MINUTES
Work Session–
Board of Trustees
In accordance with the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, the Board of Trustees of the Austin Community College District convened in public session on Monday, April 18, 2005, at 7:41 p.m. in the Board Room (201) the Highland Business Center of Austin Community College located at 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, Texas, with the following members present: Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Board Chair/Presiding Officer; Mr. John F. Hernandez, Board Vice Chair; Mr. Jeffrey Richard, Secretary; Dr. Lillian J. Davis; Mr. Allen H. Kaplan; Ms. Nan McRaven; Mr. Rafael Quintanilla; Ms. Veronica Rivera; and Dr. John Worley.
It is
further found and determined that in accordance with the policies and orders of
this Board, the notice of this meeting has been posted and return thereof made
pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter
551 of the Texas Government Code, and there has been full compliance with the
terms and provisions of said act, including the timely posting of the subjects
of this meeting.
Items for
Discussion/Possible Action
Agenda Item
8055
Overview of
FY06 Master Plan and Budget Development Process
Dr. Mink introduced the item
and Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow, ACC Interim President,
stated the
Agenda Item
8056
Discussion of
Proposed Revisions to Board Policies:
A-4, Tuition Rates; B-3, Code of Ethics – Board of Trustees; B-6
Monitoring Policy Compliance; F-5, Employee Placement/Advancement; F-10,
Employee Compensation; G-2, Purchasing; and G-7, Property Taxes
Dr. Mink introduced the item and Trustee Allen Kaplan proposed that Board Policy G-7, Property Taxes, be removed from the revision process.
Board Policy A-4, Tuition Rates
A-4. TUITION RATES
Value Statements
•
The Board of Trustees values ACC’s role as
the first point of access to higher education for many students.
•
Consequently, the Board is committed to
ACC’s tuition being the lowest among other local higher education institutions.
•
Tuition is intended to cover the operational
costs of the district which are not subsidized by State appropriations and
local taxes.
•
While tuition, like other operating costs
will rise over time, ACC shall strive for minimal increases only when necessary
to support the district’s operations, and
for these to be announced increases prior to the beginning of
the next academic year, and to remain the lowest local tuition.
[1] The tuition rates for in-district
college-credit students shall be set by the Board. Except when the Board
explicitly directs otherwise, tuition rates for other students shall be set by
the President in accordance with this policy. To the extent feasible, general
charges shall be assessed as tuition.
[2] In order To
maintain a tuition differential that is fair both to ACC taxpayers and to
Texas-resident ACC students who live outside the taxing district, the
credit-hour differential for such students shall reflect the local tax effort
in support of in-district students. It shall thus be the ratio of annual
property-tax revenues to annual in-district credit hours except that any year-to-year increase in the
differential shall be no more than $3 per credit-hour (Trustee Worley
recommends to keep). While
financial circumstances may necessitate consideration of tuition increases, the
College will assist students in anticipating increases by generally approving them
only once per year as part of development/approval of the next year’s annual
operating budget. The President is authorized and encouraged to use any
available method to lessen the impact of this tuition differential on
economically-disadvantaged students.
[2] In order To
maintain a tuition differential that is fair both to ACC taxpayers and to
Texas-resident ACC students who live outside the taxing district, the credit-hour
differential for such students shall reflect the local tax effort in support of
in-district students. It shall thus be the ratio of annual property-tax
revenues to annual in-district credit hours except that any year-to-year
increase in the differential shall be no more than $3 per credit-hour. (Trustee
McRaven/administration recommend
to delete). While financial circumstances may necessitate
consideration of tuition increases, the College will assist students in
anticipating increases by generally approving them only once per year as part
of development/approval of the next year’s annual operating budget. The
President is authorized and encouraged to use any available method to lessen
the impact of this tuition differential on economically-disadvantaged students.
