Panel backs $4m for JCC

The county may be willing to spend about $4 million on critical maintenance projects at Jefferson Community College, Watertown.

Whether it's willing to spend any more for $13.9 million in expansion and renovation projects is murkier.

The Finance and Rules Committee, meeting Tuesday night, approved a resolution to use $4,032,153 that was set aside previously for capital improvements on campus or is left over from nearly completed projects. The full Board of Legislators will consider the resolution Tuesday night.

The county agreed in 2005 to pay for half of $10 million in capital projects. More than $400,000 would remain in the college's capital fund for overruns and emergencies.

"Certainly, everything right now is an estimate," JCC President Carole A. McCoy said.

About $2.1 million would go toward restroom, shower room and coaches' office renovations in McVean Student Center, increasing accessibility and privacy.

"We don't have spaces within the locker rooms where wheelchairs can go," Mrs. McCoy said.

Window replacement, caulking and brick replacement in Dewey Library Building would take another $1.4 million. And new windows and a second set of doors at the entrance to the modular building, now housing the Higher Education Center, will cost about $238,000.

The current needs also include $150,000 for parking lot and road repair, $100,000 for a gas-line check and possible repair and $3,859 for a storage building update.

All of these items have been put out to bid, Mrs. McCoy said after the meeting. Work on the Higher Education Center will proceed as quickly as possible so that it is complete around the time the center begins holding classes in January. Other projects may need to wait for warm weather next year.

Mrs. McCoy pleaded with the committee to commit to funding the highest priorities on the college's facilities master plan. Top projects include the construction of a $12.5 million Collaborative Learning Center, the $1.3 million renovation of the Dewey Library as classrooms and offices and about $4.5 million in maintenance, including central air and heating renovations in several buildings.

"I can't stress enough to you how soon we may need more classroom space," Mrs. McCoy said.

JCC's enrollment is up 12.7 percent over 2008, she said, and classes are full.

The county would not take on any cost from adding dormitories on campus, another priority on the master plan. All costs related to adding dorms are separated from the college's general budget by state law. The general student population would pay no share toward dorms, Mrs. McCoy said.

The county Board of Legislators approved the master plan in October, before knowing its share. Committee Chairman Scott A. Gray, R-Watertown, reminded legislators that the annual debt service on the county's share would be $100,000 for every $1 million in bonds.

If the county took on half of the new construction and renovation project, of $6.9 million, the $690,000 in debt service would be about 1.5 percent of the county's property tax levy of more than $45 million in 2009.

Legislature Chairman Kenneth D. Blankenbush, R-Black River, asked what the time frame needs to be for a commitment on the yet-unfunded projects.

"As soon as possible," Mrs. McCoy said. "We, of course, realize how tough funding is."

But JCC has been told it must submit requests for state support by Nov. 1.

Mr. Blankenbush asked if federal stimulus package money is on the horizon for community colleges.

Mrs. McCoy said that $12 billion has been directed toward community colleges and bills are being fine-tuned in Congress. It appears some of the money will be directed at student aid and other money will go to "shovel-ready" projects.

"The Collaborative Learning Center really can't happen soon enough for us," she said. "It will bring additional space on campus."

The county's share of the new center would be more than $6 million. Some legislators appeared wary of adding more costs to the county. Legislator Barry M. Ormsby, R-Belleville, said, "I'm just going to have trouble supporting $6.3 million and we're just scratching the surface."

Mrs. McCoy said the timing of adding dorms is somewhat dependent on the construction of the new center, which would give students a place to go at all times.

"What would be most helpful would be to know what you could do and when," she said.