Bay Area Edition | March 2023

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Incomin changes TO THE COM CAMPUS

three-story classroom building; and general infrastructure improvements, such as parking lot improvements to reduce ooding and blue light emer- gency call-boxes, Fliger said. “Many of the remaining structures on campus are [over] 50 years old,” Burkett said. “They are physically in poor shape, costly to maintain, don’t provide modern-day learning spaces and present signicant concerns from a safety and accessibility standpoint.” Furthermore, additions and reno- vations are planned for the Welding Building, the Public Services Career Building and the Industrial Education Building. However, the bond program also calls for the demolition of the Learning Resources Center, College Services Building, racquetball court and ring range building. The college has historically had only three prior bond programs in its 57-year history since it was founded in 1966, Fliger said. COM held its most recent bond elec- tion in November 2018, which passed with a 65% approval, Vice President for Fiscal Aairs Clen Burton said. The bond led to the construction of the STEAM/Allied Health Building, Indus- trial Careers Building and Student Suc- cess Building along with renovations and demolitions. “Those [buildings] were to address years of needs for infrastructure,” Fliger said. “We had programs we needed to add, for example, radiology and dental hygiene, but we had no place to put them.” The 2018 bond program completed the rst phase of the college’s 10-year plan, while the proposed 2023 bond program is expected to complete that plan. “Regional growth, aging facilities and campus safety are three pri- mary drivers of why COM is pursuing another bond election in May 2023,” Burkett said. “The facilities COM built from the 2018 bond included addi- tional ‘shell’ space in its architectural designs to ensure the college would have room to grow.” The interest and sinking tax rate for taxpayers in the Dickinson, Hitchcock, Santa Fe and Texas City ISDs would increase by an annual cost of $281.04 to a total annual cost of $379.20 for houses valued at $300,000, Burton said. “Before 2018, [the I&S tax rate] was zero; we did not have any bonds on our buildings,” Burton said. The college does not have plans for

The College of the Mainland’s $250 million bond proposal includes various projects, including renovations, demolitions and new buildings.

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NEW BUILDINGS 1 Library/classroom $96.19 million 2 Three-story classroom $43.49 million 3 Corporate & continuing education center $14.35 million 4 Public services center $35.89 million

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Mark Denney, UHCL vice president of administration and nance. While COM’s possible bond program needs Bay Area residents to vote as they would pay for the bond, UHCL will require the input of students. Students will have to decide whether the refer- endum is approved, even though it is unlikely a new student center would be built before their graduation. COM’s record bond As part of COM’s comprehensive 10-year plan to expand program oer- ings and accommodate future growth, the Texas City-based community col- lege has proposed a record $250 mil- lion bond program. League City and Friendswood are in the service area of COM, but residents are unable to vote on any COM bonds as they are not part of the taxing district, Fliger said. The proposed May bond will go toward the construction of a new library and classroom building; a corporate and continuing education center; a public services center; a

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SOURCE: COLLEGE OF THE MAINLAND COMMUNITY IMPACT Total: $250M center & current library $1.63 million 9 Current college services $236,600 10 Firing range $173,080 Racquetball court $48,680 ADDITIONSRENOVATIONS 5 Industrial education $10.64 million 6 Welding building $8 million 7 College services/public service careers building $9.48 million Infrastructure upgrades & campus improvements $29.82 million DEMOLITIONS 8 Learning resource

and companies are relocating into the region, resulting in more demand for expanded programs and increased stu- dent enrollment.” COM plans to hold its $250 mil- lion bond election May 6, which was unanimously approved by the COM board of trustees Jan. 23. The bond program is the biggest the college has ever proposed and would address a variety of items, including college programs, old facilities, infrastruc- ture needs and safety. Meanwhile, UHCL plans to hold a student referendum for students to vote and approve or deny increased student fees that would go toward funding a new dedicated student center that could cost anywhere from $49 million to $60 million. Follow- ing the referendum, the university would need approval from the Uni- versity of Houston board of regents and would take the request to the 2025 Texas legislative session, said

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