities located in the Aspen Core, and other options that suggested developing new facilities down valley outside of Aspen. Later in 2006 the County partnered with the City of Aspen and other non-profit entities to complete the Civic Master Plan which found in part that: “Removing civic functions from the downtown will tend to reduce the kind of community character that still makes the core of Aspen a vital and traditional downtown.” The Civic Master Plan called on the County to keep County offices in Aspen’s downtown core. As a result the Board directed staff to pursue facility alternatives that maintained existing County offices in Aspen’s downtown core. In late 2007 the nation entered a major economic recession commonly known as the Great Recession. As a result the County deferred all major capital projects, including any further planning to meet facility needs. In 2014 the economy had recovered such that the County could again consider addressing facility deficiencies. At that time the Board confirmed the basic direction from 2006 that County Offices should be developed in Aspen’s downtown core, and added that new facilities should be developed within existing revenue streams (no new taxes). Finally, the board directed that any proposed project should limit development to what is minimally necessary to provide quality public services now and in the future. Staff from all affected departments worked diligently to plan for space per the Board’s direction. Overall the proposed square footage for all departments to be located in the downtown core is 52% less than was originally proposed in the 2006 facilities master plan. The proposed project includes remodel of the existing Courthouse Plaza building and construction of an addition with approximately 24,000 square feet of office, meeting, and operating space and 8,000 square feet of underground parking. The remodel and addition will allow the Old Courthouse to be primarily used by the Ninth Judicial District (Courts, District Attorney, Probation, Victims Assistance, etc.), and will provide adequate space for current and future case loads. This will require the relocation of the Sheriff’s Department (29 employees), Assessor’s Office (11 employees), and Treasurer (4 employees) into the new addition. The Courthouse Plaza will also move Community Development from offices located in Aspen City Hall (18 employees) and Public Works (2 employees) to the Plaza building. Finally, 911 Dispatch is being relocated from the Jail to the North 40 Fire Station providing room for future needs of 911 Dispatch and the Jail. In developing the proposed project the County did extensive public outreach. In addition to the efforts during the 2006 Facilities Master Plan and Civic Master Plan, starting in June 2015 the County gathered public input in multiple open houses (70+ participants) and electronically on PitkinConnect (over 600 views). There was also extensive outreach to inform the public of the project, including: over 100 radio spots run between June and December 2015; 32 half page four color ads in local papers; production of three videos posted on CGTV, YouTube, and the Pitkin County web site (over 674 web views). Finally, the proposed project was discussed at over 30 publically noticed and broadcast Commissioner meetings and was covered in over 20 newspaper articles in the Aspen Times and Aspen Daily news. The attached presentation further outlines what we heard from the public and how public input was incorporated into the proposed facility project. The proposed remodel and addition to the Courthouse Plaza was submitted to the City of Aspen as a Major Public Project under Chapter 26.500 of the City Code and Colorado Revised Statute 31- 23-209, also known as Locations and Extent review process. This is the normal review process for public projects. The City of Aspen has used Locations and Extent for City projects in the County seven times between 2010 and 2015 (three in 2015, one in 2013, one in 2011 and two in 2010). The Locations and Extent review process ensures that public entities are able to build the infrastructure necessary to provide essential and quality public services. Under Colorado Revised Statutes the reviewing entity is allowed a specific period of time to review projects submitted by a public entity (30 days for projects submitted by a municipality, 60 days for projects submitted by a County). The submitting entity also has the ability to overrule a condition on a project, or a denial of a project, with a 2/3 vote of the governing body. The attached presentation and proposed resolution provides staff recommendations concerning recommended conditions in the City of Aspen’s Ordinance approving the Courthouse Plaza addition and remodel. LINK TO STRATEGIC PLAN: Departments housed in the proposed facilities contribute to all Core Focus areas in the County’s strategic plan. BUDGETARY IMPACT: The County will not be able to accommodate department facility needs if proposed conditions are met, requiring additional square footage to be developed at another location, likely increasing overall costs. RECOMMENDED BOCC ACTION: Approve the attached resolution ATTACHMENTS: Presentation: Pitkin County Sheriff and Administrative Facility City of Aspen Ordinance No. 10, Series 2016 Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners approving the remodel and addition to the Courthouse Plaza Building at 530 E. Main Street Aspen; and respectfully rescinding certain conditions contained in City of Aspen Ordinance No. 10 Series of 2016. Pitkin County Sheriff and Administrative Facility Remodel and Addition to the Courthouse Plaza Building PROVIDING VALUED AND HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES SUPPORTING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. Presentation Outline I. Overview of what the County is proposing and why we’re proposing to do it. II. Overview of the process to get to this point III. Architectural Review IV. Consideration of Council approval and proposed conditions. V. Conclusion Why This project? Why now? Why Aspen? Since 2006 the County has identified the problem of inadequate facilities as a barrier to providing quality public services. Areas of special concern include, but are not limited to: ◦ Law enforcement ◦ Courts ◦ Elections ◦ Public hearing/meeting rooms. ◦ Community Planning and building services. ◦ Etc. Why Aspen? ◦ Legal requirement to keep certain offices in Aspen. ◦ Vision of Civic Master Plan adopted by City Council December 11, 2006. What’s proposed? Provide the Old Courthouse primarily for the use of the Ninth Judicial District (Courts, District Attorney, Probation, Victim’s Assistance). ◦ This will require the relocation of the Sheriff’s Department (29 employees), Assessor’s Office (11 employees), and Treasurer (4 employees). Move County Community Development from City Hall (18 employees) and Public Works (2 employees) to downtown Aspen County facilities . Relocate 911 Dispatch (16 employees) from the Jail to the North 40 Fire Station. Provides room for future needs of 911 Dispatch and Jail. Remodel the existing Courthouse Plaza and construct an addition to accommodate existing staff and services (project under discussion at this meeting). Public Process to this point… January 2006 Pitkin County Comprehensive Facility Master Plan December 2006 Civic Master Plan September 2014 Pitkin County Facilities Master Plan Update June 15 to Present – Public Outreach and Project Planning ◦ Between June and December 2015 over 100 radio spots talking about the facilities project. ◦ 32 half page four color ads in local papers ◦ Produced three videos posted on CGTV, YouTube, Pitkin County Web site (674+ web views). ◦ Input gathered at open houses (70+ participants) and on PitkinConnect (over 600 views). ◦ Proposed facilities project discussed at over 30 publically noticed and broadcast Commissioner meetings. ◦ Over 20 newspaper articles in Aspen Times and Aspen Daily. What we heard… Architectural Considerations: ◦ 5.4% - Carry forward architecture from Old Courthouse. ◦ 81.3% - Bridge design styles between Old Courthouse and Courthouse Plaza. ◦ 10.4% - Make a new civic statement with unique architectural style that distinguishes the new building from the Old Courthouse and Courthouse Plaza building Energy Conservation: ◦ 5.4% - Meet minimum building code requirements. ◦ 83.8% - Include energy saving measures projected to pay for themselves over the useful life of the measure. ◦ 10.8% - Be a model to the Community and try for net zero or net positive regardless of cost. Priority of needs to be addressed: ◦ 33.8% Law Enforcement ◦ 24.3% Courts including hearing rooms, additional offices, jury rooms and security. ◦ 20.3% Better customer service spaces – Clerk, Assessor, Treasurer, etc.