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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-17-2001-10aORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 17, 2001 Action Agenda Item No. 1~ SUBJECT: Community College Task Force Report and Financial Information DEPARTMENT: County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No County Manager ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Moses Carey, Jr. Community College Task Force Report John Link, ext. 2300 Community College Financial Information TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 7321$1 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To give the BOCC the opportunity to continue discussions an the Community College Task Force report, the financial considerations associated with an Orange County satellite community college campus, and other related issues. BACKGROUND: The BOCC received the Community College Task Force report during November of last year. The Task Force report recommended to the Orange County Board of Commissioners that a satellite campus of Durham Technical Community College be established in Orange County. A satellite campus would: • serve the more than 6500 residents who take one or more classes at a community college each year, and • offer a gateway to the future for residents by providing a more comprehensive, centralised location for adult training and education services in the County. The BOCC later received some additional financial information related to a satellite community college campus in Orange County. A copy of the Task Force report and the financial information is attached for reference purposes. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Although there is no immediate financial impact associated with further discussion on a potential satellite community college campus, it should be noted that, as park of the November 2000 bond referendum approval, Durham Technical Community College has earmarked up to $4,000,000 that would have to be matched, dollar-for-dollar, with local funds for an Orange County Satellite Campus. Some possibilities for local funding include general obligation bonds, installment financing, earmarking of additional dedicated pay-as-you-go revenues, in-kind expenditures, and contributions from the Towns and local businesses. The deadline for a decision by Orange County is the end of 2006. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board further discuss a potential community college campus in Orange County and provide direction to staff on future steps. 3 Report of the Community College Task Force November 21, 2000 The Community College Task Force has met four times since Mazch 2000. Reports from eazlier task forces and information from azea community colleges have been reviewed. Focus group sessions have been held to determine the interest of the citizens of Orange County in establishing a satellite campus of Durham Technical Community College. After several months of reseazch the Task Force recommends to the Orange County Boazd of Commissioners that a satellite campus of Durham Technical Community College be established in Orange County. A satellite campus would: • serve the more than 6500 residents who take one or more classes at a community college each year, and • offer a gateway to the future for residents by providing a more comprehensive, centralized location for adult training and education services in the County The Community College Task Force recommends that the satellite campus be located in the central part of the County in order to serve all residents. The ideal site for a satellite campus would be: zti Close to an interstate highway 20 acres or more for current needs and future growth • Near businesses or a business park •~ In neutral territory :• Located in a safe, well-lighted area •s Neaz public facilities (utilities) • Neaz good roads . • Possibly neaz public transportation ti• Accessible to fiber optic lines The Community College Task Force reviewed eazlier reports to the Board of County Commissioners along with statistics and other information from Durham Technical Community College and other community colleges in surrounding counties. Focus group sessions were held and their input was used in developing this report. The focus groups included: • Skills Development Center Clients • The Economic Development Commission • Currently Enrolled Community College Students • Senior Citizens from Chapel Hill and Hillsborough • Members of the Hillsborough-Orange County Chamber of Commerce • Orange County High School Students • Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools High School Students, and • Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Teachers and Support Staff 4 Three reports which the Board of County Commissioners have previously reviewed were examined. The three are: :• The report of the Skills Development Board that resulted in establishing the Skills Development Center in Chapel Hill, • The 1996 update of the Economic Development Commission's Strategic Plan, and ' • The documents produced to date by the Shaping Orange County's Future Task Force Each of these reports addressed the need for accessible and affordable training and educational services for adults in the county, with a focus on increasing the ability of county residents to get and keep jobs. The Skills Development Board also suggested attention be given to offering currently employed residents training opportunities to enable them to upgrade skills for higher paying jobs. The CCTF's research into information available from the community colleges resulted in the following findings: • Orange County is the highest populated county in North Carolina without a community college campus - either a main campus or a satellite campus •: A total of 6,509 Orange County residents registered for classes at North Carolina. community colleges in 1998-99 • 2,561 registered in college credit classes • 3,948 registered in non-credit classes • adult basic education • adult high school diploma • English as a second language • GED preparatory • occupational extension • community service, and • customized training for business and industry • A total of 2,327 Orange County residents registered for classes at Durham Technical Community College in the Fall of 1999 • 22 percent of the college's Fall 1999 enrollment resided in Orange County • 1,041 Orange County residents registered at neighboring community colleges in the fall of 1999 • 902 registered at Alamance Community College • 26 registered at Central Carolina Community College, and • 113 registered at Piedmont Community College • DTCC offers community college instruction at more than 401ocations in Orange County • Multiple locations without a centralized office in the county have led to fragmented support for Orange County community college students • More than 600 DTCC classes have been offered in Orange County since 1995, with 135 of these offered in Orange County in 1999 •:• DTCC personnel work closely with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange County Schools personnel to offer programming for high school students, to train for teacher assistants and teachers, and to define the types of skills students need for the workplace and for pursuing higher education • N.C. community colleges complement economic development by offering customized training to new and existing business and industry • N.C. cammunity colleges offer an affordable alternative for post-secondary education and training • Counties have statutory responsibility far developing and maintaining facilities for a community college campus in the county • State bond funding that might be available for construction of a building will have to be matched dollar-for-dollaz by the county • DTCC, the Orange County Schools, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools have strong partnerships that have resulted in: • high school students taking college classes through DTCC • the educational institutions developing articulation plans between high school and DTCC curricula, and • local business and industry participating in job readiness skills awazeness for high school students and teachers • Cooperative and collaborative programming between the public schools and DTCC would grow with college staff located in closer proximity to schools personnel A diverse group of residents met in focus groups during the summer and eariy fall. A member of the Community College Task Force facilitated each group. A total of 148 residents filled out questionnaires and/or participated in conversations during the process. High school students firm both school systems, currently enrolled community college students, welfare recipients, business owners and employers, school system personnel and senior citizens shared their knowledge of current community college offerings in the County and their thoughts on the establishment of a permanent satellite campus of Durham Technical Community College. A spreadsheet detailing the responses and comments of the focus group participants is included in Appendix A of this report. A summary of their responses to a questionnaire completed by all participants is included below: • The 148 respondents included 92 females and 51 males wha ranged in age from 14 to older than 65 (five individuals did not complete the question about gender) •: Seventeen high school or community college students were included along with 10 retired individuals • Sixty-faun were employed full-time, 20 were employed part-time and 22 did not respond to the question about employment status (fifteen indicated they were unemployed) • Seventy-six of the 148 respondents had previously taken classes offered by community colleges headquartered in Durham, Alamance, Guilford, Cumberland, Lee or Iredell Counties • Ninety-six, or 64.9%, of the respondents indicated they were likely or very likely to take advantage of community college programming if it were to be offered in the County Another 33 said they might take advantage of a community college satellite campus. The respondents (148) indicated the following groups of people would be most likely to participate in programming at a conununity college satellite campus in the County: •:• recent high school graduates (95) • those seeking to upgrade skills for jobs (112) • those seeking to improve basic skills in reading, math and writing ($3) • retirees and senior citizens (76) • those seeking continuing education far current jobs (78) • non-native English speaking people (~8) • welfare recipients (53), and • Others (17). In considering a convenient distance for travel to a satellite campus, there were 148 responses. Some individuals chose more than one possibility. They are listed below: • 110 indicated they would be willing to travel 10 miles or less to the site, and • Forty-seven said they would be willing to travel 15 miles In response to the question about the kind of transportation, the majority of the 148, specifically 110, would drive to the satellite campus, while 12 would need public transportation, and 19 indicated they had no preference for a mode of transportation for accessing a satellite campus. Focus group participants expressed interest in the following types of classes: computer, foreign