$295 Million College Bond Measure Set for Ballot

BY BILL KOENEKER

The board of trustees of the Santa Monica Community College District approved a measure Monday night calling for a bond election on Nov. 4, asking the voters to approve $295 million for safety and modernization of college campus facilities.
If approved by the electorate, the $295 million bond money would go to replace deteriorating buildings, construct, equip and modernize math and science buildings, and include funding for the Malibu High School Library and educational improvements.
Santa Monica improvements include renovation or replacement of Corsair Stadium, the replacement of the math and science extension building and replacement of health/PE/fitness/dance building among many other improvements.
While a needs assessment is being undertaken, the SMC staff identified a possible joint-use learning center for Santa Monica College, Malibu High School and Malibu Middle School. College staff and the school district staff have been meeting to discuss this concept. Meetings of users from the two agencies are ongoing.
The ballot language from Measure S previously approved by the voters in November 2004 committed $25 million to Malibu and requires an assessment prior to making improvements in Malibu for an instructional facility, according to a college district staff report.
The needs assessment is being conducted in three phases, an inventory of resources, now underway, several public workshops to be moderated by John Jalili, the former city manager of Santa Monica and former interim city manager of Malibu with the assistance of Gensler architectural firm and a community survey conducted by mail and online.
The Malibu area of the district includes the unincorporated area of Malibu in addition to the city. The Malibu portion of the college district is roughly contiguous with the 90265 zip code and includes Pepperdine University.
The inventory of resources will result in a database of existing educational, cultural, recreational, health, career training, community and related services and resources in the Malibu portion of the college district.
This phase of the work is expected to be completed in August. Jalili was hired, on a consultant’s basis, by the board on Monday night and the first workshops are planned for late summer, according to the staff report.
At the same time, citing the increased burden of additional stormwater and wastewater that would be generated by a new Santa Monica College educational center planned for the Malibu Civic Center, the board also approved a $2.5 million payment for improvements to Legacy Park sought by the City of Malibu.
The trustees had already paid the city earlier $2.5 million in bond proceeds for the acquisition of the Legacy Park property.
The action authorizes another $2.5 million in bond proceeds to be used for a treatment facility.