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<br />Mr. Fialho noted there were several other components in the presentation that would <br />address her question. Staff had also attempted to identify in the staff report costs that were <br />important from an operational standpoint beginning with the area of soft costs, which are <br />associated with the start up of the project, and the figures the project consultants have <br />submitted to Council are pure capital costs. Soft costs consist of items such as office <br />computers and office furniture and because most of the equipment is being constructed as part <br />of the project, items such as office computers and furniture are not and staff estimated these <br />costs to be approximately $9,091 , which are items that would have to be budgeted as part of the <br />operating budget. He noted improvements to Lions Wayside Park were mentioned at the <br />workshop. He reminded Council that the Downtown Trails Master Plan eventually contemplated <br />having Lions Wayside Park improved. He believed the proposed design for the improvements <br />to Lions Wayside Park complimented the Firehouse and the cost for this project is roughly <br />estimated at $1.5 million dollars, which he would consider to be basic improvements including <br />grading, undergrounding the existing drainage channel, irrigation, and turf seeding, in order to <br />create grass spaces and simple paving surfaces to draw the connection between the Park and <br />the Firehouse. The estimate did not include costs related to the relocation and improvement of <br />the Chan Henderson Bandstand, parking, actual acquisition of the Transportation Corridor, etc. <br />He noted that funds have been set aside for the acquisition of the Corridor and staff is in active <br />negotiations and discussions with the County. As part of the 2005-2006 operating budget, staff <br />did not contemplate in the cash flow analysis the addition of any new facilities; staff has <br />attempted to estimate the operating cost associated with the Firehouse Arts Center which would <br />total approximately $300,000 annually and include staffing, which would primarily be temporary <br />in nature, and day-to-day equipment and operating expenses that are typically a part of a <br />facility's activities. The $300,000 figure does not include any City related overhead, facility <br />maintenance, or replacement funds for equipment that would be purchased for the use of this <br />facility. There were some general programming costs associated with the Art Gallery estimated <br />between $45,000 to $75,000 per year. He believed Council should generally estimate the total <br />cost of operations, excluding the items mentioned previously, at approximately $400,000. He <br />mentioned that agency permit fees, traffic impact fees, public facility fees, and plan check fees <br />are included in this cost and funding for these types of fees would need to be set aside; the cost <br />of which is roughly estimated at $200,000. He mentioned that the cost estimates provided this <br />evening did not include any construction contingencies; however, the cost estimates included a <br />10 percent contingency for design costs only. Staff believed this was an achievable project both <br />from a capital and operating perspective and it attempted to break out the cost of the facility in <br />such a way that it would allow Council the opportunity to proceed. Staff also attempted to <br />provide a road map for the City as well as the cultural arts groups so that it could initiate and <br />proceed with its fund raising activities which would also allow the project to be packaged and <br />designed in a such a way that as November 2006 approaches, if Council believed there was <br />sufficient revenue to build the entire project, it could do so, or if it chose for an incremental <br />approach to the construction and only build the shell and the theater, it could so as well. Staff <br />was asking Council whether it generally supported the concept of a phased design approach <br />with the ultimate decision as to whether or not it bids the entire project, or just a phased project <br />to be made in the early fall timeframe of this year. <br /> <br />Greg Reznick, President of the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Foundation, provided an update <br />regarding the Foundation's fund raising efforts. He said the Foundation is in the early stages of <br />a major campaign and has hired a professional firm to assist the Foundation in accessing, <br />strategizing and planning its fundraising efforts over a period of time. The Foundation is <br />currently working on community outreach in a variety of ways including contacting each <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council <br />Minutes <br /> <br />17 <br /> <br />01/17/06 <br />