Van de Kamps Campus The Untold Story of How Los Angeles Community College District Is Ignoring The Will Of The Voters
Protesting Then and Now
Meeting Agenda A Bit of History Review of Key Documents Recommended Action Discussion of Proposed Action Set Next Meeting and Work Plan
Stonewall Approach April 27, 2009 LACCD conducted public forum to explain the transfer of VDK Campus Coalition begins asking for financial and other information LACCD fails to produce promised information June 29 Public Records Request to LACCD August 25 Coalition gets documents that show LACCD memo to stonewall
Brand s Stonewall Community Approach
A Bit of History How did we get here?
Polanco Gets Money Van de Kamps Bakery was saved because Senator Richard Polanco obtained $3 million in State seed money to help LACCD purchase the Historic Bakery site
LA City College Commits The original concept of the community college was to adaptively reuse the bakery and add two new school buildings to the site Los Angeles City College originally committed its own funds to construct two buildings with a concept to privately fund - raise for a third building
Voters Approve VDK Campus The Coalition campaigned for Proposition AA which included bond funds to fully fund a three building campus (and relieve the LACC of its original financial commitment)
VDK Steering Committee VDK Coalition became the voice of the community in the implementation of the satellite campus of Los Angeles City College The LACCD in fact brought the Coalition into the implementation process as part of the Van de Kamps Steering Committee QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture.
VDK Steering Committee Is Gone and Dead VDK Coalition and Elected officials began calling for The VDK Steering Committee to start meeting again in April 2009. LACC had stopped the meetings shortly before LACCD began proposing commercial uses for the VDK site. Until this handwritten note and other records from Larry Eisenberg s files were obtained through a Calif.Public Records Request, no one really understood why that CPRA was STONEWALLED.
VDK Campus Malcontents Some key LACCD faculty have a history of opposition to the Van de Kamps satellite campus They resented the Academic Senate voting multiple times to support the VDK satellite campus Gary Colombo, Vice Chancellor of Institutional Effectiveness Carl Friedlander, President of Los Angeles LACCD Faculty Guild Union Rep. Ken Sherwood, President of LACC Academic Senate
Malcontents Persist in Opposition Academic Senate voted overwhelmingly to support the VDK Satellite Campus on the condition that it would not take operating funds away from Main Campus Despite this, the naysayers have pursued a campaign of falsely claiming that the satellite campus was not supported by the LACC They have looked for opportunities to foil the VDK Campus
Gallery of LACC & LACCD Players Trustee, Sylvia Scott-Hayes, Ex Chancellor Drummond and LACC President #5, Dr. Jamillah Moore Ex Chancellor Drummond. John Clerx,Gary Colombo and now Acting Chancellor Adriana Barrera Foreground: Trustee, Mona Fields, Left: Ken Sherwood and Right: Dr. Moore
Public/Private Partnership Idea MEANWHILE, LACCD hired Private Public Ventures, Inc. ( PPV ) to pursue the idea of purchasing the land Denny s, El Pollo Loco, and Auto Zone sit on and taking over the leases. LACCD is looking at acquiring the land to develop commercial retail and housing at the corner of San Fernando and Fletcher
LACC Senate Rejects Proposal On April 3, 2008, PPV presented a proposal to LA City College Academic Senate The Academic Senate REJECTED the proposal for the LACCD to acquire the corner land and enter into a public/private venture on the LACCD s land The LACC Academic Senate s rejection was a ROADBLOCK to LACCD s desire to pursue the PPV proposal
Center Status: A Way to Fund By summer 2008, the VDK Campus was on track to open Fall 2009 as a community college Records show LACC faculty and staff were working on an application for Center Status
What is Center Status? There is a pot of money at the State for community colleges to supplement their administrative operational costs If granted Center Status, VDK Campus would have gotten up to $1 million Despite the State Budget crisis, Center Status money was not necessarily ZEROED out.
November 2008 Measure J While the LA City College staff was working on the Center Status application, LACCD put an unprecedented third bond on the ballot Measure J Project List included public/private ventures. Measure J passed by voters
December 2008 Hints of a Change Chancellor Marshall Drummond starts saying that LA City College has a deficit and cannot afford to operate VDK Campus Drummond declares consultant preparing the Center Status application to the State will complete it and it will be put on the shelf (not submitted to the State) - even though nearly $300,000 was paid to consultants to complete it. Drummond says LA City College should transfer the VDK Campus to LACCD Admin and Admin would find tenants
No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees December 2008
What Business Do City Business Offices Have at a Community College Site? Feb. 2, 2009 handwritten document From LACCD Executive Larry Eisenberg s files City of LA business and employment programs and offices Workforce, Worksource, Community Development Department (CDD) none of these are educational programs - they are pet projects of the Mayor of LA.
January 13, 2009 LACCD Task Force meeting re: NE Campus Administrator brain stormed who could rent out the VDK Campus? Department of Motor Vehicles Alliance Charter High School UCLA Extension Health Career Academy City of LA Work Source Center City of LA Community Development Department Instructional TV
January 13, 2009 Criteria for operating NE Campus Self-supporting/revenue generating Fee-based instruction Short-term workforce training The architectural plans need to be reviewed in order to plan accordingly for appropriate space occupancy.
