EXHIBIT B

(TO- RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE DESERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT ORDERING AN ELECTION, AND ESTABLISHING SPECIFICATION OF THE ELECTION ORDER)

FULL TEXT BALLOT PROPOSITION OF THE DESERT COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

BOND MEASURE ELECTON MARCH 2, 2004

The following is the full proposition presented to the voters of the Desert Community College District.

College of the Desert Job Training, Overcrowding, Repair/Safety Measure: ‘To train local residents for jobs, prepare students for four-year colleges, accommodate increasing student enrollment at College of the Desert by:

Expanding nursing/police/fire-fighting training facilities;
Repairing sewer systems, leaky roofs, decaying walls, plumbing, electrical systems;
Upgrading/adding classrooms for computer technology;
Repairing, acquiring, constructing, equipping buildings, sites, classrooms;
shall Desert Community College District issue $346,500,000 in bonds, at legal rates, with citizen oversight, annual audits, no money for administrators’ salaries”

Bonds – Yes
Bonds – No

PROJECTS

The Board of Trustees of the Desert Community College District evaluated the District’s urgent and critical facility needs, including safety issues, enrollment growth, energy reduction and information and computer technology, in developing the scope of projects to be funded, as outlined in the College of the Desert Facilities Master Plan, approved on November 19, 2003, incorporated herein, and as shall be further amended from time to time. In developing the scope of projects, the faculty, staff and students have prioritized the key health and safety needs so that the most critical needs are addressed. The Board of Trustees conducted independent facilities evaluations and received public input and review in developing the scope of college facility projects to be funded, as listed in the Facilities Master Plan which was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees. This input of faculty, community and business leaders concluded that if these needs were not addressed now, the problems would only get worse. In preparing the Facilities Master Plan the Board of Trustees made four important determinations:

(i) In tough economic times it is critically important for College of the Desert to provide facilities for job and vocational training to students and adults seeking to acquire job skills that local businesses are seeking;

(ii) College of the Desert must provide facilities to increase the number of trained nurses to help relieve the serious nursing shortage in the area;

(iii) College of the Desert must add new facilities and classrooms to meet the rapid growth in the area which has resulted in thousands of new students seeking an affordable local college education;

(iv) College of the Desert must provide facilities for academic programs for students who want to transfer to a four-year college; and

(v) College of the Desert must provide facilities to support adult continuing education classes in subjects like financial planning, accounting and computers.

The Facilities Master Plan is both on file at the District’s Office of the Superintendent/President and posted on the District’s website, www.collegeofthedesert.edu, and includes the following projects:

Job and Career Training Projects

Build an Allied Health and Nursing Facility that will allow the College of the Desert to increase the number of trained nurses and help relieve the serious nursing shortage in the local area.
Build a new Public Safety Academy to train public safety personnel in administration of justice, fire fighting technology, and police officer standards.
Build a state-of-the-art Technology Center to provide computer and information systems, classrooms/labs and student access to lab technicians, to prepare student for careers and four-year degrees in science and technology jobs and professions
Classroom Buildings and Facilities

Redesign and wire classrooms to increase the uses of technology, computers and high speed Internet access for teaching including enhancement of distance learning;
Build large lecture hall facility to accommodate larger classrooms and conferences.
Build and acquire college classrooms to accommodate more students who want to enroll in classes and improve the quality of learning and expand academic and vocational learning opportunities, horticultural department facilities, and sites.
Add modern science labs.
Renovate and upgrade buildings, facilities, gym, pool, fields and classrooms for each of safety, efficiency, and expanded enrollment.
Construct an early childhood education and development center to train teachers and a centralized student center, a fitness and wellness center and learning arts facility.
Health and Safety Projects

Repair and maintain deteriorating campus flooring, roofs, walls, windows, plumbing and electrical systems.
Install new fire alarm and communication systems and energy efficient lighting.
Reduce earthquake risks by seismic retrofitting older buildings, which are currently over half of all buildings on the Palm Desert campus.
Upgrade water, sewer, mechanical, heating, ventilation and gas infrastructure to current safety codes.
Energy Efficiency Improvements

Replace/upgrade energy systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and related utility systems.
Refinance Existing Obligations to Lower Interest Rate and Increase Funds Available For Instruction and Ongoing Maintenance of Classrooms and Buildings

Safety and Security; Sites

Improve pedestrian access routes across campus for safety.
Improve campus safety and security by adding exterior lighting.
Implement safety upgrades to relieve traffic flow and parking congestion.
Repair or replace outdated natural gas, water, sewer, storm drain systems.
Acquire property to expand student capacity
Improve emergency access and evacuation routes to improve student safety, redesign campus road network to eliminate dangerous intersections and unsafe conditions, reduce gridlock, improve pedestrian safety and increase access for emergency vehicles.
Listed repairs, rehabilitation projects and upgrades will be completed as needed. Each project is assumed to include its share of equipment, architectural, engineering, and similar planning costs, construction management, and a customary contingency for unforeseen design and construction costs. The allocation of bond proceeds will be affected by the District’s receipt of State bond funds and the final costs of each project. The budget for each project is an estimate and may be affected by factors beyond the District’s control. The final cost of each project will be determined as plans are finalized, construction bids are awarded, and projects are completed.

The bond program is designed to provide facilities which will serve current and expected enrollment. In the event of an unexpected slowdown in development or enrollment of students at the college, certain of the projects described above will be delayed or may not be completed. In such case, bond money will be spent on only the most essential of the projects listed above. The District will work with the Citizens’ Oversight Committee on prioritizing those projects in the event factors beyond the District’s control require that project be reconsidered.

FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY. THE EXPENDITURE OF BOND MONEY ON THESE PROJECTS IS SUBJECT TO STRINGENT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS. BY LAW, PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL AUDITS WILL BE PERFORMED ANNUALLY, AND ALL BOND EXPENDITURES WILL BE MONITORED BY AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE SPENT AS PROMISED AND SPECIFIED. THE CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MUST INCLUDE, AMONG OTHERS, REPRESENTATION OF A BONA FIDE TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION, A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND A SENIOR CITIZENS ORGANIZATION. NO DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OR VENDORS ARE ALLOWED TO SERVE ON THE CITIZENS’ OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.

NO ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES . PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THE BONDS AUTHORIZED BY THIS PROPOSITION SHALL BE USED ONLY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION, ACQUISITION, REHABILITATION, OR RELACEMENT OF COLLEGE FACILITIES, INCLUDING THE FURNISHING AND EQUIPPING OF COLLEGE FACILITIES, AS DESCRIBED, AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, INCLUDING FACULTY, STAFF AND ADMINISTRATOR SALARIES AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES. BY LAW, ALL FUNDS CAN ONLY BE SPENT ON THE DESCRIBED PROJECTS.