Repair Funds At Two-Thirds Of Goal By Anne Dolan Dollars spent for building and utility repairs at Iowa State have more than doubled in the last four years. In FY90, building and utility repair expenditures totaled slightly more than $3 million. Last year, they surpassed $7 million and ISU officials expect to exceed last year's mark when the current fiscal year ends June 30. Most of that growth, particularly since FY92 when the university budget sustained five state budget cuts, has come from increased general university building repair funds and more year-end funds earmarked for repair projects. The goal is to increase annual spending for repairs to $10 million, with half coming from the general university budget. The remainder would come from external sources (such as private gifts and sponsored funding), units that pay for space on campus and other sources. "When I came to Iowa State in June 1991, the annual building repair budget had been cut to $9,000. Since then, we have increased that budget to $1.9 million through reallocation and new revenues," President Martin Jischke said. "Now we're asking the state to provide additional funding to reach the $5 million target." GROWING BACKLOG OF PROJECTS However, even as expenditures for repairs increase, the price tag on the university's backlog of deferred maintenance and fire and environmental safety projects also continues to grow. A year ago, Iowa State faced a backlog valued at $46.3 million. That figure now stands at $52.7 million in repair and replacement projects in three categories: --Building repair ($24.3 million), includes roof and window replacement, heating and cooling system upgrades or plumbing projects. --Utilities repair ($18 million), includes replacing condensate and steam lines, repairing boiler components or replacing fuel tanks. --Fire and environmental safety corrections ($10.4 million), includes installing fire exits, removing asbestos or enclosing stairwells. Neither annual backlog tally includes the $6.9 million needed to upgrade the utility system in Gilman Hall. The State Board of Regents considers that a separate capital improvement project for which state funds are being sought. Routine building repairs become deferred maintenance when they're not taken care of on schedule. They are the normal, periodic replacement or repair of doors, ventilation systems, windows and roofs as buildings age. A building repair fund of $10 million (approximately 1 percent of the replacement cost of ISU's academic facilities) is what officials calculate would be necessary to keep up with normal, annual building repairs if there were no deferred maintenance backlog. Iowa State's FY96 request to the legislature for $15.9 million to reduce the backlog was not included in Gov. Terry Branstad's budget. The governor has recommended that ISU receive new money totaling $1 million for fire and environmental safety projects. If that happens, Jischke said those funds and $200,000 he has allocated from year-end funds will be used to eliminate all multiple-year state fire code violations in academic facilities. REPAIR PROBLEMS COMMON AT UNIVERSITIES Many universities have an even larger deferred maintenance problem than Iowa State, according to vice president for business and finance Warren Madden. In a 1993 survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, Iowa State ranked 24th among 30 large universities in its amount of deferred maintenance as a percentage of building replacement value. In another comparison, Iowa State ranked ninth out of 30 large universities in building repair expenditures per square foot of building space. Iowa State spends about 92 percent of the national average in building and utility repair expenditures. However, Iowa State ranks considerably lower in spending for daily maintenance, including custodial work and groundskeeping. ISU ranked 23rd out of 25 large universities in that area, spending about 60 percent of the average of these universities. "If we don't spend adequate amounts for daily maintenance, the useful life of our facilities is shortened and the need for capital renewal increases," Madden said. _____ contact: Anne Dolan, (515) 294-7065 updated: 4-6-95