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Public commenter warns board that Oak Hill workforce housing guarantor plan would shift $15M risk to districts
Summary
A public commenter told the Marin County Board of Education that a proposed guarantor model for the Oak Hill workforce housing project would leave school districts responsible for roughly 75% of a reported $15,000,000 shortfall, with the county liable for the remainder, and raised questions about the project's developer fees and annual oversight costs.
At the start of public comment, Mimi Willard told trustees the Oak Hill workforce housing proposal poses “significant risks for the school districts.”
Willard said the project’s joint powers authority (JPA) is advocating a guarantor model to address a cited $15,000,000 funding shortfall that would, under current terms described by the commenter, assign about 75% of the backstop liability to school districts and 25% to the county. “This proposal would transfer the liability primarily to the schools, 75% of it, and to the county, 25%,” Willard said. She added that mandatory annual payments to cover unit vacancies could impose “many, many thousands of dollars” on districts and taxpayers beyond any initial reserve.
Willard also stated that Education Housing Partners would collect a $5,900,000 developer fee and later exit, leaving third-party management in charge while the JPA continues oversight at an annual cost she described as roughly $150,000. She urged the board to discourage districts from accepting a plan that places long-term financial risk on schools.
The board did not take action on the Oak Hill item during this meeting; Willard’s remarks were recorded as public comment and prompted trustees to reference the project in subsequent discussion about candidate qualifications and the board’s role in overseeing district‑affecting projects.