Building to Suit Tenants With Taxpayer Bond $$ Is it Legal? Is it Right? Excerpts from official documents from a key LACCD executive s files show directives and work being done for tenants with taxpayer Bond money.
January 2009 No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees
February 3, 2009 Ken Sherwood violates the Brown Act to add item to Shared Governance Committee regarding a recommendation by LA City College to transfer the VDK Campus to LACCD Admin Drummond tells Shared Governance that it must make an immediate decision whether it wanted to keep the VDK Campus and hinted the LACCD would not help with expenses to cover the LA City College deficit Shared Governance votes to recommend transfer of VDK Campus Vote is ADVISORY only as only Trustees can take such an action QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Top: Sherwood and Trustee Fields Bottom: Drummond
February 6, 2009 LACCD Task Force for NE Campus meet again Staff will meet with City of LA to identify space to house Mayor-administered programs and office space for City CD Dept. Gary Colombo will meet with Judy Burton of Alliance Charter schools to discuss space options in the new building of the NE Campus Explore handing child care center to City of QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture. Will Mayor s projects find a home at VDKand why?
February 6, 2009 We discussed possible public relations plans, such as calling the NE Campus the Educational Gateway or Reentry Center (for work force development). Jamillah stated that she d be keeping elected officials and City College faculty and staff informed without providing specifics. In the meantime, she will let interested parties know that a Town Hall meeting will be held at such time as definite plans are developed for future use of the NE Campus. - From a memo from now, Acting Chancellor, Adriana Barrera, Feb. 11, 2009
February 11, 2009 Judy Burton, CEO of privately-owned Alliance Charter High school, forwards copies of draft lease agreements to Gary Colombo Thank you for meeting with us today. This will be a tremendous opportunity to work together beyond just ironing out the details for the five-year lease agreement.
No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees February 2009
Commercial Real Estate Environment Email from LACCD Facilities Planning & Development Executive Director, Larry Eisenberg s Files
March 2009 Monthly construction report for NE Campus The Los Angeles City College program has changed to a LACCD innovation academy. The campus consists of two tenant facilities: an adaptive reuse of Van de Kamps Bakery building and a New Education Building.... The buildings will house an innovation academy for education based tenants that may include a Charter High School, a green work source training academy, and health career ladder training programs.
March 2009 No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees
April 3, 2009 LACCD Task Force for NE Campus met again Confirmed occupants of the NE Campus for Fall, 2009: Alliance [Charter High School], Innovation Center (City of LA), One Source Center (City of LA), LACC Workforce Revenue from leases = $630,000 Operational Cost = $541,905 Profit to District = Approximately $90,000
April 28, 2009 Van de Kamps Construction Manager sends memo instructing conversion of Van de Kamps Bakery from community college classrooms to a Shell and Core/Tenant Improvements commercial building concept. Classroom designs thrown out and interior improvements to be re-bid using bond funds to convert the building to commercial tenant space. New Building to be accelerated to open the first floor so that Alliance Charter School can open, otherwise, LACCD might lose revenue
Change To Tenant Based Facility, Multiple Tenants, Re- re- Design, For New Tenants 35% Behind..
No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees April 2009
May 15, 2009 LACCD General Counsel, Camille Goulet, forwards draft Alliance lease It is clear that LACCD has been negotiating with Alliance since February 11, 2009 No other potential educational tenant was given an opportunity to bid on the VDK Campus LACCD General Counsel helped hand the campus over without any RFP process
Charter School, Board Majority No Competition Handwritten note from Larry Eisenberg s files QuickTime and a decompressor are needed to see this picture.
May 2009 No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees
June 3, 2009 Preliminary Design Program for Bakery Building issued by LACCD to new tenants WorkSource and Worker Education and Resource Center Archdiocesan Youth Employment Services LACC Workforce Program NONE OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE EDUCATIONAL TENANTS THEY ARE UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT COULD LEASE SPACE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR
June 11, 2009 Coalitions continues to ask hard questions Response: LACCD staff consider a Community Outreach Action Plan First option is called STONEWALL Approach Other options call for hiring of Consensus Planning to outreach Not hired. Are we currently receiving the Stonewall?
STONEWALL
June 25, 2009 LACCD sends written offer to Portola Ventures, the owner of the land occupied by El Pollo Loco, Denny s and Auto Zone Offer $5 million of bond funds There is no evidence of any plan by LACCD to construct use this land for educational buildings PPV proposal was retail and live/work apartments
Van de Kamps Coalition, through attorney, files formal California Public Records Act Requests June 29, 2009
No item regarding a change in status of the VDK Campus or renting it out to tenants was considered by the LACCD Board of Trustees June 2009
July 15, 2009 The LACCD Board of Trustees considers and approves action to transfer the VDK Campus to LACCD Admin. Approved negotiation of lease with Alliance Charter School
First day of classes at the Charter School on the still under heavy construction VDK site. Official documents show the opening was rushed to avoid loss of revenue. The 9th graders arrive to major construction activity - no supervision they enter and they & School personnel are the only ones without Hard hats. Construction Hazard Unsafe
June 29, 2009 to today LACCD has STONEWALLED the production of nearly 1,000 pages of e-mails of Board of Trustees and Administrators concerning the VDK Campus The VDK Coalition believes these e-mails will show the Board of Trustees decided to transfer the VDK Campus and move to a commercial building model with no notice to the public