The Executive Committee of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, January 29, 2018, at 4:00 p.m. in the Simpson Building. Mary Ann Rice, Chair, presided.
The following members of the Executive Committee were present: Joe Brumit, Frances Ramsey, John Parham, and Roger Metcalf.
Others present for the meeting included: Dennis King, President; Dirk Wilmoth, Vice President Business and Finance/CFO; Smithson Mills, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Food Ventures; Doug Sutton, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Amanda Vickers, Director of the U.S. Botanical Safety Lab; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Meeting Purpose
Blue Ridge Food Ventures, the potential sale of the A-B Tech Enka property, and other items.
Blue Ridge Food Ventures Discussion
Mr. Smithson Mills provided the Committee with a brief background on the successes of Blue Ridge Food Ventures and stressed his concern about having to relocate. Blue Ridge Food Ventures, located on the A-B Tech Enka, has over 50 businesses that use the facility and generates over $350,000 a year in user fees. The mission and the desire of Blue Ridge Food Ventures are to continue to grow small businesses and to provide services that are not offered anywhere else in Western Carolina. Blue Ridge Food Ventures is focused on FDA-approved food manufacturing and acts as a small support incubator for the food industry. Current clients of Blue Ridge Food Ventures are selling their products both regionally and nationally resulting in approximately $4 Million in annual sales.
Mr. Mills inquired as to the timing of the sale of the property, and the College’s exit strategy for the businesses and programs located in Enka. Mr. Mills explained that it would be two to three years before he would have another location to relocate Blue Ridge Food Ventures too.
Dr. King informed Mr. Mills of the background of the A-B Tech Enka property and how it reached the point of being placed for sale. Dr. King further stated that the College does not have a place on the A-B Tech Asheville campus for the three programs currently located at A-B Tech Enka, which limits who the College would sell to. Dr. King shared that if the property sold, everything located at A-B Tech Enka would need two to three years to relocate as well.
Mr. Mills requested a letter from the College stating that the College is seeking to sell the A-B Tech Enka property and that Blue Ridge Food Ventures must relocate within a certain amount of time. Dr. King agreed and will send Mr. Mills a notification later.
Ms. Amanda Vickers asked the Committee about the Bio-Network and if plans on the Asheville campus included a space for technology and biotechnology start-ups. Mr. Brumit replied that the College will discuss this question with someone at the state level to see what the possibilities are.
Dr. King stated that there is a large likelihood that there will not be any changes at A-B Tech Enka in the foreseeable future.
Mr. Mills, Ms. Vickers, and Mr. Sutton thanked the Committee for their time.
Budget Discussion
Dr. King informed the Committee that the state budget is down and the College can only afford to send two Trustees to the ACCT 2018 Governance Leadership Institute in San Antonio. The Executive Committee agreed and the decision as to who will attend the Institute will be decided at the February 8 Board meeting.
Holiday Discussion
Dr. King informed the Committee that the North Carolina State Auditors’ office recently audited Central Carolina Community College regarding the amount of paid holidays Central Carolina Community College offers its employees. This audit has impacted all North Carolina community colleges and may potentially cause A-B Tech to reduce the amount of paid holidays that the College offers annually. A-B Tech currently offers 17 paid holidays a year and may need to reduce that number to 12 paid holidays, to align with the number of holidays that state employees receive. The Faculty and Staff Associations have been tasked with proposing a solution and providing the Executive Leadership team with options for the potential reduction.
The Executive Committee agreed to discuss paid holidays at the February 8 Board meeting.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary