By Melissa Dunson
mdunson@joplinglobe.com
PITTSBURG, Kan. — More than a half million stimulus dollars are headed to Pittsburg State University to address long-deferred maintenance projects.
But the funds barely scratch the surface of the university’s $67 million backlog.
Cassie Mathes, assistant director of public relations at PSU, said $350,000 will go to replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in Yates Hall, and $220,000 will be spent on the HVAC and electrical system of Kelce Hall. The work will help bring both buildings up to fire code.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done that unfortunately the Board of Regents has not had the money for us to address (in the past),” Mathes said.
The money is part of a $7.7 million appropriation last week from the Kansas Board of Regents to six state universities.
In addition, the board plans to give additional money this year to Washburn University in Topeka, 19 community colleges and six technical colleges.
John Patterson, vice president of administration of campus life at PSU, said the appropriation is based on the amount of square feet at each university.
The backlog of deferred maintenance at state universities was supposed to be addressed over a five-year period with additional funding. The Kansas Legislature approved that $134 million five-year maintenance plan in 2007. But earlier this year, the legislature reduced that because of the economic downturn affecting the state’s budget.
Patterson said the Kansas legislature has been working with the universities to reduce the maintenance backlog for all of the 19 years he has held his position at PSU.
“We get some money every year to address it,” Patterson said. “But each year the list gets a little bigger because the need is bigger than the resources available.”
PSU will still get its regular repair appropriation of $1 million this year, as well as a special allocation of another $1 million. Those are in addition to the stimulus funds. Patterson said all together, PSU will have between $2.5 million and $3 million to spend on deferred maintenance this year.
“And there may be some additional funding in 2010,” Patterson said.
Other buildings in line for maintenance work in the next four to five years include Heckert-Wells Hall, the Weede Physical Education Building and Axe Library.
“I’m excited that we have some different funding sources identified,” Patterson said. “We’ve made some nice improvements and hopefully, we will continue to do so.”
