Notice of Meeting

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under the Federal Advisory Committee Act the Veterans and Community Oversight and Engagement Board will meet on September 12 – 13, 2018. The meetings are open to the public.

Minutes and Presentations

The VCOEB typically meets two to four times a year. Meeting minutes and presentations are available for download.

Recommendations and Responses

The Board has been working since December 2017 in helping VA return all of VA’s West Los Angeles (West LA) Campus to its intended purpose of supporting our Veterans and, in particular, our homeless veterans. The Board has had extensive discussions with VA staff, and they believe they are at a critical point in the process (i.e., selecting a Principal Developer). The Board has identified the necessity to separate the two processes of selecting a builder/contractor for the 50 units in Building 207 and selecting a Principal (Master) Developer to revise and implement the Draft Master Plan and associated considerations. The two projects require significantly different experience and qualification requirements, and the Board does not believe VA will find professional excellence for both skill sets in one entity. The Board believes the

Principal Developer should have successfully demonstrated the expertise needed to explore development alternatives, determine the common infrastructure required for the north/south campus, and evaluate financial and funding considerations. In the final analysis, the selected Principal Developer will be charged with transforming a Draft Master Plan into a working Master Plan that can deliver at least 1,200, and possibly as many as 3,200, units of permanent supportive housing.

The Board is concerned the selection process for a Principal Developer is starting with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Unless the RFQ contains the required elements of a Request for Proposals (RFP), VA runs the risk of needlessly delaying the selection and the project. Key pre-award activities should include further defining the proposed scope of work and time line.

Recommendation 1: Separate the solicitation for an Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) for Building 207 from the solicitation for a Principal Developer to expedite completion of the renovation of Building 207 into permanent supportive housing.

Recommendation 2: If the RFQ for a Principal Developer will not incorporate the substance of an RFP as defined in VA policy, then issue a separate RFP to those qualified developers who are identified through the RFQ.

Background: The Board has completed three full Board meetings (December 2017, March 2018, and June 2018). The full Board, or our Master Plan Subcommittee, has participated in several conference calls with VA staff to include bi-monthly updates/discussions with the West LA Integrated Process Team (IPT). These exchanges were very useful as we tried to leverage the very extensive experience of our Board members to understand VA’s process.

Because of this engagement, careful evaluation of the available information and our experience with large multi-faceted developments, the Board does not believe the current VA strategy can meet Government or community expectations for timeliness or excellence. The Board offers two recommendations we believe to be essential in delivering a quality product on time.

VA Response: VA deeply appreciates the Board members’ professional expertise and personal commitment to Veterans and VA’s plan to redevelop the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System’s West LA campus for the benefit of Veterans and their families.

VA also appreciates the considerable time, thought, and effort that went into the development of the Board’s recommendations that VA separate its solicitation for a Principal Developer from the solicitation for an EUL to renovate Building 207 into permanent supportive housing and that a separate RFP be issued after qualified developers are identified through an RFQ.

Please be assured that the Department fully expects that developers who may be interested in serving as Principal Developer for the overall campus development will team with other entities, to include developers who specialize in supportive housing, to ensure they have the capability and expertise to carry out all activities outlined in the RFQ. For that reason, we do not believe it is in VA’s or the Veterans’ best interest to separate the Principal Developer RFQ from a solicitation to renovate Building 207 under an EUL.

We look forward to sharing with you the outcome of the ongoing solicitation process and to working closely with you to implement the Draft Master Plan for the benefit of deserving Veterans and their families who reside in Los Angeles.

Agenda

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Administrative Work Discussion

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Registration and Check In

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
Call to Order

9:10 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Opening Remarks Committee Chair

9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Opening Remarks Executive Sponsor
Update on Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program

9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
West Los Angeles Integrated Project Team Update/Status/Q&A

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Office of Asset Enterprise Management RFQ/RFP Process/Q&A

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Lunch

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Brentwood School

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
UCLA

2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
City of Los Angeles

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Break

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Public Comment Session

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Wrap up of Public Comment Session

5:30 p.m.
Adjourn

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Registration and Check In

8:30 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
Call to Order

8:40 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks Committee Chair

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Shangri-La/Step-Up on 2nd

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Services and Outcomes Subcommittee Report/Discussion

12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Outreach and Community Engagement Subcommittee Report/Discussion

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Master Plan Subcommittee Report/Discussion

2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Break

3:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Way Ahead/Next Steps/Future Actions

4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Adjourn