1. What is a “Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan?”

• A comprehensive facilities master plan includes four scopes of work:
  • Assessment of existing facilities.
  • Assessment of internal data including the District’s Strategic Plan and Educational Master Plan.
  • Creation of a fifteen year vision for each of the District’s five teaching sites.
  • Creation of District building standards.
• The District’s capital project and facilities maintenance list exceeds $850M and was trimmed down for the election. Therefore, it will not be possible to address every capital improvement project with Measure H funds.
• The District applied for State General Obligation (GO) bond funding to “leverage” Measure H dollars, allowing the District to undertake more projects further down the project list.

 

2. What is the 2030 Plan Steering Committee?

• The 2030 Plan Steering Committee was an internal Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) participatory governance committee created to oversee the 2016 Facilities Master Plan  planning process, comprised of administration, faculty, staff and students.
• Subcommittees were created for specific areas of planning, under the direction of the 2030 Plan Steering Committee. Each subcommittee, chaired by co/tri- chairs, comprised of administration, faculty, students and classified staff, and were supported by a consultant who specializes in that area. Over 200 volunteers from the SRJC community were involved in the work of these subcommittees.
• Subcommittees have worked in the following eight (8) areas:
  • ADA and Universal Access
  • Architectural Design
  • Demonstration Classrooms
  • Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment
  • Health and Wellness
  • Signage and Wayfinding
  • Site and Landscape
  • Sustainability

 

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?

3. What is “State Funding” and why does it matter?

• The State of California issues “General Obligation” educational bonds (GO bonds) intended for the improvement of capital assets (buildings and grounds) for the K-12, Community College, State University and UC systems. The last set of GO bonds (Proposition 51) was approved on the November 2016 ballot.
• The November 2016 statewide education bond is valued at $9 billion, with $2 billion allocated for the Community College system.
• The District’s capital project and facilities maintenance list exceeded $850M prior to the election and was trimmed down to a number palatable to the voters of Sonoma County. Therefore, it will not be possible to address every capital improvement project with Measure H funds.
• The District will apply for State GO bond funding whenever possible, “leveraging” Measure H funding and allowing the District to address more projects further down the project list.

 

4. How does the “State Funding” process work?

• The State Chancellor’s Office has a point system that ranks projects from Colleges across the State against each other. Projects with more points are deemed a higher priority. Projects containing local funding, such as a Measure H contribution, receives additional points. Measure H funding makes our local projects more attractive to the Chancellor’s Office.
• The Chancellor’s Office has a two-step funding process. The first step includes a submittal known as an Initial Project Plan (IPP). If it is accepted, the second step in the process is the development of a submittal known as a Final Project Plan (FPP).
• If the District deems a project worthy of a State funding application, the District will hire an architect to assist in the creation of the IPP and FPP and faculty, staff and administrators will be consulted. Examples of SJRC projects receiving additional state funding include the Lindley Center for STEM Education, the Public Safety Training Center, and the Tauzer Gymnasium.

 

5. How will building standards be utilized and implemented?

• The SRJC college community, with the assistance of specialty consultants, is developing standards. The Capital Projects Department will present recommendations to the Cabinet, who will evaluate the recommendations and ask the Board of Trustees to approve recommendations presented for discussion and approval.
• Architects will be hired to design specific projects and will be expected to follow the approved standards in the project design.

 

6. How does SRJC determine what to build and modernize?

• The District hired the planning team of Gensler + Quattrocchi Kwok (QKA) to evaluate the District’s facilities and assist in creating a site plan for each teaching site and an implementation plan, binding the 2016 Facilities Master Plan to the Educational Master Plan and providing a framework for the Measure H bond program.
• Additional criteria includes:
  • Age and condition of building.
  • Increased student enrollment due to the building’s renovation.
  • Safety and condition of equipment.
  • Growth of program over time.
  • Availability of state funding.

 

7. How much money was the original bond and do you have all that money right now?

• The taxpayers of Sonoma County approved $410M in November 2014.
• The planning phase is ongoing. Series A was issued and the first round of bond money was  available for project work in 2016 in the amount of $125M. Series B was issued in 2020, with $180M available for Measure H projects.
• The balance of the money will become available in phases over the length of the program.

 

8. Who is the Program Director for the District and is there an in-house team?

• Serafin Fernandez is the Senior Director of Capital Projects and Glen Salazar is the Administrative Assistant III to the Senior Director of Capital Projects.
• Other members of the in-house team include construction project managers, the sustainability manager, and individuals in Accounting and Purchasing.
• Consulting teams are hired to assist in project-specific work, including Project and Construction Managers, Architects and Engineers. Read more about the team on the Capital Projects About Us page.

 

9. How long will it take to spend the $410M and complete the projects?

• This program is projected to take anywhere from seven to fifteen years.

 

10. What will be done about the brick buildings on the Santa Rosa campus?

• One of the 2030 Plan Steering Committee subcommittees is creating design standards. Plans include maintaining brick on the Santa Rosa campus.
• The older brick buildings will be evaluated; their condition will determine plans for those buildings.