Levy helps Kirkwood with maintenance, upgrades

Kirkwood Community College's building fund levy is the school's bread and butter for renovation and maintenance, President Mick Starcevich said.

The levy, in place since Kirkwood's inception in 1966, generates about $3 million per year and has paid for new roofs, boilers and air conditioning systems over the years, among other projects. It's not glitzy, Starcevich said, but it's crucial.

“That's a huge issue when you think about 1.4 million square feet of classroom space at 12 different sites,” he said. “It is so important to our success.”

Renewal of the levy, which is 20.25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, will go to voters Sept. 8. It must be renewed every 10 years.

Owners of a house assessed at $100,000 pay $9.23 a year for the levy.

Kirkwood is looking at record enrollment this fall - likely well over 16,000 students - in the seven counties the college serves: Benton, Cedar Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington.

Levy proceeds in recent years were used for expansions and new facilities to meet growing student demand, officials said. About $1 million in building fund levy money was used to complete the new $3.3 million medical simulation center. And half of a nearly $8 million Jones Hall renovation and expansion was paid for using the levy.

Now the focus will shift to upgrades and maintenance in some of Kirkwood's oldest facilities, including Linn Hall, the first campus building.

“It's in desperate need of significant upgrades,” particularly in support systems such as heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical, said Steve Ovel, director of governmental relations.

Energy inefficiency in many of Kirkwood's older buildings also must be addressed, Ovel said.

The Linn Hall upgrades are estimated at about $15 million - about half of the levy proceeds generated over 10 years. Also on the priority list: renovation of Johnson Hall and improvements on Kirkwood's Iowa City campus, which officials hope to expand to meet growing demand.