In a 4-3 vote, the members of the Board of Trustees approved a contract with Bovis Lend Lease last Wednesday for the District’s College Advocate/Owner’s Represenative.

Night of Forensics on Apr. 3 was also an event that was discussed by board members.

Also, Yvette Tafoya, finanical aid representative, was the Classified Employee of the Month for March.

However Attorney Mark Mulkerin, who represents one of the five unidentified firms that were on a list to be the College Advocate address the Board and said not to give Bovis Lend Lease consideration.

“I believe that the Board did not do enough to identify who had the qualifications for the college advocacy,” he said.

The Campus Transformation Committee received 10 proposals and selected four other firms from the list.

In addition, on Mar. 23 when the Board voted 3-3-1 on the proposal for Bovis Lend Lease to be the college advocate Board member Carmen Avalos didn’t understand what the proposals where about and therefore tried to change her vote, Mulkerin concluded.

Before the vote on Mar. 23 on the proposal Avalos expressed concern over about one of the project manager from one of the five firms. Board Member Bob Arthur also questioned the reference checking and said, “I find it hard to see that a negotitation contract can not be met with a firm that has specific requirement.”

In a press release from the Board of Trustees Policy if the vote was three affirmative votes, three negative votes, and one abstention:

Legal counsel has affirmed the that motion passed because, pursuant to the Board Policy 1014.4(2) an abstention should be considered as an affirmative vote or a vote the majority of thouse voting.

“I advise the Board to look at the candidates to see who has the best service at the best cost,” Mulkerin said.

Arthur questioned the length of the contract with Bovis Lend Lease.

Vice President of business service Jo Ann Higgon said, “It is a five year contract but that amount of funding for the contract is not known.”

Despite Mulkerin’s efforts to persuade the Board to deny the Bovis Lend Lease proposal, the Board approved it.

Subsequently, Mulkerin said that action should have been taken after more information about the four other firms were presented that the Board should have denied.

“In the case of the vote from Avalos after she had read the proposal from the firm I represent she had a choice to change her vote,” he explained, “but she still abstented.”

Lastly, Board Member Bob Hughlett and Board Vice President Tom Jackson expressed their appreciation for the Night of Forensics on April 3.

Hughlett said that it was well organized, but Jackson exclaimed, “The highlight of the evening for me was the debate between the Chinese government and Cerritos College (about gender equality in America),” he continued, “but I have never seen students talk so fast and passionately about.”