Five vie for Chaffey College board positions, answers in full

Five candidates are running for positions on the Chaffey College board for the Nov. 3 election, but there is only room for two.

The candidates: Christopher Agrella, businessman; Paul Avila, Ontario-Montclair School District board member; Irene Hernandez-Blair, Los Angeles County employee; and two incumbents, Katie Roberts and Kathy Brugger.

Candidates were asked to answer questions related to issues affecting the district and community colleges.

All candidates were asked to answer the same three questions in 100 words, or less, for the Oct. 23 City News printed version, however some candidates didn't follow this format and wrote answers that exceeded the request.

Below are their answers in full. Have fun.

Agrella, 55, of Montclair manages distribution and logistics for trade magazines.

He is a former board member of the Ontario Western Little League and ran for Congress in 2008 in the 38th District. He also ran in 2009 for the 32nd Congressional District.

Question: Mid-year cuts are what most educators are expecting, if faced with this scenario, what specifically would you eliminate or reduce on the Chaffey campus, and why?

Answer: I consider myself an efficiency expert, having dealt with contract budgets with regards to my 22 years constructing or inspecting school projects. I had to build a project on budget every time, which i did, so this experience fits in well with what the Chaffey college needs right now, a board member who will stick to what students need, not items or perks of personal agendas. With a budget of over $200 million dollars, I feel I can find some wastefull or "good 'ol boys club" spending that can be eliminated from this multi-million dollar budget. I would immediately put a spending freeze on any staff raises, because just having a good job in this economy is a blessing right now. We all can cut back for the students to have their college educational goals soar, instead of the paychecks of all campus personel.

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about the parking situation on campus, how do you expect to address and provide solutions?

A: I personally went around the R.C. campus and found several areas suitable for a multi-level parking structure. I checked with the maintenence dept. to verify that these areas were not dedicated to other projects, and they were not. We already have state approved parking structures at Cal Poly Pomona and California State, Los Angeles, among others, that can be used at this campus. There is even a water basin across the street that could be utilized for temporary parking while these projects are being built, and solar powered shuttles could be used to ferry students to their classes so no one is ever late again, or dropped by a class because they couldn't find a parking place in time to make it to their classroom before they were locked out of their educational dreams! I did an entire Jr. High campus in Moreno Valley in less than one year, I will get the parking structures built in my 1st term, when elected, that's a promise to the voters and the students!

Q: In some states, community colleges are looking into providing four-year degree programs, in this economic climate should Chaffey consider this, and why?

A: I think for now, the Chaffey college system should stay where it is. And that's providing students with accredited and transferable college units, so they can go on to complete their educational goals after they have layed the foundation for that here at the Chaffey campuses. Some students, like myself when i attended UC Riverside, will find that after one or two years, they may want to change their major, or pursue a different avenue of learning. I did, by attending Rio Hondo college in Whittier, and achieving a certificate of journeyman status with the carpenter's union in Pomona. This switch allowed me to excell in a career that lasted another 22 years, so for this reason alone, i feel Chaffey college is providing the right first steps for our future citizens and leaders to begin at this level.

Three-term elected OMSD board member Avila has lived in the Chaffey district for 32 years and is also a retired state counselor. 

The 65-year-old Ontario resident has a bachelor's degree in English from Cal State San Bernardino.

Q: Mid-year cuts are what most educators are expecting, if faced with this scenario, what specifically would you eliminate or reduce on the Chaffey campus, and why?

A: Without a preliminary budget recommendation by its Chaffey's Chief Business Officer, I would focus on reductions, furloughs, and consolidation on Chaffey's mangerial unusually high salaries "55" positons (top heavy) as a realistic and reluctant proposal in anticipation of a futil supportive majority vote from existing Board. 

This is contrasted to other neigboring institutions of Community College's "Management Organizational Charts."

Significant cost reductions in Chaffey plural litigations and its legal counsel will help.

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about the parking situation on campus, how do you expect to address and provide solutions?

A: A notable French Queen shamefully uttered: "let them eat cake" when advised that people were hungry and starving (threshold to French Revolution). 

By similar analogy a Chaffey's Board President stated  "There are plenty available parking spaces they just don't want to walk far. . . giggle-giggle!"

Recent passage of local City's prohibitive parking ordinance and increased amount of infraction fines against students are not discerning resolutions. Especially during Midterms and final examination when students timely arrivals are critical! 

I have proposed a volunteered to a progressive mandated phases to limit parking time accommodation, at registration,assigning numerical I.D.s for allocation of parking space to student vehicle, Campus leased fleet of van like vehicles for transportation, and surveyed neighborhood owners for permissive temporary parking for students. 

Q: In some states, community colleges are looking into providing four-year degree programs, in this economic climate should Chaffey consider this, and why?

