PREVIOUS:Modesto NEXT:Ventura County UP:Table of Contents

VACAVILLE
Three Oaks Telecenter

The City of Vacaville operated two neighborhood telework centers until June 30, 1995, when the telecenter in the Ulatis Community Center was temporarily closed.

The Three Oaks (formerly Alamo) Telecenter continues to occupy a trailer adjacent to the Three Oaks Community Center in south Vacaville. An additional room in the trailer was recently transferred to the telecenter, making its total area approximately 625 square feet. Part of the additional space will be used to relocate the administrator's office to the site from its present space two miles away. The rest of the telecenter is divided into three rooms: a large central room housing three cubicle workstations, and two adjoining smaller rooms, one with three workstations, and the other with two. All workstations are equipped with desktop computers (two Macintosh Quadra 630s and seven Compaq Prolinea 80486s).There is a separate room in the trailer that, with prior arrangements, can be used as a conference room. All equipment from the Ulatis Telecenter has been transferred to the Three Oaks Telecenter.

This center is easily accessible via the Alamo Drive exit from Interstate 80 or by local bike lanes. It is located in a residential area, and is only a short walk from nearby shopping and dining. Three Oaks Community Center houses an on-site public swimming pool, and the City is nearing completion of the adjacent Three Oaks Community Park. The telecenter provides coffee, tea, occasional home-made baked goods, and free access to a refrigerator and microwave.

Other support for the telecenter is currently provided by the City of Vacaville (in-kind services), and the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (clean air fund grants). In an effort to reduce dependence on grant funding, the city recently consolidated most administrative responsibilities for the telecenter from several individuals in the city's offices to a single Telecenter Coordinator. Efforts are underway to determine a reasonable fee schedule for use of the center and to recruit additional telecommuters. The ultimate goal is to provide completely self-sustaining facilities.

Marketing emphasizes additional media exposure, and identifying and working with key persons (normally transportation coordinators) at major employers. In addition to issuing press releases and advertising on the local radio station, the City is working with both Vacaville's and Fairfield's local cable television providers. KUIC-FM, the local radio station, provides no-fee radio spots promoting the telecenter program. This arrangement is due in large part to the telecenters' relationship with the community. Other groups and organizations who help publicize the facilities include realtors, the community welcome wagon, the Solano County Library, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Ten telecommuters currently use the Three Oaks TeleCenter. Over the last several weeks, the center has been used an average of eleven person-days per week.

PREVIOUS:Modesto NEXT:Ventura County UP:Table of Contents