TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Kim Summers, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Kristen M. Crane, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Consideration of a Resolution Supporting the Need for Expanded
Public Higher Education Institutions within Southwestern Riverside
County
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RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 24-4727, entitled: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Supporting the Need for Expanded Public Higher Education Institutions within Southwestern Riverside County and State and Regional Funding for the Cost of Tenant Improvements to Create an Expanded Presence for California State University, San Marcos at the Mt. San Jacinto College Campus in Temecula Valley.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
None.
CITY COUNCIL GOAL
Aggressively pursue economic development.
BACKGROUND
In recent years, there has been discussion amongst local Southwest Riverside County elected officials, as well as representatives from Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) and California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), about the need for expansion of higher education opportunities in the Southwest Riverside County region. Some of these discussions occurred during 2022 and 2023 at the Southwest Elected Leaders Collaborative meetings (formerly the Southwest Women Elected Leaders Collaborative).
As an outgrowth of these discussions, on November 13, 2023, representatives of MSJC and CSUSM, Council Member Dr. Lisa DeForest, and Menifee Council Member Lesa Sobek invited local government representatives to attend a meeting related to the possible formation of a Southwestern Riverside County Higher Education Coalition. The meeting invitation was sent to a broad stakeholder group, including all the City Council Members and City Managers for the cities from Corona east to Moreno Valley and south to the Riverside County line; the school district board members and superintendents; water districts; hospitals; chambers of commerce; and other civic organizations. Approximately 31 individuals attended that meeting.
The meeting included a tour of MSJC's Temecula Valley Campus. To establish that campus, MSJC purchased two former Abbott Laboratories 350,000-square-foot buildings in 2018 for $56 million. Funding for this facility was provided mainly via Measure AA, a $295 million State bond measure passed by California voters in 2014. MSJC subsequently invested $60 million to retrofit one of the two five-story buildings to function as academic space. The second tower is available for expansion.
For approximately 15 years, CSUSM has had a satellite campus presence in Temecula in buildings owned by the Temecula Valley Unified School District. Presently, this satellite campus offers a limited range of programs. MSJC and CSUSM have established a very strong collaboration to facilitate MSJC students to easily continue their education at CSUSM. The availability of the second tower provides an opportunity for CSUSM to significantly expand at the MSJC Temecula Valley Campus, which will enable them to expand their program offerings. The necessary tenant improvements for this space are estimated to cost $11 million.
Currently, from Murrieta, commute time to the nearest four-year public universities is upward of one to two hours, with essentially no public transportation options available. CSUSM is considered the "home" CSU campus for this geographic area, extending as far north as Corona and east to Moreno Valley. Considering this region is one of the fastest-growing geographic areas in California and the nation, increasing access to advanced education and professional development is critical to serving the students here, enabling them to physically stay in the area for their four-year education and accelerate the region's economic growth.
Since the November 2023 meeting, a second and third meeting of this group occurred in January and February 2024. Board members have been identified, and work groups have been formed to focus on stakeholder engagement, publicity, and fundraising. Council Member DeForest and Menifee Council Member Sobek are presently co-chairing this effort.
As the Southwest Higher Education Coalition is mobilizing to advocate on this topic, all stakeholder organizations have been asked to consider adopting a resolution to support the Coalition's efforts to advance MSJC's collaboration and partnership with CSUSM. This sign of support for this initiative from the City of Murrieta will be used as part of the advocacy effort. While the initial focus of the advocacy effort is fundraising to complete the tenant improvements so CSUSM can expand at the MSJC Temecula Valley Campus, the long-term goal is to express and gain the support of the State of California and the CSU system on the need for a permanent four-year campus in the Southwest Riverside County region to support the rapidly growing population and the economic development needs of the region.
No financial contribution is being sought at this time from the City of Murrieta for the $11 million cost of tenant improvements. Part of the work of the Coalition is to advocate for possible State, Federal, and County funds, as well as grants, private donations, and corporate fundraising.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution No. 24-4727