Redwoods Community College District
BUDGET PLANNING COMMITTEE (BPC)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
NOTES
PRESENT
Utpal Goswami, Michael Burns, Steve Stratton, Ken Strangfeld, Ed
Weaver, Michael Dennis, Susan Mindus, Tami Matsumoto, Keith
Snow-Flamer, Joe Hash, Lynn Thiesen, Michael Reagan, Bob Brown
MEETING
NOTES
Meeting Called to Order at 3:30pm. Approved 2/16/11 Meeting Notes
FINALIZE
PROPOSAL TO
HANDLE THE
$1.4M BUDGET
CUTS
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Update regarding Measure Q
o Charging administrative and personnel expense to Measure
Q is permissible, provided funds exist. The caveat is not to
deplete project funds with too many administrative/personnel
expenses. If project funding is not utilized, Ken suggests
maximizing charges, but it is unlikely there will be surplus as
Measure Q allows for new buildings and the refit of old. We
are not over pledged with Measure Q funds.
o If we purchase Jefferson, it is because we have (bond)
Measure Q funds to use. Ken suggests using bond funds
cautiously.
Utpal thinks we might not be able to save $100,000 by delaying
hiring. We should plan contingency cuts in the budget, to be
prepared.
CR does not require payment of student fees until the end of the
semester. We need to change that policy as many students leave and
these fees aren’t recovered. Last year there was a loss of $200,000.
Out of state students still owe money. Ken will develop a way to
collect these fees.
It is not for the BPC to decide where discretionary budget cuts will
happen, but up to the VPs.
March 11 is the deadline for the governor’s issues to get on the
ballot. If they make the ballot, it is a good chance they will pass.
Deans and directors in instruction were unable to identify areas in
which to cut discretionary budgets. Keith and Utpal will need to get
interactive with this.
Next step suggestions on cutting more than 1.4 mil:
o Suggested setting up an email account to receive budget
suggestions, but the committee indicated this has not worked
in the past. They feel it is better to collect ideas through
constituencies
o From the deans suggest ways that cut budget up to 15% or
we will make a straight 10% cut
o Stay with smaller units and have suggestions bubble up from
them
o Budget bargaining concept: (if leads to efficient purchasing)
I will give up purchasing this year if you give up next year…
Utpal discussed with the Academic Senate Co-Presidents, that there
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ADOPT A
PROCESS TO
RANK IPFC
REQUESTS
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COMMENTS
FROM THE
FLOOR
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is no way to identify programs to put on hold (not “bad” programs,
just expensive). The Co-Presidents will start the conversation for
this.
Real Property Lease summary numbers are rough. The Sim Center,
FY 2012, should be 24,000 and a question about the Downtown site,
FY 2013
Regarding renting space in a high school, there are considerations,
such as, classes can’t be held when high schools are not in session.
Clarified that Garberville is a purchase, not a lease, at a cost of
$268,000 and we have Measure Q budget of $1.2mil for repairs. We
are not paying for South Fork High School.
Utpal received 27 requests for additional funds, totaling about
$247,000. His concern is as we build the budget there will still be
items that were forgotten.
In prioritizing operational requests, Utpal’s thought is to make
categories, or broad groupings. When a new item is discovered it
can go into the grouping. These get folded into the final IPFC
rankings. Utpal will send the requests, and an excel spreadsheet, for
BPC to rank these requests, from 1-30 and returned to Utpal to
compile an aggregate.
EMC approved the summer schedule today. The BPC will be sent
an email with breakout out by fiscal year
The Headwater Grant was submitted with a $218,000 matching fund
requirement. The bottom line, if we can’t match, we won’t accept
the grant
Michael Regan clarified questions regarding the 2/16/11 minutes
and the job market contract. The tasks of the (now non-existent)
career center were outsourced to the job market. Career exploration
to job placement was contracted with the job market; which has
increased to helping 86 students in month of January from assisting
about that number between July and December. The salaries are for
two half-positions and some office expense. The career center and
job market are basically rolled into one, but it is costing additional
money to have the job market. The question to ask is do we want to
continue; (there are clauses that either party can request out of the
program – we have two months).
There is some concern that the BPC is not following up with all
suggestions/
NEXT MEETING
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9, 3:30pm, LRC
105
ADJOURNED
The meeting was adjourned at 4:40pm
SUBMITTED
cp