Fisher gives final bond project update to IVCCD board
T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Iowa Valley Community College District President Kristie Fisher gives the board an update on the bond referendum project during Wednesday’s meeting. It was Fisher’s final meeting before she begins her new job as president of Kirkwood Community College.
Roughly 60 people from Marshalltown Community College and the community attended a joint reception on Wednesday. It was a farewell for outgoing President Kristie Fisher and a welcome for incoming President Anne Howsare Boyens.
T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — Iowa Valley Community College District President Kristie Fisher gives the board an update on the bond referendum project during Wednesday’s meeting. It was Fisher’s final meeting before she begins her new job as president of Kirkwood Community College.
Roughly 60 people from Marshalltown Community College and the community attended a joint reception on Wednesday. It was a farewell for outgoing President Kristie Fisher and a welcome for incoming President Anne Howsare Boyens.
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During her last board meeting on Wednesday, Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) President Kristie Fisher presented an update on the $32 million general obligation bond projects, noting that some of them are over budget.
"I wanted to wrap up the bond projects from my perspective, because I am the only one who has been here," she said.
Fisher spoke about each project and focused on the estimated and final totals.
"We've got a couple that were over," she said.
The first project Fisher spoke about is the Marshalltown Community College (MCC) interiors. The estimated cost was $4.5 million, and the final total is $4.6 million. Fisher said the greater final total is predominantly related to the skyrocketing cost of furniture and technology.
The second project is exterior site improvements at MCC. The estimated and final costs only have a $1,000 difference, with the estimated at $3,549,375 and the final at $3,548,061.
"This one is completely done except for the landscaping," Fisher said. "We cannot get people to bid on our landscape projects."
She said the district broke the landscaping project into smaller sections, which is now generating interest from landscapers.
The third project is the MCC Babe Harder gym and locker room renovation. The budget was set at $1,364,185, and the expected total is $1,381,748.
"This one is slightly over budget, and this one is completely on me," Fisher said.
She said she asked for the renovation contingency cost to be $50,875 and did not know why she asked for the contingency to be so low. However, she said the completed parts of the project look amazing.
"It's one of the prettiest gym floors I've ever seen," Fisher said. "It's beautiful. This was supposed to be done in August. Now we expect it to be done in November."
The reason for the delay is the foreman was pulled off of the project. That drove the renovation to a standstill, she said. Fisher finished speaking about the gym renovation by adding if the final cost wavers more than $100, she will be surprised.
For the exterior building improvements, the final cost -- $396,591 -- is less than the budgeted $447,798. Fisher said that the project is completed. Another project that was finished and under budget is MCC fiber. The estimated cost for the fiber was $121,000 and the final was $108,651.
"At the Marshalltown location, we expected to spend about $10 million and we spent $10,000,112," Fisher said. "For the Marshalltown location, we were a little over budget."
IVCCD Board President Larry Johnson said the final cost was not bad.
"It could have been way worse," he said.
Bond projects at Ellsworth Community College include the Lloyd Hall construction. The budget was $8.1 million, and the expected cost is $7.3 million. Fisher said staff are waiting for two exterior doors to complete the project.
The renovation of Thompson Hall, she said, is going beautifully. The project is also under budget with an estimated cost of $5.8 million and an expected final cost of $5.5 million.
"It looks so nice," Fisher said.
The Ellsworth locker and activity center carries a budget of $2,657,563, and an expected total of $2,605,104.
"This one came in very close to the budget, which is good because we had significant change orders," she said.
The Mechanical Plumbing and Technology (MEPT) at Ellsworth is in the bidding phase. Fisher said they were holding $861,791 for electrical upgrades. The fiber project is also under budget with a final cost of $98,103 and an estimated cost of $119,260.
The Iowa Valley Gunsmithing and Entry Improvements project is complete with a final cost of $640,935 and a budgeted cost of $720,573.
Fisher said the district set aside $3.5 million for miscellaneous projects. However, the estimated total cost is $3.6 million. Some of the MCC miscellaneous projects which are completed include hallway improvements, the plant services building and the East Dorm siding repair.
In other business:
• Before the meeting, IVCCD staff and Marshalltown community leaders attended a joint farewell reception for Fisher and a greeting reception for incoming President Anne Howsare Boyens.
Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.