J_CDC_2018A 12/13/2018 09:01:10 AM Committee Summary

Dr. Janine Davidson, president, Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU), followed up on Wednesday's presentation on the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC) Replace Heating and Hot Water System project by AHEC personnel.  She stressed the importance of funding the project.  Dr. Davidson responded to questions regarding cash contributions toward the AHEC projects by the campus' constituent higher education institutions.  Dr. Davidson responded to further questions regarding the potential for phasing the project, and the ability of the AHEC institutions to pool resources to assist in funding the project.  Dr. Tina Wells, Director of Facilities for MSU, provided input on the project's phasing, and the potential cost savings from the project's construction.  Discussion ensued regarding infrastructure replacement funding by utility providers.  Ms. Melanie Layton, contract lobbyist for the AHEC campus, provided input on this issue.

Discussion returned to the potential for pooling cash resources by the AHEC constituent organizations for the Replace Heating and Hot Water System project.  Ms. Wells responded to questions regarding the potential for using more efficient systems for the campus heating.  Committee members received a draft scoring of the AHEC project, prepared by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (Attachment A).  Dr. Davidson responded to questions about the project's scoring, and the reason that this project has not been previously requested.  Ms. Wells provided input on the latter issue.

Mr. Bruce Benson, president, University of Colorado (CU) System, made opening remarks about the CU system and its FY 2019-20 capital construction requests.  Committee members received a packet of information concerning the requests, prepared by the CU System (Attachment B).  President Benson responded to questions regarding the demographics of the CU System's student body, and the cost of higher education for CU students.

Discussion continued regarding the cost of education at CU and debt loads for students.  Dr. Dorothy Horrell, Chancellor, University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), and Dr. Martin Dunn, CU Denver Dean for the Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, presented the CU Denver FY 2019-20 capital construction requests.  Dr. Horrell provided an overview of CU Denver and its student body, and discussed the university's Engineering and Physical Sciences Building Renovation project.  Dr. Dunn discussed his department and the importance of the project to engineering education at CU Denver.

Dr. Dunn continued to discuss the Engineering and Physical Sciences Renovation project. Discussion ensued regarding the infrastructure funding arrangement on the AHEC campus, and cash contributions for the AHEC Replace Heating and Hot Water System project. Ms. Jennifer Sobanet, Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer for CU Denver, provided input on the AHEC project and infrastructure spending on the campus.

Discussion ensued regarding the impact of CU campuses on the surrounding communities.  Dr. Venkat Reddy, Chancellor, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) campus, provided an overview of the campus and its stakeholders.  He then provided an overview of the UCCS Engineering and Applied Science Renovation project.  Mr. Kent Marsh, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning and Facilities Management for UCCS, discussed the campus controlled maintenance requests.

Ms. Terri Carrothers, Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, and Mr. Andre Vite, Campus Architect, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, presented the Anschutz FY 2019-20 capital construction request.  Ms. Carrothers provided an overview of the campus and its population, and discussed the impact of the campus on the community.  Ms. Carrothers also discussed the educational and research programming at the Anschutz campus, and provided an overview of the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine and Behavioral Health project. Mr. Vite provided input on the project. Ms. Carrothers and Ms. Vite discussed the CU Anschutz controlled maintenance requests. Discussion ensued regarding the demographics at CU Anschutz, and the impact of the university on the surrounding community.

Dr. Philip DiStefano, Chancellor, CU Boulder, presented the university's FY 2019-20 capital construction requests. He provided background on the university, its population, and costs for attending.  Dr. DiStefano discussed the need to improve infrastructure on the Boulder campus, and briefed the committee on the FY 2019-20 capital requests, which include renovations of the Hellems and Guggenheim buildings.  Mr. David Kang, Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Sustainability at CU Boulder, responded to questions about sustainability and the two renovation projects.  Discussion ensued regarding campus safety.

Mr. Kang responded to questions regarding code issues that need to be addressed in the Hellems building.

