Subject:
Title
Leasing of Warehouse Space for Local Staging Area for Storing and Distribution of Personal Protective Equipment and Food in Response to COVID-19
End
Fiscal Impact:
To Be Determined - Average price per square foot is $0.85. Estimated Cost is $10,200 per month. Estimated 6 Month lease total cost of $61,200.
Dept/Office:
Central Services / Emergency Support Function 7 / Emergency Management
Requested Action:
Recommendation
It is requested that the Board approve the leasing of commercial warehouse space for the storing and distributing of food and supplies in response to COVID-19.
It is also requested the Board authorize the Chair to sign a lease agreement upon review by the County Manager, County Attorney’s Office, and Risk Management.
End
Summary Explanation and Background:
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Central Services and Emergency Management needed to establish a local staging area where Personal Protective Equipment and Food that were being procured could be stored and distributed. The current staging area is in a Parks and Recreation Building that is typically used for summer camps, a summer food distribution location for students, and a shelter during hurricane activations.
The facility that is currently being used was initially set up for a short-term operation as there was no definitive timeline for responding to this pandemic. Now that it has been determined that this response is going to be long term (anticipating at least 6 more months of response), the County is actively looking for a commercial warehouse to run the local staging area from.
The County not only is using the inside of the recreation center for storage and distribution of personal protective equipment, but also the parking lot is used for storage of refrigeration trailers and pods that store food and supplies. There are daily activities utilizing large trucks and fork lifts in the parking areas and maintaining this operation at a Recreation Center poses a risk to the general public driving to this area for student meal pickup, to possibly drop children off for summer camp, or simply to enjoy the park.
County staff are currently looking at other County owned facilities to determine if there is an existing facility large enough to house this operation (both inside conditioned space and exterior storage space), where a commercial lease would not be needed. It is anticipated that a warehouse will be needed during the June break and as such, Staff is bringing this to the Board now for approval in advance. Should the response to COVID-19 change where a warehouse is no longer needed, or a suitable existing County facility is identified then no lease will be presented to the Chair for execution.
Clerk to the Board Instructions:
None