The Executive Committee of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. in the Magnolia Building. Joe Brumit, Chair, presided.
The following members of the Executive Committee were present: Chair Joe Brumit, John Parham, Mary Ann Rice, and Mandy Stone. The following Trustees were present as well: Gene Bell, Robin Ramsey, Mike Fryar, Roger Metcalf, William Murdock, Frances Ramsey, and Andrea Howell, Ex-Officio.
Others present for the meeting included: Dennis King, President; Dirk Wilmoth, Vice President Business and Finance/CFO; Kaye Schmidt, Vice President, Human Resources; Terry Brasier, Vice President Student Services; Kerri Glover, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications; Beth Stewart, Vice President of Instructional Services; David White, Executive Director, Research and Planning; Shelley White, Vice President Economic and Workforce Development/Continuing Education; Brian Willis, Vice President Information Technology; Greg Israel, Buncombe County Facilities Manager; Chris Campbell, College Attorney; Jane Mathews, Mathews Architecture; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Meeting Purpose
Amendment to the Colleges 2015-2024 Master Plan Report.
Discussion
The 2015-2024 Master Plan Report calls for the renovation of both the Rhododendron and Elm buildings upon completion of the Allied Health Building. Buncombe County Engineers assessed the Rhododendron building prior to starting renovations, and due to the condition of the Rhododendron building, the Engineers found that the cost of renovating the building would be about as much as it would to build a new building. Buncombe County opted to have the Rhododendron building demolished instead of renovated, which resulted in a loss of 46,075 square feet to the College. The Board of Trustees agreed.
General education programs are the backbone of the College; all students must take general education courses to complete a degree. After several internal planning meetings on how to replace the square footage that the College lost from the demolition of the Rhododendron building, the question arose as to where to put all of the general education programs that are currently housed in the Elm building, while the Elm building undergoes renovation.
As the College continues to seek a new facility from Buncombe County to replace the square footage lost when the Rhododendron Building was demolished, the condition of the Elm building has come to the forefront.
The College asked Mr. Greg Israel, Buncombe County Facilities Manager, to assess the condition of the Elm building for renovation purposes. Mr. Israel offered the following about the Elm building:
- The HVAC and air conditioning system need to be completely replaced.
- All educational and office spaces need to be brought up to the current ADA code.
- To accomplish this, all hallways, restrooms, and the elevator would need to be expanded, resulting in a decrease in classroom size.
- There is water intrusion in the entire building:
- The fluted block exterior finish absorbs water like a sponge and needs to be waterproofed every five years.
- There is a lack of moisture barriers in the walls.
- The building needs a new roof.
- The foundation needs waterproofing – which involves digging out the original concrete block.
- The potential for mold, while not presently a factor, needs to be monitored.
Mr. Israel stated that renovating the Elm building would address the symptoms and not the problems. The cost to renovate Elm would almost be as much as building a new building for the College. Mr. Israel recommended that the College demolish the Elm building.
Novus Architects were also commissioned by the College to report on the existing condition of the Elm building and noted the following:
- The 17-year-old roof needs to be replaced within the next five years.
- To correct the ongoing water infiltration within the exterior wall assembly, the complete removal and reconstruction of the exterior walls are required.
- The HVAC system is original to the building and is no longer serviceable.
- The plumbing facilities need to be upgraded to be in full compliance with ADA accessibility.
- The electrical wiring and systems are original and require a thorough inspection to determine if components are in serviceable condition.
- The fire alarm system needs to be designed and installed to comply with current life safety code requirements.
- The elevator does not meet ADA requirements.
Novus Architects are in agreement with Mr. Israel. The renovation of the Elm building would cost almost as much as building a new facility on campus.
The Executive Committee discussed various options regarding renovating versus constructing a new facility, where to put programs currently located in the Elm building, and recommended the following:
- Not to reopen the Haynes building located in Enka to house general education programs.
- Inventory the ongoing long-range maintenance for all buildings on campus.
- Create a capital repairs plan for each building.
- Ask for an increased maintenance budget from the County, annually. Mr. Fryar volunteered to work with the County Commissioners regarding the Colleges maintenance needs.
- Present the County with a detailed maintenance budget request annually.
- Ask the County Commissioners to participate in a joint planning meeting with the Board.
- Focus on programs, the economy, vocational training, and internships.
- Request that the County replace both the Elm and Rhododendron buildings with one facility. Mr. Fryar agreed to support a replacement building similar to the size of the Elm building.
- Remind the Commissioners that Community Colleges are the gateway to the middle class. If the country is going to build the middle class, A-B Tech is where to begin.
The Executive Committee agreed to revisit the discussion with the full Board at the April 17 meeting.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 12:00 noon
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary