DRAFT REV. 12 FINAL FOR APPROVAL 8/16/04
Chabot – Las Positas Community College District
Measure “B” Bond Program
Procedure for Proposal, Review and Approval of Quick-Start Projects
Introduction
Quick-Start projects are defined as those projects that are advanced ahead of the completion of the District’s final Program Management Plan for the Measure “B” Program and the master planning process at the Colleges. Only those projects meeting the criteria outlined below will be approved. This document provides for procedures for their proposal, review, approval and execution. Since these projects are initiated before the completion of the deliberate planning process that will refine and more fully define those projects approved by the voters in Measure “B”, there is some risk that Quick-Start projects may preclude, duplicate, or conflict with final results of the master planning process. To minimize this risk, the process for their nomination, review and approval must be tightly controlled.
All Quick-Start projects proposed for funding under the Measure “B” Bond Program for the Chabot – Las Positas Community College District must be reviewed and approved in writing by the Vice Chancellor for Business Services. Approvals must be obtained prior to any solicitation for services of any kind. This review ensures that all projects are properly coordinated and comply with the requirements of the District, Measure “B”, and Proposition 39 (California Constitution – Article XIIIA), under which Measure “B” was approved. All projects must also be reviewed for adequacy, compatibility, building code compliance and budget compliance by the District’s program management consultants, DMJM.
The District’s Board of Trustees has final approval for all aspects of the program, including project approvals as detailed below. No purchase orders, professional services agreements or construction contracts will be executed without proper authority.
Review Process
All projects will be reviewed in accordance with the attached flow diagram (Figure 1). The purpose of this review is to ensure a consistent and efficient approval process that provides control for the District, and gives clear guidance to the Project Sponsor at each phase of project development. The Project Sponsor may be a dean or department head from the Colleges or the District. A Program Manager from the DMJM staff will be assigned to work with the Project Sponsor to coordinate proposal preparation and initial approval of each Quick-Start project.
In order to be considered for Quick Start, a project must meet certain criteria. The review process outlined below has been streamlined to expedite approvals of Quick Start projects. It consists of several stages of review, with an approval required at the end of each stage.
1. Proposal Preparation
An Initial Project Proposal (IPP) or Instructional Equipment Request will be prepared by the Project Sponsor, working with the DMJM Program Manager and the District Director of Facilities, and submitted using the appropriate form attached in Appendix 1.
2. Review
The Initial Project Proposal or Instructional Equipment Request will be reviewed by the College’s Budget Committee and approved by the College Vice President, Business Services for College-specific projects, or by the District Director of Facilities for other projects, and submitted to the District Director of Facilities for evaluation.
3. Evaluation
The initial project review will evaluate the appropriateness of the project for Quick-Start funding according to consistent criteria. The Project Sponsor should work with the Program Manager and the District Director of Facilities to determine the eligibility of a project before submittal of an Initial Project Proposal or Instructional Equipment Request. The project description on these forms will include reference to the criteria by which Quick-Start eligibility has been evaluated.
Eligibility
The first test of a Quick-Start project is whether it is eligible for funding under the Measure “B” Bond and Proposition 39. The Proposition sets limits on the types of projects that can be funded. The Bond Measure includes a list of specific projects to be funded. The full text of the Measure “B” ballot language and a summary of Proposition 39 are included as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2, respectively.
It is also the policy of the District that all buildings located on the college sites and funded by Measure “B” proceeds shall meet the requirements of Education Code Section 81130-81149. These articles are referred to as the “Field Act” and prescribe requirements and standards for purposes of assuring fire and life safety of students, instructors and the public.
All Bond projects must qualify as Capital Outlay expenditures. Capital Outlay expenditures are those that result in the acquisition of capital assets or additions to capital assets. They are expenditures for sites, improvement of sites, buildings, improvement of buildings (including professional fees), building fixtures, service systems, and purchase of initial, additional or replacement equipment, including library books and computer software.
See Appendix 3 for guidelines regarding equipment, books and computer software.
A specific project in the Bond Measure must be identified as the source of funds for each Quick-Start project. A cost code will be applied to each proposal, so that costs can be tracked against budgets for Measure “B” line items.
