By Travis DeNeal 11

SIUC will be making progress in repairing a backlog of maintenance projects on campus now that a supplemental appropriations bill has been sent to the Illinois Board of Higher Education for distribution to schools.

James Tweedy, vice chancellor for Administration, said the appropriations bill signed last week, which allocates nearly $2 million for repairs, will allow the University to fix leaky roofs on Neckers, Altgeld and Quigley halls, Lesar Law Building and the Agriculture Building.

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Air conditioning problems in Faner Hall, asbestos removal in Morris Library and a massive wiring project for the Springfield campus, also are included in the package.

Other repairs, such as structural repairs for the north overpass that leads to Brush Towers, will have to wait for further appropriation money.

The overpass repair was not as high a priority as some of the other repairs, Tweedy said, but it still is a high priority.

Tweedy said further maintenance projects are included in this year’s budget requests to the IBHE.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, said the supplemental appropriations bill had to be passed during the same session in which the recent education funding plan was passed.

The education funding plan, which instates higher taxes on phone usage, cigarettes and casino profits to pay for education, also outlines future state spending for education. Backdated projects, though, must be paid for in supplemental appropriations bills, Bost said.

Thus, the financial needs of backlogged projects statewide had to be met before future education spending could be passed, Bost said.

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The bill has been referred to the IBHE, which Bost said should distribute the money quickly. It is possible that SIUC may start receiving money during the first two weeks of January.

Tweedy said though the money was not enough to take care of all maintenance projects on campus, SIUC is close to becoming up to date on its repairs.

Now we can respond to people who have been complaining about their roofs leaking, for instance, Tweedy said.

SIUC Chancellor Donald Beggs also is pleased that the appropriations bill passed because the University is moving away from the backdated maintenance problems.

This is very positive outcome statewide, Beggs said. Does it solve all of our problems? No, but we don’t have the backlog we once did.