CC regents approve project to cool gym

$1.2 million job will replace aging equipment and conserve energy

Clarendon College Regents last week approved a $1.2 million project to heat and cool the Bulldog Gym and upgrade other equipment around campus to result in a net energy savings.

During their regular meeting November 19, regents listened to the final report on a proposal from Trane that will replace heating and cooling systems in the Bairfield Activity Center, the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center, and the Courson Ranch Operations Center.

“Much of this equipment is original to the buildings,” said CC President Robert Riza. “Some of it is as much as 47 years old. Parts are not readily available and replacing it piecemeal is not as efficient as one big project.”

The project will also replace boilers in Vaughan and Phelan Halls and update control systems to allow resident hall students greater ability to adjust temperatures in their dorm rooms.

The centerpiece of the project will be air-conditioning and heating the Bulldog Gym, also known as the “Dawg House.” The 1968 gymnasium was not built with later summer/fall sports like volleyball in mind, and the lack of a good ventilation system creates sweltering conditions for student athletes and spectators alike.

Riza said air-conditioning the gym is good for the safety of student athletes and also will give the college the opportunity to utilize the gym for playoffs and ball camps.

Trane’s engineers estimate that even with adding the cost of cooling the gym, Clarendon College will net more than $30,000 in annual energy savings from upgrading HVAC and lighting systems on campus as well as adjusting some plumbing fixtures to be more efficient.

The project will start with upgrading exterior lighting fixtures, and work should begin on that phase before students return to class for the spring semester, Riza said. The remainder of the project should be completed before the start of the fall semester.

The college will utilize financing through Trane to pay for the project over ten years. Riza said the college’s existing budget line item for equipment replacement will cover the annual payment, and CC still has contingency funds if something unexpected breaks down.

“We know as soon as we do this, something we didn’t replace will fail,” Riza said jokingly.

The Riza administration has been working with Trane for several months on this proposal, and a committee appointed by the Board of Regents in October reviewed and prioritized plans prior to last week’s meeting.

“This is the start of getting a lot of our equipment updated,” Riza said. “It’s already in the budget, but this will allow us to get ahead and plan for the next phase of improvements.”

In other college business, the board approved bids on delinquent tax property as presented by the Donley Appraisal District and approved a motion to give the college district’s support to electing Edwin Campbell to the appraisal district board.

Regents also authorized spending $66,397 in grant funds to purchase nursing equipment and, in a separate agenda item, awarded a contract to RunBiz for the purchase and installation of 127 Dell computers for $110,529, a project that will replace about one-fourth of CC’s computers.

In personnel, the board ratified the hiring of Brent Childers to oversee the college’s new Industrial Maintenance program and the promotions of Tex Buckhaults as the Executive Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs and Daniel Trejo as the Director of Vocational Nursing starting in January.