BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Senator Ben Hueso, Chair
BILL NO: SB 725 HEARING DATE: 4/9/13
AUTHOR: Anderson
VERSION: As introduced
FISCAL: No
VOTE: 21
SUBJECT
Veterans buildings and memorials: county and city property:
veterans service organizations: retrofit and remodel.
DESCRIPTION
Existing law:
Provides that, when a county has provided or maintained
a memorial hall or other building or meeting place for the
use of veterans' organizations, the provision of that
facility and its acceptance by the veterans' organizations
constitutes a dedication of that property to a public
purpose.
Provides that the county may not revoke the dedication
-so long as the veterans' association has not violated the
terms and conditions of the dedication - unless the county
dedicates substitute facilities or unless the veterans'
organization has either consented to the proposed county
action or has abandoned its use of the facilities.
This bill:
Provides that the property shall not be considered
abandoned if the veterans service organization is required
to move from the property in order for the property to
undergo seismic retrofitting or remodeling.
Provides that, upon completion of any retrofit or
remodeling, the veterans service organization shall be
allowed to return to its previous space in the property.
BACKGROUND
General
Since well before World War Two, California law has authorized
counties to provide and/or maintain buildings, memorial halls,
meeting places, memorial parks, or recreation centers for the
use of veterans' organizations.
In facilitating these purposes, existing law provides
authorization and guidance to county boards of supervisors in
the receiving, purchasing or other acquisition of buildings and
property, repairing and maintaining the buildings and property,
and funding all the above through the levy of special taxes or
incurrence of bonded indebtedness.
Counties also may act jointly with any of its incorporated
cities in accomplishing these purposes.
The county may provide these veterans' facilities for the use of
nonveteran persons or organizations, either free of charge or at
cost of defraying maintenance, so long as the non-veteran use
does not interfere with the reasonable use of the facilities by
veterans' organizations.
Bob Hope Patriotic Hall
Los Angeles County's Patriotic Hall veterans' building was
constructed in 1925. (In 2004, the facility was rededicated and
renamed in honor of Bob Hope.)
According to the Los Angeles Times (August 9, 2012):
The American Legion was the hall's first tenant in 1925.
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Offices for local legion posts and the organization's county
council were located on its eighth floor. Legionnaires used a
large first-floor assembly hall off an ornate, domed lobby for
ceremonies and club rooms on the second, third and fourth
floors were used for smaller meetings. . . .
Other veterans' groups also became long-term tenants. Two
local chapters of Disabled American Veterans had offices
there. So did American Veterans (AMVets), Jewish War Veterans
of the U.S., the Filipino Veterans Foundation, Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW), the Horn of Plenty veterans food
collection service, the Brotherhood Rally of All Veterans
Organizations (BRAVO) and the Employer Support of the Guard
and Reserve.
In 2009, the County Board of Supervisors approved a $45.3
million project to renovate the Hall. The renovation included
replacement of the building's mechanical, electrical, plumbing,
and ventilation systems; renovation of the 10th floor gymnasium,
full service kitchen, and vertical transportation systems;
restoration of the 474-seat auditorium, American with
Disabilities Act upgrades, and landscaping and reconfiguration
of the existing surface parking lot.
Tenants were moved out of the building into temporary quarters
until the renovation is completed. In 2012, as the project
neared completion, several veterans groups, including the
American Legion, publicly expressed concern that they would not
be getting their old office space back. The groups said they
were told that they are being relocated into the hall's basement
and "crammed into cubicles" erected in a former dining room.
American Legion leaders said they are prepared to go to court if
necessary to get their post's original eighth-floor space back.
They said state law guarantees veteran groups' continued use of
a memorial hall unless the organization "abandons" the structure
- something the Legion has not done.
COMMENT
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1.Author statement :
"As aging public places throughout California gradually require
repair and upkeep, good intentions sometimes suffer from
confusion and uncertainty. One example is described by LA
Downtown News: "Patriotic Hall has been home primarily to
various veterans' organizations. These groups moved out in 2006
when the building was closed. Several of the groups, including
American Legion Post 8 are in temporary offices on Grand Avenue
and intend on returning to Patriotic Hall when the renovations
are complete in 2012. The original deed specified that the
building must remain a veteran's facility as long as such groups
wanted to stay there, but with the dwindling amount of veterans
since World War II, the building has been used for other
things?.
According to the Los Angeles Times, "On September 8, 2009, the
County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors approved a $45.3
million project to renovate the historic Bob Hope Patriotic
Hall. The renovation includes replacement of the building's
mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and ventilation systems;
renovation of the 10th floor gymnasium, full service kitchen,
and vertical transportation systems; restoration of the 474-seat
auditorium, American with Disabilities Act upgrades, and
landscaping and reconfiguration of the existing surface parking
lot. The building's historic features have been restored in
accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. The
renovation is also anticipated to achieve the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification upon
its completion, which is anticipated in the Spring of 2013.
"As construction of the renovation project nears completion, the
County has begun to meet with veterans service organizations
that were former tenants of Bob Hope Patriotic Hall to discuss
space and operational needs. The County plans to work with
veterans' service organizations and other entities to create a
full service center that focuses solely on supporting U.S.
Military Veterans and their families in their transition from
military to civilian life."
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2.Committee Staff Comments :
Los Angeles County responded on the Patriotic Hall controversy.
The County Chief Executive Officer's (CEO) report (September 10,
2012) to the Board of Supervisors states:
In 2010, prior to the start of construction activities, the
tenants of Patriotic Hall included veterans and non-veterans
organizations occupying office and cubicle spaces; the
building's conference/meeting spaces, auditorium, and
gymnasium were utilized by government/department/agency;
non-veterans groups/public; and veteran's organizations. In
fiscal year 2005-2006, the building usage was as follows:
---------------------------------------------------
|Entity Type | Hours | Percentage |
|----------------------+-----------+----------------|
|Non-Veterans/Public |8,952 |50.44% |
|----------------------+-----------+----------------|
|Department of |5,401 |30.42% |
|Military and Veterans | | |
|Affairs (MVA) | | |
|----------------------+-----------+----------------|
|Veterans |3,397 |19.14% |
|Organizations | | |
|----------------------+-----------+----------------|
|TOTAL |17,750 |100.00% |
---------------------------------------------------
In addition, LA County says that the County CEO and the MVA
Department conducted a meeting in November 2012 with the tenant
veterans' organizations. Subsequently, a questionnaire was sent
out to these stakeholder groups inquiring about their space
needs and uses.
The survey results will be included in a preliminary space plan
to be presented to the stakeholders at a second meeting to be
held either later April or early May. The meeting will include a
walk-through of Patriotic Hall, for which renovations have
reached substantial completion. Feedback will be solicited from
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the stakeholders at that meeting and their comments on the
preliminary plan will be incorporated into a final plan which
will again be presented to the stakeholders. The final plan
will also be eventually presented to the Board for approval.
POSTITIONS
Sponsor: American Legion - Department of California
(co-sponsor)
AMVETS - Department of California (co-sponsor)
Vietnam Veterans of America - California State Council
(co-sponsor)
Support: California Association of County Veterans Service
Officers (CAVSO)
California State Commanders Veterans Council
Veterans of Foreign Ware (VFW) - Department of
California
Oppose: None received
Analysis by: Wade Cooper Teasdale
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