Okaloosa County BOCC — September 16, 2014 — Action Item Printout

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: September 16, 2014 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Don Turner SUBJECT: Head Start Request for Assistance DEPARTMENT: Facility Maintenance BCC DISTRICT: 4 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: (FM) Requests BCC direction regarding a recent request for assistance from the BCC in replacing framing and sheetrock removed due to a mold remediation project at the McGriff Street Head Start. BACKGROUND: On or about August 19th of this year, Mr. Frank Godbout, Head Start Executive Director, made a request for assistance from Okaloosa County in replacing framing and sheetrock removed as a part of a mold remediation project conducted at the McGriff Street location in Ft Walton Beach. The spring storms that caused so much damage to Okaloosa County roads and buildings, also damaged the Head Start building on McGriff Street. The rains flooded the building causing wide spread damage to the interior. After the building was dried out, it was tested for mold. Mold was detected, which is pretty typical for about anywhere in Florida. However, black mold was discovered. Black mold can cause a variety of allergic reactions with the most severe resulting in death. With children present in the building almost every day, remediation was ordered. The black mold was discovered in numerous areas of the sheetrock and had even spread into the wood studs. The remediation project includes removing all the affected building components, including the studs. The Head Start Program provides area families with early childhood care and education for a low or no cost. In addition, they provide job and housing referral services to the families, along with other programs. The remediation project cost the Head Start Program about $175,000 out of their budget, which wasn't budgeted. They are trying to get that money back from a pool of state funds for Head Start programs. The remediation project didn't include repairing any of the remediated components. To get the remediated space ready, so the students can return, Mr. Godbout is requesting BCC assistance with the needed repairs to the remediated areas. They are really "Caught Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" in this matter. Their revenue is based on the number of students attending the school. They can't have the students back at the school until the work is completed, but the work can't get completed unless they have the money to pay for the repairs, but they have no way to get the money for the repairs without the students being at the school. Mr. Godbout is probing all possible sources to get the money for the repairs; however, the prospects of getting the needed money wasn't looking good as of the time of his request to the county. The county provides $10,000 annually, through the Facilities Maintenance Department, to support the Head Start program. The exact cost of the repairs is unknown at this time as the remediation work was ongoing as of the time this item was penned. The remediated areas are off limits until the remediation is complete and air monitoring results are normal. The Board has authorized FM to provide up to $5,000 in labor and has approved $5,000 for materials for maintenance to the McGriff St. facility. While the request isn't for maintenance, the school needs the repairs more than maintenance in the coming budget cycle. Staff requests Board direction in the use of the maintenance resources allocated for Head Start in the FM budget toward making the necessary repairs from the mold remediation project to the McGriff Street facility so students can return. RECOMMENDATIONS: (FM) Requests BCC direction regarding a recent request for assistance from the BCC in replacing framing and sheetrock removed due to a mold remediation project at the McGriff Street Head Start. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: Ernie Padgett, County Administrator