Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – Much-needed renovations will be made to Northern Maine Community College next spring thanks to statewide voters approving Question 3 at the polls Nov. 6. Question 3 called for $43.5 million for interior and exterior building renovations, improvements, and additions at all campuses of the Maine Community College System, Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Maine System. Altogether, county institutions will see an investment of more than $3.5 million in the infrastructure at the three local campuses.
“We want to express our appreciation to the taxpayers for once again stepping up and helping out,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “It was vital for NMCC that Question 3 be approved in order to make our physical plants more efficient, so we are excited [the bond package passed].
The approval of Question 2 will provide $50 million to the Maine Technology Institute (MTI), which will award – on a competitive basis – research grants for projects related to advancing Maine’s economy. An additional $3.5 million will be directed to the Finance Authority of Maine, and $1.5 million is earmarked for the Maine Rural Development Authority.
Faculty, staff and students at Maine’s public universities will be able to apply competitively for grants through MTI that would provide funding for innovation that will help Maine companies stay ahead of the global competition with new products, better and more efficient processes, and the development of new materials that are sustainable.
Though pleased with the passage of Questions 2 and 3, Crowley said he’s “buoyed up” by the disparity between Aroostook County’s numbers and those of the rest of the state.
“If you look at the percentages in Aroostook County in terms of support for Questions 2 and 3, it’s significantly above where the state ended up,” he said.
By comparison, in Presque Isle, Question 2 was approved 57 percent to 42 percent, while Question 3 was backed 60 percent to 39 percent. In Houlton, Question 2 was supported 55 percent to 44 percent, while Question 3 was approved 57 percent to 42 percent. The percentages in Fort Kent were 72 percent to 27 percent for Question 2, and 69 percent to 30 percent for Question 3, while Question 2 was approved in Caribou 58 percent to 41 percent, and Question 3 was OK’d 57 percent to 42 percent.
Statewide, both Questions 2 and 3 were approved 51 percent to 48 percent.
“The positive part of this is the questions passed,” said Crowley, “and I feel that the collaboration between the University and the Community College to get the word out has been successful.”
Among the renovation projects that NMCC will undergo in the spring include upgrades to heating and ventilation systems. Students in all programs will also benefit from new technology.
“We’re in dire straits now if you look at what we’re paying for oil to heat the Mailman Trades Building,” said Crowley. “If we don’t do something about the efficiencies, it’s going to suck more and more money away from educational supplies and instruction to keep that building going. Will the building stop functioning? No, but everything else is collapsing around these energy costs that we have to address. We’ve been putting a higher percentage of our dollars into maintaining those facilities and fewer dollars are able to go to other things.”
A total of $758,000 will assist NMCC in funding renovations to the Mailman Trades Building and the A.K. Christie Complex. The Mailman facility houses many of the college trade and technical occupation programs, while the Christie Complex serves as the primary campus classroom facility.
“The boilers in the Mailman Trades Building need to be replaced with variable frequency drives,” said Crowley, noting “the technology that’s there now is the technology that was there 20 years ago.”
“The way it is now, someone will turn the heat up and it will run to the correct temperature at the end of the building, but we have no control at the end closest to where the heat is, so you’ve got this disparity in heat,” he said. “The way it will be is we’ll have the variable frequency drive technology where we have heat pumps that don’t go on and off with a thermostat, but are sensing the heat at the far end of the building, and they’re determining when they’re going to run and move hot water to the other end of the building.”
The ventilation system in the welding and residential construction labs also needs to be upgraded.
In terms of technology, there are four classrooms that will have video projection systems installed, which will allow for PowerPoint presentations to be made.
“They’re ceiling-mounted units that will go into the classrooms,” said Crowley. “We also need to upgrade computers systems in three classrooms.”
If there’s enough money leftover, Crowley said he will look to see if the roof on the lower half of the Mailman Trade Building can be replaced.
“It’s not presenting any problems,” he said, “but it’s at the age where it will tell us we could have problems. If we can squeeze enough out of the $758,000, we would look at repairing the lower roof. The bigger part of the roof over the construction lab was done about six years ago.”
Though unsure how much of a savings could be seen by making the energy efficiency gains to the two buildings, Crowley said – due to the high cost of fuel – NMCC has had to increase its fuel budget by $40,000.
“Fuel here will be a $400,000 expense this year,” he said. “It’s a significant increase, so anything we can do to make energy efficiency gains will save us money in the long run.”
Responding to last Tuesday’s statewide election, Gov. John E. Baldacci said the people of Maine “have made the right choice to invest in education and innovation.”
“Their support for Questions 2 and 3 means a brighter future for all Maine people. I believe that a quality education system and increased private sector job creation can move the state forward, and this election shows that the people of Maine agree with that vision,” said Baldacci. “But the close results on Questions 2 and 3 also show that Mainers want government to be careful with their money. We have to show people the results of this investment and make the process as transparent as possible.”
Crowley estimated the projects will begin in late spring and be completed before classes resume from summer vacation in September.
