EL DORADO -- South Arkansas Community College's board of trustees has approved a pay raise for the college's president and construction projects.
The personnel and planning subcommittee met earlier this month to review Barbara Jones' contract based on discussions during the board's retreat with her, committee Chairman Gary Griffis said Tuesday.
"As a subcommittee we reviewed notes and details from the board retreat. Six of the nine areas we talked to Dr. Jones about, she wholeheartedly met our expectations, and three of those exceeded our expectations," Griffis said. "So as it pertains to an annual report, the personnel and planning subcommittee is recommending a $6,000 pay increase on Dr. Jones' salary. That would bring the total to $192,292."
The 3 percent pay increase is within state guidelines and below the state maximum. Jones' new pay raise would be retroactive to July 1, Griffis said.
Griffis' recommendation to increase Jones' salary was unanimously approved by the trustees.
The budget and finance subcommittee met with the real estate and facilities subcommittee to discuss projects including a retrofit of the college's lighting on both campuses and replacing a boiler, getting one system for controls and replacing its chiller in the computer technology building, committee Chairman Steve Cameron said.
"It's going to be a pretty good sized project, $2.5 million that'll be paid for through the energy savings that'll be well-documented in the process. Any savings would be guaranteed by Johnson Controls, a company that has been vetted by the college," Cameron said.
The college would request a loan to complete the project, and the energy costs it would save after Johnson Controls' work would pay the loan off. Additional savings would be available for the college to use.
"This contract would be approved pending the approval of the [Arkansas Department of Higher Education] coordinating board," Vice President for Finance and Administration Carey Tucker said.
The Heritage Plaza fountain has been out of commission for almost a month. Tucker and staff in the college's physical plant department have worked to make the fountain operational again.
State Desk on 09/23/2016