Move to approve the Consent Agenda.
Trustees request that these items be removed from the Consent Agenda:
8B3A Two Corvascular Falcon Quad V7s for the Diagnostic Medical Imaging Sonography and Vascular Sonography Programs
and 8A3C Operating Cash Available to pay Annual Operating Expenses
and also 8B2Financial Reports — Treasurer’s Report and Payroll and Accounts Payable Report
All Trustees approve that motion except Hamilton who abstains
Then Chair Birt makes a motion to approve 8B3
The motion is passed and is open for discussion.
Trustee Savage wants to know why suddenly this item has become an item for discussion if we haven’t operated that way for years.
Trustee Hamilton says “I am respectfully asking this Board to examine the number below 15,000 for the sake of transparency. You may not want that but I think the community members want that.”
Savage says “I have no problem with that but it is actually Adam Andrejewski who wants it done that way. He knew we had been operating that way since 2009 so why is it suddenly a problem?”
Wozniak says “I could probably find out about that by asking Mike McKinnon.”
Hamilton says “it is a simple request that could make this subject so much easier. ”
Savage talks about how much in donations the Foundation Board members have brought to the College so it’s clear that they are not working the system.”
Hamilton “So getting back to the question — could we just approve getting the items under 15,000 ”
COD attorney says it has to be added to the agenda for next month, it cannot be done today. it is unclear what Birt’s response is — something like “it can be entertained.”
Agenda Item 8A3C Operating Cash available
Hamilton says that there should be transparency in revealing the numbers when operating expenses are made. It is for transparency. Do we need a motion.
Attorney says — you need a motion to put it on the agenda for next month?
Savage says why don’t we just do that? Do we need a motion? Isn’t this a good thing.
Unanimously approved.
New Business
Motion for Approval for an Anesthesia Technology Degree Program. Unanimous.
Motion for approval for a Surgical Assistant Certificate Program. Trustee Svoboda notes that COD is the only college in Illinois to have this.
Motion to approve the Mental Health First Aid Certificate. Trustee McGuire notes it is a good program for students in various fields to have this training when they deal with members of the public who may have mental health issues. Approved unanimously.
Motion to approve the addendum to the Joint Education Agreement between William Rainey Harper College and COD. Trustee McGuire says it is a marvelous opportunity for those students to save money. They pay the same rate our students do, if we have seats I our classes available and they need those classes, it is a good thing for all. Unanimous.
Motion to approve the Employee Wellness Screenings. Trustee Svoboda says it is good to support the staff here and also save money through our Wellness Incentives. Unanimous.
Motion to approve the Independent Third Party Review of Imprest.
Discussion: Hamilton. The 85,000 for this audit is a waste. This audit does not represent reform but is a review of an audit that was done audit based on false premises. Discussion ensues between Birt and Hamilton. Hamilton says you do not understand the audit, Erin, and so I can’t explain to you what is wrong with the audit, because you don’t understand it. Birt does not know how to respond.
Trustee Svoboda says she wasn’t sure what to do before this meeting, because it was clear people in the public had questions and concerns, but after the comments tonight she has decided that no matter what we do there will always be criticism.
Savage says no matter how well you have internal controls in any large organization there can be fraud. It is very hard to control and sometimes it is caught and in others it is not. I have been in other institutions where there have been problems that were not caught by staff. Here when there have been problems the staff have found it. In the interest of transparency, Trustee Hamilton is getting directions from someone in the audience. I don’t know who it is, but I hear her getting directions from someone in the audience.
McGuire: You might now like how the money is spent — a waterfall, whatever– there is nothing hidden. But the Board has approved it. I personally think the 85,000 is a waste of money. I’d rather spend it one students. Services do not have to be bid in the State of Illinois. There has been nothing wrong, in my opinion.
Brueder– we all know how this came about. When it first came out, I told Glaser to go get a big firm. And he did get two major firms to get interest. Do I think we will find anything? No. But I wanted to show those who are criticizing us unnecessarily that we have nothing to hide. Anybody who wants to can see whatever funds are spent. The organization that insists we have misspent 95 million for its own purposes, come in an see whatever you want to.
May I remind the Board not that you need to be reminded, but for the critics in the audience. We have so much more money in our fund balance now than we did in 2009. We can renovate buildings and build new buildings and grow enrollment. I don’t know why we are being assaulted for that, but we are. So you can decide if you want to spend 85,000 or not on that audit.
He discusses how much they spent looking for the firm to conduct this audit. And how much they have spent on FOIAs. This organization has found nothing. This organization is abusing this FOiA process. Go ahead and approve this audit if you want it. It will be clean. I could go on to midnight. One other thing I want to say to those critics who have said we have spent too much money. Go back and read the questions that were on the ballot that the good citizens of this District. The people of this District approved the expenses on those referenda. The people of this District said “this is what we want you to do and we are willing to spend money to do it.”
At some point these organizations will stop short eventually of crossing the line because of legal liability.
unanimous “NO” to the audit.