FOTW: When you have run out of things to watch on Netflix, there are always the Governing Board Meetings!
As you know: Every second Tuesday of the month, the Trustees of Palomar Community College meet to govern our College. These meetings are, unfortunately, often contentious and tense. If you are in the mood for drama, tune in! Below are some highlights from September’s regular meeting.
Facts:
The meeting started with comments from the public, most referencing the need for more decorum from Board Members when they speak from their seat of authority.
Trustee Halcon voted “nay” on the minutes with no clarifications or explanation.
There was a discussion of whether the District should use a search firm for the Presidential search or use the Human Resources Department with some help. After much discussion this was tabled until the next meeting. To find out the scope and cost of services, click here.
Three out of the five trustees included in their reports a call for more civility from fellow board members in future discussions.
The big question before the board was the final dispensation of the Prop M funds. There were four choices before the board (click here to see them). Plan B with an unspecified contingency fund was ultimately chosen.
There was public comment by the Athletics Department explaining the need for an updated Athletics complex.
Student Trustee Alazar spoke in favor of plan C, the plan preferred by ASG, as did Trustees Hensch and Deerfield.
Trustee Miyamoto moved to accept Option B with $8,000,000 reduced from the Athletics Complex budget to keep as a contingency. This motion failed 2-3 with Trustees Hensch, Evilsizer, and Deerfield voting nay.
Trustee Evilsizer moved to accept Option B with an unspecified amount of contingency to be determined at a later date. This motion passed 3-2 with Trustees Hensch and Deerfield voting nay.
Trustee Halcon requested a report on Cal Card use going back 10 years, while Trustee Evilsizer requested a report to the Board on workforce development.
At 8:14 the meeting was adjourned (three hours…wow!)
Bottom Line: A functional and well-intentioned Governing Board is crucial to College operations. Three seats are open on the Board in November, and this election will determine the future tenor of the Board for years to come. It is crucial that the elected Board members have students’ interests in the forefront of their decision making. Please visit the PFF COPE website for more information.
Below you will find PFF’s Report to the Governing Board:
Hello, I am Barbara Baer, co-president of PFF.
There is a very old Union saying “An injury to one is an injury to all”. When a member of this Board attacked the moral character of our co-president, he attacked not only Teresa Laughlin, but also PFF and all the groups associated with us, including CCE, NCLA, SDICLC, CFT, and AFT to name but a few.
We are investigating at this time whether or not his words rise to the level of defamation or slander, but we certainly know them to be completely untrue.
The faculty union has worked hard this past year at recreating and rebuilding the trust that was lost by the District while this Board was in constant turmoil and the administration was turning over faster than we could learn people’s names.
The college’s new leadership has been honest and transparent with us, and we have given the District benefit of all doubts. We have taken economic hits to our members as a show of good faith in helping to solve the fiscal problems of the District, and have endeavored to be professional, thoughtful, and open minded with everyone we have dealt with.
We had hoped you would all do the same.
Most of you very politely couched your words tonight in calls for politeness, but this was not a case of a lack of politeness. It is a case of statements that are both untrue and dangerous. Free speech ends at the beginning of slander. I hope you will consider a more forceful response, while we consider ours.
Now briefly, the remainder of my report.:
PFF and CCE will be running our 5th food distribution of the summer. This Saturday from 8:30 to 10:30. Last time we fed 609 North County families. This weekend we are going for 700. If anyone has need themselves, please come. If anyone would like to assist, please get in touch with PFF or CCE.
PFF has increased our emergency funds to assist our members in financial crises. I wish we did not have to do this, but we have.
Through our work with Success and Equity and a direct request from the Black Faculty and Staff Association, PFF is providing $6000 in gift cards to distribute to black students for food, supplies and other immediate needs.
And that’s my report.