University of Minnesota, Morris

Campus Resources and Planning Committee

 

January 29, 2004

 

 

 

Members Present:       Andy Lopez, Tom Billo, Kevin Ely, Bryan Herrmann, Mark Fohl,

                                    Lowell Rasmussen, Ken Hodgson, Maddy Maxeiner, LeAnn Dean,

                                    Tammy Faux, Ferolyn Angell

 

Guests:                        Jim Mootz, Sam Schuman, Gary Strei

 

 

(In these minutes:  Report on current state of budgets, Update on Capital Request and Getty Grant)

 

Report on current state of budgets

 

Strei distributed a copy of the O and M balance estimate projected out to June 30, 2004 as outlined below and gave a brief summary of the items listed.

 

 

Description

Budgeted

Actual

Comments

 

 

 

 

Carry forward

$  1,123,510

$1,123,510

 

 

 

 

 

Revenues

 

 

 

  Central Allocation

$13,767,591

$13,767,591

 

  Compact Funds

$0

$166,500

 

  U Fee

  $1,100,000

$975,000

We have been assured this will get adjusted in FY05

  Tuition Revenues

$10,650,000

$10,300,000

This reflects approximately 50 fte students short

  Miscellaneous

$764,570

$750,000

 

  Transfers In/Out

$1,707,949

$325,000

This is a netting between our transfers in and out

Total Revenues

$27,990,110

$26,284,091

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

  Compensation

$19,793,703

$19,300,000

 

  SEE

$6,663,331

$5,800,000

Based on past histories

  Enterprise Tax

$191,639

$185,000

 

  IRS Tax

$2,004,012

$1,900,000

Based on lower revenues

  IRS Rebate (FY01-03)

$0

($179,869)

Adjustment from IRS on Minnesota State Grants

Total Expenses

$28,652,685

$27,005,131

 

 

 

 

 

FY 04 Totals

($662,575)

($721,040)

This is the net income for 2003-04 transactions only

 

 

 

 

Estimate Balance (6/03/04)

$460,935

$402,470

 

Lopez asked where our debt payment was reflected.  Strei said in the transfers in/out.  Dean asked if the compensation amount reflects the six-month rolling vacancy and wondered if we were not in financial strains, would the budgeted amount have been higher.  Strei responded yes to both questions. Lopez then asked what was included in the compact funding.  Strei said it breaks down as follows:  $45,000 for external visibility (recurring); $80,000 for Continuing Education; and $41,500 for student recruiter in Admission for three years (non-recurring).  Faux asked if the fte shortage reflects the change from first to second semester.  Strei said he pulled the data from the second week of January and estimated the revenue for summer.  Faux then asked how many students we lost because due to academic probation.  Lopez thought that of the students who appealed, there were only about five students lost.  Strei added he is optimistic things will get better and he will keep CPRC up to date on budget issues.

 

Update on Capital Requests

 

Rasmussen distributed information on the Biomass project as outlined below and gave a brief summary.

 

Biomass Research Platform                                       Total Cost:                  5.5 million

                                                                                    Legislative Request:   4.5 million

Project Description

Expansion of the existing facilities to allow for district heating/cooling using agricultural based plant stock as a fuel source, with fossil fuel and wood as backup food stocks.  The project will utilize a 15,000 lbs/hr solid research boiler/600 ton absorption chiller.  The Biomass project will serve as an applied research platform and will provide first available data on the economic and operational characteristics of biofuel combustion process.

 

Applied research partners

West Central Renewable Energy Center (WCROC, U of M)

Agricultural Research Station (USDA Lab)

Initiative for Renewable Energy and Environment (U of M)

 

Biomass Project Outcomes

Develop data on economic and operational characteristics in the combustion of biofuels.

Explore blending and co-firing of fuel stocks.

Explore concept of fuel diversity for traditional boiler operations.

Provide economic incentives to create new biofuel aggregator business.

Provide capital cost avoidance in district heating/cooling operations.

Develop prototype for handling Ag based solid fuels from collection through ash disposal.

Provide data and composition of biofuel flue gas and permitting processes.

Promote sustainable economic development by using energy sources within community.

Reduce operating costs and provide fuel price stability.

Promote greenhouse gas neutral combustion processes.

Provide reliable Œreturn on investment¹ data for energy conversions program.

 

Why Biomass

In addition to providing real time research capabilities to support the research missions of the agencies listed above, the practical application of solid biofuels in what has been an exclusive fossil fuel market may lead to a new approach in managing and controlling energy costs.  By developing a combination boiler platform, operators would have the freedom to capitalize on whichever fuel source is available and is the most cost competitive.

 

Why  Now?

Heating plants installed during the 70¹s building boom will be replaced within the next decade.  Research on fuel flexibility at this site may have significant return on investment potential for agencies and institutions located in ag based regions of the state, and may provide a reliable basis for cost avoidance when these systems are replaced.

 

Shared District Facilities

 

€ shared football complex                                                     € 1500 seating capacity

€ combined use of facility (MAHS & UMM)                                    € artificial playing surface

€ up to 19 games per season                                                 € lighted field

 

Rasmussen added that if you know any of the School Board members, you should let them know you support this issue.  He added that if this is not funded, we do have the capacity to carry their heating loads, but not the capacity to provide chilling.

 

Getty Grant

 

Rasmussen distributed information on the Getty Grant as outlined below.

 

A two-day conference titled ³Stewards of Past and Future:  Exploring Tools for Historic Preservation on Campus² cosponsored by UMM and the Minnesota State Historic Preservation office will tentatively be held on the UMM campus on June 23-24, 2004.

 

Designed for facilities managers, planners, and plant services staff from the 30-40 college and universities in Minnesota (and communities close to our borders) whose campuses have historic buildings and landscapes.

 

Topics will likely include:

 

€ The importance of campus heritage to institutional identity

€ How to organize a preservation plan and develop design guidelines

€ Integration of preservation planning with campus master planning

€ Implications for capital funding requests

 

Mary Hughes, FALSA, a nationally known Campus Landscape Architect from the University of Virginia, will serve as keynote speaker.  She will offer a national perspective on the challenges and opportunities and landscape stewardship on campus.  Using the UMM campus as a lab, participants will study the emerging UMM Preservation Plan and offer peer review of its content.  Participants will share lessons and strategies from their own campuses, many of which face similar asset preservation challenges and were also planned by Morell & Nichols.  There will be ³best practices² sessions on the stewardship of historic trees and on historic preservation building technologies.