CR celebrates Measure Q victory
College of the Redwoods celebrated its Measure Q bond election victory
Tuesday (Nov. 2, 2004) and looked forward the project phase.
"College of the Redwoods is grateful for the community response to
Measure Q which will enable the college to make essential improvements
to our campuses in Eureka, Fort Bragg and Crescent City," CR President
Casey Crabill said.
The measure, which appeared on ballots in Humboldt and Del Norte counties,
coastal Mendocino County and parts of western Trinity County, passed
with approximately 65 percent of the vote. The measure will enable
the college to access $40.3 million in general obligation bonds as
well as additional funds from the state.
"The CR Board of Trustees will immediately begin to form a Citizens'
Oversight Committee as design teams begin the first series of projects," Crabill
said. "It will take several years to complete all the identified projects,
but the work begins right now."
CR seeks community support for facilities needs
Trustees vote to place $40 million bond measure on ballot
College of the Redwoods Board of Trustees took a major step toward securing
the future needs of the college by voting on Tuesday, June 15 to place
a general obligation bond measure on the Nov. 2, 2004 election ballot.
The bond measure, if passed by voters, will allow for major safety repairs,
Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades and renovations of the nearly
40-year-old CR Eureka campus and at its Del Norte and Mendocino Coast
campuses. The measure will also provide for the renovation of classrooms
and science and technology centers throughout the CR District.
The CR Board of Trustees passed the bond measure by a unanimous decision.
In Humboldt, northwest and western Trinity counties, it will appear on
the ballot as Measure Q; in Del Norte county, it is designated Measure
B.
Programs that would be enhanced by facility improvements include health
occupations (such as nursing and the creation of a dental hygiene program),
police and fire sciences, construction technology, computer science and
automotive technology along with tourism and hospitality and transfer-level
sciences.
"Our colleges have two primary goals: to give our students employment
skills and career training, and to prepare them to transfer to a university,"
said CR President Casey Crabill. "This bond measure will ensure that
all our students have access to the 21st century education that they
need to succeed."
Approval of this bond measure is the culmination of 18 months of planning
by CR. If the measure passes it will be the most comprehensive facilities
improvement effort the college has conducted in its history. CR came
into existence in January 1964 when Humboldt County voters overwhelming
approved a $3.6 million bond measure to build the Eureka campus.
The $40.3 million bond measure will cost homeowners $18 per every $100,000
of their homes' assessed valuation. The general obligation bonds are
25-35 years in length.
None of the funds generated by the bond measure can be spent for salaries
or administration. By law, an independent Citizens Oversight Committee
must be established to oversee the implementation of the bond projects.
This committee has the authority to conduct annual audits on the bond
proceeds.