[3] The further per-credit-hour
differential in tuition rates for students who do not qualify as
[4] The President may adopt rules
waiving all or part of the tuition and/or other charges for senior citizens or
students enrolled under a joint-credit agreement with a school district, with
an annual report to the Board on the nature and extent of such waivers.
[5] The President shall set charges for
non-credit and continuing-education classes that at least cover operational,
indirect, and overhead costs, except where specific below-cost sectors have
been approved by Board vote programs have been exempted from these
criteria by Board approval.
Trustees discussed the proposed revisions and proposed additional
changes for consideration at the
Board Policy B-3, Code of Ethics – Board of Trustees
B-3. CODE OF ETHICS - BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Value Statements
•
The Board of Trustees supports the highest ethical standards in
performing its duties.
•
The Board of Trustees will model the recognized best practices
associated with policy governance models.
•
The governing board will be conscientious in following all Board
policies and in maintaining a distinction between issues of governance and
college operations.
A. Standards of Conduct
The Austin
Community College Board of Trustees endorses the following standards of conduct
for individual ACC trustees:
[1] To identify and
disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest, and to act at all
times for the general public good, regardless of personal friendships,
relations, or interests. Although Texas
law allows the election of a trustee who has a spousal or other familial
relation with an employee of the college, neither such a trustee nor the
employee related to him or her the
trustee may take advantage of the relationship to obtain favorable
consideration, to influence operational matters, or to gain access to
information not available under the Texas Open Records Act.
[2] To keep well-informed on
board-related issues, and to attend and participate actively in meetings of the
board and its committees.
[3] To encourage and engage in open and
honest discussion in making board decisions, to respect differences of opinion,
and to keep an open mind until everyone has been heard from.
[4] To respect the board's collective
decision process, and to accurately report and explain board votes and policies.
[5] To carefully avoid the assertion of
board authority or preference as an individual trustee or in concert with other
trustees, other than at official board meetings or as a result of official
board actions.
[6]
Jeffrey Richard to provide.
[7]
To respect the authority and responsibilities of other people within the
college or external contractors, empowering them to work without interference
within the limits of board policy.
[8]
To maintain the confidentiality of privileged information, as outlined in the
Texas Open Records and Meetings Act.
[9]
To refrain from any attempt to influence any operational decision, including
but not limited to individual admissions, personnel, or purchasing decisions,
except when the decision is an agenda topic at an official board meeting. Specifically, Board members may not have any
communications about a grievance with any person who has a grievance pending.
[10]
To be scrupulous in requesting only authorized, legitimate reimbursement of
college-related expenses, following the same rules and guidelines required of
1.
[11] To interact with each other
as well as employees, students, and other citizens in a manner that creates and
sustains mutual respect.
2.
B. Code of Ethics
3.
The
mechanisms for enforcement of the Code of Ethics will be:
4.
[1]
Any person, with supporting information, may allege noncompliance with the Code
to the Board Chair (or the Vice-Chair if the Chair is the target of the
allegation). The Board will be advised
when any allegation has been raised.
5.
[2]
The Chair or Vice-Chair will undertake a process to resolve the complaint.
6.
[3]
If either the complainant or the Board member requests, the Chair will name an
independent third party to investigate the complaint and report to the Board.
7.
[4]
If the Board finds a violation of the Code, it will reprimand or censure the
Board member, which is the only sanction available to it under
Trustees discussed the proposed revisions and proposed
additional changes for consideration at the
Board Policy B-6, Monitoring Policy Compliance
B-6. MONITORING POLICY COMPLIANCE
Value Statement
•
The Board of Trustees intends for its policies to guide College
operations and will monitor policy compliance.
The Secretary of the Board shall oversee
Board-level activity in monitoring compliance with Board policies
and directives. This activity, which will complement but not replace the
oversight responsibility of the College President, shall be done without
reference to the personal opinion of the Secretary Board members about the value or correctness of the
policies, and shall not extend to any aspect of College operations that is not
covered by a current Board policy or resolution.
