To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
UC Master Gardener 2nd Amendment to License of Garden Area at County’s Los Guilicos Campus
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Director to execute the proposed Second Amendment to the existing the License agreement between the County and the Regents of the University of California for the UC Master Gardener’s garden area located on Pythian Road at the County’s Los Guilicos campus; with the Amendment reducing the licensed area from approximately 201,380 square feet to 101,059 square feet, and extending the License term from its current 7-year term to a 34-year term, from March 1, 2023 to February 28, 2057.
B) Find that the subject agreement is in the public interest and that the use of the subject Los Guilicos facilities under the agreement will not substantially conflict or interfere with County use.
(First District)
end
Executive Summary:
The Director of Sonoma County Public Infrastructure is requesting Board approval of the proposed Second Amendment to the License agreement with the UC Master Gardener that will reduce the UC Master Gardener’s Premises in the garden area of the Los Guilicos campus from approximately 201,380 square feet to approximately 101,059 square feet, and extend the License term from its current 7-year term to a 34-year term, from March 1, 2023 to February 28, 2057. The term extension provides UC Master Gardener with greater confidence that their Premises will serve as a long-term site for the UC Master Gardener program, while the reduction in Premises’ area makes the site more manageable for UC Master Gardener. The UC Master Gardener program will continue to not pay rent for the Premises’ area, and will be solely responsible for the Premises, including any cost or expenses for Premises’ utilities, maintenance, improvements, repairs, and security. The UC Master Gardener program provides benefit to the County and public through UC Master Gardener’s garden renovation, maintenance, and propagation activities, public educational workshops, plant sales to the public, and Licensee’s Master Gardener Program (“MGP”) member meetings.
Discussion:
On February 28, 2023, your Board approved the execution of a 5-year license agreement with UC Master Gardener for approximately 36,000 square feet of vacant former garden area that included an unmaintained greenhouse building located on Pythian Road at the southeast portion of the County’s Los Guilicos campus, with the land to be used by UC Master Gardener for their hoop houses they were relocating from the North County Detention Facility, as well as garden propagation activities, education and plant sales to the public. Since that time, they have made significant improvements to the garden area.
On August 13, 2024, your Board approved the execution of a First Amendment to the License to expand their UC Master Gardener’s Premises area from approximately 36,000 square feet to approximately 201,380 square feet, and extend the 5-year License term two additional years to a 7-year term.
In September 2025, UC Master Gardener informed Public Infrastructure Department staff of their interest in a license term extension of at least 30 years to give UC Master Gardener a great sense of security that the Premises will serve as a long term home for their program, and a reduction of their Premises area to a size more easily managed by them.
Negotiations continued between UC Regents, UC Master Gardener, and County staff into April 2026 when the terms of this Second Amendment were negotiated. The proposed Amendment will extend UC Master Gardener’s license term an additional 34 years and reduce UC Master Gardener’s Premises area. The increased term length gives UC Master Gardener a greater sense of security that the Premises will serve as a long term site for its program, and the reduction in Premises area is to make it a site that UC Master Gardener feels that they can more easily manage. The UC Master Gardener program provides benefit to the County and public through UC Master Gardener’s garden renovation, maintenance, propagation activities, public educational workshops, plant sales to the public, and Licensee’s Master Gardener Program (“MGP”) member meetings.
License. The proposed Amendment between the County, as Licensor, and the UC Regents as Licensee, contains the following key provisions:
1. Reduces the area of the licensed Premises from approximately 201,380 square feet to 101,059 square feet
2. Extends the License term from its current 7-year term to a 34-year term, from March 1, 2023, to February 28, 2057
3. All other terms of the existing License agreement will remain unchanged, including no rent or other license charges, and the right of either party to terminate this Agreement for any reason whatsoever upon one hundred eighty (180) days prior written notice to the other party
Approval of this license agreement extension presents no change in use, no physical changes to the premises, and will not result in any direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Accordingly, this approval is not a project pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section § 15378(a).
Procedural Authority. Government Code section 25526.6 allows the County to grant or otherwise convey an easement, license, or permit for use of County real property by any public agency, on terms and conditions as determined by the County, if the conveyance is in the public interest and if the interest in land conveyed will not interfere with County’s use of the subject property. Here, the Second Amendment will support UC Regent’s UC Master Gardener program whose staff and volunteers are improving undeveloped, underutilized land at the Los Guilicos campus that is not needed for County purposes and providing benefit to the County and public through UC Master Gardener’s improvements, garden propagation activities, and educational programs.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
08/13/24 - Authorize Public Infrastructure Director to execute First Amendment to License
02/28/23 - Authorize Public Infrastructure Director to execute License
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 25-26 Adopted |
FY 26-27 Projected |
FY 27-28 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
UC Master Gardener will not be charged rent or any license fee for use of the property, but will be solely responsible, including any cost or expense, for Premises’ utilities, maintenance, improvements, repairs, and security.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Second Amendment to License between County of Sonoma as Licensor and the UC Master Gardener as Licensee
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
License and First Amendment to License between County of Sonoma as Licensor and the UC Master Gardener as Licensee