On Tuesday, the Brentwood City Council received a Brentwood Education and Technology Feasibility Study (Item D2) and what the city could do with the tech center. After the staff report, Councilmember Johnny Rodriquez spoke passionately of the need for a teen/youth center.
Since June of 2000, the City has authorized a lease agreement with the college to use a portion of the property as a college campus. With the new campus opening up this fall, Los Medanos will be moving out of the building.
The move comes as Los Medanos College and the Contra Costa College District have used approximately 22,000 square feet of the building (101 Sand Creek Road) while two non-profits are using the other 11,000 square feet. Once Los Medanos vacate the building this fall, the city will be on the hook for $246k for the next 12-years.
Staff proposed the following options for this building:
1. Sell the building
2. Lease to Non-Profit(s)
3. Lease to a governmental entity
4. Lease to a Private Party
5. Use for City Program Operations:
Assess feasibility of moving senior center, and re-purposing senior center as the teen center adjacent to the aquatic center (see attached for sample floor plans):
• Senior Center to Tech Center:
• Re-purpose Senior Center as a Teen Center
• Re-purpose BETC as City Teen Center
The city said the cost of debt service, maintenance and operation of the BETC will require a subsidy of approximately $496,000 per year for the next 12 years.
According to City Manager Tim Ogden, if they sold the building they would have some approximately $200-300k left over.
Councilmember Rodriguez said he saw the building as an opportunity for the community.
“I really don’t feel it as an option to sell it and I don’t think we should sell it. We don’t have a lot of buildings left for various things we need to do in this community. Obviously in the situation we are in now and for some of things with our goals with services we would like to see in this community in regards to facilities, that is not going to happen until I don’t know when. We have a prime opportunity to utilize this location,” said Rodriquez. “I am a little disappointed there is nothing that says just Teen Center. We have a senior center and a senior center/teen center.”
Staff suggested they could move the seniors to the tech center or the teens to the tech center.
Mayor Bob Taylor asked if there was an “advantage” to keeping the building, leasing, or selling the building and if staff had a consensus. Staff said they prepared all scenarios for the council to consider.
City Manager Tim Ogden said they did not have a preferred action as each had advantages and disadvantages as there is no right or wrong answer as this is a policy decision.
Councilwoman Karen Rarey talked about the idea of moving Independence High School.
Ogden explained there has been discussion and more talks were needed before coming forward with a concept.
Mayor Taylor said he would not like to see a teen center specifically, but rather a youth center—something for all ages for the youth of Brentwood.
“Youth, teen, we can all get along,” stated Rodriquez.
Taylor said he was looking at something to serve all youths in Brentwood.
Rodriquez spoke about how he saw the building go up when he was young and the city now has over 18,000 young people in the city of Brentwood. While he has a passion for senior services, he highlighted they already have a senior center, Trilogy, Summerset and other activities for seniors, but not a lot for youths.
Rodriquez further highlighted how in the past you can walk into a park without having to pay a fee.
“You can’t do that anymore. You can’t walk into some parks without having to pay a fee or get an application. There is nowhere to go. My thing is once again we have an opportunity and an obligation, and we are looking at the monies and its money, money, money but that is when the city needs to become creative. We need to be creative in how we look for funding,” explained Rodriquez.
He continued by explaining the need to not only be creative, but have a stake in it at a financial stake and not dump it into everyone else—such as foundations, donors, sponsors, etc.
“PAL (Police Activities League) cannot find a place. They have outgrown it. We can put PAL in there. The school districts, we can create partnerships with the school districts to be able to do satellite programs to mentor and help young people, our kids. LMC, they are leaving, we have them come back and do programs for young people,” said Rodriquez.
He shared how he believed the senior center is not big enough for the 18,000 youth.
“We are once again going to put a Band-Aid over the issue. We have to address it, the Band-Aid issue doesn’t work with young people no more. Look what is happening, we have young people at the council meeting… our youth are organizing in our communities. Not the adults, not the senior leaders, it is the young people. Every protest, every march has been organized by young people. We can embrace an opportunity to build a center to build their spirits and help them get to college, going into a trade, become on the city council. We have to open the doors for everybody and I believe a teen center could develop that,” said Rodriquez.
Rodriquez said they can do both education and sports but it would create relationships and partnerships. He also stated that when they target youth, it has to be all youth, not strategically reach out to youth.
He further highlighted that they do not have to reinvent the wheels, but take from other locations such as the Concord Youth Center and make it work in Brentwood. He was also cognizant of the location and said not everyone can afford sports activities.
“There are kids who cannot afford to be in ballet or gymnastics. To be quiet honest, a majority of those live in a certain part of our community,” stated Rodriquez. “I believe this needs to be for all kids, not one specific kind of kid. Ya, there is going to be a fee, but a reasonable fee where the kids can still go but we are able to make some revenue on this.”
He closed by saying it was time to move forward.
Mayor Taylor called for an ad-hoc committee, which include youth, to explore the idea of a teen/youth center. He said Los Medanos is still there, so they have time.
Ogden said this item will come back at the next meeting for discussion on moving forward with an ad-hoc committee.