The College administration shall provide
information and assistance in this task as requested by the Secretary,
subject to an appeal by the President to the Board if any such request
is felt to be unreasonable.
Other If
any two trustees who have questions or concerns about a possible instance of
non-compliance with policy, they
should direct them to the Secretary Board
Chair, who shall pursue them at his or her discretion and shall
report to the Board on any aspects of college operations found, in his or her
judgment, to be non-compliant. If the Secretary does not pursue an issue to the
satisfaction of a trustee, the trustee may bring the question to must place the matter on the agenda of
the next Board meeting . The Board for a vote on
whether or not it should be certified as an important monitoring issue.
The Secretary shall give priority to and make reports on any issues that are
thus identified by Board vote. then may
certify the matter as an important monitoring issue.
The President (or Board Chair, for Board
activities) shall, for each non-compliance report from the Secretary,
provide the Board either a compliance plan, a
recommendation for policy modification, or an explanation of why the practice
in question is seen as already being in compliance. If the Secretary any two trustees thereafter
states in writing that he or she they continues to believe that the practice does not
comply with Board policy, the question must be put on the Board agenda as soon
as practicable for Board decision. If the Board finds that the practice is not
in compliance, it will require the President to achieve compliance.
Each fall, the President shall also provide
the Board an annual schedule of planned routine and special-attention
policy-compliance reports.
Non-compliance reports by the Secretary are
only advisory; authoritative Board directives to change college practices can
come only from a public Board vote.
Trustees discussed the proposed revisions and proposed
additional changes for consideration at the
F-5, Placement/Advancement
F-5.
PLACEMENT/ADVANCEMENT
Value Statements
•
The College values the education and professional experience which
enables faculty and staff to meet the responsibilities of their positions.
•
Education and experience levels will be recognized in the placement and
advancement guidelines which are communicated to all employees.
[1] Faculty shall be
placed in an experience step and educational level appropriate to their
background. Thus the President shall ensure
that placement/advancement guidelines are created establish rules
so that faculty will receive:
[a] One
experience step of placement credit for each year of relevant full-time
experience, with a limit of 10 steps at initial placement. The President may
set Equivalent rules for
part-time experience may also be
established.
[b] The level appropriate
to their relevant educational background as specified on the salary scale. The
President may set equivalence rules by which a portion of relevant non-teaching
work experience may be counted as educational-level equivalent rather than as
experience.
[2]
Non-faculty permanent regular
employees shall be placed, as shown in the staffing table, in a salary grade
appropriate to their job responsibilities and in a salary step appropriate to
their experience. Accordingly, for such employees:
[a] Placement credit for
each full-time-equivalent year of relevant previous experience above the
minimum requirements for their current job shall be no less than one-half
step and no more than one step, with a limit of 10 more than 12 steps;
unless approved by the President.
[b] Employees
advance one step for each year of satisfactory performance, up to the top step
of their grade.
[3] Board approval,
preferably as part of the budget process, is required for changes in
administrative rules on placement if they would change costs by more than
$100,000/year.
Trustees discussed the proposed revisions. The proposed revisions will be considered at
the
Board Policy F-10, Employee Compensation
F-10. EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION
Value
Statements
•
Market competitive compensation for all employees is critical in
attracting and retaining a quality workforce.
•
Diligent compensation research is essential to ensure competitive
salaries.
•
Annual review of compensation administration provides the basis for
decisions regarding classifications and salaries in the Master Plan and annual
operating budget.
ACC intends to compensate employees so
as to (1) attract and retain a workforce with sustained high effectiveness
in meeting student learning needs, (2) act as an ethical and responsible
employer, and (3) make efficient use of student and public higher-education
expenditures. The President shall accordingly, consistent with fiscal
constraints and meeting the College's other needs, develop plans and
proposals to meet the following goals:
[1] Provide employment
primarily on stable professional terms with an adequate level of regular staff
to achieve excellence goals. However, the College shall
may use hourly,
part-time, and temporary staffing when appropriate. to
match variations in work load.
[2]
Have all employees receive fair pay for their contributions to the College
mission, with no employee paid less than the community-accepted level of a
"living wage".
[3] Provide a compensation package
(including salary, and
benefits, time off, stipends, and awards) that is market-competitive.
Priority for increasing compensation shall be for those positions that are at
95% or less of the market average or any other compensation target included
elsewhere in this policy or set by the Board.
[4] For each type of position, the
incumbents' compensation shall, on the average, be market-competitive with
those at the primary institutions for which the College competes for
employees. Job content is the most
important comparison point, but the size of the institution (i.e., its
workforce) shall also be considered. For
adjunct faculty, the average ACC compensation shall be the average of the
middle half of the distribution. The
primary relevant comparison markets shall be: for non-faculty staff and
administrators, similar local, regional, or national positions, as appropriate
for the position; for full-time faculty, nine-month averages of full time
faculty with equivalent experience and education in Texas metropolitan
community colleges; for adjunct faculty, lower-division classroom sections
taught in the Austin metropolitan area by part-time faculty for other
institutions of higher education. The administration may make reasonable
estimates where needed to supplement published data.
OR
[4]
For each type of position, the incumbents' compensation shall, on the average,
be market-competitive with those at the primary institutions for which the
College competes for employees. Job
content is the most important comparison point, but the size of the institution
(i.e., its workforce) shall also be considered.
For adjunct faculty, the average ACC compensation shall be the
average of the middle half of the distribution. The primary relevant comparison markets shall
be: for non-faculty staff and administrators, similar local and regional
positions, or national positions as appropriate for the position; for
full-time faculty, nine-month averages of full time faculty, with equivalent
experience and education in for adjunct
faculty, lower-division classroom sections taught in the Austin
metropolitan area by part-time faculty for other institutions of higher
education. The
administration may make reasonable estimates where needed to supplement
published data.
Adjunct faculty
shall be compensated on a percentage basis of the full-time faculty
compensation scale. The President shall
establish a compensation administration program for adjunct faculty salaries
including guidelines for administration.
(Trustee Barbara Mink)
OR
Adjunct faculty shall be compensated on a percentage
basis of the full-time faculty compensation scale with equivalent years of
experience, education and teaching responsibilities. The President shall establish a compensation
administration program for adjunct faculty salaries including guidelines for
administration.
[5]
Arrange workloads of employees so that there is an equitable and reasonable
assignment of responsibilities generally based on objective factors. and provide appropriate extra compensation or
release time to employees who are asked to work significantly more than normal
or during vacation/holiday times. Incorporate sufficient flexibility in leave rules
to allow tradeoffs between salary and time off, whenever appropriate given the
work needed by the College.
[6]
Adjust pay scales annually to reflect cost-of-living changes (including
inflation), with cost-of-living adjustments applied on the same basis to all
pay scales. However, cost-of-living increases shall be adjusted
appropriately to reflect the greater impact of inflation in the necessities on
lower-income persons.
[7]
Provide salary ranges that reflect appropriate adjustments for changes in effectiveness
due to applicable education/experience and completion of any mandatory
professional development.
[8]
Compensation rates and proposed changes in them are to be publicly announced
and shall normally be implemented as part of the budget process. Compensation
changes at other times shall be made only in cases of documented urgent need
approved by the President, after informing the employee associations and
considering their comments. Changes require specific Board approval if the action
increases a person's compensation rate of
an occupied position increased by 10% or more or if the cumulative
unapproved changes to the budget during the year would exceed $10,000/month.
