Redwoods Community College District
BUDGET PLANNING COMMITTEE (BPC)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
NOTES
PRESENT
Lee Lindsey, Dan Calderwood, Mary Grace Barrick, Michael Dennis,
Susan Mindus, Lori Walsh, Carla Spalding, Steve Stratton, Tami
Matsumoto, Bob Brown, Tim Flanagan, Anita Janis, Utpal Goswami
Cheryl Tucker
MEETING NOTES
Meeting called to order at 3:36pm; Previous meeting notes were not
addressed
INTRODUCTION:
LEE LINDSEY,
VICE PRESIDENT
ADMINISTRATIVE
SERVICES
BUDGET Q & A
•
•
Dan Calderwood introduced Lee Lindsey, the new Vice President of
Administrative Services, who will now co-chair the BPC
Introductions were made by all present
VP Lee Lindsey invited questions about budget. Following are responses
to questions on the respective issues:
• The draft budget in the April Board packet is based on the $2.5
million in cuts to CR (see supporting documents), that resulted
because there will be no special election in June
• The additional $1 million in cuts will result from holding vacant
positions open (including positions vacated due to retirements) and
other savings. If not enough savings are realized from holding
positions open, then other cost saving measures will need to be
considered.
• Furloughs: There has been no significant discussion of this option
yet. Furloughs are a useful, but short term tactic, because the savings
go away when the furloughs are abolished. If considered, BPC and
other constituencies would be consulted before a decision is made.
• Benefit costs: Consider having employees contribute a small percent
toward benefit costs.
• The $240,000 in salary cuts hasn’t been finalized. The 32 hour
workweek, for summer 2011, negotiated with CSEA, is no longer an
option. Another option is being put to CSEA for negotiation
• CR’s budget won’t be final until the state budget is final, which could
be August or later. Many institutions based their planning on the best
case scenario (the $1.4 mil cut, like SRJC); we were ahead in our
planning.
• Layoffs: Regarding the decision process for the March 15 layoffs,
transparency is not allowed, to ensure privacy. Regarding Athletics,
a dollar amount was given to cut, and the department was invited to
be part of the decision process.
• College Council reviewed the Academic Senate’s proposed program
discontinuance policy. The Academic Senate is developing a
proposed process to discontinue or put on hold, programs due to
budget constraints.
•
•
RANKING
RESOURCE
REQUESTS
PROCESS
•
•
•
The potential savings from eliminating or changing the various sites
was discussed, such as looking at dollars invested, lease/legal issues,
and other possible options.
Voluntary leave: Consider allowing faculty to take a year of leave
without pay, but with benefits. Replacement faculty would serve
students in affected class sections. The costs for TLU backfill would
partially offset the savings.
Lee reviewed the March 9th BPC rankings and the group’s
discussions included the following:
o There may or may not be any general funds available.
o The BPC considered adopting a percentage shares approach for
each of the Committee groupings (i.e. Technology Committee,
Facilities Committee, etc.) to allow any additional funds to flow
to multiple priorities. The alternative would be to recommend
funding the BPC’s first priority, then the second, etc.
o The spreadsheet will be updated to note if a priority can be
funded with restricted funds or other sources. For example, DN
Biology received a donation to fund that priority.
o The wastewater funding permits are an ongoing expense that
cannot be covered from restricted funds.
o DN welding needs ($68,000) for supplies and funding to offer
all classes needed to complete the certificate (offering two and
need six; enrollments are good).
o The spreadsheet will be updated to reflect these changes and
will be reviewed at the next BPC meeting.
During next year’s BPC deliberations, we can separately identify any
mandatory items that need funding through the prioritization process
(i.e. electric bill, rents, fuel items for maintenance). Discussion of the
ranking process for next year will be continued at the next meeting.
Reporting to the BPC on all proposed budget increases, whether a
mandatory cost or a funding priority, will continue to insure
transparency
PUBLIC
COMMENTS
•
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, 2011, 3:30pm in
LRC 105. Agenda items will include discussion of fixed costs, and the
process of allocating funds for ranked items
ADJOURNED
The meeting was adjourned at 4:40pm
SUBMITTED
cp
Included in agenda discussions