Trustees at Barton Community College approved new parking lot construction and a major software purchase when they met Monday. They gave tentative approval to a new lease agreement for an expanded facility at Grandview Plaza.
Concrete Services submitted the low bid and was awarded the contract for parking lot replacements. The Great Bend firm will replace the Northwest Physical Education parking lot, the Science & Math parking lot and the Technical Building parking lot for $509,696. Two other Great Bend firms submitted bids totaling $536,997 and $545,177. Firms also bid the lots as three separate projects, but Concrete Services submitted the lowest bid in each instance.
Dean of Administration Mark Dean said requests for bids were mailed to all companies that have asked to be notified of this type of project, and they were registered in the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Plan Room for open viewing.
Work is scheduled to start after graduation and be finished before fall classes.
Trustees also tentatively approved a new lease with the Bramlage Foundation, the landlord for the Grandview Plaza facility near Fort Riley where Barton offers HazMat training, Emergency Medical Technician training and other courses. Dean said potential increases in Barton’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) program is one reason the college needs additional space in eastern Kansas.
“Rather than leasing another facility, the determination has been made that there are efficiencies in keeping our operations at one location,” Dean reported earlier. “The landlord for the Grandview facility has agreed to expand the facility based on the floor plan provided. This addition adds approximately 3,800 square feet to the facility. The terms of the new lease will extend the lease out to 10 years and increase the lease amount by $3,200 per month.”
On Monday Dean said the actual addition was “right at 3,900 square feet” and they were still working out the details. The board’s approval is based on the $3,200 figure; if it comes in higher it will need to come before the trustees again.
The board also approved the purchase of Ellucian Flexible Registration Software in the amount of $80,500, with yearly maintenance cost of $7,043. This software improves enrollment in online courses, adding the familiar “shopping cart” and flexible payment options. The software makes it easier for students to find the courses they need, particularly the non-credit courses often associated with continuing education and community service programs. The college will also be able to build course catalogs targeting a specific population, improving marketing.
New personnel approved by the board on Monday are: Jill Lawson, nursing instructor, and Andra Alderson, CNA (certified nursing assistant) instructor, both at the Barton County campus; and Reynald Domingo, assistant dean of Fort Riley support, and Jason Eaves, OSHA program coordinator, both in the Fort Riley area.