Section 81149 Of Article 7. Approvals From California Education Code >> Division 7. >> Title 3. >> Part 49. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 7.
81149
. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of law, a community
college district may acquire for use any facility previously used by
the United States military and closed as a result of action by the
federal Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or purchase
any offsite building constructed prior to January 1, 1998 that meets
the structural requirements of the 1976 Uniform Building Code, or
subsequent additions to that code, but that does not meet the
requirements of Section 81130, for use as a school building, as
defined in Section 81130.5, if the governing board of the district
finds that all of the following conditions have been met:
(1) A structural engineer has inspected the building or facility
and submitted a report to the governing board of the community
college district that certifies that the building or facility is in
substantial compliance with the requirements of this article, or
describes in detail any structural modifications necessary to render
the building or facility in substantial compliance with this article.
For purposes of this section, substantial compliance with this
article means that the building or facility is likely to resist,
without catastrophic collapse, earthquake forces generated by major
earthquakes of the intensity and severity of the strongest
experienced in California, but may experience some reparable
architectural or structural damage. This requirement is satisfied if
the structural engineer affixes his or her seal of approval to the
report and he or she attests in that report that to the best of his
or her knowledge:
(A) He or she has reviewed the design calculations, construction
documents, and the local government construction inspection records
of the building or facility, to the extent those items are available.
(B) He or she has authorized testing and has observed or reviewed
the test results and the inspections of an adequate sample of the
structure's welds, anchor bolts, and other structural elements.
(C) He or she has observed that the nonstructural elements,
including, but not limited to, light fixtures, heating, and
air-conditioning diffusers are adequately braced or anchored.
(2) The governing board of the community college district shall
forward the report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) to the
Department of General Services for its review. Within 45 working
days, the Department of General Services shall review the report for
compliance with the above requirements, to provide feedback to the
structural engineer regarding any insufficiencies with the report,
and to determine whether or not the building or facility is in
substantial compliance with the requirements of this article, or
whether any proposed structural modifications will render the
structure in substantial compliance with this article. If the
Department of General Services does not respond within 45 working
days of the submission of the final and complete report, the
department will be deemed to have concurred with the structural
engineer's report. If structural modifications are necessary to
achieve substantial compliance with this article, plans shall be
submitted to the department for review and approval. Construction
shall be completed in compliance with the continuous inspection
requirements of this article.
(b) (1) No member of the governing board of a community college
district, and no employee of a community college district, shall be
held personally liable for injury to persons or damage to property
resulting from the fact that the governing board of the community
college district purchased a building or facility pursuant to this
subdivision for a school and the building or facility was not
constructed pursuant to the requirements of Section 81130.
(2) The exemption from personal liability for members of the
governing board and employees of a community college district
described in paragraph (1) does not limit the liability of the
community college district for injury to persons or damage to
property resulting from the fact that the governing board or any
employee of the community college district used a building or
facility pursuant to this subdivision for a school if the building or
facility was not constructed pursuant to the requirements of Section
81130. The exemption from personal liability for members of the
governing board and employees of a community college district
described in paragraph (1) does not limit the liability of the
community college district, the governing board, or the district's
employees pursuant to Section 835 of the Government Code.
(3) Section 81144 is not applicable to a person who, pursuant to
this section, purchases a building or facility that meets the
requirements of this section but does not meet the requirements of
Section 81130. Approval and use of a building or facility pursuant to
this section does not violate this article.