With state voters' passage of Proposition 55 last week, the way has been paved for some $113 million in facility improvements at UC Davis.

Proposition 55, also known as the Kindergarten-University Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2004, will provide $12.3 billion in bonds to fund state-supported capital projects -- including $10 billion for K-12 as well as $1.15 billion for higher education each year for the next two years.

Statewide the education bond measure narrowly passed, with 50.6 percent of the vote -- 2,814,512 votes of approval to 2,756,345 votes in opposition.

More regionally, the measure passed with 57 percent of the vote in Yolo County and 52 percent of the vote in Solano County. Sacramento County voters rejected the bond by a slight margin, with only 49.5, or 106,595 votes for it versus 108,487 votes against.

Voters OK'd the education bond while also approving a goliath economic recovery bond promoted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggar. The governor's Proposition 57 passed with 63 percent of the vote. It allows the state to borrow $15 billion through the sale of bonds to cover California's ongoing budget deficit.

The passage of both propositions has left UC and campus officials breathing a measured sigh of relief. Many viewed both as necessary -- one for UC's short-term need to stave off further deep budget cuts and the other for the long-term need to meet the university's continuing construction and renovation needs, said Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef in a recent Dateline interview (Dateline, Feb. 20).

"If the deficit bond fails, the governor and the Legislature will almost certainly have to cut deeper, and UC would be quite vulnerable," Vanderhoef said in the pre-election interview.

"This was a great outcome given the state of the economy," said UC Senior Vice President Bruce Darling in a letter to campuses the day following the election.

John Meyer, vice chancellor of resource management and planning at UC Davis, said last week's passage of the education capital bond "helps to address growth of students and faculty that are already here." Additionally, he said, "The success of the deficit bond, while awkward public policy, means the budget reduction planning process will not become more complicated than it already is."

With Proposition 55's passage, approximately $113 million is expected to be allocated to UC Davis over 2004-05 and 2005-06. It provides:

• $32,135,000 toward the construction of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. These state funds would be augmented by more than $20,000,000 in private gift funds donated by Robert Mondavi and $1,800,000 in other gift funds.
• $6,714,000 for seismic corrections to seven buildings rated seismically poor or very poor that house state-supported programs. Modifications would bring the following facilities to an acceptable level of safety during an earthquake: Academic Surge, Bainer Hall, the Architects and Engineers Barn, Briggs Hall, the Chemistry Building Lecture Hall, Veterinary Medicine Unit 2, and the Telecommunications Building.
• $3,471,000 for the Campus Wastewater Treatment Plant, which treats all the sanitary sewer effluent from the campus. Campus growth projections indicate that the plant will reach capacity in 2006-07 and must be expanded to support the growing campus infrastructure.
• $3,435,000 for Phase 2 of the Life Sciences alterations. This project will renovate space in Hutchison Hall to provide a modern research laboratory, lab support and office space for programs in the agricultural and environmental sciences.
• $2,235,000 for planning funds in 2004-05 for a new Physical Sciences Expansion project that will provide additional instructional and research space for the Departments of Physics, Chemistry and Geology and will address space needs related to recent and projected growth in these programs. Working drawing and construction funds of $42,448,000 are proposed in 2005-06.
• $12,850,000 (in 2005-06) to expand the campus chilled water system so it can serve new buildings. The system maintains appropriate building temperatures and provides chilled water to laboratories.
• $6,090,000 (in 2005-06) for campus electrical improvements. Campus demand is expected to exceed capacity by 2006-07. This project will provide a new electrical substation to serve the Health Sciences District as well as the west portion of campus.
• $946,000 (in 2005-06) for planning and working drawings for the Music Building. Construction funds of $9,734,000 are planned to be covered by a subsequent bond. This project will provide a combination classroom and recital hall facility, recital hall support space, and instructional and administrative space for the music department.
• $510,000 (in 2005-06) for planning funds to alter portions of Tupper Hall to better meet teaching and research needs of the School of Medicine. Future costs of $9,690,000 would be funded from a subsequent bond act.
• $979,000 (in 2005-06) for preliminary plans to alter and expand King Hall to better meet the needs of the law school. The existing facility was completed in 1967, and the building is considered no longer adequate to support the existing program and technology. Future costs of $18,591,000 would be funded from a subsequent bond act.
• $1,542,000 (in 2005-06) for planning funds for the School of Veterinary Medicine Vet Med 3B project, which will provide new space in the health sciences area of the campus to allow the school to consolidate its programs. Future state costs would be funded from a subsequent bond act.