A: Yes, Chaffey must implement a partnership between Chaffey and surrounding Cal State Universities: (3+1 ) towards a "four year degree program".Because the current tsunamic like skyrocketing tuition cost issue impedes students affordability to access and retention to higher college level education. UC/CSU systems has always collaborated transferabilty from (2+2 system). in order to offset this encroaching adverse cost effect on students viablity programs on high demand majors like: nursing, teaching, and and English arts programs. The program raise students accessability to higher learning (undergraduate degrees) while at same time lowering the tuition cost by as much as three times it cost over a quarter/semester annual institutional term. Arizona realm of higher education is already beyond discussion on 3+1 concept for their students benefit.

Brugger, a Chaffey incumbent who has served on the board for 16 years, is retired and has lived in the area for 47 years. 

Brugger is a graduate of Montclair High School, Chaffey College and Cal Poly Pomona. 

Q: Mid-year cuts are what most educators are expecting, if faced with this scenario, what specifically would you eliminate or reduce on the Chaffey campus, and why?

A: Cuts would be from discretionary funds such as travel and supplies. As far away from students as possible.

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about the parking situation on campus, how do you expect to address and provide solutions?

A: Continue working with the city of Rancho Cucamonga and community to bring forth an amicable solution before the start of the 2010 semester.

Prior to the beginning of any new building or remodeling the parking lot space availability is addressed. Omnitrans provides free bus passes the first two weeks of school. Encourage ride sharing.

Q: In some states, community colleges are looking into providing four-year degree programs, in this economic climate should Chaffey consider this, and why?

A: The economic climate has forced Chaffey College to reduce our budget by $7 million plus having our highest enrollment of 22,000 students.

The four-year degree proposal could be addressed in the future during better economic times.

Hernandez-Blair, 42, is an 11-year resident of the Chaffey College district and lives in Chino.

She was appointed as a commissioner on the Commission on the Status of Women and elected vice-president of Doris Dickson Parent Teacher Association and president of American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 1083. 

Q: Mid-year cuts are what most educators are expecting, if faced with this scenario, what specifically would you eliminate or reduce on the Chaffey campus, and why?

A: According to the information provided to all candidates at the Board Candidate Orientation, the college is not running on a deficit, but if faced with the scenario of mid-year cuts, I would first bring together faculty and classified staff representatives as well as all appropriate administrators and student representatives for a discussion about their recommendations and suggestions. The elimination and/or reduction of any items from the budget would require the input of all stakeholders of Chaffey College. Positions lost through attrition should be removed from budgeted allocations if they will not be filled and taking a serious approach to the reduction of expenditures on office supplies or other similar expenses should be considered prior to cuts that will affect students and staff.

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about the parking situation on campus, how do you expect to address and provide solutions? 

A: I have been in direct contact with several Chaffey students and the problem varies in seriousness for each of these students. At the candidates forum, one current Board Member indicated that plenty of parking exists, but that students choose not to park in the available lots because of the distance. Chaffey's current parking and traffic policy states in part, "Chaffey College, like most colleges does not guarantee a parking space for all students during peak periods and therefore, cannot guarantee parking." Though this may be the policy, the fact is that students are paying a fee for a parking permit, which in essence creates the agreement that a parking space will be available to the student. I would suggest that considerations be made in removing some "red zone" areas that would not cause safety concerns, but could add the availability of several parking spaces. In addition, I would seek the assistance of an Institutional Planner who may provide the best and most reasonable solutions to this problem (preferably one from a contractor already conducting business with the college so as not to incur an additional expense).

Q: In some states, community colleges are looking into providing four-year degree programs, in this economic climate should Chaffey consider this, and why?

A: The state of California is not one of the states who has approved this practice. States that have won the right to offer the four-year degree programs have done so in limited areas of study. There is controversy surrounding this situation and much research would have to be performed in order to determine the positive and/or negative repercussions of such an action, but if the overall findings indicate that this is something beneficial for students and provides significant cost-savings, then it could be worth a try. If this action increases the opportunity for higher education for more members of the Chaffey College district, then it makes the effort worth honest consideration.

Chaffey's second incumbent Roberts is completing her second four-year term. She has lived in the Chaffey district for almost four decades. 

Roberts is a retired police captain.

Q: Mid-year cuts are what most educators are expecting, if faced with this scenario, what specifically would you eliminate or reduce on the Chaffey campus, and why?

A: Budget constraints require creativity in achieving our mission, which is to improve lives within our diverse communities. Fiscal integrity must be achieved in consultation with students, instructional and service professionals.

We are always seeking grants, outside funding and innovation to avoid program reductions.

Q: There has been a lot of controversy about the parking situation on campus, how do you expect to address and provide solutions? 

A: Parking challenges present opportunities to evaluate student and community needs. We are working with city leaders to identify effective solutions and some campus areas have been identified for parking development.

Q: In some states, community colleges are looking into providing four-year degree programs, in this economic climate should Chaffey consider this, and why?

A: Many students who wish to complete four-year degrees face limited enrollment openings because of space, grades, and finances. This challenge creates an important mission to provide classes for transfer as identified in the California Master Plan for Higher Education.