[9]
As part of the annual operating
budget process, the President shall recommend proposed budget shall reflect the pay scales and stipends
that, in his or her judgment, reflect the above principles to the extent
feasible given other Board directives. Projections shall be provided with the
planning/budget proposals of the funds needed for cost-of-living adjustment,
market adjustments, changes in staffing levels, and the net cost of any
experience increments. Board approval of pay scales and rules shall be based
primarily on the extent to which the President's recommendation is consistent
with the provisions of Board policy and planning directives.
OR
The President may propose a budget which
falls short of meeting
the goals of this policy. The Board
understands that revenues and expenditures may fluctuate annually. Nevertheless, the President shall strive to
allocate sufficient funds for market-level adjustments, cost-of-living
increases, and experience adjustments. (Trustee Rafael Quintanilla)
[10]
When a budget falls short of meeting the goals of this policy, the budget
shall allocate between 4% and 6% of projected annual revenues for professional
development the budget shall reflect
sufficient allocation for market-level adjustments, cost-of-living
increases, and experience adjustments, stipends, and awards. (Trustee Barbara Mink)
[11]
An appropriate relationship shall be maintained between the compensation
packages of executives and senior administrators and the compensation for other
classes of employees. Any compensation increase in excess of the average percentage
increase for other employees for an employee serving as a College
administrative officer requires specific Board approval.
Trustees discussed the proposed revisions and proposed
additional changes for consideration at the
Board Policy G-2, Purchasing
G-2.
PURCHASING
Value Statements
•
Public funds
will be expended in an efficient, effective manner.
•
Goods and
services needed by the College will be purchased in an efficient and effective
manner.
A. General Objectives
[1]
To support the instructional mission of the College by procuring in a timely
manner the specific equipment, services, and
materials needed for effective College operations.
[2] To secure work and materials
at the best value for the College.
[3]
To provide opportunities for individual vendors, contractors,
historically underutilized businesses, and small/local businesses to compete
for College purchases/contracts in a fair and competitive environment, and to
create an open process for procurement through competition.
[4] To Monitor and insure compliance with the
terms and conditions of contracts – Trustee-Davis
B. Board Approval: The
requirement for specific Board approval of vendor and price for purchasing,
consulting, or contracting expenditures or commitments for related groups of
items depends on the cost and on the extent of prior Board review. During any
fiscal year, the stated limits apply to the aggregated expenditures with any
single vendor. During State
Law and Board Policy Control
The procurement
process will adhere to applicable state law, administrative rules, and Board
Policy. Purchasing and procurement shall
be in accordance with state law requirements, including Subchapter B or Chapter
44 of the to any
single vendor would exceed the stated limits, specific Board approval for
any new expenditure to that
vendor is required. In addition, for multi-year purchases the stated limits
apply to total costs.
[1] Expenditures
costing less than $25,000 never require such approval.
[2] Expenditures
costing over $100,000 always require such approval.
[3]
Expenditures costing between $25,000 and $100,000 require such approval unless
either:
[a] the Board has previously approved, after a public review period of a month
or more, a budget or other written plan listing the items and their approximate
cost, or
[b] the expenditure is primarily to repair or replace an existing capability
that has been unexpectedly lost, or
[c] the expenditure
C. Board Approval
Except for
matters required to be authorized or approved by the Board under Subchapter B
of Chapter 44 of the Texas Education Code or under Board Policy, the Board may,
as appropriate, delegate its authority under Subchapter B of Chapter 44
regarding an action authorized or required to be taken by the College to a
designated person, representative or committee.
In procuring construction services, the College shall provide notice of
the delegation and the limits of the delegation in the request for bids,
proposals, or qualifications or in the addendum to the request.
Except for an expenditure which
State law requires that the Board must approve which may not be delegated, any
contract for an expenditure of $250,000 (Staff) or less may be approved
by the President of the College or his designee. A contract requiring an expenditure of more
than $250,000 (Staff) must first have Board approval unless the Board
has previously approved, after a public review period of a month or more, a
budget or other written plan listing the items and their approximate
cost.
