Cuts slow down maintenance

• By MARSHA SILLS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Jul 4, 2009 - Page: 1BA

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LAFAYETTE — The long to-do list of campus improvements at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is getting shorter, but the momentum may stall in a budget shortfall.

Though the university is still awaiting “firm” funding formula numbers before it makes final budget decisions, a reduction to the maintenance budget is expected, said Jerry Luke LeBlanc, ULL’s vice president of finance and administration.

On Tuesday, the Board of Regents finalized $119 million in budget reductions for state university systems. The University of Louisiana System faced a $36.9 million budget cut.

ULL’s share of that cut is $7.5 million.

The university’s “aggressive initiative” to address deferred maintenance issues “where we were making significant progress will certainly slow down, if not stop completely,” LeBlanc said.

The university’s proposed budget is expected to be complete by the end of July,  he said.

Meanwhile, more than $6 million in campus-wide improvements from last year’s budget have been under way or are planned. The work includes restroom renovations in older academic buildings, window replacements, sidewalk repairs, resurfaced parking lots, new air-conditioning systems, and elevator refurbishing.

“It’s an exciting time but an exhausting one,” said William Crist, facility management director.

About $3 million in HVAC projects were planned for the upcoming academic year, but those projects may be put on hold because of funding cuts.

Students will continue to see improvements made across campus in the next few months, Crist said.

One of those projects includes overlays of student parking areas at Cajun Field and other lots on the main campus.

“Improving the facilities is a very important goal for the administration,” Crist said. “If we’re going to increase student enrollment, they feel like we need to have a group of facilities that will be attractive.”

Another $3 million in HVAC projects were planned for the upcoming year, but not all the projects may be funded, Crist said.