AGENDA DATE: 9/18/2019
TITLE:
Title
Yancey School Community Center First Year Report
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Presentation of First Year Operations of Yancey School Community Center
ITEM TYPE: Regular Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Henry, Crickenberger, Stewart, Freitas, Smith, Russell
PRESENTER (S): Michael Freitas, Siri Russell, Amy Smith
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: In May 2017, the Albemarle County School Board voted to close BF Yancey Elementary School and on September 25, 2017, ownership of the transferred ownership to the County Board of Supervisors.
At the Board’s March 7, 2018 meeting, the Board endorsed a use framework (Attachment A) for the former BF Yancey Elementary School building that included the differentiation of user group types, space types, and an associated fee structure. The use framework adopted by the Board supports both short and long-term uses requiring a management structure that utilizes the policies, practices, and resources of both the Facilities & Environmental Services (FES) and Parks & Recreation (P&R) Departments.
The adopted framework, recommended by the Yancey Transition Advisory Committee, provided the basis of use of the facility as a community center, a use that the Albemarle County Planning Commission, at its meeting on July 17, 2018, found to be in substantial accord with the Comprehensive Plan (Attachment B).
The Yancey School Community Center began its new operations in September of 2018.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Quality Government Operations: Ensure County government’s capacity to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities.
DISCUSSION: The first year of operating the Yancey School Community Center has yielded some success while also revealing opportunities for further growth.
Successes
The Yancey School Community Center facility provides opportunities for both long-term (leased) and short-term use of the space. Current occupants include, among others, Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC), the Jefferson Area Board on Aging (JABA), the BF Yancey Food Pantry, and P&R programming.
Community members have also taken advantage of the space for the purposes of birthday parties and graduations. Highlights of the Center’s activities are provided in Attachment C.
Yancey Advisory Panel
In September 2018, following the completion of the work of the Yancey Transition Advisory Committee, the County Executive sponsored Yancey Advisory Panel (YAP) was chartered to work collaboratively with County staff in outreach activities and to make recommendations related to the use of the facility.
YAP has met at the Yancey School Community Center monthly for the past year and has successfully:
• outreached and generated community support for the community center
• engaged partners and other stakeholders to bring additional services to the community center
• launched the first annual Yancey Community Center Celebration
• applied and received grant funding in support of the community center’s operations
Opportunities
Though the Yancey School Community Center has had a positive first year that has included much success, opportunity abounds to increase the vibrancy and usefulness of the facility.
Building Utilization
Currently, the Yancey School Community Center facilities are not being used to capacity. Additionally, the total number of paying rental reservations from community members for the first year of operations was 8. During the same period there were 146 reservations at Greenwood Community Center and 19 at Scottsville Community Center, both operated by the County.
Increased Partner Services
Apart from the considerable social and recreational opportunities that exist at Yancey School Community Center, agency and nonprofit partners may be well positioned to provide needed services from the facility. The Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJDH), in particular, has been proactive about mobilizing resources to provide services from the community center. TJHD was awarded grant funds that have provided the opportunity to convert a classroom in the community center into clinic space from which they could provide Health Department Services (such as access to Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The intent is this space could be shared by other local service providers of health services, including mental health.
Staff and YAP continue to explore opportunities to increase rural residents’ access to needed services through use of the community center. Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF) Strengthening Systems Grant
CACF’s Strengthening Systems Grant which provides $300,000 over three years to organizations that present a viable proposal to strengthen how services and activities are delivered and accessed in the community was awarded to the County in July for the Yancey School Community Center. The grant funds provide an opportunity to have a full-time dedicated FTE as a resource at the community center, opening up opportunities for expanded programing and space utilization, increased outreach, and a coordinated approach to service delivery from the center.
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no budget impact associated with this report.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board receive the update provided for its information.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: March 7, 2018 Use Framework
Attachment B: CCP201800002 Yancey Community Center July 17 2018 PC Action Letter
Attachment C: Yancey School Community Center First Year Highlights