MINUTES OF MEETING
NOVEMBER 26, 2001
The meeting was called to order by Co-Chairman Kenn Phillips at 5:36 PM.
Committee members present were Gabriel Avila, Jennifer Brogin, Diann Corall, Lori Dinkin, Marshall Long, Edwin Young, Mannon Kaplan. and Kenn Phillips. Those absent were William Mosley, Scott Svonkin and Co-Chair Carlos Ferreyra.
Others present were Valley College President Tyree Wieder and LACCD Associate General Counsel Martine Magaña. Also present were members of the public Katherine Smolski (Greenpeace Organizer) and Michael Johnson (LAVC student and Greenpeace volunteer). Jeanne Rubin, Executive Assistant to President Wieder, acted as recording secretary, taking the minutes of the meeting.
Mr. Phillips asked if there were any changes to the agenda, and there being none, he opened the floor for comments from the public. The Greenpeace representatives requested a copy of the meeting agenda, and stated that they were concerned about sustainability issues.
Mr. Phillips then submitted the draft of the minutes of the committee’s meeting on October 15, 2001 to the members for their review. Mr. Kaplan made a motion, seconded by Ms. Brogin, that the minutes be approved and accepted as submitted. The motion was passed by a unanimous vote. A true and exact copy of the minutes as approved is attached hereto.
Mr. Phillips then submitted to the committee the draft of the proposed Bylaws as approved by the committee at their meeting on October 15, 2001. Dr. Wieder reported to the committee that the draft had been submitted to and approved by the Chancellor and the General Counsel of the LACCD, and that, therefore, the committee was free to adopt the Bylaws as previously approved by the committee.
There ensued a discussion of the Bylaws with particular focus on the financial audit responsibility imposed by them on the committee. Mr. Kaplan inquired as to whether the committee would have an audit sub-committee, and who would audit invoices and payments. Dr. Wieder will be attending a Bond Meeting at the LACCD on November 27th, and will inquire. Dr. Long followed up Mr. Kaplan’s question by asking that it be defined just what responsibilities in this area the committee will have, and, if review of expenditures is required, then what level of review will be expected of the committee. Ms. Dinkin expressed concern about cost overruns such as those experienced by the MTA. She further expressed the desire for an educational program at Valley College that will prevent destruction of new buildings by the student body. She stated that students need to understand the importance of not behaving in a destructive manner once the campus is refurbished and the new buildings are in place.
Mr. Kaplan then stated his understanding that the role of the committee is to see that expenditures are appropriate and are being made at LAVC (as opposed to some other campus). He wants to know what the committee procedures will be in order to accomplish this.
Dr. Wieder gave a brief explanation of the role of DMJM/JGM, and how they will provide assistance to the committee in fulfilling these responsibilities. She described additionally how the LAVC project manager will be working with the committee. She gave the committee an up-date on the progress in selecting the LAVC project manager, identified the four candidates that are to be interviewed the week of December 3, 2001 and then explained the role of the LACCD in negotiating a contract with the firm selected. She then explained that further selection of experts will take place when LAVC chooses the architects and builders that will be working at the campus. Dr. Wieder pointed out that there will be consultations between the experts retained and the committee in order to formulate actual oversight procedures.
Upon a motion made by Mannon Kaplan to adopt the Bylaws as submitted and duly seconded by Jennifer Brogin, the committee unanimously accepted and approved the Bylaws as submitted. A true and exact copy of the Bylaws as approved is attached hereto.
LACCD Associate General Counsel Martine Magaña then gave a slide presentation on Fundamentals of the Brown Act, and answered the members’ questions about California’s Open Meeting Laws.
Dr. Wieder then made the formal announcement of the four finalists in the selection process for LAVC’s project manager: Bovis Lend Lease, Inc., URS Corporation, Tishman Construction Corporation of America, and Jones Lang LaSalle. Proposal documents from the candidates were distributed to the committee for review. The focus and criteria utilized by LAVC’s selection committee were described, such as safety, internships for LAVC students, sustainability, experience in higher education projects, experience with projects in the $100 to $200 million range, and profile of the individuals who will actually be on-site. Mr. Phillips inquired if all nine campuses utilized the same focus and criteria, to which Dr. Wieder responded that they were essentially very similar. She added that Pierce had also chosen to interview URS, Bovis and Tishman. Approximately six of the nine campuses wish to interview Bovis, she added. She then explained that the LACCD has imposed the rule that no one company is permitted to work on more than three campuses. Dr. Long wanted to know if DMJM/JGM had in-put in the process. Dr. Wieder explained that it was decided by the LACCD that in-put from DMJM/JGM was not appropriate and would not be permitted because DMJM/JGM would inevitably have extensive influence on the process and this would ultimately give them too much control over a large expenditure of public funds.
Mr. Avila expressed concern that a company taking on projects at three campuses would not be able to keep LAVC’s project on schedule. Dr. Wieder agreed that this was a concern of hers as well, and stated that LAVC does not intend to share time with another customer. A firm taking on more than one campus will have to demonstrate that the team assigned to Valley will be there full time and will be devoting 100% of their time to Valley’s projects.
Ms. Dinkin asked if there is a projected completion date. Dr. Wieder explained that 85% of the first $55 million in bond sale revenues raised this year must be spent within three years. Our Chancellor, she said, is determined not to repeat the mistakes made by the LAUSD and CSUN in their recent building/refurbishing projects.
A Campus tour will be arranged for the members of the committee, to take place at 11:00 AM with lunch served after the tour, on either January 24th or 25th. Ms. Rubin will be contacting the committee members to select which date will work for them, and will confirm once the date is set.
Co-Chairman Phillips asked for items to be placed on the agenda for the next meeting. The committee asked that a report be given by Dr. Wieder on the question of committee audit of expenditures.
The next meeting of the LAVC Proposition "A" Citizens’ Committee will be held on February 11, 2002 at 5:30 PM in the President’s Conference Room.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 PM.
By: _______________________________________
Jeanne C. Rubin
Acting as Recording Secretary
