MINUTES
COCHISE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Cochise College Douglas Campus 6:00 p.m.
1. GENERAL FUNCTIONS
1.01 Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Mrs. Jan Guy, Board Chair, at 6:03 p.m.
Board Members Present: Mrs. Jan Guy Mrs. Jane Strain Mr. David DiPeso Dr. John Eaton Mr. Donald Hudgins
1.02 Pledge of Allegiance
1.03 Adoption of Agenda
The agenda was adopted as published.
1.04 Governing Board Organization/Orientation for 2010
1.04.1 Election Board Chair
Mrs. Strain moved and Mr. Hudgins seconded a motion to elect Mrs. Jan Guy as Cochise County Community College District Governing Board Chair for 2010. There were no additional nominations. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved; Mrs. Guy abstained from voting. MOTION CARRIED.
1.04.2 Election Board Secretary
Mr. Hudgins moved and Dr. Eaton seconded a motion to elect Mrs. Jane Strain as Cochise County Community College District Governing Board Secretary for 2010. There were no additional nominations. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved; Mrs. Strain abstained from voting. MOTION CARRIED.
1.04.3 Appointment of Arizona Association of District Governing Boards (AADGB) Representative and Alternate Representative Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Mrs. Guy appointed Dr. John Eaton as the Representative and Mrs. Jane Strain as Alternate Representative to the Arizona Association of District Governing Boards (AADGB).
1.05 Citizen’s Interim
There were no requests to address the Board.
1.6 Standing Reports
1.06.1 Senate
There was no Senate Report.
1.06.2 Student Government Association (SGA)
Jose Flores, Social Events Coordinator, reported on activities/events of the Douglas campus Student Government Association. He reported on the following upcoming events: January 19th - Video Game Night; January 31st - Flag Football/Cochise Ball; February 11th – The Dating Game; February 25th – Poker Night; March 11th – Movie Night; March 25th – Miss Cochise; April 8th – Newlyweds; April 22nd – Springfest; and May 3rd – Cinco de Mayo (early). Beginning this week (the week of January 11th), the SGA will once again begin mentoring students at Sarah Marley Elementary School.
1.06.3 College President Report
Dr. Rottweiler congratulated Mrs. Guy and Mrs. Strain on their election as Board Chair and Board Secretary, respectively, and stated he looks forward to working with them in the coming year. He began his report by introducing Dr. Verlyn Fick, the college’s new Vice President for Instruction/Provost. On behalf of the Board, Mrs. Guy welcomed Dr. Fick to Cochise College. Dr. Rottweiler then reported that the governor presented the State of the State address, and he is awaiting the governor’s budget in order to have a starting point for the important work we need to do. As an update to the Board, he stated he and Mrs. Strain traveled to Phoenix on December 17, 2009 and met with Representative Konopnicki, a strong supporter of community colleges and who is very concerned about protecting equalization and funding sources for rural community colleges. They also attended a meeting with Senator Gray which centered around the size of governing boards for community colleges. Dr. Rottweiler and Mrs. Strain then participated in their first Arizona Community College Council (ACCC) meeting, with assignments related to governance and funding, and the potential re-establishment of a state-level type board.
Dr. Rottweiler participated in the Douglas campus New Student Orientation on Friday, January 8th and the Sierra Vista campus New Student Orientation on Saturday, January 9th. He shared that it was wonderful opportunity, and served as a reminder of why we do what we do when we get time to spend with the students.
Returning to legislative issues, Dr. Rottweiler stated he and Mrs. Strain will be attending the ACCT Legislative Summit in Washington, DC, February 7-10, Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
2010, where they will have an opportunity to work with the Arizona delegation in looking at some issues on a national level.
The next Arizona Community College President’s Council is scheduled for January 21, 2010. The President’s Council has just completed the RFP process for a lobbyist representing the president’s group, and there should be a determination made by January 21st.
Related to Master Facilities Planning, Dr. Rottweiler was pleased to report that we are in the new buildings. He acknowledged Frank Dykstra, Director, Facilities Management, and his staff, and Carlos Cartagena, Vice President, Information Technology, and his staff, for their diligence and for going above and beyond expectations. The only buildings not ready for occupancy are the new townhouses, which will be addressed as an information item on the agenda. An open house and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on the Douglas campus on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 from 1 – 3 p.m. and on the Sierra Vista campus on February 17, 2010 from 2 – 4 p.m. Additionally, the college has rolled out the new website, and Dr. Rottweiler encouraged everyone to take a look at it, if they haven’t already done so. He reported that feedback has been very positive. He added that the new student/employee portal will be rolled out in the near future, which will allow moving internal information from the website onto an internal portal.
