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Board adopts plan to curb losses at Aquatic Center
The Advocate
The MHCC District board spent Wednesday night accounting for operating losses from the college Aquatic Center, being scolded by students regarding the possibility of a faculty strike and deciding how much to pay the interim college president.
Board members sat silently as MHCC students made statements reacting to a strike vote taken by faculty April 6.
After gathering 955 student signatures on a petition to present to the board, Jenni Simonis, organizer of the petition, stated her case to the board.
"Many students have become very concerned," said Simonis. Talking points by Simonis included making an example of college president John Sygielski's recommendations in 2009-10 to eliminate five administrative positions, which actually resulted in the board "salting" the school's wounds by adding eight administrative positions.
Simonis also pointed out that after the board has claimed there was no money to negotiate with faculty, they have approved: expenditures in the amount of $400,000 for a new phone system "that still doesn't work, a month after installation;" $310,000 for an "overhaul on the website, outsourcing, instead of providing competent and able students an internship, or web-design staff an opportunity;" $175,000 for the master plan and remodel of the college when "we have no money;" and $275,000 for an attorney to "tell the faculty something like, 'Here's our offer, take it or leave it.'"
No board members responded to statements by Simonis.
Another item on the agenda was operating costs for the Aquatics Center and a decrease in revenue since 2006. In a proposal submitted by the aquatics staff, the calculated operating costs for 2009-10 were more than $1 million.
"With revenues just over $300,000, the Aquatic Center experienced a net loss of approximately $700,000 during 2009-10," according to the proposal. Board member Ralph Yates said, "We're in a time when people aren't taking swimming lessons, which makes revenue go down." Board member Dave Shields said the report is preliminary and any action taken in regards to the pool would be like "shooting in the dark without accurate numbers."
The board unanimously directed the aquatics department to explore ways to increase revenue from already scheduled swim meet contracts through 2014, evaluate a cost benefit analysis of contracting with the National Swim Center Corporation (NSCC), and review the existing contract with Mt. Hood Aquatics (MHA) to explore ways to increase revenues for both MHCC and MHA, all to be completed by June.
The aquatics department is also authorized to analyze the operating costs of shifting swim meets and events scheduled at the outdoor pool to the indoor pool and evaluate not installing the dome cover on the outdoor pool during winter months. A report is due back to the board by September.
The board also approved a salary for incoming interim college president Michael Hay. The board granted Hay a $2,500 salary increase salary for May and then a $3,000 increase from his current salary for June. His starting annual salary as interim college president will be $160,000 beginning July 1. He was also authorized an auto allowance of $700 per month.
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