The City of Manteca is buying the former county public health clinic on Sycamore Avenue in downtown that was remodeled following a 2018 fire.
The 3-2 vote moving forward with the below market purchase from San Joaquin County for $390,000 reflected a difference of opinion among elected officials not about the potential benefits but the wisdom of spending money to buy it given the clear picture they were given of fiscal challenges facing the city.
That concern prompted Dave Breitenbucher and Charlie Halford to vote no.
The council majority while conceding that was a concern pointed to the rare opportunity as well as the potential of the city having a daily downtown presence could be a catalyst for change in the central district.
What made Mayor Ben Cantu along with council members Gary Singh and Jose Nuño comfortable in proceeding with the purchase was the price. In the event the city had to sell the building they would likely be reassured of a solid return given the negotiated sales price the county agreed to was significantly below market value. The county had several offers to buy it for more than the $390,000 the city will pay.
State law requires other agencies to have first crack at the purchase of surplus government buildings and land. City Manager Miranda Lutzow said the county was willing to lower the price as they wanted to work in partnership with the city in helping enhance Manteca services.
Nuño noted some form of a daily city presence in downtown — whether it was as a satellite office to pay utility bills or to accommodate overflow office space needs — would make municipal leadership acutely aware of the challenges facing downtown with a myriad of issues.
Halford was particularly concerned by a staff presentation that the overall general fund year end balances are now projected to be $23.5 million when June 30 rolls around. Although Acting Finance Director Stephanie Beauchaine pointed out that’s a reasonable amount the uncertainty of how and when the economic bounce back from COVID-19 lockdowns occur could mean the city would have to rely heavily on general fund reserves in the upcoming fiscal year starting July 1 to underwrite day-to-day municipal services such as police and fire.
Staff proposed tapping the unrestricted general fund reserve to pay for the building.
With government facility fees collected from growth at $22.4 million and project to hit $23 million by June 30, Halford suggested staff consider using that as a source to fund the acquisition.
Lutzow said that would depend upon the ultimate use of the building depending upon how it is ultimately utilized.
The purchase at 124 Sycamore Avenue includes the adjoining 20 stall parking lot.
The building and parking lot are directly across from the original two-story brick City Hall built in 1923 and used until 1978 when the current Civic Center opened on Center Street.
There is no set plan at the moment for the building but there is a long list of possible uses being mulled that are all designed to make city services more accessible, increase foot traffic in downtown, and generate more community events such as a possible return of a downtown farmers market using the parking lot.
Essentially the building could become a satellite city hall office.
The city could, as an example, place a frontline municipal worker connected remotely with the city’s systems to process things such as utility payments, dog licenses, and other business that represent the bulk of citizen foot traffic at the Civic Center.
People could combine a trip to city hall with excursions to the post office that is a quarter of a block away or the library which is a half a block away.
That could help lead to more opportunities for current and future businesses to snag casual foot traffic and even bolster the city’s fledgling nearby food truck court program.
But the potential use of the building is not just seen as a convenience center of sorts for residents and businesses conducting routine city business.
*It could be used by the Manteca Police to have a bike patrol work out of while operating in the central district.
*Space could be made for council members to meet one-on-one with constituents.
*A visitors’ center could be established and possibly staffed on a contractual basis with an organization such as the Manteca Chamber of Commerce.
*The building — and the adjoining parking lot — could be used to program and oversee community events.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com