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SR-301-005-01 .- , . . h-I-'- OCT 1 1 1988 C/ED:CNS:BS:nsr Council Meeting 10-11-88 3tJ/ -P06-0/ Santa Monica, California TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: city Staff SUBJECT: Recommendation to Appropriate $15,000 in Funds for the Santa Monica Neighborhood Support Center INTRODUCTION This report recommends a General Fund appropriation of $15,000 to the Santa Monica Neighborhood Support Center to cover unexpected rent and facility costs for the remainder of FY 1988-89. BACKGROUND In June of 1987, the city Council approved the creation of the Santa Monica Neighborhood Support Center to serve as an umbrella organization to provide support to member neighborhood associations in Santa Monica. At that time, the Council approved a base budget for FY 1987-88 for staffing and operations. The budget did not include rent and related facility costs due to the fact that the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District agreed to provide 900 square feet of space in a modular unit at Madison School for $l/year, on a year-to-year basis. The budget negotiated for FY 1988-89 also assumed rent-free space provided by the School District and therefore did not identify funds for this purpose. - 1 - lo-~ reI 1 1 19&~ ~ ,T . . DISCUSSION In September of 1988, the School District informed the Neighborhood Support Center that the modular unit was needed for a new special education program to begin operation as soon as possible. The Neighborhood Support Center (NSC) began looking at the feasibility of renting space in the city-owned facility at 612 Colorado currently being rehabilitated for use by non-profit organizations. Non-profit lessees must pay $.8S/square foot/month for rent as well as related facility costs such as the prorated share of common areas, utilities and maintenance. Given the need for the NSC to find affordable, stable space and to avoid the need to find commercial space elsewhere at rates substantially higher than the $.85/sf rate, it was concluded that the Colorado facility was the most feasible solution. NSC and City staff have worked together to determine the amount of additional funding that would be needed to support the costs of leasing adequate space in the building. A review of the budget identified savings in administrative categories that could be used for one-time moving costs without additional city funding or without hampering services to Santa Monica I s neighborhoods. However, it was determined that an additional $lS, 000 would be needed for the remainder of the year for rent and other expenses such as utilities, janitorial, property maintenance and insurance. - 2 - r- . . FISCAL/BUDGETARY IMPACT Additional appropriation authority is requested in the amount of $15,000 from General Fund reserves in account number 01-200-262-000-693. No additional budgetary actions are needed. RECOMMENDATION city staff recommends that the City council appropriate $15,000 from General Fund reserves to the Neighborhood support Center for rental costs for the remainder of the current fiscal year. Prepared by: Barbara stinchfield, community Development Manager Department of Community and Economic Development - 3 -