College Seeks Legal Advice on Salary Raises

Antelope Valley College officials, conceding that they failed to give legally required public notice last month before approving pay raises for administrators, said Thursday they have asked their attorney for advice on how to correct the problem.

One day after a college employees union formally complained that the college’s governing board had violated the state’s open-meeting law, some board members said they might decide to reconsider the raises at a future meeting to allow for public comment.

“We have made a mistake. We want to make sure we do what’s necessary to correct that mistake,” said Steve Standerfer, a spokesman for the community college in Lancaster. However, Standerfer said the college’s response will depend on the advice given by its attorney.

The college’s board on May 14 approved the double-digit raises for three top college officials. The item was not listed on the board’s agenda as required by law. The board approved the raises 5 to 0 late that night, with no elaboration, after discussing it only during a two-hour private session.

Officers of the clerical workers union that filed the complaint, the Antelope Valley College Federation of Classified Employees, said they want the board to reconsider the matter with proper notice so the public can comment, as intended by the state’s open meetings law.

College board member Earl Wilson said he favored that course. Board member James Du Pratt said he was willing to consider it. Board member Donald Ross said he wanted to wait for the attorney’s advice. Board members Herman Kicenski and Betty Lou Nash could not be reached for comment.

Wilson also predicted that the dispute will cause the board to take greater care to adhere to the law.

Meanwhile, college officials were noncommittal on another aspect of the union’s challenge: that state law required the board to hold at least part of its salary deliberations for administrators in public session. The state attorney general and a major court ruling support that concept.

Because of the complaint filed by the union with the college, the school now has 30 days under state law to correct its alleged wrongdoing. If the college does not do that, the union can ask a judge to overturn the salary increase as a violation of the state’s open meeting law.

College officials said they expect to get advice within several days from their attorney, Patrick Sisneros of Burbank.