Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Open Board of Directors Meeting
San Bernardino Community College District
114 S. Del Rosa Drive
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Minutes
Present: Deborah Barmack, Peter Barmack, Carole Beswick, Tom Brickley, Matt Buck, Mike Burrows, Rachelle Bussell, Ken Coate, Scott Davis, Louis Goodwin, Scott Hofferber, Matthew Isaac, Jay Jimenez, Mark Kaenel, Lowell King, Pam Langford, Ed Lasak, John Mirau, Dan Murphy, Brian Reider, Jan Remm, Kristine Scott, Wendy Strack and Phil Waller.
Guests: Juan Herrera, Stan Morrison and Ross Sevy.
Announcements: 1) The San Bernardino International Airport will hold an air show and benefit concert on Saturday, October 17, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Country artists Craig Campbell and Cassadee Pope will perform. The event will also include a car show, beer gardens, kid’s zone, food trucks and Red Bull Motorcycle show. Go to www.sbdfest.com
M/S/P: Minutes from September 22, 2015.
Jay Jimenez introduced Assemblyman Jay Obernolte.
Jay Obernolte was elected to the California State Legislature in 2014 to represent 33rd District. The district is essentially the northern half of San Bernardino County which has a tremendous amount of diversity both in population and geographically. The high desert of Victorville and Hesperia, mountain communities such as Big Bear and true desert communities of Needles are some of the constituents in the 33rd District.
While still in high school, he discovered his passion for computers while creating his first commercial computer program. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech where he also founded his business out of his dorm room. He went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence at UCLA. Today his company, FarSight Studios located in Big Bear, employs 25 local residents and develops videogame technology for Sony, Microsoft, and Apple.
His public service began in 2005 when he was elected to the Big Bear City Airport Board. In 2010 he was elected to the City Council and was known as Big Bear Lake’s fiscally responsible Mayor. Regionally, the Assemblyman has served as a Director on the Mojave Desert and Mountain Integrated Waste JPA Board, the Mountain Area Regional Transit Authority Board, and on the League of California Cities Desert-Mountain Division.
A business man in the high tech industry for over 25 years led to his selection as the Assistant Republican Leader of Innovation and the New Economy. In this capacity, the Assemblyman serves as the leading voice of the Assembly Republican Caucus on policy goals that encourage growth and opportunity in California.
Since elected the five courts in his District were reduced to one. They have been able to partially restore one court (Barstow) but the Assemblyman will push for further funding as the district is geographically large and travel time for residents to get to a court are excessive (up to a 6 hour round trip).
As a member of the Utilities and Commerce Committee he has found many policies that are antiquated. The Committee will work to modernize and update these policies.
Funding for high speed rail, water bond and cap & trade monies all go through the Resources and Transportation Committee of which he is a member. California’s interstate is in such poor condition that it ranks 49th of the 50 states. Cost effectiveness was also measured and for every dollar spent California again ranked 49th of 50. There are a reported $6 billion in Transportation inefficiencies which include some 3,500 redundant CalTrans positions. CalTrans persistently discredits the report siting that the auditors “just did not understand” how CalTrans works. He indicated that the administration favors a series of tax increases such as increasing the gas tax and indexing for inflation, creating a special tax for electric vehicles, an increased in diesel fuel tax and a new electric vehicle tax. Although not ruling out future tax increases may be implemented, he believes that serious examination of current spending must come first.
Assemblyman Obernolte has experienced a good deal of success as a freshman with four of his bills having been signed by the Governor and another four awaiting signature. He discussed the following legislation: Local Tax Measure Accountability (AB809) Requires local tax ballot statements to include the amount raised, the rate, and the duration of the tax being voted upon in the title.
Improving Government Transparency (AB 410) Requires a state agency to post on its website any document that is mandated by law to be submitted to a legislative committee.
Improving Court Efficiency (AB 249) Prohibits a defendant from appealing a final conviction solely on the basis of an error in the imposition or calculation of fines, penalty assessments, surcharges, fees, or costs, unless the issue is raised in the trial court at the time of sentencing.
He is proud and honored to serve the 33rd District and stated that serving as an Assemblyman is both the hardest and the most rewarding job he has ever had.
A Q & A period followed.
Meeting adjourned at 8:29 a.m.