Meeting Notes - January 13, 2009
1:30-3:00 p.m.
ADM 106
1) Approval of Notes from December 9, 2008
The notes were approved. College Council approved the CBt budget scenario recommendation in principal.
2) State Budget Update
Hawk reported that the proposed Governor's budget was better than the mid-year cut budget. His proposed budget recognized community colleges as the higher education safety net and largely protected colleges from the deep cuts affecting other services. He also recognized that student diversion from UC and CSU and the increased unemployment rates neccesitated the funding of enrollment growth even in this difficult time. Hence there was funding for 3% growth system wide but only 1% for FHDA. The growth percentage rates were based on the graduate rates within the districts. Categoricals were not severely impacted although CALWORKS would be decimated. There was also talk of new proposed cash deferrals which may halt payments to colleges. In the event this becomes a reality, districts would have to survive on reserves or borrow the cash necessary to maintain operations. An unannounced additional $200 million deferral from July to October in the 2009-10 fiscal year would have an extreme impact. FHDA has enough cash reserves through end September 2009.
Hawk reminded the team that until the budget was signed it was difficult to plan in any great detail. The District could handle a best case 08-09/best case 09-10 budget scenario but would not be able to cover a worst case/worst case scenario. She recommended to plan for a middle-of-the-road scenario.
Useful articles related to the State budget:
Budget Update #1: January 5, 2009 
from the Community College League of California
Talking Points on the Governor's Budget Proposal January 5, 2009
3) Budget Strategies Going Forward
Hawk recommended to start planning now for 2009-10. The current strategies are:
- freezing most vacant positions (classified, administrative, faculty)
- protecting the current $5.2m ending fund balance *
- utilizing fund 15 balances where available
- utilizing additional float resources where available
- other alternatives.
* to maintain the fund balance, VP areas were requested to solve any individual department budget deficits within their own VP area. Strategic Planning money could only be used for previously approved commitments and required a VP signature. It was clarified that Strategic Planning money only had a 3-4 year evolution and with the integration of the goals into the program reviews this year, it was coming to an end anyway.
There was a discussion on zero based budgeting. Hawk said it is a good time to look at zero based budgeting while the college was doing program reviews. Program reviews would incorporate the strategic planning goals and were a planning tool for the future.These program reviews, along with enrollment management etc., could be a way to re-balance department budgets based the updated needs of the college and used as a tool for the restoration of positions when the State budget improves.
3) Burning Issues
Accreditation was coming up in 2010-11. The 2009-10 year is the self study year.
The team formally wished Jeanine Hawk goodbye and thanked her for all her hard work over the last five years. They wished her well at Santa Monica College.
Present: Argyriou, Bloom, Gerard, Hawk, Hearn, Jeanpierre, Larson, Michaelis, Sellitti.