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by David Taub
The Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee is supposed to oversee bond spending in the Fresno Unified School District. It is currently comprised of 12 members appointed by school board members who meet four times a year. The Fresno Bee recently endorsed Measure X, based in part because there would be a group of citizens watching over spending.
The committee meets four times a year. Based on board minutes, the highest attendance at any given meeting the last four years topped out at 83%. There have been times where members not attending equaled those who did attend.
The committee’s most recent meeting took place the morning of October 25 at the Fresno Unified Service Center, a location on the west side of Fresno. Seven of the 12 members attended.
They heard presentations from district staff on Measure Q, the current bond. Spending projects and audits were reviewed. Information on the potential recipients of Measure X, which will be decided by voters in less than a week time, was presented. At this meeting, there was no full on discussion.
None of the seven members present ventured in depth about any information received. Some think there is not much oversight going on.
Brooke Ashjian, an elected school board member who is often a critic of the district staff, feels the oversight board has no teeth. “The district doesn’t listen to me. Why would they listen to the board?”
Each board member is allowed to appoint two members. The term lasts two years, with a maximum of three terms. Ashjian’s picks were Jamee Moltini and Dennis Zeuner. Neither has attended a meeting since July of 2015, missing five in a row. Ashjian questions what’s the point of going?
Moltini attended her first two meetings since becoming a board member in 2015 and hasn’t been back since. Guillermo Moreno also sits on the committee. In the last four years, he is listed as attending three meetings, missing 13. Chuck Riojas has missed at least eight meetings since 2013.
William Clark has the best attendance, making 13 of 16 meetings since 2013.
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A list of the committee members by the trustee who appointed them:
Trustee Brooke Ashjian: Jamee Moltini, Dennis Zeuner
Trustee Luis Chavez: William Clark, Michael Lopez
Trustee Valerie Davis: Guillermo Moreno, vacant
Trustee Cal Johnson: Patricia Pointer, vacant
Trustee Chris De La Cerda: Jose Mejia, vacant
Trustee Carol Mills: Chuck Riojas, Michele Rodriguez
Trustee Janet Ryan: Bruce O’Neal, Dominic Papagni
Superintendent Michael Hanson: Barbara Steck (chair)
Fresno Unified Citizens Bond Oversight Committee attendance (last four years)
Meeting date | Present | Not present |
10/25/16 | Barbara Steck (chair)
William Clark Michael Lopez Dominic Papagni Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas Bruce O’Neal |
Jose Mejia
Jamee Moltini Guillermo Moreno Michele Rodriguez Dennis Zeuner |
8/30/16 | Barbara Steck (chair)
William Clark Michele Rodriguez Al Meyer Patricia Pointer Michael Lopez |
Jose Mejia
Jamee Moltini Guillermo Moreno Dominic Papagni Chuck Riojas Dennis Zeuner |
4/26/16 | Al Meyer (temporary chair)
William Clark Michael Lopez Jose Mejia Dominic Papagni Patricia Pointer Michele Rodriguez Barbara Steck |
Jamee Moltini
Guillermo Moreno Chuck Riojas Dennis Zeuner |
1/26/16 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Michael Lopez Jose Mejia Al Meyer Guillermo Moreno Dominic Papagni Patricia Pointer Barbara Steck |
Jamee Moltini
Chuck Riojas Dennis Zeuner |
10/27/15 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Michael Lopez Jose Mejia Al Meyer Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas Kelly Trevino |
Jamee Moltini
Guillermo Moreno Dennis Zeuner |
7/28/15 | Nick Yovino (chair)
Francine Farber Al Meyer Jamee Moltini Chuck Riojas Kelly Trevino Dennis Zeuner |
William Clark
Michael Lopez Jose Mejia Patricia Pointer Guillermo Moreno
|
4/28/15 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Francine Farber Michael Lopez Jose Mejia Al Meyer Jamee Moltini Patricia Pointer Kelly Trevino Dennis Zeuner |
Chuck Riojas
Guillermo Moreno
|
1/27/15 | Nick Yovino (chair)
Al Meyer Guillermo Moreno Chuck Riojas Dillon Savory Kelly Trevino |
Mark Babcock
William Clark Francine Farber John Farrell Patricia Pointer |
10/28/14 | Nick Yovino (chair)
Mark Babcock Francine Farber Al Meyer Chuck Riojas Patricia Pointer Kelly Trevino |
William Clark
John Farrell Guillermo Moreno Dillon Savory |
8/26/14 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Francine Farber Al Meyer Dillon Savory Kelly Trevino |
Mark Babcock
John Farrell Guillermo Moreno Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas |
4/22/14 | Mark Babcock
William Clark Francine Farber Al Meyer Patricia Pointer MaryJane Skellerup Kelly Trevino |
John Farrell
Jose Mejia Guillermo Moreno Chuck Riojas Jim Sandrini Dillon Savory Nick Yovino (chair) |
1/28/14 | Mark Babcock
William Clark Francine Farber John Farrell Jose Mejia Al Meyer Guillermo Moreno Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas Kelly Trevino |
Jim Sandrini
Dillon Savory MaryJane Skellerup Nick Yovino (chair) |
10/22/13 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Francine Farber Al Meyer Chuck Riojas Kelly Trevino
Note: Riojas was listed as both attending and not attending in the official minutes |
Kacey Auston
Mark Babcock Guillermo Moreno Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas Judith Sanchez Jim Sandrini Dillon Savory MaryJane Skellerup |
8/27/13 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Francine Farber Al Meyer Kelly Trevino |
Kacey Auston
Mark Babcock Guillermo Moreno Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas Judith Sanchez Jim Sandrini Dillon Savory MaryJane Skellerup |
4/23/13 | Nick Yovino (chair)
Mark Babcock William Clark Francine Farber Al Meyer MaryJane Skellerup Kelly Trevino |
Kacey Auston
Guillermo Moreno Patricia Pointer Chuck Riojas Judith Sanchez Jim Sandrini Dillon Savory
|
1/22/13 | Nick Yovino (chair)
William Clark Francine Farber Al Meyer Chuck Riojas Georgia Sisson Kelly Trevino |
Kacey Auston
Mark Babcock Guillermo Moreno Patricia Pointer Judith Sanchez Jim Sandrini Dillon Savory MaryJane Skellerup |