Palomar College moving forward with bond oversight committee

By: DAVID GARRICK - Staff Writer | Tuesday, January 23, 2007 10:51 PM PST ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- Palomar College trustees were urged Tuesday night not to ignore or marginalize the citizens oversight committee they will appoint this spring to help the college spend nearly $694 million in bond money that voters approved in November.

"We've seen oversight committees fail too many times because they've been ignored or treated like a chore that must be dealt with," said Harvey Goodfriend of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. "Oversight committees should be looked at as an opportunity."

Goodfriend said that Palomar's committee, which will include at least seven local residents, should be viewed as "watchdogs," but not as "bean counters looking over your shoulders."

Bob Deegan, president of the college, said Tuesday night that the committee will be appointed by May 12, which is 60 days after March 13, the date trustees are slated to certify last November's approval at the polls of the $694 facilities bond.

Goodfriend also urged Palomar trustees to aggressively advertise the vacancies on the committee, devote a full day to training committee members and provide committee members with detailed information that will make their jobs relatively easy.

"Information is the critical parameter," said Goodfriend, explaining that committee members do not want to read reams of inscrutable data. "It is difficult to attract quality committee members. The job is not high profile, and it is arduous."

Trustees thanked Goodfriend, who now serves on oversight committees for facilities bonds at Grossmont College in El Cajon and the San Diego Community College District.

Palomar trustees agreed last fall to go beyond state guidelines for the oversight committee and incorporate some requirements from the taxpayers association into the committee's membership criteria.

Palomar has agreed that at least half of the committee will have experience in construction, architecture or contracting. In addition, state law requires that the committee have one Palomar student, one senior citizen, one member of a charitable group associated with the college, one member from a taxpayers association and one member from a local business.

"I think we have shown how committed the board is to this process, and to doing it properly," said Mark Evilsizer, president of the board of trustees.

Lani Lutar, president of the taxpayers association, hailed Palomar for its cooperation in recent months.

Lutar said the oversight committee might also help the college if bond money runs short or significant mistakes are made, because their status as volunteers puts committee members in a better position to explain those issues to the media.

Trustees were also tutored on the dynamics of selling bonds Tuesday night.

College officials will decide by Feb. 20 whether to sell $232 million or $150 million in bonds for the first wave of projects, according to Jim Roth of UBS Securities. The price of the bonds and the interest rate will be determined April 3, and the college will receive the money April 19, he said.

If the school sells $232 million in bonds, it must spend 85 percent of the money within five years. If the school sells $150 million, it must spend 85 percent of the money within three years.

Low interest rates have prompted Palomar officials to consider the more ambitious approach, because the bond money will go less far when interest rates go up, said Bonnie Dowd, Palomar's vice president for finance and administrative services.

Projects that would happen more quickly under the five-year approach are an industrial technology building, a theater addition and a new library on the main campus in San Marcos, plus upgrades to the Escondido campus and construction of new satellite campuses in Fallbrook and the Poway area.

Trustee Michele Nelson urged administrators to keep groups and departments at the college aware of any changes in project order so that no one feels their facilities are being shortchanged or neglected.

-- Contact staff writer David Garrick at (760) 761-4410 or dgarrick@nctimes.com.