The floor was open for members of the public wishing to comment on Barton Community College’s budget for the next year, but no one came forward to comment Tuesday. It was during a presentation on athletic achievements that Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs voiced the employees’ thanks for a Fiscal Year 2019 budget that includes 3.5 percent more for salaries.

Administrators noted that the budget keeps the tax levy approximately the same as last year at 33.219 mills, although due to an increase in oil and real estate valuation, the same mill levy will generate approximately $263,604 more than last year.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Barton Community College Board of Trustees would normally have been a study session, but a special meeting was called for the budget hearing. The board also approved three new employees at the Barton County campus. Scott Arthur will receive a contract to teach art, replacing longtime instructor Steve Dudek. The board also approved hiring student records specialist Mark Nelson and registration specialist Sheven Copp.

National champs again

The regular study session followed the business meeting. Among the topics discussed, Athletic Director Trevor Rolfs and Barton Track & Field Head Coach David Schenek brought some recent trophies and talked about the accomplishments of the program.

In May, the NJCAA Men’s Track and Field National Championship title returned to Barton after a 14-year hiatus.

“We had the most successful year in the history of the college,” Rolfs said, adding BCC has now won 56 national championships in its 50-year history. Fifty-five of those titles are in track or cross country.

The BCC athletic teams’ success this past season enabled the Cougars to finish third nationally in the annual NATYCAA Cup standings. The National Alliance of Two Year College Athletics Administrators recognized the combined excellence of two-year schools in athletics with standings based on points scored at national events.

Schenek said his next goal for Barton athletes is to win a national championship in academics. Success in athletics helps many students attend Barton and often they can go on to four-year colleges with scholarships, he said.

Camp Aldrich update

In other business, Vice President of Administration Mark Dean was asked to share information about last Friday morning’s fire at the Trail’s End Lodge at Barton’s Camp Aldrich Conference Center. The initial estimate of loss was reported at $165,000.

The fire marshal came Friday and investigated, Dean said. The insurance company will send its own investigators and adjusters.

Camp Aldrich is already booked into next summer, so Dean has been getting questions. “Right now, I don’t have all the information.”

The building is one of eight cabins at the camp built in the late 1960s. This one held 40 beds and included a kitchen and bathroom.

Trustee Chairman Mike Johnson asked, assuming the cause of the fire was electrical, if there is a way to kill the power to buildings when they are not in use.

“This cabin was scheduled to be used the next day,” Dean said. The only things that had power were a water heater and a bug zapper. The fire marshal believes the fire may have started at the bug zapper, he added.

Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman said a more in-depth discussion on the topic will be on the agenda for the next board meeting.

President’s report

At each study session, Dr. Heilman reports on agreements he has approved in the past month. These include:

• Second Amended and Restated Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for the Formation and Operation of Western Kansas Community College Virtual Education Consortium (WKCCVEC or EDUKAN)

• Three grants with less than $50,000 institutional obligation: Carl Perkins Program Improvement; Central Kansas Upward Bound; and Nursing Initiative Grant

• One grant with greater than $50,000 institutional obligation: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

• Emergency Medical Service agreements with Pottawatomie County EMS; Pratt Regional Medical Center and Riley County EMS

• Dietary agreement with the Hospitals of Providence in El Paso, Texas

• Medical Lab Technician agreements with Stormont Vail Healthcare, Topeka, and Lafayette Regional Health Center, Lexington, Mo.