NORTHRIDGE : CSUN Seeks Waiver to Hasten Repairs

Trustees of the California State University system are slated today to approve a measure permitting expedited earthquake repairs at Cal State Northridge by waiving the formal competitive bidding requirements normally required by state law.

A committee of the trustees recommended Tuesday that CSUN take advantage of a provision in the law for emergencies that grants an exemption from the time-consuming process for awarding public contracts. The full board was expected to approve the resolution today.

Briefing the trustees at their meeting in Long Beach, CSUN President Blenda J. Wilson said she needs the expedited contracting process to meet her goal of having 10 major buildings and the University Park Apartments fully repaired by the start of the fall semester.

Under the normal contracting procedures that require soliciting bidders and giving them time to respond, Wilson said the campus might only have two of the priority buildings fully repaired by then.

“We want to be able to make a quantum leap difference in what our campus looks like,” she said.

Cal State officials said the resolution simply will permit CSUN to continue the expedited contracting process that campus officials already have been using since the quake. But Wilson pledged to still meet goals for including minority- and women-owned firms in the work.

The trustees’ resolution said the total damage at CSUN from the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake now “exceeds $325 million,” although the source of that estimate was unclear. Wilson said it came from Cal State officials, but a Cal State official said it came from the campus.