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DRAFT

MINUTES OF THE FACILITIES PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING
CLARION UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
CLARION, PENNSYLVANIA
April 30, 2015 - 3:00 p.m.
Carrier Building, Room 114
Members Present: Chairman Jon Beal/Mathematics, Diana Brush/Faculty Senate Institutional
Resources Committee, Bruce Exley/Computing Services, Linda Horner/AFSCME, Jason
Hendershot/Public Safety, Lisa Hepler/Registrar, Rein Pold/Purchasing, Adam Roberts, Daniel
Shifflet/Faculty Senate IRC, Debbie Sobina/Venango, Ric Taylor/Facilities Planning &
Management (Ex-officio), Chad Thomas/Student Affairs, Brenda Polatty/Keeling Health Center,
Donald Leas/Retired Swimming Coach
I.

Approval of Minutes – Minutes of the January 29, 2015 meeting were approved by
general consensus.

II.

Old Business:
Items in Progress and/or Completed:
1. Becht Hall – Ric Taylor reported that construction continues to progress well;
flooring and electrical lighting are currently being installed; and, painting is
underway. By mid-May the building is expected to be turned over to Steve Selker
and Computing Services personnel for technology installation. Rein Pold and
Purchasing Department have been working on furniture. In response to a question
regarding surplus items, any unused furniture or other items from various
departments will be put out for surplus. Items currently in surplus will be put out for
general public auction to make room for surplus items no longer needed by
departments who are moving to Becht. A “trash/treasure” email will be circulated
across campus to allow access to items as needed. Appropriate departments will be
moved into Becht Hall based on a “phase in” process this summer.
2. Foundation Suites – Ric Taylor reported that Suites construction is moving along well
with the North building slated for completion by August, 2015. Chad Thomas has
been working on retail operations including the theater. The flooring is completed
with plans for opening on the first day of the fall semester. The South building
(beside Carrier Administration) will house Denny’s Restaurant, Starbuck’s, and
NEEBO Book Store and is slated for completion by December. Students housed in
Nair Hall for the fall semester will move in December.
3. Tippin – Ric provided an update on the Tippin project which has met a delay. The
project is being managed by the Department of General Services (DGS) in Harrisburg.

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April 30, 2015 - Page 2 of 3

DGS raised the contingency fee from 10% to 20% because they were concerned
about the staging involved with the project. Three different designs had been
submitted; so, efforts are underway by the architects to identify value engineering in
order to present DGS with a balanced budget. Once that process is completed, the
architects will have to re-design in order for the project to be put out to bid once
again. It was felt the project might be delayed by one year; and, discussion followed
on whether or not Marwick-Boyd will be utilized in spring, 2016 for graduation.
Timelines are unknown at this time. Retired Coach Donald Leas shared insights that
the existing Waldo Tippin facility cost $2.5 million when completed in 1968 and
noted that at that time they made concessions by eliminating a field house. There
were only twenty athletic staff members in the department at that time. By
comparison the new Tippin project total is listed at $43.7 million.
4. Facilities Master Plan – Ric Taylor reported that the Master Plan has been completed
with 750 pages in its entirety. A synopsis will be provided to the Council of Trustees,
Clarion University Alumni Association, and the Clarion University Foundation, Inc., at
a forthcoming meeting. Following that workshop, the Plan will be shared with the
Facilities Planning Committee. Although only twelve printed copies are provided to
the University, there are plans to post the entire document to the website. He
noted the Appendices are extremely lengthy due to the fact that every building was
analyzed from a deferred maintenance perspective.
IV.

New Business:
1. Venango Pond Dredging – Debbie Sobina reported that the initial job conference will
be held May 1; and, plans call for work to proceed immediately. Phil Shuffstall will
be stunning the sterile carp to move them out; and, a question was raised as to
whether or not the Biology Department could use the fish for research purposes. It
was noted this project came in under budget. Even though PENNDOT is undergoing
road construction in the area, it is hoped the project will be completed prior to
students’ return for fall classes.
2. Carlson Library Envelope – Ric Taylor attended meetings in Harrisburg on April 23 for
contract approval; and, it is hoped this project will be cleared soon for work to
begin. A question was raised as to whether or not a 3-year warranty could be
written into the contract. Ric indicated this has been done in the private sector.
However, it’s doubtful with a public contract this would be feasible, although he
indicated he would check into the possibility.
3. Marwick-Boyd Theater Improvements – Ric Taylor reported that this summer project
is currently out for bid; and, while the fire curtain contains asbestos, John
Massa/Public Safety has determined there are no safety issues. Abatement is
scheduled to begin soon. Rein Pold added that the company who has been
contracted possesses forty years of experience and is located in Pittsburgh; so, they
are a Pennsylvania-based vendor.

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April 30, 2015 - Page 3 of 3

4. Ralston Nursing – Debbie Sobina reported that this renovation project is progressing
in terms of existing faculty being packed and ready to move to the front of the
building. Currently we are on schedule for the building to be turned over to us on
July 21. She noted the efforts of Robin Bish, Steve Selker, and Bruce Exley who have
assisted with outfitting the building for furniture and integrating technology.
Discussion followed on classroom availability and the difficulty in securing adequate
space for additional nursing classes on Clarion’s campus such as limited availability
in Still Hall’s auditorium. Chad Thomas noted that there will be additional
availability for a larger number of students in the new Suites Theater, beginning
spring, 2016.
5. Campus Electrical Upgrade – Given the new construction on campus Ric Taylor
provided an update regarding the increased electrical demand. In order to balance
the circuits, some site work may be involved in digging up green boxes throughout
campus with hopes of project completion before August, 2015. The contractor will
need to be on site which may require several small electrical shutdowns. Attempts
will be made to arrange these during weekend hours allowing for the least amount
of service disruption as possible.
6. Gemmell Interior Renovation – Chad Thomas reported that an initial meeting was
held with the architect regarding designs; and, surveys went out to student groups
across campus to determine what will work most efficiently. Remodeling is slated
for summer, 2016.
7. Stevens and Moore Hall Accessibility Upgrades – Having received a $5M grant from
the Commonwealth to make upgrades, Ric Taylor indicated that funds should be
released this July in order for work to progress during the summer of 2016.
Upgrades will include an elevator and handicapped accessibility features in Moore
Hall to allow future usage. Stevens Hall, also slated for upgrades, will present a
design challenge since floor levels are dissimilar.
8. Apple Sculpture – Chad Thomas reported that the final coat of sealant was to be
applied this week and should be ready for graduation. It was repaired with a wire
meshing on the inside. It was further noted that four students assisted with the
construction in exchange for their being able to attend a conference.
9. Steam Tunnel Repair – Ric Taylor reported that current steam tunnels located inside
the Suites construction zone were ready to collapse; and, arrangements were made
with the current contractor to repair the tunnels this summer. The Clarion
University Foundation, Inc., will be reimbursed for costs of this project.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2015 in Carrier Building,
Room 114, to be confirmed at the beginning of the fall semester.