Maintenence department ‘tightens the belt’

The best lawns in the Ventura County educational system are at risk, according to Jerry Chilcott, Ventura College locksmith.

The fiscal belt-tightening going on in the rest of the county has spread to the landscaping and maintenance workers at Ventura College.

“We’re spread real thin,” Chilcott said.

Over the past year the Maintenance and Operations Department has experienced staff cuts that have almost halved the number of employees.

Currently there are two supervisors, two general maintenance workers, one plumber and one locksmith to deal with the 112-acre campus.

Most of the employees are doing jobs that are outside of their area of expertise due to the staff shortages, said Martin Martello, 46, a Ventura College mechanic who also cuts the lawns on a riding lawnmower.

Equipment upkeep is also expensive, such as the $4,000 pair of brakes needed for the campus utility tractor.

The Maintenance and Operations office is responsible for the general upkeep of the campus in its many forms: maintaining electrical wiring, fixing pipes, cutting the lawns, repairing vehicles, taking care of trash and removing the ever-present graffiti.

Even with the increase in workload, many employees have high spirits.

“This is a great campus,” said Martello. “I get good hours and the college is rich in tradition.
It’s the best college in Ventura County.”

But there is more to keeping the campus green than just trimming the hedges.

“Ventura College is trying to do green initiatives, such as finding plants that are native to this area that tend not to need as much water,” said David Keebler, VC’s vice president of business services, and “ trying new energy management, recycling, waste management and water management.”

That means a little more work out of the maintenance and operations staff.

At least one student hasn’t seen any changes in the appearance of the campus.

“I haven’t noticed anything different,” said Ben Sayet, 18. “Everything’s fine right now.”