Menlo Park City Council OKs child-care center bid Menlo Park City Council OKs child-care center bid (March 23, 2005)

By Rebecca Wallace

Almanac Staff Writer

If all goes according to plan, in a year children will be frolicking at a Menlo Park child-care facility on the site of the old police department building.

By remodeling the old station at the Civic Center and erecting a modular structure next door, city officials say they'll be able to accommodate 163 youngsters. The modular will match the station, with a wood-frame structure and a pitched roof.

After a long battle between supporters of the remodel and those who rallied for a brand-new child-care center, a divided Menlo Park City Council finally signed off on the remodel plan March 15.

The majority -- Mickie Winkler, Nicholas Jellins and Lee Duboc -- voted to accept a $2 million construction bid from Zakskorn Construction Co. of Oakland. Kelly Fergusson and Andy Cohen dissented.

But one question remains: Should the city still be in the child-care business? Some residents say child care should be offered solely by private providers, and question whether tax dollars should go towards care. The city charges fees for child care, but they don't cover all overhead expenses. (There are some subsidies for low-income parents.)

Ms. Winkler mentioned the subject before casting her vote, saying that once the new center is built there will still be options for modifying how care is provided.

The city can still provide care as it does now, or it can raise fees to cover all its child-care costs, Ms. Winkler said. Or, she added, "We can build the facility and have a private company run it."

How will the city make that decision? Ms. Winkler said after the meeting that the most logical time to hear from residents about whether to remain in the child-care business would be when the city embarks on a new process for crafting its budget in 2006-07.

In the process, known as "bottom-up," the council and an ad hoc citizens' committee will work closely with residents to find out what city services they'd be willing to keep and how much they'd be willing to pay.

"We'll understand the community better when we do that," Ms. Winkler said.
Controversial issue

The split on the council has mirrored the rift in the community, with many residents, like Councilwoman Fergusson, critical of the old police building as a site for children.

Former council member Mary Jo Borak said March 15 that the old station is "a terrible building," adding, "The fact that you can put a trailer up next to it and they look alike really tells you a lot about it."

Other residents praised the remodel plan as the sensible thing to do in light of the recession. The total costs of the 9,000-square-foot project, including contingencies, are estimated at $3.39 million, while a prior plan to build a new 13,700-square-foot center would have cost about $6.6 million, officials said.

"The city is being fiscally responsible in scaling back its plans," resident Sue Kayton told the council.

About 60 people were at the meeting, with 13 residents speaking in favor of the remodel and seven against.

Councilman Cohen voted against the project, saying he would not vote for either the remodel or a new center. He said the council should postpone a decision until the city thoroughly reviews its budget priorities in the "bottom-up" process.

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