MCC may be in compliance with audits by November

The president of Mesalands Community College told the board of trustees last week he anticipates having the fiscal-year 2023 audit finished by the end of August and completing an FY2024 audit by the regular Nov. 1 deadline.

“This would put us in compliance with our audits!” Allen Moss wrote in his president’s report. “I’m am hearing positive results from this audit. We will still have findings, however steady improvement on each audit is what we’re looking for.”

Moss also wrote that finishing the 2024 audit by the usual deadline this year was “doable.”

A special audit of the college is ongoing.

Moss wrote in his report the college’s finances also were “starting the (fiscal) year off well.”

“The current cash balance looks good even with the insurance money that will be spent out of that,” he wrote, referring to storm-related damage claims from May 2023. “We are still holding on to a limited travel policy as well as holding to a strong procurement process.”

A 2024 fourth-quarter financial statement submitted to the state Higher Education Department stated Mesalands received additional funds from the 2023 House Bill 2 special appropriation. It included reimbursements for a 2022 audit, the special audit, repaying an emergency loan and contractural amounts to Judy Scharmer and David Gray in the college’s financial office.

Mesalands was late with finishing its audits and descended into financial turmoil in early 2023 after overspending during the tenure of Moss’ predecessor, Gregory Busch.

After the executive staff, faculty senate and staff senate issued no-confidence votes against him, Busch left town and later resigned.

Moss was named interim president after Busch’s departure and was named permanently to the post last month. Emergency funds and cost-cutting moves in the past 18 months appear to have largely stabilized the college’s finances.

In other business:

— Moss in his written report and in remarks to the board expressed optimism the college would receive at least some capital outlay funds for critical infrastructure.

“The committee was much more receptive and offered praise to our staff, faculty, board and foundation on the progress we have made,” Moss wrote. “There are still many steps to this process, but my hope is we receive at least some of this request facility maintenance.”

The college requested a total of $990,000 in capital outlay funds for planning, design and construction on Buildings A, E and G, with a match waiver.

Building A’s library needs a new roof, windows and flooring, along with drainage remedies. It also requires new carpeting and lighting in three rooms and renovations to make restrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Electrical upgrades are requested in the computer room to better serve the nursing program.

Building G needs new carpeting.

Mesalands also has requested state Research and Public Service Project funds for fiscal-year 2026.

Mesalands has requested $212,900 for the rodeo program, $116,200 for the wind program, $805,403 in nursing expansion funds, $596,800 in wind expansion funds and $401,100 in commercial driver’s license expansion funds.

Moss also told the board the college can apply for supplemental funding for the current fiscal year, especially for the nursing program.

— The board changed the dates of the college’s spring break from March 10-13 to March 17-20.

Moss said changing the break dates would better align with schedules at Tucumcari, Logan and San Jon public schools. He said Mesalands has a total of about 100 dual-credit students from those districts.

The board also changed a future meeting date from March 18 to March 11 so it would not conflict with spring break.

— Moss said in September he would present information on credit-card rates from local banks. He said he wanted credit cards issued to the college.

He said such cards would include spending limits, plus requirements for documentation and procurement. He said the cards come with more flexibility for spending, especially for online purchases.

— Joel Kiser, vice president of academic affairs, said he was working on an articulation agreement with Texas Tech University that would ease the transfer of Mesalands credits there.

— Josh McVey, vice president of student affairs, stated in his report the rodeo program signed four female recruits and three males — the first time in Mesalands history it had more female rodeo students than male.

Mesalands also five athletes for men’s golf.

— McVey said U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich’s office sent a “positive” response regarding the possibility of up to $4 million in funds to repower the college’s wind turbine.

McVey said the college also is investigating opportunities for new student housing, including tiny houses or Amazon houses.

— Mark Martinez, executive director of operations and procurement, said the college received a $118,581.63 reimbursement for the Building A renovation project and a $4,751.16 reimbursement for work on the library.

He said Mooring Construction & Restoration was to begin preparations for stucco work on the north side of Building A and replacing skylights on Building D.

— Martinez presented the annual report of the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, which reported more than $100,000 in sales in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

— During his chairman’s report, Richard Primrose thanked those who helped with the Mesalands Foundation’s annual golf tournament, which funds scholarships. Primrose said participation was about the same as last year, with about two-thirds of them being non-residents.