MCC buildings remain unrepaired

Nearly five months after a severe hailstorm, numerous buildings at Mesalands Community College still are awaiting repairs.

That frustrated board of trustees member Phillip Box, a local insurance agent.

“It concerns me that it’s dragged on so long,” he said during the board’s Oct. 17 meeting. “We should have had the claims taken care of by then. … We’ve not getting the service we pay for.”

Mark Martinez, the college’s executive director of operations and procurement, said its insurance comes through the New Mexico Public Schools Insurance Authority, which in turn subcontracts with other parties, including CCMSI.

Martinez said during the meeting and in previous meetings he had tried to contact several insurance officials and received no response.

“It is disappointing to not get communication,” Martinez said. “It’s been too long.”

Interim President Allen Moss said part of the holdup on repairs was some initial uncertainly which assets were owned by the college or by the Mesalands Community College Foundation. He said at least one property was listed that the college no longer owns.

“It’s kind of a convoluted mess,” Moss said.

Martinez said contractors recently made repairs on the wind-energy center because water infiltration from a hail-damaged roof was causing mold. It briefly forced the closing of the building.

Martinez said shared Box’s frustration in dealing with adjusters and contractors in getting repairs on the rest of the buildings before winter sets in. Martinez said freezing weather could cause further damage.

Box admitted he still was trying to resolve claims for his clients five months after the storm.

Mesalands wasn’t the only one waiting for roof contractors. During a break in the meeting, several board members and college officials admitted their roofs still were awaiting repairs or had only recently been fixed.

Tucumcari city manager Paula Chacon said Thursday she was hoping that repairs on dozens of city-owned buildings damaged by the May hailstorm would begin this week.

In other business:

— The board approved a proposal to move the college’s spring break in 2024 to mid-March to better align with Tucumcari High School’s break.

Joel Kiser, vice president of academic affairs, said staff and faculty recently were surveyed about the proposal. He said more than 70% favored it.

The new dates for spring break would better align with dual enrollment students at THS and lessen the chance of lost instruction time.

— Moss said the state’s Higher Education Department rejected requests for capital outlay funds because Mesalands’ audits for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal years hadn’t been completed.

Moss said he was “a little disappointed” by the decision but was hopeful the requests would be approved next year.

“There’s no doubt we have needs,” he said.

Moss said the state still is considering more than $3.4 million in funding requests from the Research and Public Service Projects program for the college’s wind-energy center, commercial driver’s license program and nursing program.

— Several Mesalands officials talked abut New Mexico Board of Nursing’s on-site accreditation visit of the college’s fledgling nursing program.

Moss said the visit “seemed to go well,” and nursing board officials gave ideas to advance the program. Kiser described it as “a supportive visit.”

Josh McVey, vice president of student affairs, said about 60% of the college’s nursing students are employed in the region. Moss said the area lacks healthcare personnel, and the nursing program offers other directions to grow it.

McVey also said state officials told him as the nursing program becomes more established, it likely will attract additional healthcare industries to Tucumcari.

— During the September financial report, Moss said financial aid money was starting to arrive at the college, and billing was about to commence for instruction at correctional facilities.

He said also due to the controlled spending at Mesalands, “I’m hoping we look OK in the next month or two.”

— Martinez said an estimated $5,000 change order for Building A renovations aims to make the restrooms near the business office complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said the project’s architect, Parkhill, and contractor WWRC have signed off on the design before it was submitted to the state for approval.

— McVey said the Stampede esports team will install its new gaming computers on Nov. 2. The college was one of five in the nation to receive a grant for the devices.

— McVey said Julio Galindo of the college’s diversity office recently made contact with 176 prospective students who are “serious” about possibly enrolling at Mesalands.

— Dean Garcia, president of the staff senate, said some employees and student expressed concerns about the lack of a night supervisor on campus.

He said some faculty members occasionally walked in the buildings from 6 to 9 p.m. Otherwise, there was little supervision for work-study students at night.

Moss said budget cuts earlier this year had eliminated the night supervisor position and a night supervisor at the gymnasium.

— Garcia asked whether the college would reopen 24-hour access to the fitness center. Moss said the security company the college has hired was waiting for parts to install a keycard reader at the center’s door.

— Garcia said morale among staff “is really high” due to more students being on campus this fall. Board chairman Richard Primrose responded: “I’m glad to hear that.”

— Several Mesalands officials and board members voiced their appreciation for Stampede rodeo coach Matt Hughes and his team for organizing two successive intercollegiate rodeos during the previous week. McVey said the rodeos drew 291 spectators on Friday and 289 on Saturday.