First meeting of SP, VCCCD joint authority doesn’t resolve dollar issues

June 08, 2007
Santa Paula News

The first-ever meeting between the Santa Paula Redevelopment (RDA)/Ventura County Community College District Joint Powers Improvement Authority Commission - formed in 1992 - did not resolve several issues, notably how the college district should be expending funds garnered from the RDA.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe first-ever meeting between the Santa Paula Redevelopment (RDA)/Ventura County Community College District Joint Powers Improvement Authority Commission - formed in 1992 - did not resolve several issues, notably how the college district should be expending funds garnered from the RDA.The agreement stemmed from a settled lawsuit focused on at-risk pass-through funding for the college district due to the creation of the Redevelopment Agency area, which receives a higher percentage of property tax from the county for revitalization efforts.The May 24 meeting included Councilmen Dr. Gabino Aguirre and Bob Gonzales, a former VCCCD trustee, as well as City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz, Finance Director John Quinn and Elisabeth Amador. VCCCD Trustee Larry Miller, Ventura College President Robin Calote and Sue Johnson, vice chancellor of business services, represented the district. Miller was elected commission president and Aguirre secretary of the JPA, whose agreement had called for twice yearly meetings.The city and the college district had different totals of the funds received by the VCCCD, with the city showing $391,573 and the district listing $437,542. Either way, it’s a piece of change and the bulk of the funds have been spent on the Ventura College Day Road administration building lease ($100,950) and a VC Campus Braille Annex remodel ($5,529).Other expenditures listed by the district included a $25,000 donation for Santa Paula High School pool improvements, lease payments on the city’s VC East Campus ($38,400), East Campus improvements ($3,813), and “Future East Campus Planning Costs” ($23,139). Left in the kitty is approximately $240,000, according to district accounting without including the 2006-2007 uncalculated pass-through.Johnson questioned the pool improvement donation and was referred to the Santa Paula Union High School District by Bobkiewicz, but Gonzales, also a former SPUHSD trustee, said he recollected that the pool was used by East Campus students and that the district felt that the donation was a “good gesture.”
Calote said that work on the VC Day Road administration building is being discussed, which could tap into the JPA balance.Johnson said that the JPA is required to track the funds, but not allowed to allocate same, a position disputed by Bobkiewicz. “I think there’s a disagreement on that,” and Bobkiewicz said he believes that the authority was crafted to direct funding allocations.The JPA funding has not been banked separately, noted Johnson, and “We don’t have books for the JPA.”Although Miller suggested that the meeting move along, Bobkiewicz said that there is a disagreement over spending authority. “I want to place on the record that the authority has that responsibility,” and Bobkiewicz said he wants to assure the city and RDA through the concurrence of the JPA of same.The college district has three seats committee seats - a clear majority - to the city’s two, and Bobkiewicz added that the city attorney “would rather stick to the agreement” as written.An audit of JPA funds could cost $5,000, a “gross waste of resources” noted Johnson, who suggested that college district CPAs conduct same, although Quinn noted that an independent audit is mandated by the agreement. Miller noted that the $5,000 cost of an independent audit “could buy 20 computers.” It was agreed that the city and the VCCCD would work on the audit together.



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