D. Emergency
In the event an expenditure is
immediately necessary to repair or replace an existing capability that has been
unexpectedly lost, or is immediately necessary to meet an emergency unforeseen
catastrophe or emergency (i.e., a situation in which immediate action must
be taken without Board approval to avoid harm to the College) and is the
President may approve such expenditure, and such expenditure must be
reported to the Board at its next meeting, or by written notification provided
through the President. In such an
event, the requirements of Section 44.031 shall apply, unless the Board
determines that the delay posed by the methods provided therein would prevent
or substantially impair the conduct of classes or other essential school
activities. Upon such finding, contracts
for the replacement or repair of the equipment or the part of the College
facility may be made by methods other than those required by Section 44.031.
For construction procurement
services which require Board approval below $500,000, the administration shall
provide a summary and evaluative judgments of vendor
responses with a recommendation of a single vendor. Such items should be
submitted to the Board early enough that it does not have to make its final
decision at its first consideration of the item if it has unresolved questions
or decides not to accept the administration's recommendation at the first
meeting the item is on the agenda. In cases where the administration's
recommendation is not accepted, consideration of alternatives shall occur at a
subsequent meeting.
For construction procurement
services in excess of $500,000, a limited number of well-qualified vendors
shall make presentations to the Board. The administration shall provide the
Board with appropriate evaluative criteria or questions for use by the Board in
the review process. The administration shall provide a summary of the proposals
and provide
E. Vendor Selection – Construction Procurement
In
accordance with Subchapter B or Chapter 44 of the Texas Education Code, the
Board in considering a construction contract utilizing a method specified by
Section 44.031(a), Texas Education Code, must determine before advertising
which method provides the best value for the College. The College shall base its selection among offerors on criteria authorized to be used under Section
44.031(b). The College shall publish the
request for bids, proposals, or qualifications the criteria that will be used
to evaluate the offerors and the relative weights
given to the criteria.
In procuring
construction services, the College shall provide notice of the delegation and
the limits of the delegation in the request for bids, proposals, or
qualifications or in the addendum to the request. Failure to provide such notice will result in
a ranking, selection, or evaluation of bids, proposals, or qualifications for
construction services advisory only and the Board shall then make the selection
or determination in an open public meeting.
The College
shall document the basis of its selection and shall make the evaluations public
not later than the seventh day after the date the contract is awarded.
[1] For construction
procurement services which require Board approval in an aggregate amount of
$500,000 or less, the administration shall provide a summary
and evaluative judgments, including a ranking, of vendor responses with
a recommendation of a single vendor.
Such items should be submitted to the Board early enough that it does
not have to make its final decision at its first consideration of the item if
it has unresolved questions or decides not to accept the administration's
recommendation at the first meeting the item is on the agenda. In cases where the administration's recommendation
is not accepted, consideration of alternatives shall occur at a subsequent
meeting.
[2] For construction
procurement services in excess of an aggregate amount of $500,000, the
administration shall review the vendor proposals and provide the Board with a
ranking. A limited number of the
top-ranked vendors shall make presentations to the Board. The administration shall provide the Board
with the administrative staff rankings and appropriate evaluative criteria or
questions for use by the Board in the final selection process. The administration shall provide a summary of
the proposals and an evaluative judgment concerning strengths and
weaknesses of these well-qualified vendors.
Proposed Change-Trustee Worley
[1]
For construction procurement services which require Board approval, the
administration shall provide a summary and evaluative
judgments, including a ranking, of vendor responses with a recommendation
of a single vendor. Such items should be
submitted to the Board early enough that it does not have to make its final
decision at its first consideration of the item if it has unresolved questions
or decides not to accept the administration's recommendation at the first
meeting the item is on the agenda. In
cases where the administration's recommendation is not accepted, consideration
of alternatives shall occur at a subsequent meeting. (Change eliminates language for
approvals for construction greater than $500,000)
[2] For
construction procurement services in excess of an aggregate amount of $500,000,
the administration shall review the vendor proposals and provide the Board with
a ranking. A limited number of the
top-ranked vendors shall make presentations to the Board. The administration shall provide the Board
with the administrative staff rankings and appropriate evaluative criteria or
questions for use by the Board in the final selection process. The administration shall provide a summary of
the proposals and an evaluative judgment concerning strengths and weaknesses of these
well-qualified vendors.
