The Torch

Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of LCC Facilities Management and Planning Fixing LCC's piping is one of the major goals of Bond Measure 20-142. Most of the college's pipes aåre rusty or broken. Rusted-out pipes have caused two major leaks in the Center Building in the past two years,

Sometimes equipment just gets old. That's what's
been happening to LCC's infrastructure lately, a situation that the college hopes to remedy with a new county
measure. If passed, Bond Measure 20-142 will renew
an expiring bond dedicated to repairing LCC's boiler,
piping and other major infrastructure.

The estimated cost of all repairs, updates and expansions
totals $83 million. Much of LCC's infrastructure,
such as piping, hasn't been replaced since the college
was founded in 1964.

"When you have pipes that could blow at any time,
when you have electrical lines that could get hot, it's not
the kind of safe environment that we want for our students
and our staff," LCC President Mary Spilde said.

An LCC press release stated that the bond will be
responsible for roof replacements, electrical upgrades,
new management systems with an emphasis on energy
effi ciency, technology updates, improved accessibility,
and safety upgrades including emergency notifi cation,
lighting and access, and alarm system.

In addition to repairing and updating old or broken infrastructure, the bond would help
LCC expand nursing programs and other health
professions and renewable energy technology.
The bond would improve science labs, and
together with the Health and Wellness Center
would create a Health Professions complex to
house health programs.

Spilde commented that LCC's satellite campuses
would receive special focus, since some
have infrastructure that lags behind Main Campus
infrastructure. "We'll be creating a science
lab in our Florence Center," she said. "The science
lab in Florence is a sink. Especially for a
place like Florence where the average age of
students is 56 and it's 60 some miles to come
over here, for students it's a challenge to get
their science classes."

Other upgrades include a new look at the

Continued...

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