FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM #14
MEETING DATE: July 12, 2023
PREPARED FOR: Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY: Heather Abrams, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Decline Ross Valley School District Offer to Purchase Children's Center Property APN 197-120-03
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council decline Ross Valley School District’s Offer of Childrens Center Property Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 197-120-03
BACKGROUND
The Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center (Center) is a non-profit organization providing childcare for low-income families in the Fairfax area that has been located in a building belonging to the Ross Valley School District (RVSD) for many years. While RVSD and the Center are independent of the Town of Fairfax, the Center is physically located within Fairfax and provides an important service. The Marin Independent Journal (IJ) has provided a number of news stories regarding the Center’s efforts to continue working at its current location, RVSD’s1 discussions regarding repairs needed to the facility, and allowing the Center to use and manage the facility, and recently the Marin County Office of Education’s (MCOE) interest in assisting the Center2
.
DISCUSSION
As stated in the attached letter from RVSD, State law requires that RVSD first offer surplus property for sale to the Town. Town Council Members have expressed interest in keeping the Center in its current location. Thus, the Town should not seek to own the property. Staff recommends that the Town should decline the offer, thus allowing the MCOE to purchase the property and assist the Center in continuing its operations at its current location.
If the Town were to purchase the property, it would need to establish a budget for this, it would face similar issues to RVSD regarding cost of repairs needed to the facility, and if the Town was ever to surplus the property, then the Town would be subject to a 2018 State law that requires cities to first offer the land for use as housing (thus conflicting with the current childcare use). 1 https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/rova/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=CRK2D976DCAF 2 https://www.marinij.com/2023/05/02/ross-valley-committee-approves-report-on-childrens-center/ 2 FISCAL IMPACT
Declining the offer has no financial impact to the Town.
ATTACHMENT
Letter from RVSD