Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution directs Engineering staff to proceed with necessary renovations at 2002 Zeier Rd to convert the structure into a temporary shelter for men experiencing homelessness. Additionally, the resolution would amend the Community Development Division’s 2022 Adopted Capital Budget to authorize an additional $500,000 of general obligation borrowing to complete this work. The Common Council authorized the purchase of this property on October 5, 2021 (RES-21-00684, Legistar File #67422), which included $580,000 for environmental studies, closing costs, and architectural/engineering services associated with the renovation. The current cost estimate for this project is $1.1 million. This is higher than the October 2021 estimate due to more detailed design plans, stakeholder input on facility needs, and inflation adjustments for construction.
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Directing City Engineering staff to proceed with renovations to the structure located at 2002 Zeier Road necessary to convert it to temporary use as a shelter for single men experiencing homelessness, and amending the City’s 2022 Adopted Capital Budget to authorize an additional $500,000 of general obligation borrowing to complete that work.
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WHEREAS, public health and safety concerns associated with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 led to the closure of the sole men’s drop-in shelter in Madison which, for nearly 35 years, had operated from the basement of Grace Episcopal Church on the Capitol Square; and,
WHEREAS, the City responded to this closure, and the continued need for shelter services, by converting City-owned buildings, first at the Warner Park Community Recreation Center and, later, at the former Fleet Maintenance Facility on First Street, for use as temporary shelter venues; and,
WHEREAS, the move to the Fleet Maintenance Facility in December 2020 was made with the knowledge that the Common Council had previously determined the First Street property would be used as the location of the Madison Public Market as financing to pursue that project was secured; and,
WHEREAS, on October 5, 2021, the Common Council enacted RES-21-00684, Legistar File #67422, which authorized the purchase of the property located at 2002 Zeier Road for use as temporary men’s homeless shelter between the time the existing temporary shelter exits its current location at First Street and the date on which a planned new shelter opens, projected to be in the first or second quarter of 2025; and,
WHEREAS, RES -21-00684 included $580,000 in the 2022 Economic Development Capital Budget General Land Acquisition Fund project (Munis Project # 63060) for environmental studies, closing costs, and architectural/engineering services associated with the renovation of the Zeier Road property, a sum reflecting preliminary estimates of those costs; and,
WHEREAS, subsequently, City Engineering staff prepared more detailed design plans, informed by input from, among others, the shelter operator, and staff from the Community Development Division, Dane County Human Services and the City-County Public Health Department; and,
WHEREAS, that input drew on experience gained through operating temporary shelter facilities during the course of the pandemic, and emphasized the importance of being able to safely accommodate persons presenting with physical or behavioral health issues, particularly during periods of extreme weather; and,
WHEREAS, the design plan incorporates that input through features that will improve the shelter’s functionality by offering such things as separate sleeping spaces and bathroom accommodations for guests with special needs, and indoor storage for guests and staff; and,
WHEREAS, Engineering’s cost estimates also reflect current inflationary pressures in the construction industry, and place the total cost to complete the renovation at about $1.1 million; and,
WHEREAS, an additional $500,000 of general obligation borrowing will be required to complete the project; and
WHEREAS, work to prepare the First Street facility for conversion to the Madison Public Market is expected to begin as early as the fall of 2022, setting that timeframe for the temporary shelter’s move to the Zeier Road location.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council directs the Engineering Division to prepare for and begin the task of converting the property at 2002 Zeier Road for use as a temporary shelter serving men experiencing homelessness; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council amends the City’s 2022 Adopted Capital Budget to authorize $500,000 of general obligation borrowing under the Community Development Division’s Capital Project #13345 (Men’s Temporary Homeless Shelter) to complete the renovation of the Zeier Road property for such use.