Peter Bangas, Public Safety Communications Network Manager, Office of Information Technology, presented the department's FY2019-20 capital construction request and distributed a handout [Attachment D].  He discussed the Digital Trunked Radio System request, giving background on how the system works.

Deb Goheen, Interim Director of Finance and Administration, and Travis Trani, Interim Director of Prisons, Department of Corrections, presented the department's FY2019-20 captial construction requests and a handout to the committee [Attachment C].

Mr. Trani explained the department's Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center - Centennial Correctional Facility Population Swap project.  He explained that this swap will allow the department to better meet treatment needs.  He discussed the impacts of low vacancy rates in the facilities.

Ms. Goheen and Mr. Trani responded to committee members' questions regarding advantages and disadvantages of the facilities' geographic locations, backlogs and wait lists, and the department's prior year supplemental budget request.

Mr. Trani responded to committee members' questions about the style of beds in low vacancy department facilities and about legislative changes needed to achieve the department's request.

Ms. Goheen proceeded to present the department's Sterling Correctional Facility and Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility Utility Line Replacement capital construction requests.

The committee returned to order.  Steve Turner, President, and Tonya Covarrubias, Chief Financial Officer, presented History Colorado's FY2019-20 capital construction request.  

Ms. Covarrubias discussed History Colorado's Grant-Humphries Mansion capital renewal request.  She explained the building's use as an event-rental facility and the deterioration of the mansion's terra cotta features.  She also explained the agency's controlled maintenance requests at the Georgetown Loop Railroad, roofs at Baca House, Trinidad Museum, and the agency's Santa Fe Trail facility.  Ms. Covarrubias and Mr. Turner responded to committee members' questions about these facilities.

The committee recessed.

The committee returned to order.  Mr. Andy Karsian, Legislative Liaison, and Mr. Stephen Harelson, West Program Engineer for Region 1, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), presented the department's FY 2019-20 capital construction request for the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels Electrical System project.  Mr. Karsian provided an overview of the project.  Discussion ensued regarding the Office of State Planning and Budgeting's ranking of the project, and the potential for funding the project from fund sources other than capital construction.  Mr. Harelson provided technical input on the project, and responded to questions regarding the amount of energy savings that will be realized from the project's construction over time.  Mr. Harelson responded to further questions regarding the potential closure of the tunnels as a result of electrical deficiencies, and the age of the fans that service the tunnels.

The committee was called to order.  A quorum was present.  Mr. Bob Broscheid, Director, Mr. Justin Rutter, Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Doug Vilsack, Legislative Liaison, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) within the Department of Natural Resources, presented the division's FY 2019-20 capital construction request.  Mr. Broscheid introduced the panel, and Mr. Rutter provided an overview of CPW's two line-item requests.  He explained that the division's request has been condensed from previous years.  Mr. Rutter and Mr. Broscheid responded to questions regarding the Property Acquisition and Improvements line item.  Mr. Vilsack provided input on property acquisition, including public access to the properties acquired by CPW.  Mr. Rutter responded to questions regarding the combining of cash-funded line items by CPW for FY 2019-20.

Mr. Rutter responded to questions regarding a 2017 audit of Great Outdoors Colorado and lottery moneys used by CPW.  Discussion ensued regarding the impact of CPW's acquisition of new properties on its ability to maintain its existing inventory, and the impact of homeless populations on land and water resources.  Mr. Vilsack responded to questions regarding the accuracy of mapping of public lands under the stewardship of the state.

Mr. Bruce Deltondo, Executive Director for Auxiliary/Facility Services, Mr. Wade Smith, Director of Facilities Services, and Ms. Heather Heersink, Chief Financial Officer, Adams State University, briefed the committee on the university and its capital need.  Mr. Deltondo explained that the university does not have a current-year capital request, but updated the committee on recently funded projects and discussed the university's five-year capital needs.  Mr. Deltondo responded to questions regarding what the progress of construction at Plachy Hall will be before the university returns in a future fiscal year to request controlled maintenance funding for the building.  Discussion ensued regarding the condition of the basketball floor and infrastructure in Plachy Hall.