GILROY
– Gavilan College President Steve Kinsella offered information
about a possible $138 million bond measure to a sparsely attended
public forum Tuesday night. A few members of the board of trustees
and Associated Student Body were at the forum, as well as one
member of the community.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Gavilan College President Steve Kinsella offered information about a possible $138 million bond measure to a sparsely attended public forum Tuesday night. A few members of the board of trustees and Associated Student Body were at the forum, as well as one member of the community.
“I actually thought more people would come,” Kinsella said, “but it’s really hard to judge.”
Tuesday’s forum was the first of three scheduled by Gavilan to provide the public with reasons the college is pursuing a bond, present a tentative list of facilities projects that the bond would fund and generate feedback that could shape the final edition of the project list.
Kinsella expects more people will participate in meetings about the bond as it becomes more finalized and groups want to argue in favor of or against it.
“This is obviously an informational stage, we’re not promoting anything at this time,” he said.
Kinsella presented those in attendance with information about the needed facilities improvement and expansion projects that would be funded by the bond – specifically, updating classrooms with air conditioning and heating, making classrooms able to support newer technology and expanding all three campuses.
Gavilan is operating at capacity at its Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Hollister sites, Kinsella said. As the population in and around Gilroy increases, the state will provide Gavilan with additional money to serve more students only if more full-time students are actually attending the college. To do that, Kinsella said, Gavilan needs to find a way to expand its capacity now.
The state simply has no money to fund facilities projects right now, Kinsella said, and even if it did, the funding process would take seven to eight years.
There seems to be a need for a bond measure, said Thomas Muniz, who attended the forum to better understand Gavilan’s bond plans.
“The whole purpose is to have educational support for young persons,” said Muniz, an engineer who lives in Gilroy and attended Gavilan in the late 1980s. “I think it’s a good win-win situation for the city and the college.”
ASB representatives at the forum said they were hoping more students would attend, but that many are busy at night with jobs or family responsibilities.
“We’re really trying to get at the students because they’re the ones who’ll be affected,” said Dave DiDenti, ASB vice president of communications.
A student forum on the bond may be held during the morning hours when most students are on campus, DiDenti said.
The next public forum will be held Oct. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 375 Fifth St., Hollister.
