Board of Trustees to vote on Energy Center items
Krystal Moya / Administration Editor
Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: News
The Board of Trustees will vote to approve the purchase of a natural gas-fired steam boiler for the proposed Renewable Energy Center today, as well as a labor agreement for the center's construction.
The administration moved to add the new items to the board's agenda when word reached the university that the Illinois Senate approved Senate Bill 2009 in a 50-0 vote Thursday.
The bill allows the university to construct the Renewable Energy Center to replace the ailing steam plant. The steam plant currently in operation is more than 80 years old.
The administration recently attended Higher Education Rally Day in Springfield to lobby for the passing of SB 2009 and secure funding for the new center.
"The Renewable Energy Center has been a priority, a mission-critical project for some time now," said Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, in a previous interview. "This center will create jobs, boost revenue and the economy and produce large savings in energy spending for the university."
Funding for the center's construction is completely reliant on state appropriations through the bill and grants. If the bill does not pass the House or is somehow killed by governor veto, the center cannot be built.
Instead, Facilities, Planning and Management will repair items in the existing plant to continue its operation using funds from the existing budget. The boiler can be installed in the current plant as well.
More information on the added items will be given by addendum and is not included in the board packet. Administrators could not be reached for comment.
The items added to the board agenda will be presented by addendum at the meeting at 2 p.m. in the Tarble Arts Center. Paul McCann, interim vice president for business affairs, or William Weber, interim budget director, will present.
In other items, the tuition and fee rates for 2010 will be introduced at the meeting. Nadler will present this item by addendum at the meeting.
Previous to the board meeting, information on new fee increases was minimal.
The only addressed increase for the 2009-2010 school year was an increase to the graduate fee of 50 cents each year.
No other information on new increases has been given.
Fee increases approved to be dispersed throughout 2009-2010 at past meetings still stand.
In addition, the purchase of a new scoreboard for O'Brien Stadium and the naming of some university properties are also on the agenda.
The scoreboard for O'Brien stadium will integrate scoring, a video display and a sound system as a high-tech replacement to the current scoreboard.
The new board, which costs $540,791 and includes $50,000 contingency sum, will be installed by Daktronics, Inc. from Brookings, S.D.
It will include a wide-screen format LED video display.
"It will have instant replay technology and other neat things that other institutions have for their sporting events," Nilsen said.
The university properties being named will be presented by addendum. No information is yet available.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
The administration moved to add the new items to the board's agenda when word reached the university that the Illinois Senate approved Senate Bill 2009 in a 50-0 vote Thursday.
The bill allows the university to construct the Renewable Energy Center to replace the ailing steam plant. The steam plant currently in operation is more than 80 years old.
The administration recently attended Higher Education Rally Day in Springfield to lobby for the passing of SB 2009 and secure funding for the new center.
"The Renewable Energy Center has been a priority, a mission-critical project for some time now," said Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, in a previous interview. "This center will create jobs, boost revenue and the economy and produce large savings in energy spending for the university."
Funding for the center's construction is completely reliant on state appropriations through the bill and grants. If the bill does not pass the House or is somehow killed by governor veto, the center cannot be built.
Instead, Facilities, Planning and Management will repair items in the existing plant to continue its operation using funds from the existing budget. The boiler can be installed in the current plant as well.
More information on the added items will be given by addendum and is not included in the board packet. Administrators could not be reached for comment.
The items added to the board agenda will be presented by addendum at the meeting at 2 p.m. in the Tarble Arts Center. Paul McCann, interim vice president for business affairs, or William Weber, interim budget director, will present.
In other items, the tuition and fee rates for 2010 will be introduced at the meeting. Nadler will present this item by addendum at the meeting.
Previous to the board meeting, information on new fee increases was minimal.
The only addressed increase for the 2009-2010 school year was an increase to the graduate fee of 50 cents each year.
No other information on new increases has been given.
Fee increases approved to be dispersed throughout 2009-2010 at past meetings still stand.
In addition, the purchase of a new scoreboard for O'Brien Stadium and the naming of some university properties are also on the agenda.
The scoreboard for O'Brien stadium will integrate scoring, a video display and a sound system as a high-tech replacement to the current scoreboard.
The new board, which costs $540,791 and includes $50,000 contingency sum, will be installed by Daktronics, Inc. from Brookings, S.D.
It will include a wide-screen format LED video display.
"It will have instant replay technology and other neat things that other institutions have for their sporting events," Nilsen said.
The university properties being named will be presented by addendum. No information is yet available.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
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