Proposed Change - Trustee
Richard
This policy affirmatively
expects the Administration to make a single recommendation to the Board for
construction services greater than $500,000, while showing the ranking and/or
evaluation of the limited number of well qualified vendors.
The Board shall generally assess the administration's recommendation by whether it and the process leading to it are in accord with Board Policy and the General Objectives set forth in Section A of this policy, giving due deference to the administration’s determination on whether a recommendation will meet General Objectives [1] and [2].
C.
F. Reports
The administration
shall provide quarterly reports and produce annual summaries on purchasing activities. Such
reports shall include:
[1] purchase orders and
contracts summarized by vendor (detail listing for orders and contracts greater
than $25,000) awarded to official, certified HUBs and
also by other historically underutilized businesses to the extent
possible;
[2] purchase orders and
contracts summarized by vendor (detail listing for orders and contracts greater
than $25,000) awarded to local vendors;
[3] state
contract and state catalog purchases made summarized by vendor;
[4]
all contracts over $10,000; and
[5]
an explanation of consulting fees in excess of $5,000
to a single vendor in a fiscal year.
[6]
a listing of any expenditures directly for
administrative officers that exceed $5,000 or are
unusual.
D
G. Responsible Contracting Practices
[1] In all purchasing and
contracting decisions, employees shall make diligent efforts to include
historically-underutilized-business (HUB) vendors and shall, where practicable,
avoid practices that tend to exclude HUB vendors. ACC The College shall develop,
maintain, and enhance the participation of minority-owned and women-owned firms
in all phases of its procurement processes, supporting their efforts to compete
for College business.
[2] The College shall encourage
all vendors, suppliers,
contractors, and professionals with whom it does business
to support the common goal of equal opportunity and economic participation for
all citizens. In the expenditure of College funds, neither
the College nor its contractors and suppliers shall discriminate on the basis
of sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, or sexual
orientation, or on the basis of disabilities that do not significantly affect
the quality of work.
[3] In deciding which functions
to accomplish via external contractors, the administration shall take care not
to support patterns of employment that fail to meet community compensation
standards.
[4] Contracts shall be reopened
on an equal basis to all qualified vendors at least once every five years (or
on completion for contracts longer than five years).
E.
G. Routine Real Estate Items
The President
is authorized, without further authorization by the Board, to approve,
and sign on behalf of the College, easements, covenants, restrictions, waivers,
and other agreements regarding real property owned or leased by the College,
provided they are minor in nature and reported promptly to the Board. This authorization does not extend to the
purchase or sale of real property.
Trustee
Rivera – Language regarding chair signing deeds? .. if approved by
general counsel as minor in nature (some covenants and restrictions are not
minor in nature.
Proposed
Change – Trustee Richard
New
Section F: Non-Routine or Significant Real Estate Matters
The
Administration shall develop a process for site selection for new College
facilities to include any principles it deems necessary, in accordance with
applicable laws and regulations, so long as the principles contain at least the
following components:
1. Identifying at least three (3)
viable site options per decision for Board consideration, and providing a
cost/benefit analysis for each option
2. Providing Financial
calculations for:
A. Cost of Construction;
B. Cost of Maintenance & Operations of Each Option
over 10 Year Period;
3. Providing
a staff analysis of:
A. Current transportation
linkages (streets, roads, bus service related to each site); and
B. Any new transportation
requirements that would be recommended if the Board should choose a particular
site;
C. What entity or entities would be
expected to pay for any improvements (City, County, State, Developer(s), etc.);
4. Conducting an analysis of support services &
geographic proximity, including:
A. Residential capacity (apartment
& single-family)
B. Retail-food services, bookstores,
groceries, etc.);
5. Conducting
an analysis of City/County utility connections – both current and planned
water, wastewater, telephone, cellular and cable connections;
6. Conducting an analysis of demographic trends;
7. Providing Financing Options, including:
A. A discussion of at least two
options on how to pay for the costs;
B. A discussion of which option the
staff recommends for Board approval
Rationale: Having three
alternatives for Board consideration for major purchases is consistent in form
at least to what is presented to the Board for relatively minor purchases – and
we should do no less for multi-million dollar, multi-year decisions.