Enrollment continues to be extremely high, with the last report showing an increase of 10% for the spring semester.
Open Employee Forums are planned for Monday, January 25, 2010, beginning on the Douglas campus at 9 a.m. and on the Sierra Vista campus beginning at 1 p.m. Dr. Rottweiler will use this opportunity to introduce Dr. Fick to the college employees and to begin setting the stage for the new budget process.
Dr. Rottweiler will be presenting at Turning Point in Douglas on January 20th, and then returning to Sierra Vista in the afternoon to present at the Education Day - Leadership Sierra Vista program. The Sierra Vista Historical Society has requested he be the keynote speaker at their February 19th meeting, and there are various upcoming events he will be participating in as he continues to be active in the community representing the college.
Dr. Rottweiler turned the floor over the Cathy Jo Waters, who provided a brief presentation to Mrs. Guy. Ms. Waters thanked the current sitting Governing Board members and Governing Board members from the past 21 years that she has been employed at the college, for the support and assistance to the Classified Association and to the college. She stated she is deeply indebted to them and very appreciative for the work they do for little or no pay. Ms. Waters then presented Mrs. Guy with a ‘gift certificate’ for an ACE Award, an award Mrs. Guy has commented on and admired for quite a while, upon her retirement from the Cochise College Governing Board.
Mr. Hudgins commented that he has had an opportunity to spend some time on the new college website, and thoroughly enjoyed the change. He then inquired, for the Board’s consideration, about the possibility of a link being added that Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
would enable people to contact Board members directly, either as a whole or individually. Mrs. Guy requested the Board consider this suggestion.
1.06.4 Monthly Financial Report
The Financial Report for December, 2009, was presented and accepted as submitted.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
2.01 Acceptance of Minutes from the Regular Meeting of December 8, 2009
The minutes of the December 8, 2009, Regular Meeting of the Cochise County Community College District Governing Board were accepted and entered into record.
3. INFORMATION ITEMS
3.1 Communications
The college did not receive any communications.
3.2 Correction – November, 2009 Financial Report
The Financial Report for the month ending November 30, 2009, reviewed and discussed at the December 8, 2009 regular meeting of the Governing Board, included an incorrect amount in the Summary of Checks Over $5,000. Mr. Butler, Vice President for Administration, pointed out that the incorrect amount of $295,000, listed as payment to Campus AEI, was overstated – the correct amount for the November 4, 2009 payment to Campus AEI was actually $29,500.
3.3 Douglas Campus Housing Update and Strategies
Dr. Rottweiler stated that the townhouses, which will provide residences for 104 students, are nearing completion. He brought forward a request from the students that the Governing Board consider allowing them to name the buildings; rather than calling them Building A, B, etc., they would prefer an actual name for the buildings. This could come through for administrative or Board approval; however, the intent is not for this to be a permanent naming as much as it would be a way for the students to make this new area their own and part of their college experience.
