By Christina Rodriguez
The Los Angeles Community College District board of trustees denied District Manager of Security Services, William Ramirez’s suggestions for new safety and emergency services.
Board of Trustees committee members met in the LACCD Board Room on Wednesday to discuss the budgetary needs of the nine district colleges.
Committee Members; Mike Eng, Chair, Ernest H. Moreno, Vice Chair, Mike Fong, Member, along with other board members discussed how to disburse billion dollar budgets to each of the nine colleges in the district.
Vice Chair Moreno emphasized each college in the district has needs to be taken care of, some stronger needs than others.
The only agenda item the board approved was an upgrade to Pierce College’s air conditioning in its expansion to its Automotive Department.
The district sent Ramirez to the board meeting to recommend all LACCD campuses remodel their security system in case of intruders, thieves and shootings.
His recommendations included new locks for all doors which would be able to be locked from the inside to keep intruders from coming in.
Building exits must be clearly identified, path travel must be clear, and there should be a limit of keys made and assigned for each building, said Ramirez.
Ramirez did not meet the board’s requirements to approve the project he proposed. He did not know the number of doors in the district would have to replace.
Eng, said he is aware each college may be given 3 to 4 billion dollars, but matters become complex when one college has older buildings and need remodeling.
The committee also expressed concerns in regards to colleges spending their money on unnecessary projects. Colleges may spend their entire budget throughout the year and yet not have a noticeable difference. Budgets are given to each college but still require approval from the trustees.
Pierce College representatives presented concerns with the the air conditioning in the expansion to their Automotive Department.
A representative from Pierce explained the college’s concerns about the hot weather rising. The college is in the city of Woodland Hills and summer days can go up to 107 degrees.
The Facilities Master Planning and Oversight Committee requested construction of two new Modular Chillers and an Expanded Automotive department.
The expansion project is projected to cost $37,170,120 and the chillers $6,865,673.
The estimated date of completion is set for April 2018, construction will begin January 2018 and occupancy for students and faculty will commence October 2020.
Trustees argued that the roofing of the automotive department was the cause of the heat issue in the building.
The tile roof was not well thought out, causing heat to stay in the building, said Eng.
Pierce College representatives assured the trustees that the college’s engineers did not agree with their argument, the tile roofing is not the cause of issue.
Representatives informed the trustees, the tile was chosen for the campus’ construction to preserve Spanish influence in the college’s architecture.
Eng said the roofing was an “aesthetic” decision but did approve the cost of the expansion. All trustees second the motion.