Last Wednesday, Governor John Baldacci released the details of a state bond package that would provide $6.4 million to USM for building upgrades and repairs.
Baldacci bills the $306 million bond package as an “investment strategy,” which would supplement the estimated $900 million in federal stimulus money.
“We all know that the recovery package can’t address all of Maine’s needs,” Baldacci said in a press release last Wednesday.
“Our economy depends on investing in our people, and giving them the tools they need to be successful.”
If approved by the state legislature and Maine voters, the bond package would provide $52 million for repairs and energy upgrades to Maine’s higher education system. The University of Maine System’s share would be $30 million.
This amount represents a compromise between the Governor’s office and the UMS board of trustess, who initially requested $60 million last November.
“We were asked to scale our request back,” said USM Chief Financial Officer Dick Campbell. USM’s share of the original requested amount was $8 million, and included money to renovate Luther Bonney Hall’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) and electrical systems.
After conferring with the Department of Facilities Management, the university identified Bailey Hall and the Law Building as the two highest priorities on it’s list of deferred maintenance projects, said Campbell.
The bond package would provide money for repairs to the exterior of Bailey Hall’s classroom wing. The building also needs a new HVAC system.
“Since that’s such a large building, that would require about $5.4 million to make a significant impact just to that wing,” said Campbell.
$1.4 million of the package would go towards repairs to the exterior of the Law Building, which would save USM money in heating costs.
“We have a large number of problems with leaking water and air,” said Campbell.
Although the bond package would only address a small portion of USM’s list of deferred maintenace, Campbell says that USM will take anything it can get.
“We would not be able to do this level of work without state bond support,” he said.
Maine lawmakers will review Baldacci’s bond proposal this week, at which point they are expected to recommend their own bond proposals before deciding on the final package.
If passed by the legislature, the bond proposal would go to voters in two chunks. The first $265.8 referendum would be voted on this November, the remaining $40.4 million would be voted on in June 2010.