Ballot Language

Full Text Bond Resolution Concerning Measure C (PDF)

Full Text Ballot Proposition State Center Community College District Bond Measure Election June 7, 2016

*LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE CLASSROOM REPAIR AND JOB TRAINING IMPROVEMENT MEASURE. To repair/upgrade Fresno City, Clovis, Reedley Colleges, to prepare students and veterans for jobs/university transfer by upgrading classroom buildings, labs/technology, upgrading vocational/career education programs, removing lead paint/asbestos, repairing leaky roofs, gas/sewer lines and acquiring, construct/repairing facilities/sites/equipment, shall State Center Community College District issue $485,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, no money for administrators’ salaries, audits, all funds used locally?”

Projects

The Board of Trustees of the State Center Community College District to be responsive to the needs of its community, evaluated each of the college’s urgent and critical facility needs, and its capacity to provide students, and Veterans with support and job training facilities, an affordable education and prepare them for success in college and careers. Job training facilities, safety issues, class size and offerings, and information and computer technology were each considered in developing the scope of projects to be funded, as such are outlined in the District’s 2012-2025 Facilities Master Plan, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety (the “Master Plan”), and available for review on the District’s website (www.scccd.edu). In developing the scope of projects, basic repairs, job training facilities, campus safety, facilities supporting Veterans, and the expansion of opportunities for local students to receive an affordable, quality education, were prioritized. If these facility needs are not addressed now, the District’s Colleges would be unable to remain competitive in preparing students for jobs in high demand industries and university transfer. The Board of Trustees determines that our Colleges and Centers MUST:

1. Remain an important community resource by training students who need higher-paying or skilled jobs;
2. Continue to play critical role in keeping our community healthy and safe by training local police, firefighters, paramedics and nurses;
3. Prepare returning Veterans for high-paying jobs;
4. Expand essential job training and workforce preparation for students of all ages and local residents; and
5. Provide local students with an affordable, low-cost, high-quality education;

The following types of projects are authorized to be undertaken at the Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, the Madera Community College Center, the Oakhurst Center and at other sites and facilities of the State Center Community College District:

PROVIDING JOB TRAINING AND COLLEGE TRANSFER:

Facility Improvements
To Help Students and Veterans Transfer to Four-Year
Universities or be Trained For High Demand Jobs

Goals and Purposes: Our local community colleges serve many military veterans, many of whom have recently returned from war zones and face challenges including post-traumatic stress disorder and permanent disability. Upgraded and expanded veteran services and job training are needed so returning service members receive the support they need to complete their education and enter the civilian workforce.

Our local community colleges provide essential job training and workforce preparation for students, veterans, and local residents. This measure will upgrade classrooms, labs and equipment for career education and apprenticeship programs to train local police officers and firefighters and careers in nursing, engineering, agricultural, technology, advance manufacturing and other in-demand jobs. This measure will allow students to get the skills and training needed to compete for good-paying jobs in 21 ^st Century economy.

• Upgrade classrooms and labs that will prepare returning Veterans for high-paying jobs.
• Provide or upgrade facilities and improved training programs for nursing, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing.
• Upgrade classrooms and labs to provide students with access to the latest advances in computers and technology so they can respond to the changing economy.
• Upgrade career and vocational classrooms and programs to better prepare students and workers for good-paying jobs.
• Provide facilities which improve job training programs in technology, engineering and clean energy.
• Improve police and firefighting academies.
• Improve and expand facilities which prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

PROVIDING AN AFFORDABLE EDUCATION
FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS AND VETERANS:

Basic Repair Projects Needed To Older Buildings
To Support Job Training and Public Safety Programs

Goals and Purposes: Our local community colleges offer an affordable alternative to the skyrocketing cost of four-year universities. This measure will increase opportunities for local students to earn college credits, certifications, and job skills at a reasonable price and then transfer to four-year universities to complete their degree.

To make sure that Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College and our education centers are safe places to learn, funds will be used to upgrade campus security emergency communication systems, campus lighting signage, cameras, and door locks, ensuring the safety and security of students.

Local community colleges are where our area’s nurses, police officers, firefighters, and 9-1-1 emergency responders are trained. This measure will upgrade the Police and Firefighter Academies, and improve health and education programs to ensure our local area has the well-trained first-responders needed to keep communication safe.

• Remove mold, lead paint and asbestos.
• Replace outdated electrical wiring.
• Repair deteriorating gas, electrical, water and sewer lines.
• Fix leaky roofs.
• Make campus buildings more energy efficient.
• Upgrade security including lighting, fencing, gates, locks, alarms, and cameras on school campuses.
• Upgrade fire alarms, smoke detectors and sprinkler systems.

