Fremont City Council Meeting: 04/01/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Community Services
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5366) DOC ID: 5366
Updated: 3/28/2025 9:40 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF FREMONT AND FREMONT CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL - Authorize City Manager, or her Designee, to Execute a Lease Agreement for Use of the Fremont Community Activities Center Contact Persons:
Name: Irene Jordahl Michael Sa
Title: Recreation Superintendent II Deputy Director of Community Services
Div/Dept: Community Services Community Services
Phone: 510-494-4322 510-494-4372
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The Fremont Cultural Arts Council (FCAC) has leased the Fremont Community Activities Center, 3375 Country Drive, in Centerville Community Park from the City of Fremont since 1994. The current agreement is month-to-month following the expiration of a 3-year agreement on August 31, 2024. Staff recommends that City Council authorize a new 5-year lease agreement with two, 5-year renewal options.
BACKGROUND: On June 6, 1994, the City of Fremont and FCAC first entered into a lease agreement for 3375 Country Drive, Fremont, California. The agreement enabled the creation of the Fremont Community Activities Center, which provides much needed office, meeting and storage space for a variety of community organizations including Bay Philharmonic, Fremont Bridge Club, and Tri City Ecology Center. The Fremont Cultural Arts Council is comprised entirely of volunteers and serves as the community’s largest cultural arts networking organization.
The FCAC exists to coordinate and promote cultural arts activities in the City of Fremont; to serve as a collective voice in matters of public policy affecting the cultural arts; to research grants available for the arts and to disseminate this information to the community; to promote the public image of Fremont as a balanced community, and to otherwise support the cultural arts.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The City of Fremont and FCAC have worked collaboratively for many years in support of visual and performing arts in the community. The Fremont Community Activities Center provides office space, storage for valuable program materials, common meeting and workroom facilities, and a promotional center for publicizing cultural arts events and activities to the community.
In exchange for the use of the Fremont Community Activities Center building, the FCAC provides the following services to the community:
• coordinates, promotes, and publicizes cultural arts activities in the City of Fremont, • serves as an arts information clearinghouse for its member organizations, • supports matters of public policy affecting the cultural arts, • research grants available for the arts and disseminates this information to the community,
Council Staff Report (ID # 5366) Meeting of April 1, 2025 Updated: 3/28/2025 9:40 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
• acts to promote the public image of Fremont as a balanced community and otherwise supports the cultural arts,
• provides direct program services to the community through activities & events:
o annual Juried Photographic Exhibition,
o annual Flash Fiction Contest,
o All Arts Summit,
o Arts Intern Program,
o financial support to the City’s Recreation Services Division Arts programs through its recreational arts scholarships.
The lease provides the use of the Fremont Community Activities Center building rent-free to FCAC in exchange for the above referenced community arts services and programs. FCAC and its member organizations share the responsibility for routine maintenance of the building interior and bear all direct costs associated with their use of the building including janitorial services, utilities, telephone and building alarm system. City maintains the building exterior and major support systems as well as all landscaping and grounds.
The City of Fremont and FCAC have successfully partnered in providing a valued cultural arts resource to the community since 1994. Staff recommends that this partnership continue through City Council approval of a new 5-year lease agreement, with two, 5-year renewal options.
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The renewal of a lease for an existing building is exempt from and not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(2) and/or 15378(b)(5) and as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment per CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), each as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to execute a new 5-year lease agreement with two, 5-year renewal options with the Fremont Cultural Arts Council for the use of the Fremont Community Activities Center, 3375 Country Drive.