Trustees approve renewal of insurance premiums

Renewal of insurance premiums and a policy update were action items approved by the Cloud County Community College board of trustees during its regular meeting Tuesday night.
The board approved the renewal of the premium from IMA for college property, general liability, business automobile, educator's legal liability and excess liability insurance coverage in the amount of $54,500, plus the option of crime in the amount of $576, cyber liability in the amount of $4,929, and the renewal of the premium of IMA for worker's compensation insurance coverage in the amount of $57,700 for the fiscal year 2020-2021 and authorized payment from the college's general fund.
The board also approved a copyright and fair-use policy update that was discussed during the May meeting.
Rescheduling the October meeting to October 28 at 5 p.m. because of the visit by the Higher Learning Commission accreditation team was approved by the board.
Concordia city manager Amy Lange met with the board and discussed remaining Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds.
Established in May 2000, the TIF district will expire August 31, 2020.
Projects completed using TIF funds must serve a public purpose to address blight and support redevelopment to promote, stimulate and develop the general and economic welfare of the community. They can be used to pay for construction of public infrastructure and other development costs in the redevelopment district and to retire bonds issued by the city to fund development projects in the district.
Lange said that it is estimated that $350,000 will be available in the TIF fund at the end of 2020.
The city is proposing using $100,000 as the local cash match for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to replace pavement, storm sewer and sanitary sewer mains in the alley downtown between Sixth and Seventh Street, specifically, the alleys between Lincoln Street and State Street.
The total estimated cost of the project is $1,032,685.
Concordia was notified on January 22 that it had been awarded CDBG funding in the amount of $561,660 for the project.
Bid letting for the project is anticipated for the fall of 2020 with construction beginning in the spring of 2021.
It is also being proposed by the city that $250,000 of the TIF funds be used for the Sixth Street parking lot project.
The project would include the demolition of two dilapidated houses located just west of the Brown Grand Theatre and the subsequent construction of a public parking lot.
Lange said that the city currently owns the house at 330 West Sixth Street and is negotiating on the purchase of the house at 326 West Sixth St.
Demolition of both structures will occur as soon as the property is acquired.
The estimated cost of the project is $265,100.
The plan for use of the remaining TIF Funds was also presented to the Concordia City Planning Commission on Tuesday. It will be presented to the Cloud County board of commissioners and Unified School District 333 board of education on Monday.
A timeline for approval of the redevelopment project plan being proposed by the city also includes: July 1 – Resolution by the city commission. July 24 – Publication of resolution. August 5 – Public hearing during city commission meeting and ordinance by city commission. August 7 – Publication of the ordinance. August 31 – Expiration of the TIF district. September – Last receipt by city of TIF tax revenue per TIF disbursement. December – First collection of base tax revenue by all tax entities.
During his report to the board, Pedro Leite, vice president for academic affairs and student success, informed the board that a plan B is being formalized in the case that students are unable to return to campus this fall for face-to-face classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cloud County is scheduled to begin fall semester classes on August 19 and will end face-to-face classes on November 24. The final two weeks of the semester will be completed online.
“The plan right now is come back August 19 face to face, keeping social distancing,” Leite said.
Leite said that the college is looking at creative ways to deliver the face-to-face instruction.
Leite informed the board that enrollment for summer classes is up by about 11 percent.
“We had some initiatives in the summer trying to increase enrollment,” Leite said, “Jessica LeDuc, our director of marketing, worked on our “Stay Close & Go Far” campaign and we had some reduction in a couple of fees. Trying to increase enrollment,” Leite said.
All summer courses are online.