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Fiscal Accountability

This bond measure has strict accountability requirements including:

1. All money will benefit our local college campuses and CANNOT BE TAKEN BY THE STATE.
2. NO MONEY can be used for ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES or pensions.
3. Require CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT and yearly audits to ensure all funds are used locally, effectively and as promised.
4. NO ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES. Proceeds from the sale of the bonds authorized by this proposition shall be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or replacement of school facilities, including the furnishing and equipping of school facilities, and not for any other purpose, including teacher, faculty and college administrator salaries, pensions and other operating expenses.
5. FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE EXPENDITURE OF BOND MONEY ON THESE PROJECTS IS SUBJECT TO STRINGENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS. BY LAW, PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL AUDITS WILL BE PERFORMED ANNUALLY, AND ALL BOND EXPENDITURES WILL BE MONITORED BY AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE SPENT AS PROMISED AND SPECIFIED. THE CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MUST INCLUDE, AMONG OTHERS, REPRESENTATION OF A BONA FIDE TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION, A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND A SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATION. NO DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OR VENDORS ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE ON THE CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

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The listed projects will be completed as needed. Each project is assumed to include its share of furniture, equipment, architectural, engineering, and similar planning costs, program/project management, staff training expenses, a customary contingency, and costs associated with the Total Cost of Ownership of facilities and equipment. In addition to the listed projects stated above, authorized projects also include the acquisition of a variety of instructional, maintenance and operational equipment, including interim funding incurred to advance fund projects from payment of the costs of complying with applicable State and federal regulations and the costs of preparation of all facility planning, fiscal reporting, facility studies, assessment reviews, facility master plan preparation and updates, environmental studies (including environmental investigation, remediation and monitoring), design and construction documentation, and temporary housing of dislocated college activities caused by construction projects. In addition to the projects listed above, repair, renovation and construction projects may include, but not be limited to, some or all of the following: renovation of student and staff restrooms; replace aging electrical and plumbing systems; repair and replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; acquire vehicles; upgrade of facilities for energy efficiencies, including energy management systems; repair and replacement of worn-out and leaky roofs, windows, walls doors and drinking fountains; replace or remove outdated buildings and classrooms and construction of new classrooms and support buildings; installation of wiring and electrical systems to safely accommodate computers, technology and other electrical devices and needs; upgrade facilities to meet current environmental sustainability and State compliance and earthquake safety standards; repair and replacement of fire alarms, emergency communications and security systems; upgrading, replacing of turf and replacing or relocating of irrigation systems; construct or upgrade classrooms; build or upgrade facilities for math, physical sciences, life sciences, fine arts, theatre/performing arts, and agriculture and environmental science programs and a high-tech job training center; construct, expand or reconfigure facilities to create large lecture classrooms; provide more parking, upgrade, resurfacing and reconditioning existing parking lots and improve traffic flow to resolve congestion on local streets; repair, upgrade and install interior and exterior lighting systems; replace water lines and valves, sewer lines and other plumbing systems; construct, upgrade, acquire or expand multi-use classrooms and labs, learning resources center, administrative offices, conference center, maintenance building, student service/campus center and instructional buildings, trades and technology building, library, student services buildings; improve water conservation and energy efficiency; replace or upgrade outdated security and safety systems; replace existing window systems with energy-efficient systems to reduce costs; improve insulation, weatherproofing and roofs to reduce costs; improve access for the disabled; install and repair fire safety equipment, including alarms, smoke detectors, sprinklers, emergency lighting, and fire safety doors; replace broken concrete walks, deteriorated asphalt; replace/upgrade existing signage, and clocks; demolition of unsafe facilities; install new security systems, such as security (surveillance) cameras, burglar alarms, handrails, outdoor lighting, fencing, gates and classroom door locks; replace sewer lines and improve drainage systems to prevent flooding; acquire land; upgrade roadway and pedestrian paths for improved safety and access for emergency vehicles, site parking, utilities and grounds. The upgrading of technology infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, upgrading classroom technology, the funding of state-of-the-art projectors, portable interface devices, servers, switches, routers, modules, sound projection systems, information systems, printers, digital white boards, upgrade voice-over-IP, communication systems, audio/visual and telecommunications systems, call manager and network security/firewall, Internet connectivity, wireless systems, technology infrastructure, and other miscellaneous IT and instructional equipment, DATA storage, fiber/copper infrastructure, phones, identity access cards and the creation and funding of a technology endowment. At Fresno City College, the Project List also includes the construction, expansion or improvement of the math/science building and parking improvements or structures, and the construction of the career technical education facility at the Fresno City College West Fresno campus. At Reedley College, the Project List includes the construction, expansion and improvement of a life science building, the modernization of the agricultural instruction complex, and a performing arts facility. At Clovis Community College, the Project List includes the construction of an applied technology building. At the Oakhurst Center, the Project List includes the construction of permanent facilities. At the Madera Community College Center, the Project List includes the completion of the Academic Village 1 building and providing additional lecture, office and library space and the expansion of the center for advanced manufacturing.

The allocation of bond proceeds will be affected by the District’s receipt of State matching funds and the final costs of each project. Some projects may be undertaken as joint use projects in cooperation with other local public or non-profit agencies. The budget for each project is an estimate and may be affected by factors beyond the District’s control. The final cost of each project will be determined as plans and construction documents are finalized, construction bids are received, construction contracts are awarded and projects are completed. Based on the final costs of each project, certain of the projects described above may be delayed or may not be completed. Demolition of existing facilities and reconstruction of facilities scheduled for repair and upgrade may occur, if the Board determines that such an approach would be more cost-effective in creating more enhanced and operationally efficient campuses. Necessary site preparation/restoration may occur in connection with new construction, renovation or remodeling, or installation or removal of relocatable classrooms, including ingress and egress, removing, replacing, or installing irrigation, utility lines, trees and landscaping, relocating fire access roads, and acquiring any necessary easements, licenses, or rights of way to the property. Proceeds of the bonds may be used to pay or reimburse the District for the cost of District staff when performing work on or necessary and incidental to bond projects. Bond proceeds shall only be expended for the specific purposes identified herein. The District shall create an account into which proceeds of the bonds shall be deposited and comply with the reporting requirements of Government Code § 53410.