PCC Courier, December 14, 1989

Board Unanimously Approves Master Plan $90-Million Master Plan: A Blueprint of PCC's Future Margie Goodhart Arts Editor In three successive resolutions on Dec. 6, the PCC Board of Trustees brought to fruition two years of care¬ ful plans and intensive work: the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the master plan was certified; the 30-year, multi-million dollar master plan was approved, and eminent domain proceedings were started to acquire two parcels of land for the site of the new library. “A masterplan is a vision,” said Dr. Jack Scott, superintendent-presi¬ dent. “It’s not something that’s unchangeable. It points the way towards a more beautiful campus that in turn can facilitate the main object of Pasadena City College, which is the instruction of students.” The goal of Meyer and Allen Associates, the architect and master planning firm, was to changd the fabric of the campus to incorporate more green, open space, pedestrian walk ways and landscaped connec¬ tors. The final draft of the plan cost 5100,000 and calls for all on-cam¬ pus parking to be moved to the pe¬ rimeter of die campus. Bi-level park¬ ing structures arc planned, as well as a wall system that will define cam¬ pus boundaries and hide unsightly parking lots. “What you have now is a sea of parking, a shopping-center environ¬ ment,” said Cliff Allen of Meyer and Allen Associates. “We wanted to help create a sense of peace, so that once you’re in the campus, you’re in a whole different world.” In order to create this master plan of a greener campus, the college had to comply with see. 21,000 of the Public Resources Code by doing a study of the anticipated environmental impact of the plan. The firm of Cot- ton/Beland/Assoeiates prepared the 521,000 report. “The California Environmental Quality Act requires that public agencies complete and certify an Environmental Impact Report prior to adopting a master plan,” said Dr. James Kosslcr, assistant superinten¬ dent of administrative services. “In certifying the report, the board made findings that there were some envi¬ ronmental effects on air quality. However, the benefits of the pro- The MASTER PLAN posed project | master plan | outweigh the environmental risks.” The last resolution passed by the board was to begin eminent domain acquisition of the two properties on ■ Story, pictures and diagrams on the Master Plan Pages 4 and 5 Colorado Boulevard for the site of the proposed 5 17-million library and media center. In order to acquire the property by this means, the college had to determine that it was in the public interest and a necessity to do so, and that the acquisition was “ most compatible with the greatest public good and the least private injury,1’ according to Resolution 158. “In preparing the Project Plan- Please see PLAN, page 8 CO URIER VOL. 69 NO. 1 1 PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA DECEMBER 14, 1989 CSEA Charges District with Unfair Administration Asks Holthaus to Step Down from Board of Trustees Margie Goodhart Arks Editor Don Holthaus, representative to PCC Board of Trustees for classified staff belonging to Instruction Sup¬ port Services Unit (1SSU), was asked by the administration to step down because of charges filed by Califor¬ nia School Employees Association (CSEA). Holthaus, who represented classified staff members belonging to ISSU, was asked to give up his post at the Nov. 22 meeting. CSEA charged that Holthaus’s presence on the board constituted support of ISSU. Charges filed by CSEA on July 3 1 , against the district are for unfair labor practices; specifically, for “providing paid release time to ISSU; providing ISSU with [address] la¬ bels, printing, supplies for commu¬ nication and mail drop box for pur¬ poses of organizing; providing sup¬ port to ISSU for recognition, inter¬ fering witlt employees right to or¬ ganize fairly; denying CSEA its guaranteed rights,” according to information provided by CSEA Chapter 772 President Marvin Trepp. "The district is required to re¬ main neutral during the entire proc¬ ess," said Dr. Jack Scott, superinten¬ dent-president. "It is very important that the district express no favorit¬ ism toward cither CSEA or ISSU during this process. It is for this reason that the district requested Mr. Holthaus to step down from the Board of Trustees." The formal complaint was issued against the district by the Public Employees Relations Board (PERB), the state arbitrating agency, on Sept. 26. Historically, ISSU has been a “meet and confer” organization of about 250 while-collar, technical personnel formed in the mid-’70s when an election with only CSEA on the ballot failed, says President Sylvia Ryan. The “no representa¬ tion” choice was selected by classi¬ fied stall'. However, staff anxieties last summer about possible changes in health care benefits prompted ISSU members to look into the possibility of becoming a collective bargaining agent. While ISSU's membership is still about 250 , CSEA has five members at PCC. “Without stilus as a collective bargaining agent, we have no legal power in negotiations with the dis¬ trict,” said Ryan. An informational meeting was held for ISSU members June 9 “to explore information in relation to collective bargaining without espous¬ ing a point of view,” Ryan said. 1,500 March for AIDS in Pasadena Posada Raises $90,000 To Benefit All Saints AIDS Service Center Gigi Hanna Editor-in-Chief An estimated 1,500 walkers from throughout the southland helped raise S90,000 Saturday, Dec. 9, in the first Pasadena Posada celebration to raise money for the All Saints AIDS Service Center. About 557,000 of the funds were raised by the walkers. The difference was donated by corpo¬ rate sponsors. Participants walked 2.5 miles passed 10 of the city’s best-known cultural sites, including the Pa¬ cific Asia Museum, the Pasadena Playhouse and the Plaza Pasad¬ ena. The candle-lit journey , remi¬ niscent of the traditional Posada celebration recreating the can¬ dlelight walk of