Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Property topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Legal steps, public advisory committee urged as Lemon Grove weighs options for surplus properties including Old Palm
Summary
District leaders briefed the board on legal procedures for surplus school property, including forming a 7–11 member advisory committee to recommend keep/sell/lease/exchange options. Staff said Old Palm is a priority site for possible lease and that the committee process typically takes several months.
The Lemon Grove School District received an overview Feb. 10 of the legal process and timeline involved in evaluating surplus property — including the Old Palm campus that the board has discussed previously.
Chief Business Official Tiana Barton and district legal partner Steven Mclofflin told trustees that California Education Code requires districts to convene a Surplus Advisory Committee of seven to 11 community members to study district holdings and recommend whether specific parcels should be kept, sold, leased or exchanged. "They gather input from the community about property needs as well as information in terms of what properties the district has," Mclofflin said, summarizing the committee’s role. He added the committee typically takes about three to four months depending on volunteer availability.
Barton told the board staff is already pulling property records and engaging vendors and county offices to prepare for the process. If the district pursues a lease or sale after the advisory committee’s recommendation, Barton said standard next steps include an RFP/bid process to evaluate proposers. "Our initial conversations were around what we call Old Palm…we focused on that during our facilities workshop," Barton said.
Trustees asked about committee composition and participation; counsel said the law requires at least one parent and one staff member and that meetings are public, with minutes forwarded to the full board. The legal overview emphasized the committee’s role as a fact‑finding and recommendation body; any final decision would rest with the board.
What happens next: staff said they will prepare materials and an application process for community members and return with a proposed timeline and details about property documents needed for board authorization to form the advisory committee.
Sources: Facilities presentation and legal counsel remarks at the Feb. 10 meeting.
