The Neighborhood Revitalization Plan brought lots of feedback at the Allen Community College board of trustees meeting Tuesday night. The City of Iola sent the plan to trustees to hear their concerns.
“If we keep extending and extending everyone is going to want in on it,” trustee Spencer Ambler said. “There has got to be a stopping point.”
Some trustees saw the expansion of the plan as going against the original intent.
“They’re not using it as we intended,” Ambler said.
Trustee Larry Manes agreed with Ambler.
“When we exempt some it gives a burden to others,” Manes said.
Areas in the plan receive a 10-year tax abatement for either new construction or improvements to their properties. They receive a 95 percent abatement for their taxes for the first six years of the program. That is decreased by 20 percent every year for the remaining four years.
The board approved raising tuition by $3 per credit hour, $2 on book rentals and $3 on international tuition.
“These rates will still make us extremely competitive,” said Cynthia Jacobsen, vice president for student affairs. “Our book rental is the lowest in the state.”
Trustees also signed an agreement with Bartlett & West for electrical engineering services to upgrade the campus. The electrical design will be $22, 500 and construction administration will total to $12,600.
ACC will also improve its technology on campus. They agreed to a proposal from Peak Uptime for $122,954.22. This includes wireless network equipment, cabling and installation for the campus.
Jacobson showed the trustees the changes to the college’s policies and the 2014-15 academic calendar. The major suggestion that Jacobson proposed was no longer using intersession.
“We haven’t had a large number enroll in it,” she said.
Another big policy on the table was payment for classes. The college will remove students from courses when they don’t make payments. Once the payment is received the students are allowed to add their courses back.
The calendar and polices were accepted.
In other news:
— The school will sell an indoor shotput ring to Garden City Community College for $1,000. ACC no longer has use for the ring.
— The college newspaper, The Flame, is now on the ACC website.
— The school is in the process of finding a director for the library. They are down to five applicants and will finish up interviewing soon.
— The campus will be closed from Dec. 24 to Jan. 5 for winter break.
— The college Christmas concert will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Allen Theatre.
Abatement program causing stir