The Administration shall
develop a process for Renovation or Refurbishment of Existing College
Facilities, and, prior to the renovation, refurbishment or redesign, shall
include in its process any principles it deems necessary, in accordance with
applicable laws and regulations, so long as the principles contain at least the
following components:
1
Estimating the cost for, and performing, a
Stage I Environmental Impact Statement;
2.
Estimating the cost for, evaluating and
making a recommendation to the Board as to whether the College should perform a
Stage II Environmental Impact Statement on the property or properties in
question, understanding that a presumption in favor of a more through reviews
exists unless the Administration makes a clear and compelling case otherwise;
and
3. Asking city, county and other applicable
authorities in advance, and in official correspondence,
whether all requisite permits have been issued and approvals given.
4. Within a Redesign Process for an
academic building for use by students, the Administration should attempt to
include planning to place a bookstore physically on a campus, employing an
analysis for the
cost versus benefit of using space for non-instructional purposes, as compared
to potential incremental revenue and student-and faculty-convenience from
physically collocated bookstores.
5. Within a
Redesign Process for an academic building for use by students, the
Administration should attempt to include planning to place food services
physically on a campus, employing an analysis of the cost versus benefit of
using space for non-instructional purposes, as compared to potential
incremental revenue and student-and-faculty-convenience from physically
collocated food concessions.
Rational: First, we need to
make a strong presumption that this Board expects for every environmental
contingency or test that can be undertaken is done prior to the commitment of
significant resources, second, regarding bookstores and food service, we
continually need to try to make learning and working at ACC convenient, and
redesign/refurbishment projects provide a natural, systematic stopping point
for those evaluations to occur periodically.
Trustees discussed the proposed revisions and proposed
additional changes for consideration at the
Board Policy G-7, Property Taxes
G-7. PROPERTY TAXES
Value Statements
•
The College recognizes that an adequate tax base and
tax rate are critical factors which impact the College’s tuition rate.
The College
President, as the Chief Executive Officer, shall use the following principles
in planning and budgeting for local property tax rates:
[1] To maintain a
fair balance between financial support from taxes and from tuition, the rate
shall be that which makes the fraction of revenues derived from taxes
approximately match the average for Texas metropolitan-area community colleges,
or a lower rate as needed to stay under the level which would require a tax
election or keep the annual increase from exceeding one cent per $100 (or two
cents per $100 if there has been no increase in the previous two years).
[2] The homestead exemption for the Austin
Community College District shall be could be the greater
lesser of $5000 or 1% of the assessed individual-property value.
[3] The additional
homestead exemption for elderly or disabled shall be $75,000.
The
Trustees reviewed the proposed changes and requested
additional information at the
Announcements
The audience was invited to attend:
· Art Cory, Travis County Tax Appraiser, would speak at the Metropolitan Breakfast Club on Wednesday, April 20.
·
An Art Festival to be held on Thursday, April
21,
·
Pecos Bill Awards would be presented on April
29,
·
Education issues before the Legislature would be
discussed on Friday, April 29,
Adjournment
Having no motion before the Board, the
April 18, 2005, Work Session of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees
was adjourned at
Approved By
Jeffrey Richard, Secretary