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County, Sylva leaders voice support for education bondsBy Lisa Majors-Duff |
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Agreeing that a $3.1 billion bond, if approved, will assist North Carolina's community colleges and universities meet facility needs, governmental leaders from Jackson County and Sylva approved a resolution in support of the higher education bond proposal on this November's ballot.
The action of the two boards came during a joint meeting of Jackson County and its four incorporated towns Tuesday (Aug. 15). It followed information presented by Southwestern Community College President Cecil Groves and Western Carolina University Chancellor John Bardo on how the money would be spent at their respective schools. The $3.1 billion bond issue for N.C. universities and community colleges would fund renovations, repairs and new construction at the 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina system and 58 community colleges. If approved, the higher education bond would mean about $10.4 million for SCC and $98 million for WCU. SCC's funds would be used to expand its Jackson campus, which has reached its capacity as far as building space is considered. Some $6.2 million would be allocated for construction of classrooms and faculty offices on the Jackson campus. Renovation and repair funds have been set at $843,097 in Jackson County. SCC also plans to spend nearly $3 million on construction at satellite campus in Macon County, with $81,977 going to renovation and repairs there. Construction funds at the community college must be matched dollar for dollar locally, Groves said. Some of that match has already been met through land acquisitions, with negotiations for additional lands going on with neighbors in Webster, he said. The bond package would also provide some $98 million to WCU, including funds to modernize science laboratories, build a 300-bed residence hall and renovate several older classroom buildings. Nearly $26 million would be used to construct a Fine and Performing Arts Center and $5 million would go toward rerouting the university's main thoroughfare. Western is among the UNC campuses targeted by university system officials for significant growth to accommodate an expected influx of 48,000 new students statewide over the next 10 years. According to projections, WCU may see its enrollment expand by some 50 percent (an additional 3,000 students) during that time. A second resolution approved Tuesday by Sylva and county board members called for Norfolk-Southern Railroad "to maintain an adequate level of rail service into the county that will not only allow existing industry to remain viable and expand, but would also allow for new industry to locate in the area." Rail service is important to several county businesses, McClure told the gathering, including Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Dillsboro, the town's biggest tourist attraction. Other local companies that use the tracks include T&S Hardwoods, American Energy, Jackson Paper and Southern Concrete. Mayors Steve Gray of Webster, Wade Wilson of Dillsboro and Irene Hooper of the Village of Forest Hills agreed to bring both the higher education and railroad maintenance resolutions before their boards during upcoming meetings. Other business discussed included an update of the countywide greenway project, which Sylva Mayor Brenda Oliver said has reached a point where more authority needs to be given to the committee. "We need the authority to hire and fire, to apply for grants and to obtain (non-profit) status," she said. "We'd like a resolution to create an oversight committee so we can go ahead with our plans." Those plans call for a corridor of trails, either walking or biking, connecting Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and Cullowhee. Dillsboro, Oliver said, has made the most progress and could begin soon to set its portion of the project in motion. Next, she said, could be a section along Old 107 from Jack the Dipper to Cullowhee. The next joint meeting was tentatively set for 7 p.m. Feb. 13, 2001, at the Justice Center. |
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