(a) The minimum performance criteria and design standards established pursuant to this chapter by a community college district for quality, durability, longevity, and life cycle costs, and other criteria deemed appropriate by the community college district shall be adhered to by the design-build entity. Any deviations from those standards may only be allowed by written consent of the community college district. The governing board may, and is strongly encouraged to, retain the services of an architect or structural engineer throughout the course of the project in order to ensure compliance with this chapter. Any architect or structural engineer retained pursuant to this subdivision shall be duly licensed and registered in California.

(b) The community college district governing board shall be the employer of the inspector. The project inspector shall be fully independent from any member of the design-build entity and may not have any affiliation with any member of the design-build entity or any of the project subcontractors. The total price of the project shall be determined either upon receipt of the lump-sum bids as set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 81703, or by completion of the process pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 81703.

(c) The project inspector shall act under the direction of either the Director of General Services or a competent, qualified agent of the community college district.

(d) Each contract with a design-build entity shall provide that no construction or alteration of any community college facility pursuant to this section shall commence prior to the receipt of the written approval of the plans, as to the safety of design and construction, from the Department of General Services. Compliance with this provision shall be deemed to be in compliance with Section 81133.

(e) The design-build entity shall be liable for building the facility to specifications set forth in the design-build contract in the absence of contractual language to the contrary.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 637, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003. Repealed as of January 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 81709.)