Joseph and Mary searching for shelter, culminated on the steps of City Hall. Many of the walkers sang traditional Christmas carols as they walked. The procession garnered inquir¬ ies from passers-by. One of the highlights of the journey was a display of the In¬ ternational AIDS Memorial Quilt The entire 13-ton quilt is com¬ prised of more than 1 1,000 pan¬ els dedicated to the memory of someone who has died from the disease; eight were on view for the processors. Walkers turned a portion of Holly Street, in front of the City Hall, into a living quilt. Those who wished to remember AIDS victims were asked to write in chalk the names of those who have died or who are dying. The blue and yellow names in the concrete were a sobering sight amidst the celebration which fol¬ lowed the march. The seed for the AIDS Serv¬ ice Center was planted in Janu¬ ary 1985 when at the General Convention of the Episcopalian Church, a resolution was adopted that required congregations to respond to the burgeoning AIDS crisis. Cultivation of the Center began in 1986 when a telephone helpline was established at All Saints. The plan finally took root in 1987 when the Vestry of All Saints allocated $30,000 to help establish the Center. Now, the Service Center is the only provider of comprehensive support services for the hundreds of people with AIDS, AIDS- Related Complex and HIV infec¬ tion in the San Gabriel Valley. A staff of 15 and a volunteer corps of over 250 provide clients with a range of services including help with coordination of benefits, transportation, selection of nurs¬ ing care and financial assistance with housing and food. The center also offers an AIDS prevention program that targets black, Hispanic, gay and youth communities and a series of AIDS education and training programs to deal with issues such as AIDS and suicide, self-esteem and youth and AIDS. It is estimated that one in eight people in our community has been infected by the AIDS virus. According to Service Center volunteer coordinator James Baer, planning for the event began in June. However, “planning for the second Pasadena Posada will begin in January or February,” he said. “This was such a tremendous success, it’s an exciting experi¬ ence, everyone seems to be hav¬ ing fun,” he said. While participating in the tra¬ ditional posada, the walkers were raising money to keep the All Saints AIDS Service Center alive so that it may be a shelter and a beacon of hope for AIDS victims throughout the West San Gabriel Valley. AIDS WALK- Walkers gather in front of City Hall as part of the Pasadena Posada which raised $90,000 for the All Saints AIDS Service Center, which is the largest service provider in the West San Gabriel Valley for people with AIDS. Labor Practices Consequently, the decision was made to seek status as a collective bar¬ gaining agent, and an application was filed with PERB July 7. This is the point at which the district should have taken a “hands- off position” with ISSU, according to Trepp, who also wrote on Dec. 7 that neither the district nor ISSU has denied the charges. District repre¬ sentatives did not express an opinion on Trcpp’s comment, but ISSU did not agree that all the charges were accurate and provided acopy of their response. ISSU’s response to the charges were submitted to PERB on Oct. 6, and according to Ryan, are as fol¬ lows. “|1| Address labels are pro- Please see CSEA, page 8 Don Holthaus New Parking Service in Spring $40,000 Allocated For Shuttle Project Michael Rocha News Editor The Board of Trustees unani¬ mously approved a S40,000 shuttle project geared to alleviate the col¬ lege’s parking problem. The board voted Dec. 6 to author¬ ize Dr. James Kossler, assistant super¬ intendent of administrative services, to rent 100 parking spaces from Central Parking Systems in Old Pasadena at S40 a space for five months. With the district allocating S40.000, “we could in effect pilot a shuttle operation during the Spring,” said Kossler. From February through June, PCC will be renting the parking spaces, which will provide PCC students and staff with alternative parking spaces besides the campus lots and the spaces on streets near the col¬ lege. According to the proposal that Kossler submitted to the board, “the shuttle project including off-cam¬ pus parking is suggested as a means of partially alleviating the problem of the unavailability of on-campus parking for staff and students during the daytime hours.” The parking facility, which is 1 .6 miles away from the college, is lo¬ cated at Raymond and Green streets. According to Kossler, the project would cost the college district S20.CXX) for fiscal 1989-90. That price, however, is just the rental for the parking spaces. Another S20,000 will be needed for salaries for shuttle drivers, publicity, fuel and wear and tear on district vans. The shuttle project currently calls for two district vans to pick-up stu¬ dents and staff at the parking facility and travel cast on Green. The vans will then slop at several drop-off points, the first of which is the Community Skills Center. From there, the van will enter college premises and will stop at three drop¬ off points. From the college the shuttles will head back to the park¬ ing facility. The shuttles will oper¬ ate every 20 minutes between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Please see SHUTTLE, page 8 No More Staff Parking for Part-time Staff The Parking Committee has recommended and the Execu¬ tive Committee has tentatively approved a new parking regu¬ lation for the Fall of 1990 that will not allow people who work for the college for fewer than 50 percent to have access to staff parking., said Dr. James Kosslcr, assistant superinten¬ dent of administrative serv¬ ices. Currently, people working for the college for fewer than 50 percent can gel a staff park¬ ing permit. “That’s causing congestion in the staff lot,” said Kossler. Under the new proposal, people who work hourly and part-time will no longer have access to staff parking. -Michael Rocha