language, [teacher] certification renewal, college transfer, heavy equipment operation, arts and crafts, health/medical, computer network administration, solaz energy, business, cooking, physiology, computer software, English, science, math, nursing, biotechnology, counseling, interior design, reading, creative writing, senior legal issues, eazly childhood, real estate, secretarial, entrepreneurship, veterinary, public speaking, Latin American studies, teaching ESL, general education, horticulture, parks and recreation, photography and small engine repair. Based on the research, the CCTF has reason to believe comprehensive services offered at a Durham Technical Community College satellite campus in the County will provide for: • more classes • a greater variety of class offerings • career and academic counseling •:• academic assessment • academic support services • computer laboratories • registration financial aid counseling • librazy resources, etc.; and • additional in-county community college staff to answer questions and guide citizens interested in improving themselves. Durham Technical Community College ~ ~ Training for the Trian January 10, 2001 Serving Durham and Orange Count Donna Dean Orange County Budget Director 208 South Cameron St. Post Office Box 8181 Hillsbaraugh, NC 27278 Dear Donna, The attached budget summary includes the following assumptions: • Ope~atirxJ E~end~ of the facilities at a~rrer~ year ~ ~ 30,t?i70 9quar+e feet bung in Orange Caray, • Local staff fuNy fw~ded ars recephardst/derigl and ~ medic, Rerrraining staff is shared beltn~ert D~uharn County and Orange Courriy, • ors fjme Mures rat included (e.g, mo~virig cosi.'g, sysEerr~ security ). • ~ 15 Itou~/day, fi dayshn~elc sean'ily, • Utilifjes based on Northern Durt~artr Campus, Insr~ teased on prajectior~s from agent, Operating expendihues at current cost approximate $422,145 annually. Inflation factors of 4°~ per year (fine-yearn will increase the expenditure th $500k when the building is completed. Additional funds should be alkacated fnr capital requests $75k-$100k per year. Call me at 919.fi8fi~3720 if you need additional infomnatian. Sincerely, e. e~ Cynthia Carter Chief Financial Officer Durham Technical Community College ' E~tciosure (1) cc: Barbara Baker _ Dr. Phail Wynn DURHAM TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE ESTIMATED ORANGE COUNTY BUDGET REQUEST FOR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS BASED UPON FY x000-2001 COSTS (INFLATION FACTOR NOT APPLIED) FY 2000-2001 Total A. Operations -Current F-xpense Request 1 Salaries ~ Benefits: Code 1406-Facility Services Personnel (8%) 20,169 1400-Maintenance/Mechanic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • 25,000 1407•Mailn~om ~ Shipping and Receiving - - - - 7,216 1820-Retirement ----------------------_ 5,~ 1810-FICA -------------------------_- •5,690 . 1830-Medical insurance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 6,452 1200-Receptionist/Cierical - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22,000 Sub-Total Salaries $~ Benefits - - - - - - - - - - - - - 91,831 2 Contradval Services; Code1970-Security ______________________--- 50,000 1980~1animrial Service - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40,000 1985-Recyciing/Waste Removal - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6,00.0 198&Safety/Ermironmental~- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3,000 1990-Building Mairrtenance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25,000 1975-Landscaping ---------------------- 28,000 Sub-Total Contractual Services - - _ • - - = - - - - - 152,000 3 Legal Fees: Code 3950-Legal Fees-----------------------• 1,200 Sub-Total Legal Fees------------------• 1,200 4 Insurance: Code 4510-5MP Policy (Boiler, Bldg. 8i Corrtents) - - - - - 7,500 4520-Vehicles-------------------------- 750 1860-Workers Compensation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2,200 4500-General Liability--------------------• 1,500 1831=Group Derrtal----------------------. 810 1832-Employee Life Insurance - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 335 Sub-Totallnsurance-------------------• 13,095 8 Utilities; Code 3310-Natural Gas -----------------------. 28,944 3330-Electricity------------------------- 50,273 3320-Water---------------------------» _ 2,052 3220-Telephone------------------------• 40,000 Sub-Total Utilities----•---------------- 119,289 DURHAM TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE ESTIMATED ORANGE COUNTY BUDGET REQUEST FOR FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONS BASED UPON FY 20Q0-2p01 COSTS (INFLATION FACTOR NOT APPLIED) FY 2000-2001 Total $ Travel: ~ Request Code 3110-Locaibavel--------..--------------- ~ 2,500 3116-Professional Development - - - - - - _ ., _ _ _ . _ 1500 Sub-Total--------------------------- 4,000 9 R®pairs: Code 3510-Equtpmerrt------------------------ _ ~~0 3520-F~il~les-------------------------- 5,000 3530-Vehicles-------------------------- 7S0 Sub-Total Repairs ------------------- _ _ .8,250 10 Supplies: Cade2100-Housekeeping---------------------~- 10 500 2200-Mair~fienance-----..--•-------------- . 10 000 23 00-Landing - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ , 5 000 S ~ - - - - - - applies- - -------- --- , 25,500 11 Other Expense; Code 2500-Molar Vehicle Operation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2000 3930-Tools, Unii~ms, Radios - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 000 Sub-Total Other Expense - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - , 7,000 TOTAL CURRENT EXPENSE--------------------- 422,145