COUNTYWIDE : Supervisor Has Plan to Expedite Campus

To reaffirm support for a state four-year university in Ventura County, Supervisor Maggie Erickson Kildee will propose to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that area officials unite to overcome remaining obstacles to the campus.

The proposal is similar to one sponsored by Supervisor John K. Flynn last Tuesday. The board rejected it because of its $250,000 price tag.

Erickson Kildee’s measure makes no monetary commitment, saying it is inappropriate for the financially strapped county to spend money before it has to.

Under her proposal, a committee would be formed that includes two supervisors,the city managers of Oxnard and Camarillo--the two cities closest to the proposed campus--and representatives from other area cities.

The committee would help resolve jurisdictional disputes, identify needed public improvements and apply for state and federal grants to help pay for the new campus.

“We want to be sure there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the county continues to support the university,” Erickson Kildee said.

Flynn said Friday that he may offer an amendment to fund the committee but that he would be flexible with regard to the amount.

Erickson Kildee countered by saying that until the California State University system purchases a campus site, there is little reason for the county to spend any funds. “If (the university) doesn’t need money now, goodness knows we need it more,” she said.