CCCC board approves publishing budget

The Cloud County Community College board of trustees approved publishing the 2020-2021 budget and set a date for a public hearing during its regular meeting Tuesday night.
The public hearing on the budget has been set for August 11 at 5 p.m. in Room 257 of the President's Addition.
With budgeted expenditures totaling $19,708,975, the proposed budget calls for an estimated tax rate of 29.259 mills. That is a slight decrease from the actual tax rate for 2019-2020 of 29.299.
Proposed general fund expenditures and transfers total $9,933.250, as compared to $8,836,559 for 2019-2020.
Also during the meeting, the board approved authorizing the renewal of the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan for five years and board chairman Jesse Pounds signing an interlocal agreement with Cloud County for administration of the plan.
CloudCorp executive director Kim Reynolds presented the interlocal agreement to the board for approval.
Used as an economic development tool in Cloud County, the Neighborhood Revitalization Plan provides incentives to increase the property tax base in the county in order to support the local economic health and quality of life. It is an incentive program for small businesses not eligible for ad valorem tax abatement.
The participating taxing entities in the county sign the interlocal agreement agreeing to the property tax rebates for the program.
All real property within the Neighborhood Revitalization District that undergoes rehabilitation, alterations or additions to an existing commercial or residential structure, or construction of a new commercial, industrial, agricultural or residential structure, and meets the threshold of investment is eligible for property tax rebates.
The minimum increase in appraised value for the property to qualify for the rebate is $20,000 above the market valuation of the property, as determined by the Cloud County Appraiser.
The tax rebates are for five years at the following increments: Year 1 – 95 percent; Year 2 – 70 percent; Year 3 – 60 percent; Year 4 – 50 percent; Year 5 – 25 percent.
Reynolds informed the board there have been 98 active or completed projects in the county with a total increase in valuation of $12,057,950. There has been a total of $1,103,239.21 in rebates.
The board approved a memorandum of understanding with Cloud County to accept $113,926.84 in Coronavirus Relief Funds from the Cloud County board of commissioners.
The county board approved a funding plan from the college on July 13.
The college will use the funds for direct reimbursement of personal protection equipment (PPE) and technology needed to move to online instruction, as well as for reopening costs, to include additional PPE, COVID-19 testing and quarantine costs and technology.
Cloud County received $1,748,586 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds to help recover from expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19.
A committee was formed to make recommendations for funding.
It was determined that the college would received $1,311,493 in the first round of funding.
The board approved the 2021-2022 academic calendar as presented.
The hiring of Kody Sindelar to the three-quarter time, KPERS-covered position of library associate specialist, effective August 1, and Aero MacWhinnie to the full-time, KPERS-covered, grant-funded position of youth services coordinator at the Geary County Campus, effective August 1, were approved by the board.
The board met in four separate executive sessions totaling an hour and 20 minutes. Three of those sessions, for attorney/client privilege, included interim president Amber Knoettgen and attorney Justin Ferrell.
The board also met in executive session for 20 minutes for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel.