University infrastructure on Governor's agenda
9:44 p.m. Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Universities want the funds they need to fix out-dated and decaying buildings and infrastructure. And when the Governor releases her budget proposal, she says she'll make sure state universities get their fair share.
The problems have been around for years, and they're getting worse.
"I don't think there's any question that for way too long this has been over-looked," Governor Kathleen Sebelius said.
Governor Kathleen Sebelius says these issues should have been addressed years ago, before the projects piled up.
"Now the backlog is pretty significant, close to $700 million," Sebelius said.
And that $700 million back-log includes some maintenance projects that pose serious threats.
Like down in the Call Hall mechanical room, on the Kansas State University campus, where leaky pipes share a room with transformers that have more than 4,000 volts of electricity pumping through them. And the Governor says she hopes to get the ball rolling on a solution.
"I will have a proposal to make to the legislature. I just can't tell you exactly what it's going to be," Sebelius said.
But she did give a us a few clues.
"It clearly needs to be a multi-year plan. We don't have $700 million to write a big check and take it out of the bank account," Sebelius said. "And frankly, universities couldn't spend that amount of money in one year even if they had it."
The Governor says this is a priority, because proper up-keep of university facilities, like repairing a shifting foundation at Roosevelt Hall on the Emporia State University campus, is an important step in showing kids that education is an important foundation to a successful life.
"We need more kids to attend college. We need to increase access to colleges in Kansas," Sebelius said. "Certainly keeping our campuses safe and secure and keeping our buildings up to date are part of that responsibility."
Governor Sebelius will release her budget proposal on January 11, the day after the State of the State address.
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