An additional consideration is whether the project qualifies for State matching funds. Measure “B” funds may be used in conjunction with State funds for Major Maintenance and Hazardous Substance projects. If a project may be eligible for State funds, its scope and timing should optimize use of both State and Bond funds. Proposal forms for Major Maintenance and Hazardous Substance Projects are included in Appendix 4.
Urgency
The District will determine the priority of Quick-Start projects. In general, projects must meet one or more of the following criteria in order to be considered for Measure “B” Quick-Start funding:
§ Addresses immediate health, safety or security issues
§ Increases enrollment
§ Prevents further deterioration of facilities
§ Shows a significant cost advantage due to rising prices
§ Provides visibility for the Bond program
§ Is easily executed, in terms of time and/or money.
§ Replaces or repairs severely deteriorated equipment or facilities necessary to educational programs
§ Meets immediate need for additional space.
Risk
The Program Manager will assist the Project Sponsor in evaluating the risk of a project based on professional judgment and knowledge of master planning concepts. The intent is to limit funding to Quick-Start projects that support master plan strategies, but can be implemented out of sequence with a low risk of duplication or conflict with final plans.
Evaluation of risk will take into consideration such factors as: whether proposed building locations interfere with future development plans, whether fixtures and equipment can be relocated during later building renovations, or whether a project may be made irrelevant or redundant based of projected curriculum changes.
4. Preliminary Approvals
Once projects have been confirmed to be eligible for Quick-Start funding, proposals will be submitted to the District Bond Steering Committee (consisting of the Chancellor, both Vice-Chancellors, both College Presidents, the District Director of Facilities and the DMJM Program Director) for preliminary approval.
5. Project Development
After a project has been approved by the Bond Steering Committee, the Program Manager will assist the District in consultant or vendor selection, preparation of design and/or specification, budget and schedule development, technical peer reviews, reviews by the Director of Facilities and other District departments, reviews by DSA and other agencies (as required), preparation of bidding documents (if required) in accordance with the California Contracts Code, and any additional documentation required for approval by the District.
6. Solicitation Approval
Pursuant to the Education Code and the Public Contract Code, purchasing for a single expenditure over $60,900 for services or equipment or more than $15,000 for construction services shall be by advertised bid and award. Solicitations may include Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests for Quotations (RFQ) or Requests for Bids (RFB). All formal solicitations must be approved in advance by the Board of Trustees.
By District Policy, purchases for single expenditures exceeding $60,900 for services or equipment or more than $15,000 for construction services shall be by written quotation. A minimum of three written quotations shall be obtained except in those instances where sources are limited to fewer than three, or where time considerations make it to the advantage of the District to obtain fewer than three written quotations. In such instances, the Vice Chancellor will review and certify the circumstances requiring exceptions.
Nonetheless, purchases for a single expenditure of under $20,000 may be undertaken by obtaining a written quotation or phone quotation only, at the discretion of the Vice Chancellor for Business Services.
In order to expedite the approval process, the Board of Trustees has established a Facilities Subcommittee, to which it has delegated authority to approve solicitations for Quick-Start projects.
7. Solicitation
After approval by the Facilities Subcommittee, if required, the Program Manager will assist the District in securing necessary bids in accordance with the California Contracts Code, evaluation of bids, award of contract, issue of purchase orders and compliance with contract requirements.
8. Contract Approval
All Measure “B” capital expenditure projects will require approval by the District’s Board of Trustees.
After successful bidding, the Program Manager will prepare an Agenda Item for approval of the contract award by the Board of Trustees. It is anticipated that the Board will delegate its authority to approve contracts within certain cost limits to the Facilities Subcommittee, with subsequent ratification by the full Board.
Appendix 1
Full Text of Measure “B”
Community College Job Training, Repair/Safety Measure: "To prepare students for jobs/four-year colleges, improve safety, accommodate increasing enrollment at Chabot and Las Positas Colleges by:
• Repairing leaky roofs;
• Upgrading fire safety, campus security, plumbing/ventilation systems and electrical wiring for
computer technology;
• Removing asbestos;
• Upgrading nursing/paramedics/job training classrooms;
• Repairing, constructing, acquiring, equipping classrooms, labs, sites and facilities; shall Chabot-Las Positas Community College District issue $498,000,000 in bonds, at legal rates, with guaranteed annual audits, citizen oversight, and no money for administrators' salaries?"
