After years if hemming and hawing and empty talk about putting a new San Benito County Educational Center first and buying nothing but unneeded land for $10 million, Gavilan College made it official: That project is going nowhere while the gold-plated Coyote Valley dream campus soaks up most of the $108 million in Measure E bond funds. Money draws money; is it now time to say I told you so?
The Gavilan College District Board of Trustees goals update of Oct. 1, 2014 confirms that the Coyote Valley campus and relocation of the Public Safety Consortium from San Jose is top priority and they will get around to us after they, “Clarify Educational Center options for San Benito locale.”
To quote the report: “There is no additional information available on the San Benito properly at this time. Enrollment in Hollister is in the range of 300 to 350 FTES (full-time equivalent students). A Needs Assessment will also be developed for the San Benito County site. Although until 1,000 FTES are generated, there will not be any additional operational support from the State.”
Gavilan has a raft of excuses, which they now blame on the state, but the truth is that this has been the plan since at least late 2006. There is a reason they padded the Coyote Valley needs assessment with projected population figures that have no connection to reality.
Above all, Gavilan wanted to save the South Bay Public Safety Consortium currently located at Evergreen College because the college president runs it. They even proposed illegally using $17 million of Measure E funds to do it. They now have a new scheme, they are going to “lend” them the money.
To quote, “There is $12 million of Measure E funds allocated to the preparation of this site. The current estimated cost for project work needed to establish a footprint on the property is $17 million. South Bay Public Safety Consortium will pay for funds in excess of $12 million most likely in the form of a loan through Gavilan College that will be paid by the Consortium’s members over a scheduled long-term repayment plan that will equal the amount of any loan that may be needed.”
If the Consortium were not going there, there would be no reason to spend the $12 million, get it? It should also be noted that the Consortium has been operating in the red for years. Between the 2009 and 2013 financial reports they lost $2.4 million or 60 percent of their assets. So, how can they afford to pay back a loan unless Gavilan and other member colleges have been pocketing the tuition raises and paying the Consortium only cents on the dollar?
Good thing it’s the holiday season, because the people of San Benito County are getting the sleigh ride of a lifetime.
Marty Richman