External Member Present:
Mr. Timothy Buresh

Proposition BB Blue Ribbon Citizens Oversight Committee Member Present:
Mr. Scott Folsom

Staff Present:
Mr. James A. McConnell, Jr., Chief Facilities Executive
Mr. Charlie Anderson, Director of Project Management for New Facilities
Ms. Vivian Castro, Assistant Legislative Analyst
Mr. Tom Blackman, Environmental Health and Safety Branch

Mr. McConnell said that the purpose of the meeting is to present the project approval for North Hollywood New Primary Center No. 4; Ms. Canter's motion regarding surplus property; and the status of the state bond election.

Mr. Folsom announced that the BB Committee endorsed the findings of the Belmont Learning Center panel. The BB Committee did not endorse any one bidder but endorsed the process and recommended to the Board that the Belmont Learning Center be completed.

At the next Facilities Committee meeting on March 19, 2002, Mr. Lansing asked to be updated on the move to the Beaudry building, how the process is going, and what the timelines are.

Ms. Canter's Motion regarding Surplus Property

Ms. Canter presented the revised motion instructing the Superintendent to:

€Provide within 45 days an analysis of the options for conversion of Platt Ranch and Hesby Street Schools and Charles E. Hughes Middle Schools into high schools.

€Provide to the Board a five-year action plan for the surplus properties of Enadia Way, Devonshire, and Highlander Way Schools.
€Issue a Request for Proposals for a 10-year lease and a disposition of both Collier Street and Collins Avenue Schools.

Mr. Tony Natsis described the decision tree used to form different plans of usage in the short-term and long-term and the resources necessary to implement these plans.

Ms. Canter invited Mr. Bob Collins, Superintendent of Local District C, and Ms. Deborah Leidner, Superintendent of Local District A, to present their ideas for short-term uses and their long-term goals for these schools.

Ms. Leidner proposed that Highlander Road School become a 400 student all-girl high school academy and that Enadia Way School, through coordinated efforts with the National Guard, implement an intervention program for at-risk middle school students.

Mr. Collins proposed that Hesby Street School become a 500 seat entertainment arts and design academy.

Speakers

Dr. Barbara Gereboff, head of Kadima Hebrew Academy at Collins Avenue School, spoke in favor of extending their lease or of purchasing the property.

For Castlemont School, Ms. Colleen Baum, Mr. Alan Young, and Mr. Kelly Kimball spoke in favor of extending the lease or purchasing the property at Collier Street School.

Mr. J. Kevin Murphy, President of Egremont School, voiced an interest in the properties, especially Devonshire School, for the expansion of Egremont School.

Ms. Young, Mr. Huizar, Ms. Korenstein, and Mr. Lansing oppose selling District property. Ms. Young, Mr. Huizar, and Ms. Korenstein favor extending the leases of Collins Avenue and Collier Street Schools for at least five years.

The motion will be acted upon by the Board of Education on March 12, 2002.

APPROVAL OF PROJECT AND APPROVAL OF MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR NORTH HOLLYWOOD NEW PRIMARY CENTER NO. 4

Mr. Blackman said that the District, as developer of this new school site, would make a contribution of $100,000 to the city's Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control Program. This contribution is intended to synchronize the lights in the area and to improve traffic flow to accommodate the increased congestion from the new school.

Ms. Maria Romero and Ms. Rosa Leal spoke in favor of this project.

Mr. Frank Beer spoke in opposition to this project because of its placement in a high traffic, high crime area, and its impact upon local business.

Ms. Castro and Mr. Keven Reed, Outside Counsel for Governmental Affairs, gave a legislative update on:

€Bond negotiations and its basic financial elements,
€The status of the Field Act review,
€Modernization funding distribution,
€Funding for energy efficiency and vocational education,
€The discussion concerning the environmental review process and ways of better expediting the process without jeopardizing the safety and standards already in place,
€The issue of joint-use.

It is anticipated that some of these outstanding items will be concluded by the end of March.

Ms. Young recommended that the plans for the next local bond, including the formation of a District team to begin planning, be presented at the next Facilities Committee meeting.

The Committee discussed the possibility of including a portion of the bond for charter schools, especially for Proposition 39 compliance.

In response to Ms. Young's request, Ms. Castro will update Mr. Robert Garcia, Chairman of the Independent Blue Ribbon Citizens' Oversight Committee, on the status of legislative issues.

Public Comments

Ms. Lorena Jaramillo Rosenberg expressed support for the decision to move forward with the Belmont Learning Center.

3. Status of State Bond Election 20 minutes Vivian Castro
Kevin Reed
Bill Chavez

4. Approval of Project and Approval of Mitigated Negative 5 minutes Charlie Anderson
Declaration for North Hollywood New Primary Center
No. 4

5. Items Referred to the Facilities Committee by the Board of Education or Committee of the Whole¨

The Facilities Committee may consider and act upon motions, Board Reports, or other business referred to it by the Board of Education or Committee of the Whole, with respect to any properly posted matter at a meeting immediately preceding this committee meeting, where the time between that meeting and this committee meeting is less than 72 hours. Members of the public are encouraged to review the order of business or agenda for the meetings of the Board of Education or Committee of the Whole.

Persons who wish to address the committee may sign up at the committee meeting.