Calhoun on offices
Construction needs exist because the County Board has failed to do anything about them before there is a crisis. For years the County Board has been a reactive body – never planning for future needs. The only reason the juvenile facility was built was because of the negative publicity (“Hall of Shame”) about the old facility. The County should have prioritized, budgeted and planned for the new construction needs with a dedicated building reserve fund. What we need to do now is establish priorities and start developing a building reserve fund. I believe the ag, food and safety center, as well as the morgue, needs to be co-located. It also should be done in conjunction with the City of Fresno. The offices for County employees are of less importance and can wait out the budget crisis.
Eventually, offices should be co-located with City of Fresno employees for efficiency and better service to the public.