Opening back up after the pandemic was challenging all by itself, but now with a new requirement for patrons to pay for parking, the Fullerton Arboretum has seen a decline in patrons and donations. According to Sinclair Andruska’s article in the Daily Titan, “Arboretum donations take a hit as university implements paid parking, the arboretum does not receive the parking fees. Instead, the money goes into an account that funds maintenance for all Cal State University Fullerton (CSUF) parking lots and structures. Even members who can pay anywhere from $59 to 10,000 do not get a break on the $4 per hour parking. However, parking remains free on weekends and Fridays after 5 pm.”
Fullerton Arboretum photo by Emerson Little.
The Joint Powers Agreement ended December 3, 2020, making the Fullerton Arboretum a fully integrated department within the self-support division of Extension and International Programs at CSUF.
What do the donations and revenue go towards? Does the University pay for maintenance, employees, events, etc?
According to the Fullerton Arboretum website, “Arboretum members provide critical annual support to help maintain our gardens, support staff, enhance our campus and community connection, and expand environmental education and stewardship.”
CSUF recently gave a pay raise of $98,000 to its President Framroze Virjee, making him the fourth highest paid CSU president, making about $476,000 annually, not including benefits. This right after a full campus closure during the pandemic. With those kinds of funds one would hope the university could find the funds to support Fullerton’s beloved Arboretum especially if they are discouraging members and patrons.
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Categories: Local News
It’s very frustrating to those of us who love California that some people complain about it. Yet here you are.
Please visit and JOIN the Facebook Group “Fullerton Arboretum Advocates” at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/377907969715782/
to find our MORE information and to keep current about this issue.
The newly imposed parking fee by the University is just a NEW attempt to decrease membership, visitors and funding and to close the Arboretum to gain control of the 26 acres of land that they want to turn into student housing, classrooms and to cover with buildings. They tried this back in 2019 and will try it again now that they have gained complete control post Covid now that the “Fullerton Arboretum Authority” was dissolved after 45 years in 2020 that gave the Fullerton City Counsel AND the local community some say.
Framroze Virjee “other pay” and benefits adds another $200,000 so this guy is costing nearly $700,000 a year! Add all the other overpaid freeloaders on the California educational system dole, and no wonder there is student debt.. Keep voting democrat suckers!
California is the fifth largest economy in the world. Love it or leave it, to quote a tired old John Birch Society meme.