Specifics on how any of the money would be used in Malibu is not discussed.
By Jonathan Friedman / Assistant Editor
The Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees on Monday night unanimously approved a $295 million facilities improvement bond measure for the November ballot. The bond will pay for various projects in Santa Monica and for “Malibu High School Library and educational improvements,” according to the staff report included in the meeting agenda.
The board also unanimously voted to give $2.5 million to the city for the Legacy Park project. And it approved a contract with former interim Malibu City Manager John Jalili for consulting services on the college district’s assessment of the educational needs in Malibu in preparation for the building of a college campus in the Civic Center.
Nearly all the discussion surrounding the bond measure during the meeting involved the various projects proposed for Santa Monica, including the replacement of buildings and the sports stadium. Malibu was mentioned a few times in passing, but no specifics were discussed on what the bond money would be used for in this city.
College district official Don Girard told The Malibu Times last week the money could be used to bring the college’s vast database of information to the Malibu High library, which could also be used by community members. He said the money could be used for “other projects on the site” as well, but he did not elaborate. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District officials contacted by The Times could not name specifics on how the bond money could be used, although they said there had been meetings between officials from both districts.
A press release issued by the college district shortly after the meeting stated the bond money would be used to develop “a college-level library that could be used by SMC students who live in Malibu as well as local high school students and residents.”
The bond would initially cost homeowners about $18 per $100,000 of assessed value of the home, with the potential cost increases, according to the college district. The bond requires 55 percent voter approval for passage.
Legacy first?
Although the $2.5 million designation to the Legacy Park project was approved unanimously, there was speculation by some trustees that the money should be given to Malibu after a college campus were built.
“It seems it would have made better sense to have sort of participated in building some sort of instructional facility first and then pay for these additional support things, infrastructural items,” said Trustee Andrew Walzer. “We’re assuming that something is going to be [built] in terms of an instructional center, so we have to be optimistic.”
Girard told Walzer his idea would not be possible because construction of the Legacy Park project is expected to begin at the end of this year and the building of a college campus would not be possible without dealing with the storm water runoff issues that are supposed to be solved by the project.
The money for the project comes from the college district’s fund created by Measure S, the $135 million facilities bond measure approved by voters in 2004. The bond language requires $25 million to be used for projects in Malibu. The college used $2.5 million to help with the purchase of Legacy Park from the Malibu Bay Co. in 2006. The remaining money is expected to go toward the purchase of the old City Hall property in the Civic Center, where a classroom facility would be built.
Los Angeles County owns the Civic Center property. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky told a local newspaper last week that the negotiation is nearly complete.
Sheriff’s substation possible
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca wants the property to be used for a Sheriff’s substation as it has been in the past. There has been discussion of using the site for both purposes, which Yaroslavsky says he favors. City officials have also voiced support for this. Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Steve Whitmore said in an interview this week Baca would not oppose this plan.
“The sheriff is open to all ideas as long as it remains a substation of the Sheriff’s Department and as a localized emergency center,” Whitmore said. “He supports bringing educational efforts into that area.”
The college district has begun a needs assessment study of Malibu. The contract with Jalili, which is for $4,000 per month and no more than $24,000 in total, includes having him head workshops with Malibu residents beginning this summer to determine what the community wants for educational services in the city.