(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that certain guiding principles should be considered by the department when it vacates the Grand Junction regional center campus as required in subsection (3) of this section. The department's process and plan must:
Emphasize person-centered services that support the well-being and choice of theperson receiving services at the campus;
Involve the meaningful engagement of the parents or guardians of the person receiving services at the campus;
Foster community integration and involvement;
Find a solution that is programmatically and fiscally sustainable;
Preserve the capacity for the services and support provided by the regional center inGrand Junction and must not compromise the capacity for the services and support provided at the regional centers in Pueblo and Wheat Ridge;
Ensure that persons receiving services at the Grand Junction regional center campusare transitioned to home-like settings that serve no more than eight persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
Relocate day services and support for persons with intellectual and developmentaldisabilities and use this opportunity to enhance the quality of day services and support that are offered and increase the quality of the experience that persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities have with such day services and support;
Ensure the ongoing success and security of the regional center's staff members inGrand Junction;
Ensure that the regional center's administrative offices will be moved to a leasedoffice location that will house both the accounting and support functions that are currently located on the Grand Junction regional center campus;
Ensure that the division of facility management employees will be included in therelocation of the office and the workspace;
Work with the joint budget committee to ensure that the division of facility management's resources be redirected to meet the needs of the existing department facilities and operations in the Grand Junction area that are not on the campus;
Explore options for the future of laundry services currently provided at the GrandJunction regional center campus; and
Give reasonable notice to any current tenants of the Grand Junction regional centercampus, consistent with the terms of the lease, that their lease agreements are terminating and will not be extended.
For purposes of this section, "Grand Junction regional center campus" or "campus"means the real property that comprises the department of human services' campus on the northeast corner of 28th road and Riverside parkway in Grand Junction, Colorado 81501.
(a) No later than July 1, 2018, or as soon as each person receiving services on June 10, 2016, at the Grand Junction regional center campus is transitioned to nonregional center campus residences, if such transition occurs before July 1, 2018, the department shall vacate the Grand Junction regional center campus and shall either list all or a portion of the campus for sale or enter into a contract to transfer all or a portion of the campus to a state institution of higher education, a local government, or a state agency that is interested in its acquisition.
(b) (I) If the department cannot meet the deadline specified in subsection (3)(a) of this section, the department shall provide quarterly updates in writing, commencing no later than June 1, 2018, to the joint budget committee and the capital development committee that set forth the projected timeline for vacating the Grand Junction regional center campus and either listing all or a portion of the campus for sale or transferring all or a portion of the campus to a state institution of higher education, a local government, or a state agency that is interested in its acquisition.
(II) Notwithstanding subsection (3)(a) of this section, the department may continue to lease portions of the Grand Junction regional center campus to third-party behavioral health providers until June 30, 2020. Each party to such a lease may terminate the lease early provided that the terminating party provide the other party with ninety days' notice before vacating the property or requiring the property to be vacated.
(c) (I) No later than December 10, 2016, the department shall submit to the capital development committee a plan for the disposition of the Grand Junction regional center campus, including a plan to spend the proceeds of the sale, and shall make any associated capital construction budget requests for capital construction, capital renewal, or controlled maintenance needs related to the transitioning of persons receiving services at the Grand Junction regional center campus, based on such person's choice, to nonregional center campus residences. Any new facility that is constructed must be a home-like setting that serves no more than six persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
(II) The department shall convene an advisory group composed of no more than seven members to help the department formulate the plan and budget requests pursuant to the deadline described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c). The members shall be appointed by the department and must include direct care staff of the campus, families of persons receiving services at the campus, and other stakeholders. Members of the advisory group are volunteers and are not entitled to reimbursement for any actual and necessary expenses. Notwithstanding section 2-2-307, C.R.S., if the department appoints a legislative member to the advisory group, such legislative member is not entitled to per diem compensation.
The Grand Junction regional center campus transition cash fund, referred to in thissection as the "fund", is hereby created in the state treasury. The fund consists of two million dollars transferred from the intellectual and developmental disabilities services cash fund created in section 25.5-10-207 (1), C.R.S., and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund. The state treasurer shall credit all interest and income derived from the deposit and investment of money in the fund to the fund. The state treasurer shall credit any unexpended and unencumbered moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year to the general fund. Subject to appropriation by the general assembly, the department may expend money from the fund for future costs related to adequate housing for each person receiving services, including transition and moving costs, on June 10, 2016, on the Grand Junction regional center campus.
This section is repealed, effective June 30, 2021.
Source: L. 2016: Entire section added, (SB 16-178), ch. 274, p. 1133, § 1, effective June
10. L. 2018: (3)(b) amended, (HB 18-1049), ch. 134, p. 887, § 1, effective April 12. L. 2019:
(3)(a) and (3)(b)(I) amended, (HB 19-1062), ch. 20, p. 74, § 1, effective August 2.