Bond Measure

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Community College's Board of Trustees will vote on Nov. 19 whether to place a bond measure on the March 2002 ballot. College officials, however, said they had not determined the amount of the bond or what projects it would be used for. "We're very close to having that totally identified," said Ann Ransford, executive director of the Glendale College Foundation. "It's not set in stone yet." The Board of Trustees recently heard the results of a poll to determine the community's feelings toward the college and gauge its support for a potential bond measure.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Will Glendale residents support a bond measure? If so, for how much? Those are some of the questions Glendale Community College officials are hoping to answer next month when public opinion polling begins. A polling firm has been hired to conduct the polls -- the results of which will be used to determine whether the college's Board of Trustees will place a measure on the March 2002 ballot. Meanwhile, college officials have been busy updating the school's master plan.

Alecia Foster NORTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Community College's administrators and Board of Trustees are considering a capital improvements bond measure to help ease campus overcrowding. In a recent vote, the trustees voted unanimously to hire a two firms: one to poll public opinion and another to study voter patterns on bonds. Meanwhile, administrators have begun revising the college's Master Plan to determine what its future facilities needs will be. "We've been talking about a bond measure for five years," said Larry Serot, assistant vice president of administrative services.

GLENDALE ? Glendale Unified School District officials are reluctantly considering another bond measure after reviewing a comprehensive report on their remaining Measure K funds Tuesday. The long-awaited report outlined the modernization, renovation and new-construction projects that have been completed since the $187-million school bond was passed in 1997, the projects in progress and those that still need to be funded. It also outlined how different bond measures could be structured to fund the remaining projects.

When the Newport-Mesa Unified School District voted unanimously last week to approve a $282-million bond measure -- recently christened Measure F -- some in the community furrowed their brows at the plan for more site renovations. The Measure A bond, approved in 2000, allotted $110 million to clean and upgrade Newport-Mesa's schools, a construction project that is still continuing, with completion expected within two years. Those who helped to conceive Measure A claim that even as the district laid out that plan, it foresaw a second round in the future.

Marshall Allen GLENDALE -- Supporters of Glendale Community College are hoping voters will be true to their school. Measure G, a facilities bond measure to benefit GCC, will be on the March 5 ballot. Now, "Citizens for Glendale Community College - Yes on Measure G" has formed to see that it passes. If the bond measure is approved by 55% of the voters, school officials will get the money they say they need for repairs, upgrades and additional instructional space at GCC and the Adult Community Training Center.

The Glendale Teachers Assn. leadership came under heavy public criticism this week for its opposition to Measure S, a $270-million general obligation bond that would fund facility improvements and technology upgrades throughout the school district. The union leadership voted in January to oppose Measure S on the grounds that Glendale Unified officials declined to guarantee that from $19 to $20 million in general money freed up by the bond would be spent on teacher staffing. They also have argued that pushing a bond measure would make a parcel tax — which typically comes with fewer spending restrictions — politically unattainable in the future.

GLENDALE ? School board members are reconsidering sponsoring a local bond measure to complete Measure K construction projects at five schools after the defeat of propositions 81 and 82 last week. Instead, the board is strongly coming out in favor of a state bond measure it hopes will solve its construction woes. The board adopted a resolution on June 6 in support of the state's $37-billion infrastructure bond measure, which would bring the Glendale Unified School District $29 million to match with its remaining Measure K bond funds.

School safety improvements, technology upgrades and science lab renovations topped a list released this week by the Glendale Unified School District should voters approve a potential $270-million bond measure in April. The bond revenue would not be spent on administrator or teacher salaries, said Eva Lueck, chief business and financial officer for the district, and would be protected from state raids on school funding. "We are required to have an independent citizens oversight committee to ensure that the funds are spent as promised," Lueck said.

RESOLUTION TO ADD CREDIT UNION WHAT HAPPENED At Tuesday's school board meeting, school board members voted to approve a resolution that authorizes the district to add the Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union to its deferred compensation plan offered to employees. WHAT IT MEANS District employees can choose between deferred compensation plans offered by the Glendale Area Schools Federal Credit Union and the Orange County Teachers Federal Credit Union.

