Regents approve budget for new building, fiscal year

Published or Revised August 24, 2011

A budget and tax hearing for a tax rate of 0.1900 for 2012 was held by the Paris Junior College Board of Regents prior to the regularly scheduled monthly meeting brought no public comment, and the regents later approved the rate, as well as a 2011-2012 budget of $37,438,583. Spending of up to $8 million from reserves for the new Science and Math Building was approved. This still leaves $12 million in reserves, enough to operate the college for six months in case of an emergency. Regents also received a report on the subcontractor bid opening last week from Charter Builders Vice President Jeff Jackson. The Guaranteed Minimum Price of $8,939,161 was approved by the Regents. Also furthering the new building was approval of two utility easements from Clarksville Street to the new building site: one for the City of Paris for water and sewer lines and one to Oncor Electric for electric lines. Regents Berdie Gibson, Louise Taylor and Ann Wyche provided an update on their attendance at the Governance Institute for Student Success last month in Fort Worth. All three came away with a greater appreciation of what PJC’s participation in Achieving the Dream is doing to help students in the five county service area be successful, as well as ideas for what the Regents can do to better support Administration initiatives to help students achieve their educational goals. In other action, the Board of Regents:

• Received a financial report from Vice President of Business Services John Eastman showing that all revenue categories except state revenue exceeded projections.
• Accepted the resignation of Regent Vice President Rachel Braswell. “She has been an outstanding regent,” said Regent President Paul Gene Roden. A committee was named to study District 6 potential candidates of Regents Frankie Norwood (chair), Carlton Grant and Roma Street.
• Renewed the property deposit at zero, as the college has a good internal policy to address reimbursement from students.
• Approved the Certified Tax Rolls from the Tax Appraisal Office with a total taxable value of $1,507,483,440, down from a year ago by $17,757,751.
• Authorized the resale of a tax foreclosure property to the Paris Economic Development Corporation for $1; the property is adjacent to the Industrial Park.
• Extended the lease with Lakes Regional MHMR for the metal building on the southeast corner of the Paris campus with an option to renew for one year. The lease has been in place since 1999.
• Approved a Radiation Monitor Fee of $33 to be charged to Surgical Technology students enrolled in SRGT 2461; hospitals are now requiring Surgical Technology students to wear radiation badges during their clinical rotations.
• Received the President’s Report which included a funding update on the Lamar County Business, Industry and Education Coalition, reviewed two registration commercials currently running on television, and received a quick overview of the findings of the information technology consultants – steps PJC needs to take to be able to provide up-to-date technology for the next 15 years.
• Approved the re-assignment/promotion of Amie Cato as Director of Admissions, Beverly Matthews as Director of Institutional Research, Sheila Reece as Associate Dean of Student Access and Success and Doug Shuler as Business Technology Division Chair; the employment of Assistant Volleyball Coach Amber Jay, Licensed Vocational Nursing Instructor Tammy Goodman, Student Activities Coordinator Tracy Scott, Women’s Softball Coach/Academic Studies Instructor Brent Shaw, Assistant Softball Coach Shanna Thomas, and Radiology Technology/Clinical Coordinator Heather Unruh; and the resignations of Nursing Home Training Coordinator Yvonna Goldsmith and Associate Degree Nursing Instructor Cheryl McKenna.