Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met for the college’s regular board meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 5:30 p.m., in the Administration Center board room.
The board held a public hearing for consideration of the fiscal year 2024 budget. During the public hearing, community member Jon Carroll asked the board about the proposed increase in levy rate. As noted in the proposed budget, the total proposed levy rate would increase 6.2 percent, moving from $0.91729 to $0.97447.
Bill Meck, SWCC interim chief financial officer, responded to Carroll’s question, stating, “We are in a position right now that because of our need—and I know you mentioned our valuation—we have the lowest valuations of any one of the community colleges in the state of Iowa. When we levy, we don’t get as much per penny as our colleagues do, especially for something like insurance.”
Following Meck’s explanation of the need for the increase, the board approved the budget as presented.
Wayne Pantini, SWCC vice president of economic development, presented two new jobs training agreements to the board—for Parker-Hannifin Corporation in Red Oak and Excel Testing and Engineering, LLC, in Diagonal.
According to Pantini, the 260E agreement with Parker-Hannifin has a budget in the amount of $590,000. It will create 65 jobs and be a $2.5 million investment. The agreement with Excel Testing and Engineering, LLC, has a budget in the amount of $85,000, create seven jobs, and end as a $4.6 million project.
Following Pantini’s presentation, the 260E agreements were approved as presented. Pantini said he has a third agreement in the works and he will bring it to the board in the next month or two.
Pantini spoke next about the possibility of gifting land to Greater Regional Health to be utilized for a parking lot at the new Greater Connections Childcare Development Center under construction on Green Valley Road. This land was originally gifted to the college by Matura Action Corporation following the 2012 tornado that destroyed apartments on the property.
Pantini said college administration discussed the request and agreed the college will most likely not have a use for the land due to the location being off-campus. College administration contacted legal counsel—Ahlers & Cooney, PC, of Des Moines—to determine the process of gifting the land. Ahlers & Cooney, PC, advised to first make sure there were no restrictions on the property when it was gifted to SWCC. College administration then determined there were no restrictions on the piece of ground.
Following discussion, the board scheduled a public hearing on the proposal to convey certain real property to Greater Regional Health, on May 9, 2023, at 5:30 p.m., in the board room of the Administration Center, at SWCC.
Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC vice president of instruction, presented to the board concerning the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the GOLD (Ringgold) Center in Mount Ayr. Stoaks reminded the board Southwestern and five school districts (Bedford, Central Decatur, Diagonal, Lamoni, and Mount Ayr) are taking steps to formally secure a $1 million Career Academy Incentive Fund grant for the center.
“The MOU clearly lays out the initial expectations for the partners, including school districts, the college, and the GOLD Center,” stated Stoaks. “It is important to note the MOU is a statement of intent, and as the project progresses, it provides flexibility with entering into Educational Service Agreements with the districts and a lease arrangement with the GOLD Center when the timing is right.”
Following Stoaks’ presentation, the board approved the MOU for the GOLD Center.
In personnel, the board approved early retirement requests from Kyle Harvey, who has been a carpentry and building trades career academy instructor since 2007, retirement effective at the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year; Terri Tussey, who has served as a full-time employee at Southwestern since 2002, currently in the role of secretary for secondary programs and distance education, effective June 30; and Marilyn Kinsella, nursing instructor since August 2018, effective June 28.
Next on the agenda was the annual CEO Evaluation. Tony Cass of Creston, board president, said the CEO Evaluation would be moved to the end of the meeting in a closed session.
Cass then appointed Carmalee Woods, assistant to the president, as board treasurer. Woods will serve as treasurer until a full-time chief financial officer is hired.
The board next had a brief discussion of the Proposed Director Redistricting Plan from the state. Cass reminded the board they had discussed the initial plan from the state at the March board meeting and were concerned because two board members would be placed in the same district and a completely new district (without an existing board member) would be created with that plan. The board agreed to ask for a redraw of the plan from the state. Cass said once they have the second map from the state the board will be able to choose which map would be the best for SWCC.
During the president’s report, Dr. Marjorie McGuire-Welch asked Bill Trickey, executive director of the Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC), to speak about the proposed Osceola Regional Business and Industrial Technology (ORBIT) Workforce Training Center project in Osceola. The facility, when constructed, would be located between the Osceola Farm & Home and the SWCC Osceola Center.
Trickey spoke at length about the economic stability of Clarke County, stating Hormel and Altec as the county’s largest employers. Tricky said industry in Osceola is investing more and more in training all the time.
Trickey said the CCDC has been approved for a $2 million grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration for this project. He said the grant includes a match, and currently the group has raised $950,000. With the requirements of the grant, they must start building in September 2023.
Following his presentation, Trickey asked the SWCC board to collaborate on the project. Cass said, “I think that is something we can continue discussing.”
Jerry Smith, board member from Osceola and designated Community Colleges for Iowa representative, said the group’s next meeting will be April 27.
The board then went into closed session for an exempt collective bargaining strategy session in accord with the Provisions of Iowa Code Sections 20.17(3) and 21.9.
Following the collective bargaining session, the CEO Evaluation of McGuire-Welch was held in accord with the provisions of Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(i), to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to the individual’s reputation and that individual requests a closed session.
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