We blew it. During the last few weeks, our editorial board stared long and hard at Burbank's proposed school bond, Measure S. We talked to proponents and opponents, and nearly drove ourselves batty looking at spreadsheets and amortization schedules. Though we did not come out against it, we said the $110-million borrowing plan had risks, and voters should vote it up or down based on their own threshold for danger. I still believe this, and stand by it. However, we erred in saying that the biggest risk was the uncertainty of interest rates in 2023 - the year the school, and by extension, you - would most likely begin paying back the “converter bonds.” In fact, the interest rate is set when the bonds are sold, something that would likely happen this year if the measure passes.

Glendale could join the growing list of government agencies that conduct direct negotiations with bond issuers if voters approve Measure C on the April ballot. Supporters of the change say allowing for negotiated bonds - rather than only permitting the current process in which the city engages multiple investors in competitive bidding for the best deal - can save Glendale money and make the funding mechanism more efficient. But open government advocates and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission warn that ditching competitive bidding can lead to quid pro quo politics.

GLENDALE — Hoover High School wants a new synthetic grass athletic field, similar to the ones at Glendale and Crescenta Valley. Glendale needs upgrades to its baseball and softball fields. Crescenta Valley desires new lights and bleachers for the school's football/soccer field, in addition to a refurbished swimming pool that would meet CIF standards for playoff matches. All three schools have a "wish list" of projects they hope to begin after the passage of Measure S, a $270-million bond measure that was passed on the April 5 ballot by Glendale voters.

In the April 8th Glendale News-Press article, “Measure S supporters celebrate, look to future,” the article incorrectly states that “the union spent more than $40,000 criticizing the bond and championing school board candidates.” The Glendale Teachers Assn. did not spend one cent in an effort to defeat the bond measure. All the political action committee money went exclusively toward efforts in electing our recommended candidates for school board. I was not available for comment after the election as I was in Mexico during spring break.

Last month, Glendale and Burbank officials worked quickly to protect their redevelopment agencies as debate reached a peak over Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposal to eliminate the 400 or so agencies statewide and reallocate the $5 billion they receive. Brown’s plan failed to receive the necessary legislative support in its first go-round, just as his overall budget proposal fell short. Since then, redevelopment officials have waited in near silence to find out whether the governor is still seeking to close the agencies by July 1, or if negotiations for a compromise will pick up again.

Glendale Unified school board members Mary Boger and Nayiri Nahabedian won reelection on Tuesday — and got a $270-million present. The money came in the form of Measure S, which voters approved on Tuesday by a landslide, ensuring that the district will have at least some guaranteed source of income as the state looks to close a multi-billion dollar budget gap. Measure S garnered 69.5% of the vote, well above the 55% needed to pass. The school board incumbents fought off challenges from a crowded field of eight candidates, with Boger largely bypassing personal campaigning in order to focus her attention on the bond.

The Glendale Teachers Assn. leadership came under heavy public criticism this week for its opposition to Measure S, a $270-million general obligation bond that would fund facility improvements and technology upgrades throughout the school district. The union leadership voted in January to oppose Measure S on the grounds that Glendale Unified officials declined to guarantee that from $19 to $20 million in general money freed up by the bond would be spent on teacher staffing. They also have argued that pushing a bond measure would make a parcel tax — which typically comes with fewer spending restrictions — politically unattainable in the future.

Enough is enough! Friends, neighbors and community members constantly ask me why the teachers’ union leadership would actively oppose a bond measure that would help address state budget cuts to our local schools. Measure S, which will be presented to voters on the April 5 municipal election ballot, provides local funding to maintain quality education in our Glendale and Crescenta Valley schools. The funds generated here will stay local and be reinvested in our schools, which will help our children stay competitive in an ever-evolving global economy.

The organization dedicated to passing the $270-million school bond measure on the April 5 ballot opened its campaign headquarters at 936 Brand Blvd. last week. The Yes on S committee also launched a new website where residents can find additional information about the Measure S bond. “It is the start to all the volunteer work,” said committee co-chair Harry Hull. “It is a very professionally run campaign. There is going to be a slew of phone banks, yard signs, all kinds of stuff.