By Mary O’KEEFE

This November local residents will be asked to vote on Measure GCC.

“The starting points of the bond discussion was really having an assessment of our campus,” said Ryan Cornner, Glendale Community College superintendent/president.

The Glendale Community College (GCC) Governing Board and administration brought in a firm to review the maintenance and infrastructure needs of the campus.

“They determined that over the next 10 years we need to have somewhere between $100 and $125 million of investment just to maintain the campus as is,” he said.

Many of the buildings on the college campus are at least 60 years old, and some are older. They do have a few new buildings that were built in the last few years but for the most part there are older buildings on campus.

“[My office building] was [built] in 1937 and the auditorium is 1945, and we have a couple of buildings that were built in the 50s. The campus infrastructure is equally as old,” he added.

The student population has been growing after COVID restrictions were relaxed.

“We have seen a growth since COVID. In fact, the past two years we’ve seen two years of consecutive growth of more than 10%,” he said.

That growth in student population has been one of the talking points in terms of the college discussion for additional building and maintenance.

While a lot of four-year colleges get support from alumni, community colleges do not typically get that type of support.

“Community colleges are kind of in a different realm than the private and large public institutions,” Cornner said. “We do have a foundation that does fundraising, and we raise a bit of money for assistance in capital development.”

But those amounts are smaller, for example $1 to $3 million. Less than what they need on a larger scale build.

“As an example, the new science building that was just constructed [on the campus] is close to $140 million to build,” he added.

A “yes” vote on Measure GCC would authorize the Board of Trustees of the Glendale Community College District (GCCD) to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $600,000 in bond revenue and will be going to fund school improvements. It will require an estimated property tax levy of $25 per $100,000 of assessed value.

A “no” vote opposes authorizing the GCCD to issue $600,000 in bonds with bond revenue going to fund school improvements and requiring an estimated property tax levy of $25 per $100,000 in assessed value.

“We timed [the measure] as Measure G from the early 2000s is coming off the rolls,” he said.

It may not completely mitigate that Measure G bond but it will be timed so as that bond ends Measure GCC would begin.

“We are trying to do the best we can in terms of planning out the bond, so that it has as little tax implications as possible,” he added.

Voters within the GCC district area will see Measure GCC on their ballot. Please see attached map to see the area of voters for the Measure.

If passed Cornner said they have some “exciting plans.”

“For one it really is that infrastructure development [we will] start with, making sure that we’re addressing safety issues, ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) issues and removing hazardous materials,” he said. “But we do have some projects in mind as we look at the most aged buildings on the campus.”

For example if Measure GCC is approved, funds would be used for a new performing and fine arts complex and replacing or renovating the 80-year-old auditorium.

In 2022 there were a total of over 13,000 students enrolled in GCC. The school was founded as Glendale Junior College.

“Glendale Community College was founded in 1927 to serve the needs of the people in the Glendale Union High School District which included La Crescenta, Glendale, and Tujunga. The school was founded as Glendale Junior College and from 1927 to 1929 conducted classes in the buildings of Glendale Union High School at Broadway and Verdugo in the City of Glendale. In 1929 the junior college moved to the Harvard School plant of the Glendale Union High School District where it remained until 1937. In this year a new plant, part of the present one, was completed and occupied. The year before, in 1936, the Glendale Junior College District was dissolved as such and became a part of the new Glendale Unified School District. The name of the school was changed to Glendale College in 1944. On July 1, 1970, Glendale College became a part of the Glendale Junior College District. On April 20, 1971, the Board of Education adopted a resolution changing the District name to Glendale Community College District,” according to GCC website.

For more on Measure GCC information from GCC visit https://www.yesongcc.org.