PROJECTS
The Board of Trustees of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, to be responsive to the needs of students and the community, evaluated the District's urgent and critical facility needs, including safety issues, enrollment growth, energy cost reduction and information and computer technology, in developing the scope of projects to be funded, as outlined in both the Las Positas College Facilities Plan of September 2003, and the Chabot College Facilities Planning & Management Report (together the "Facilities Master Plan"), accepted by the Board of Trustees, incorporated herein, and as shall be further amended from time to time. In developing the scope of projects the faculty, staff and students have prioritized the key health and safety needs so the most critical needs and the most urgent and basic repairs that will make the colleges clean and safe for learning are addressed. The Board conducted independent facilities evaluations and received public input and review in developing the scope of college facility projects to be funded, as listed in the Facilities Master Plan. This input of faculty, community and business leaders concluded that if these needs were not addressed now, the problems would only get worse. In preparing the Facilities Master Plan the Board of Trustees made eight important determinations:
(i) In tough economic times community colleges, including Chabot and Las Positas Colleges, are critically important to re-train people who want to expand their job skills, particularly paramedics, nurses and police who play a critical role in responding to emergencies;
(ii) Statewide budget cuts are damaging Chabot and Las Positas Colleges' ability to provide a high-quality education for local students;
(iii) Chabot College and Las Positas College must provide facilities and classes for academic programs for students who want to transfer to four-year colleges;
(iv) Chabot College and Las Positas College must provide valuable programs such as Senior Citizen courses and lifelong learning;
(v) Chabot College and Las Positas College must upgrade and expand job training classrooms to meet the demands of a changing workforce;
(vi) Chabot College and Las Positas College must help provide a better-educated workforce which will benefit local businesses and stimulate our economy through new classrooms, computer labs and expand job training programs; (vii) It would be less expensive to upgrade and repair aging community college buildings and classrooms now, than in the future; and
(viii) Completing Las Positas College is needed due to the rapid growth of the Tri-Valley Area which has resulted in thousands of new students entering college each year.
The Facilities Master Plan is on file at the District's Office of the Chancellor, and includes the
following projects:
CHABOT COLLEGE
• Repair, Acquire, Upgrade, Equip, and/or Replace Obsolete Classrooms, Science and
Computer Labs, Instructional Facilities, Sites and Utilities; Meet Demands of Changing
Workforce:
Repair, upgrade and/or replace leaky roofs, decaying walls, old ceiling tiles and flooring, plumbing, sewer, drainage, electrical systems, wiring, unsanitary and run down bathrooms, heating, ventilation and cooling systems, telecommunication systems, bleachers, classrooms, fields and grounds, science laboratories, lecture halls, other instructional facilities and campus expansion including property; wire classrooms for computers and technology, increase safety, increase energy efficiency, acquire equipment, reduce fire hazards, reduce operating costs so more classes and job training can be offered, improve academic instruction, and meet legal requirements for disabled access.
• Improve Emergency Access and Evacuation Routes: To improve student safety, redesign
campus road network to eliminate unsafe conditions, reduce gridlock, improve pedestrian safety and increase access for emergency vehicles; add parking to accommodate increasing student population.
• Expand Classroom and Facility Capacity, Upgrade Classrooms/Labs For Nursing and
Emergency Medical Services: Increase classroom and facility capacity for academic and job
training classes, including math, nursing and medical training, science labs, child Development, dental health, physical and health education facilities, graphic, fine and performing arts; consolidate the library, research rooms, computer labs, distance learning into one resource center; central services; construct "smart classrooms" for enhanced distance learning.
• Upgrade, Repair, Equip, Construct and/or Expand Student Services and Technology/Vocational Buildings: Renovate, repair, equip, and construct and/or expand student services buildings to include academic advisement centers, job and college-transfer counseling areas, lecture/meeting/seminar rooms, computer hookup and study areas, and other student support; classrooms and space dedicated to technology and engineering vocational training.