Stanislaus supervisors approve agreement for veterans center in Modesto
With dozens of military veterans looking on, Stanislaus County supervisors approved an agreement Tuesday for developing a one-stop veterans center in Modesto.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 to seek proposals for leasing a building for a 20,000-square-foot veterans hall, with additional space for meeting rooms and veterans services offices. Supervisor Bill O’Brien was absent for most of Tuesday’s meeting after being called to jury duty.
County staff members said the veterans center will need 30,000 square feet to 65,000 square feet of space. The center will have capacity for 500 people at large functions and include offices for county veterans services and the Area Agency on Aging.
The county Community Services Agency and Behavioral Health and Recovery Services could provide adult programs in the center, depending on the building’s size.
The county is working on the project with Modesto and the Veterans Foundation of Stanislaus County, a nonprofit group formed in July. Modesto’s City Council was expected to approve the agreement under a consent item Tuesday evening.
Modesto would contribute $80,000 annually to help pay for the 10-year lease. The county would commit $100,000 a year from the proceeds of selling the former Medical Arts Building in downtown Modesto for $1 million, and kick in $100,000 from the general fund. About $113,000 in county rental obligations for the Department of Aging and Veterans Services also would move to the new center.
Additional costs would be covered by Veterans Foundation fundraising and event rental fees.
Officials said they have looked at potential locations for the center on McHenry Avenue, near downtown and in east Modesto. The county is expected to review competitive proposals from property owners late this year.
Air Force veteran Becky Crow is executive director of the Veterans Foundation. Board members include Chairman Ray Alli, Michael Pelucca, Dr. Tom Watling, Ron Martin, Bill Shanahan and Ben Williams.
About 27,000 veterans and their family members live in Stanislaus County. The county has more than 30 veterans organizations with more than 7,000 members in all.
Ken Carlson: 209-578-2321
Board of Supervisors watch
The Board of Supervisors took the following action Tuesday:
- Gave final approval to an ordinance that gives automatic salary increases to supervisors when their pay is more than 20 percent less than the average in eight other counties. County board members are expected to receive a 3.75 percent increase in January 2017. Their salaries will be frozen if projected general fund revenues for that year are less than the previous year.
- Approved an emergency operations plan for the county.
- Presented effective partnership awards for the Department of Child Support Services’ Pathways to Self Sufficiency Program and the Community Services Agency’s Pathways to Well-Being Program.
This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Stanislaus supervisors approve agreement for veterans center in Modesto."