October 4, 2013 at 4:52 p.m.
New Nicolet College project team to meet next week
New Nicolet College project team to meet next week
Nicolet board trustee Ron Zimmerman proposed setting up the team last month to resolve dissension that had arisen over a proposed $4.5 million remodeling of the LRC.
The issue at hand was whether or not the project required voter approval. There is no cap on the amount of remodeling a technical college can take on at a single time, but a state statute does exist limiting a college from borrowing more than $1.5 million to finance a single remodeling project. Anything beyond that amount must go to referendum.
The LRC project was on track to go before the state board for approval in November as three $1.5 million projects. Nicolet officials say state statute allows for multiple remodeling efforts to occur in the same building at one time as long as they can be considered distinct projects each under the $1.5 million cap. The three projects proposed were an upgrade to the building's HVAC infrastructure, interior improvements related to building codes and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements, and exterior improvements.
But the Nicolet board decided not to take action on the proposal last month after several people questioned if the project was actually adhering to the state statute. It began with board trustee Dave Hintz who said he viewed the LRC project as a single $4.5 million remodeling effort that should go to referendum. The matter became even more public after the state Assembly's Colleges and Universities Committee Chair Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) wrote a letter to the Nicolet board urging it to seek voter approval for the project.
At the September board meeting Zimmerman noted that the Wisconsin Technical College System Board had signed off on other Nicolet building projects structured the same way. He said he didn't think current or past Nicolet officials had done anything wrong or were searching for a "loophole."
"We don't make the final decision," Zimmerman said, referencing the state board which has the final say on all building projects. "There is a system of checks and balances. That said, it's clear we don't have consensus on how to proceed with the LRC."
That led to Zimmerman's proposal to set up a collaborative project team involving community members to determine the best way to proceed with LRC plans.
Despite that decision state Sen. Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) also weighed in on the original $4.5 million remodeling proposal recently. This week he sent a letter to media outlets in which he wrote that his interpretation of state statute is that the LRC project as initially proposed requires a referendum. Tiffany said his intent was to send a letter to the media for informational purposes, but he also left a message with Nicolet College President Elisabeth Burmaster informing her of the letter.
"The letter is the result of constituent contacts both in my office and when meeting people at public events who read local news accounts about the issue," Tiffany said. "I estimate there have been 10 direct contacts on this issue to my office and to me personally when in the district."
But the proposal of three $1.5 million LRC projects is currently on hold and any future plans for the building are again at the starting point. It is beginning with the collaborative project team, which is made up of Nicolet faculty members, board members and community representatives. The team will be meeting over the coming months to assess the LRC and decide the best way to proceed with future remodeling plans. It will then present that proposal to the full board.
Since the Sept. 17 board meeting, Zimmerman has been heading up the effort to put the team together. He estimated that 12 to 15 people in total will be involved. That will include Zimmerman, Hintz, a student representative and three or four community volunteers. Zimmerman said college administration is recruiting the Nicolet employees who will be involved. He said the community volunteers include people who were asked to serve and people who came forward after reading news reports about the LRC project.
"We'll talk about what the scope (of the remodeling) is going to be like and take a tour (of the LRC)," Zimmerman said, explaining what he expects will occur at the project team's first meeting next week.
Zimmerman said he doesn't know how often the team will come together but anticipates there will be four or five meetings before a proposal is ready to be presented to the Nicolet board.
"We'll see what people's schedules look like," Zimmerman said. "I want (the process) completed as soon as possible. Hopefully it will be complete by the first of the year."
Kyle Rogers may be reached at [email protected].
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