October 2012 Board Report

Illinois Valley Community College trustees approved upgrades Tuesday night totaling more than $1.3 million in Protection, Health and Safety funds to provide a new keying system, replace aging emergency stairways and upgrade the Building C boiler room.

Vice President for Business Services and Finance Cheryl Roelfsema said the estimated  $656,120 boiler room work will replace piping and valves with the same welded/flanged connections and gate valves being used in the Building A boiler room. The project will improve worker safety and the integrity of the boilers and pumps, she said.

In addition, the board approved $547,239 in facility door hardware and keying upgrades for increased campus security. The plan is to replace the remainder of locksets and cylinders throughout main campus and east campus to match the key/keyway door lock system being used in the new Peter Miller Community Technology Center (CTC).

The college will also replace deteriorated concrete emergency stairs located on the exterior of buildings A, B, D and G.

“These stairs, landings and sidewalks are starting to settle, crack, spall and crumble due to age and years of water infiltration,” said Roelfsema. Estimated cost of the project is $162,018.

The board also approved two recognition plaques to be placed within the CTC main entrance. One plaque honors the two men for whom the building is named: Peter Miller Jr., and his son Peter Miller III. The plaque also lists the names of the current board, college president and attorney.

The second plaque identifies two state legislators instrumental in the appropriation that funded the project: Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, and former Sen. Gary Dahl, R-Granville. In addition, staff members who contributed to the project and former board members involved with planning and design of the facility will be recognized.

The final 2012 audit report, prepared by the firm of McGladrey, LLP, was also presented to the board. On Oct. 9, the Board’s Audit-Finance Committee met with the auditors and received an unqualified audit opinion or “clean” report.

In other action, the board approved:

• Purchase of a $13,000 Polaris Ranger 800 XP utility vehicle to spread salt in winter and maintain roads and grounds in the summer.
• Adopted a resolution to authorize preparation of the 2012 tentative tax levy to be presented Nov. 20 and a final tax levy to be presented Dec. 18.
• Purchase of a $26,015 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer for use by chemistry students in the Physical Science lab.
• Salary increases of 1.5 percent for coaches in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and golf.
• An intergovernmental agreement with the Illinois Office of the Comptroller (IOC) that will allow the college to collect both tax and non-tax debts. By uploading and maintaining its electronic files on the IOC database, IVCC will enable the IOC to deduct amounts due the college from payments, including state income tax refunds, owed by delinquent individuals or organizations.
• An intergovernmental agreement with the City of LaSalle that will make the college “whole” on the La Salle Community Partnership TIF District. To balance the negative impact the TIF would have on IVCC’s real estate tax base, each year La Salle will pay the college a sum equal to the real estate tax loss.

Trustees also learned:

• CTC roofing work, except for the Cultural Centre, is complete and window framing and installation is in progress. First floor mechanical piping is in progress and the concrete slab for the maintenance building has been poured.
• Monica Near and Sarah Partington were recognized at the Oct. 2 local workforce development awards banquet for ten years of service to IVCC’s Dislocated Workers Center.
• Representatives from 18 district high schools attended the Oct. 5 Counselors Connection coordinated by IVCC counselor Renee Prine and Vice President for Student Services Tracy Morris.
• More than 380 guests attended IVCC’s 40^th annual College Night Oct. 10. The event, featuring approximately 50 colleges and universities, was coordinated by Connie Skerston of the admissions office.