Vote Scheduled on Arts Center Contracts

Trustees of the Ventura County Community College District tonight are expected to award three contracts worth more than $815,000 to provide seating and other features to the performing arts center under construction at Moorpark College.

Under recommendations made by college administrators, the American Seating Co. would install and furnish padded seats for the facility, which is scheduled to open later this year.

Strand Lighting would be paid $174,293 to design and build the lighting system, and Stagecraft Industries bid $531,727 to provide theatrical rigging and draperies.

Each of the companies was the lowest qualified bidder in the weeks-long bidding process. Money for the project has been set aside in a special capital-improvement fund maintained by the district.

Also scheduled to be discussed tonight are recommendations by administrators to reject bids for the long-planned Oxnard College letters and science building and Ventura College’s math and science complex.

Administrators are recommending that those bids be rejected because all of them came in well above what has been budgeted for the projects. Officials recommend that trustees order that the projects be scaled back or otherwise brought within budget.