Highlights - Washburn University Board of Regents January 20, 2006 Meeting
FY 2007 Budget Guidelines
Regent Warren presented a Budget Committee report indicating that the administration had been directed to bring back different salary options to the Budget Committee, but the Committee has not met again since the January 4, 2006 meeting. Public comments were presented to the Board regarding the FY07 budget process.
Although the agenda stated that President Farley would present the FY 2007 Budget Guidelines at the meeting, no discussion or action took place on the budget at this meeting. It is unclear how this inaction by the board will affect the FY 2007 Budget Planning Calendar that was given to the Budget Committee at their January 4, 2006 meeting. The next Board of Regents meeting is scheduled for March 17, 2006, well past the most significant dates proposed in the original calendar.
TABOR
In spite of correspondence to the Chairperson of the Washburn University Board of Regents, the Board seems to insist on passing resolutions that are not included on the Board Agenda. A motion was made to adopt a resolution regarding TABOR, presumably to indicate the board's opposal to a Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) and thus showing support for the official position of the Kansas Board of Regents.
ADA Door Hardware Upgrade - Morgan Hall
The board approved a $51,800 contract to Senne & Company to install ADA compliant door hardware throughout Morgan Hall. This project will improve building safety by providing for a single key system.
This project was included in the FY06 Capital Improvement budget at $125,000. No mention was made as to where the budget surplus may be reallocated.
Classroom Renovation
It appears that some long overdue classroom renovation is finally going to get underway. This project has been delayed since it was pulled from the September 2005 agenda and the construction costs have increased significantly. A $249,200 contract was awarded to Senne & Company for this project.
On the September 2005 agenda, 11 classrooms were to be renovated for a total cost $122,726, an average cost of $11,157 per classroom. The $249,200 project approved at this January, 2006 board meeting will renovate 15 classrooms, an average cost of $16,613 per classroom, a 50% increase per classroom.
Washburn Endowment Association Project
A $1,546,000 construction contract was awarded to D.F. Osborne Construction for the renovation of 1729 SW MacVicar, the new office space for Washburn Endowment Association (WEA). Although approved unanimously, various Board members felt compelled to go on record warning the administration to watch this project very carefully since a renovation (as opposed to new construction) is the worst kind of project and the change orders must be watched very carefully.
It appears that this is already another project that will exceed its original budget. In July, 2003 the Board of Regents approved the WEA project program with a not-to-exceed amount of $2.0 million, funded from University reserves. Although the total project costs were not addressed by the Board at this meeting, based on this awarded contract and the November 2005 agenda item for this project, it would appear that the total project costs have already exceeded the $2.0 million limit.
$1,546,000 Construction costs
334,600 Soft Costs, IT, Construction Contingency
235,625 1729 SW MacVicar property purchase ($165,100 appraised value)
27,500 Reroute sewer line
123,680 8% architect & engineering fees
$2,267,405 Total Project Costs