Published: June 15, 2009 10:42 pm      

Construction hot topic for RRTC at board meeting

There’s some symmetry in the fact construction was a main topic, when the Red River Technology Center Board of Directors met in the first of two regular meetings for the month of June.

After all, teaching students to build buildings was one of the missions, when tech centers were first created.

During the gathering in the conference room at RRTC, the board and administration dealt with several construction-oriented items that will improve, expand or bring in some revenue for the school.

Acting on a recommendation by Kaighn Associates Architects, the Norman architectural firm that’s coordinating two Red River projects, the directors voted unanimously to accept a bid from Oklahoma Roofing & Sheet Metal to perform roofing work on the east wing of the school’s main building.

“This is roof maintenance work,” Superintendent Ken Layn said, after the board approved the bid from the Oklahoma City-based company. “We’re still working on the contract specifics, but the project is going to cost about $58,000.”

For several months, members of the board and administration have been discussing another project that will expand the physical plant at RRTC. Although no action was taken, Layn did announce that the proposed structure will become home for the health careers program, as well as the site for a new assembly hall

Although it’s not been decided if the project will result in a free-standing building or a new wing on the main building, Layn said, “Kaighn should have the architectural rendering and floor plan by the end of June.

“We’ve decided (the new facility) will be multi-functional. It will mainly be used for our health careers and LPN programs — the health and nurses training — and the short-term adult health training programs.

“But it will also provide us with a seminar/training facility, with a portable stage up front, so we can have some assemblies where all the daytime students can get in the same place at the same time.”

The board also took action on three agenda items tied to the roll-away house students in the carpentry program built during the 2008-09 school year, which will ultimately bring in some revenue for the program.

First, they voted to declare the house to be surplus property and accepted a method of selling the house, which means the structure will become an open listing for all local Realtors. Then the board unanimously agreed to set a selling price of $65,000 for the house.

Board members also used the first meeting of June (a second regular meeting is at noon Thursday, June 18) to take care of business items that always arise in the transition from one school year to the next. They voted unanimously to approve for following for fiscal year 2010:

-A workers compensation quote of $25,958 from OSAG.

-RRTC’s participation in a post-secondary consortium for the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act grant program. The consortium includes Murray State Junior College, Pontotoc Technology Center and Southern Oklahoma Technology Center.

-Work calendars for support personnel, which are unchanged from the past fiscal year.

-Renewing a contract with A&H Security of Duncan.

-Using Kellogg & Sovereign Consulting LLC for e-rate services and signing contracts with the Ada-based firm.

-A cooperative agreement regarding Custom Software Consultants student database software, in which Autry Technology Center acts as fiscal administrator.

-A cooperative agreement regarding marketing and informational design, in which Moore Norman Technology acts as fiscal administrator.

-Membership with the Oklahoma State School Boards Association.

-Renewing a contract with Meridian Nursing Home for practical nursing student training.

-Employee contracts were approved and paying out-of-state travel expenses for four RRTC instructors was also okayed. Gary Williams and Don Deal will accompany students to the National Skills Contest in Kansas City, Mo.; Biomedical Academy instructor Edith Suiter will attend a Project Lead the Way training sessions in Indianapolis, Ind. and Baltimore, Md.; and diesel engine instructor Allan Leatherby will attend a Cummins Engine update session in Abilene, Texas.

The board also approved adding Sarah Ivey to the previously approved list of adult and continuing development (A&CD) instructors. She will be an instructor for employee training that is being coordinated by the Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG), with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

During information items, Layn told board members the school had completed its campus crime and security report, with no crimes reported at the school during FY ’09. Board members also discussed the school’s recipients of Woodward T&I Scholarships.

During new business, board members voted to reject an offer on the house constructed in FY ’08 by the carpentry students.