He stated he wanted to address issues that deal with things he’s finding out as the college tries to prepare to move into the new housing units. With 104 units, the college had 118 students in housing in the fall, and, as of right now, will have about 110 students in the spring. This means we have to remain open in our other halls. In speaking with the students, up to half would actually prefer to stay in the old housing if an option of single occupancy was available – they would actually be willing to pay more than they are currently paying to stay in a single occupancy unit in the original housing. Dr. Rottweiler feels this is an option that needs to be considered. This brings into question, as we prepare to move into Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
our February meeting where we bring in all of our fees, what those rates should be. The administration has been doing some research the last couple weeks and would like to bring to the Board, as an information item, the possibility of doing something bold in the marketing area, by potentially providing housing free of charge to students who register for 16 credits and purchase a meal ticket. He explained that in the fall, of the 118 students living in housing, housing for approximately 85% of them was being paid by institutional scholarship dollars. Therefore, the college is already funding much of the revenue that’s coming into current housing. In the spring, the college will drop down to approximately 110 students, with 75% of the students being athletes. The questions now being asked are how to re-energize the Douglas Campus, and how the college can get more students on our campus filling more classes. Discussion surrounded the cost of food services, the capability of housing additional new students, revenue needed to break even, and the possibility of making the Douglas Campus housing and the residential experience a selling point. Dr. Rottweiler stated this is a bold idea, it’s new, and there is somewhat of a risk involved. However, the reality remains as to what we want the campus to be as we move forward. Mrs. Strain asked if any other community college(s) in Arizona or the southwest is doing this; Dr. Rottweiler stated he wasn’t sure but had heard rumors of Grand Canyon instituting something similar. Discussion continued around students living off-campus, work needed on the single occupancy buildings, including electrical updates, roofing and settling issues, and heating and cooling, and single vs. double occupancy housing benefits/drawbacks. A particular area of concern was inequity - where students on the Sierra Vista campus taking 16 credits may have an issue with free housing offered on the Douglas campus, while they provide their own housing and food. Dr. Rottweiler pointed out that the Douglas campus is residential, while the Sierra Vista campus is not. He informed the Board that this idea has been reviewed by Bond council and the county attorney. The Board agreed to proceed with discussions and to bring the topic back to the Board.
4. NEW BUSINESS*
4.1 Consent Agenda*
Dr. Eaton moved and Mr. DiPeso seconded a motion to approve the Consent Agenda. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved. MOTION CARRIED.
The following items were approved:
4.01.1 * Classified; Appointment (Tom Gomez, Facilities Service Worker, Senior) 4.01.2 * Administrative Support; Appointment (Gail Lanham, Grant Writer) 4.01.3 * Administrative Support; Resignation (Sandra Huntington, Program Coordinator, CTEPS) 4.01.4 * Classified; Retirement (Cathy Jo Waters, Library Administrative Assistant, Principal) 4.01.5 * Faculty; Retirement (David Nelson, Instructor, English) 4.01.6 * Curriculum Changes Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Mrs. Guy wished Ms. Waters well in her retirement, but hopes she remains active in the college. Dr. Jerome Ward introduced Ms. Gail Lanham, and Mrs. Guy welcomed her to Cochise College.
4.02 Modification 2 to the Intergovernmental Agreement Between Arizona State University and Cochise College for the Purpose of Implementing a Professional Development Program in Teacher Education
Mr. DiPeso moved and Dr. Eaton seconded a motion authorizing the president to execute modification 2 to the intergovernmental agreement between Arizona State University and Cochise College to extend the Professional Development Program in teacher education 2+2 agreement through September 30, 2010. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved. MOTION CARRIED.
4.03 Convert Sodexo Agreement to a Management Fee Agreement and Repay Sodexo Any Investment Funds Provided to the College Under Their Prior Agreement
Dr. Rottweiler stated Sodexo was successfully brought in after an RFP process a year ago. Now, under a profit loss agreement, Sodexo can no longer continue. One alternative presented to help them continue would have raised the cost of meal tickets so high they would be difficult to afford. Another option presented was to go with a management fee option where the college runs its own food service, and, for a fee, Sodexo provides all the expertise, and assumes some responsibility in hiring, firing, and training. They also do the purchasing, and the college gets some of their buying power. In some ways, they now work for the college in helping to accomplish our goals. Therefore, now, if there is a loss, instead of Sodexo assuming the loss, the college assumes the loss; if there is a profit, the college assumes the profit. Dr. Rottweiler stated that, right now, there is more loss than profit - the reason being that there aren’t enough students living in housing. He added that this led into some of the discussions related to housing and the direction the college needs to go. He feels the college has some nice options with the new student union on the Sierra Vista campus coming on board, a much nicer food court, and the ability to control the cost of food. Mr. Butler will work with Chris Concepcion, Sodexo general manager, to establish budgets. Also, as part of the RFP, Sodexo committed $250,000 in equipment to go into the new facilities. In the process of renegotiating, administration realized this was actually a no interest loan, and the college was paying it back over time. The recommendation is now to pay the loan up front, with a 3% fee included in that payment. Dr. Eaton moved and Mr. Hudgins seconded a motion to convert the Sodexo agreement to a management fee agreement and to repay Sodexo any investment funds provided to the college under their prior agreement. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved. MOTION CARRIED.
4.04 Renewable Energy Credit Purchase Agreement with Arizona Public Service and Revised Solar Services Agreement with Eternax Diamond, LLC dba Eternax Solar Company
Dr. Rottweiler stated this is the last step of an exciting but somewhat long process. With this agreement, the college will see some construction begin right away, and there will be a solar field on the Douglas Campus. This will not only Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
offset some utility costs, but will provide the opportunity to get some educational programming from renewable energy. Mr. Butler explained that he and Mr. Britt Hanson, Cochise County Deputy Attorney, have reviewed the agreement, and have been in extensive negotiations with Eternax to negotiate the solar services agreement. This was previously brought to the Board as an information item, with the entire project predicated on the basis that there would be energy credits the college could sell back to APS, with those proceeds going to Eternax. The college applied for them initially, based upon a set of parameters for the project that didn’t come through, and the renewable energy credits (REC) were not awarded to the college. The college reapplied, and was successful in that agreement; however, our savings were decreased from 11% to 7%, but have been negotiated to 8%. Mr. Butler is extremely comfortable with the terms and conditions of the solar services agreement. He added that there was not a lot of flexibility in the purchase agreement from APS, but a couple of changes were made, and it reads very favorable for the partnership between Cochise College and Eternax. Dr. Eaton inquired as to how the college found Eternax. Mr. Butler explained that Eternax approached Mr. Hudgins, and discussions followed regarding their interest in either county or college facilities. The college did an RFP, and their proposal came through as the most positive for the college. Dr. Eaton inquired as to the location of the solar field and the distance it would be from the baseball diamond; Mr. Butler replied that the distance would be at least 100 yards. Mr. Eaton then inquired as to damages resulting from a force of nature. Mr. Butler replied that no one is really responsible. Mr. DiPeso moved and Dr. Eaton seconded a motion to authorize the college president to execute the Solar Renewable Energy Credit Purchase Agreement with Arizona Public Service and the revised Solar Services Agreement with Eternax Solar, LLC to finalize all terms related to the construction, maintenance, financing and operation of the 300 Kw Photovoltaic Solar Facility on the Douglas campus. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved; Mr. Hudgins abstained from voting. MOTION CARRIED.
4.05 Amendments to the Cochise Combined Trust (CCT) Agreement and Declaration of Trust; Reappointment of Trustees and Appointment of Alternate Trustees
Mr. Howell, Vice President for Human Resources, explained that, a few months ago, the trustees of the Cochise Combined Trust began looking at the eligibility criteria for new members to join the trust, wanting to make sure the trust document allowed the employers outside of Cochise County to apply for membership in the trust. They noticed that there were other provisions to the trust agreement that should be revised, namely those dealing with the distribution of surpluses and the recovery of deficits if a new member came in and then subsequently left the trust. They also needed to define procedures for the return of surplus and recurring deficits if one of the existing members decided to leave the trust. He stated the trust is in very good financial shape. Additionally, a provision was added to allow for alternate trustees to attend in the event that any of the four trustees could not attend a particular meeting so as not to delay the course of business of the Trust. The document has been reviewed and approved by the county attorney’s office and the Board of Trustees, but it needs to be ratified and approved by the Cochise County Community College District Governing Board and the Board of Supervisors. Mr. DiPeso moved and Mr. Hudgins seconded a motion to approve the amendments to the Cochise Combined Trust Agreement and Declaration of Trust; Cochise College Regular Governing Board meeting Tuesday, January 12, 2010
re-appointment of the College President and the Vice President for Human Resources to the CCT Board of Trustees; and appoint the college’s Vice President for Administration and the Human Resources Specialist as alternate Trustees. There was no further discussion by the Board. The Board unanimously approved. MOTION CARRIED.
Prior to adjournment, Mrs. Guy turned the floor over for comments. Mrs. Strain reported on two topics; 1) she has the AADGB agenda that will be followed by the AADGB Chair at a meeting on January 14, 2010, and 2) the ACCT Regional Leadership Seminar being held in Tempe, AZ on March 4-6, 2010.
5. ADJOURNMENT
Mrs. Guy adjourned the regular meeting at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted:
Ms. Loretta Mountjoy, Executive Administrative Assistant, Office of the President
Mrs. Jane Strain, Secretary of the Governing Board