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$9 Billion School Bond Qualifies for California State November 2016 Ballot
EXCERPT: A ballot initiative for a $9 billion school construction bond has qualified for the Nov. 2016 ballot, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced Monday.
The initiative is pushed by a school facilities advocacy group that says it hopes to expand its coalition to construction groups across the state.
"We're hoping for more builders, subcontractors, and others involved in public education," said David Walrath, a consultant from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing, a school facilities advocacy group.
As it has in the past, the upcoming campaign will focus on expanding access to quality schools across the state, said Walrath.
Last year, Gov. Jerry Brown opposed a $9 billion school bond under the argument that the law would add unnecessary debt. Brown has said he wishes to overhaul the school facility funding process into a system where the state would pay to construct and modernize schools in areas that could not raise funding through a local ballot initiative.
Under the current school funding system, local entities must pledge 50 percent toward the cost of constructing a new school.
The November initiative would include $3 billion for new construction, $3 billion for modernization, $1 billion for charter school construction and $2 billion for community colleges. It would ultimately cost the state $17.6 billion over 35 years including interest, the Secretary of State said. ...
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Critic Questions Action of Underwriters
EXCERPT: FAIRFIELD - George Guynn Jr., a watchdog of local government and past president of the Central Solano Citizen-Taxpayer Group, claims actions of bond underwriters with Solano Community College's Measure Q constitute a practice known as pay-to-play.
Guynn expressed his point of view concerning the $348 million bond measure during a recent meeting of the Solano College governing board.
The pay-to-play term generally refers to a situation in which money is exchanged for the privilege of being able to engage in certain activities or provide certain services. Guynn says the practice is legal in most jurisdictions, but has come under public scrutiny.
There is nothing in the Political Reform Act concerning the practice, according to state Fair Political Practices Commission spokesman Jay Wierenga.
In the case of Measure Q at Solano College, Guynn questioned the firms of Piper Jaffray and RBC Capital Markets LLC contributing to the bond campaign for the November 2012 election and then after the measure passed, serving as the bond underwriters.
Piper Jaffray was the leading contributor to the campaign, providing $25,000, according to campaign records; and RBC Capital Markets was the third-highest contributor, providing $18,000, campaign records show.
The college disputes Guynn's perspective on the matter.
The services of the bond underwriters were already under contract with Solano College prior to the election, according to Yulian L. Ligioso, the college district's vice president of finance and administration.
If the measure passed, as it did, the contracts were already in place with them, he said. ...
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AB 1358 - California Legislature Expands Design-Build
Sept. 3, 2015 | By Andrew Ausel | EXCERPT: On September 2, 2015 the California Legislature successfully passed AB 1358 authorizing school districts, until 2025, to procure design-build contracts for public works projects in excess of $1 million. The bill also enacts a DBIA Best Practice and authorizes school districts to award design-build contracts to either the low bid or the best value bidder. ... ... Existing law allowed school districts to use design-build until 2020 for projects exceeding $2.5 million. By the numbers, this bill lowers the threshold for school design-build projects in California by $1.5 million and extends their authority by 5 years. ... To read the complete post visit:
AB-1358 School facilities: design-build contracts
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
EXCERPT: ...This bill would make those provisions inoperative on July 1, 2016, and as of that date would instead authorize, until January 1, 2025, a school district, with the approval of the governing board of the school district, to procure design-build contracts for public works projects in excess of $1,000,000, awarding the contract to either the low bid or the best value, as provided. The bill would require specified information to be verified under penalty of perjury. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. ...
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SB 785 - California Legislature Expands Design-Build
September 30, 2015| By Nancy Smith | EXCERPT: With the enactment of Senate Bill 785, the State of California has taken a major step forward in authorizing state and local agencies to use design-build. Although many California agencies have the ability to use design-build without the need for specific enabling legislation, other agencies require specific design-build legislation in order to be able to use design-build effectively, either because they are precluded by law from using a best value selection process for design-build or do not have the ability to bundle design and construction into a single contract. ...
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www.infrainsightblog.com/2014/09/articles/legislation/major-step-forward-for-california-designbuild-sb-785-signed-september-30-2014/
Senate Bill-785, Wolk. Design-build.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
EXCERPT: Existing law authorizes the Department of General Services, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and various local agencies to use the design-build procurement process for specified public works under different laws. Existing law also authorizes the formation of special districts, including the Marin Healthcare District and the San Diego Unified Port District. ...
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Mission Statement
To promote school district accountability by improving the training and resources available to California's Proposition 39 School Bond Oversight Committees and educating the state legislature, local school boards and the public about the oversight and reporting powers these Citizens' Bond Oversight Committees (CBOCs) have, and to advocate on a state level, where appropriate, on issues of common concern to all CBOCs.
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