President Herbst and college administrators presented a 10-year capital and deferred-maintenance plan to the Warren County higher education committee on Oct. 12, 2025, emphasizing roof and ventilation replacements, electrical and wastewater upgrades, accessibility work and the need to pursue state and federal grants.

The presentation focused on immediate repairs to aging buildings and infrastructure rather than new academic construction, officials said. "I have school here. Belt tightening that needs to happen is not in any way a message that I am pessimistic about our future. I'm very optimistic about our future together," President Herbst said as the meeting opened.

Keith Kaplan, the college's vice president of administrative services and treasurer, told committee members he expects periodic financial briefings so the committee is not surprised by changing needs and external mandates. Mark Warren, the college's executive director of facilities, walked the committee through building-by-building needs, timelines and rough cost estimates.

Warren said Washington Hall recently received ventilation work and that "Total enrollment of students from Warren County is 648. Total enrollment of students from Washington County is 484," noting those county counts as context for campus usage and service needs. Administrators also said the college's enrollment is about "just shy of 2,200 students."

The facilities plan lays out prioritized work across the campus. Officials identified Scoville Arts Center as an early priority because it requires mechanical, roof and accessibility upgrades; Warren described a state-match estimate of about $45 million to bring that building into long-term good condition. Other items on the schedule include full roof replacements for older buildings, mechanical system overhauls, electrical upgrades already underway (about 30% complete), and a larger wastewater-system replacement tied to municipal sewer mains behind campus.

Officials stressed the projects are largely maintenance and life-safety work rather than program expansion. "We're not adding square footage," Warren said. "We're looking at existing buildings—what it's going to take to alleviate burdened units and better use the space that we already have on campus."

On funding, administrators said pandemic-era HEERF (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund) dollars paid for some initial ventilation and air-quality work but were not enough to cover all deferred needs. Warren and Kaplan estimated a combination of state and local funding could total in the low tens of millions over the next decade; Kaplan said the state would reimburse some eligible projects at 100 percent where applicable. The committee was told the college expects to pursue philanthropy and local partnerships but that philanthropy has not yet been assigned to specific projects.

A college representative told the committee the college has secured a Northern Border Regional Commission award for a phase 1 wastewater study and is "waiting for them to send us a notice to proceed" so it can begin design-level work; phase 2 funding would be requested later for construction based on the study's estimate.

Committee members asked about state decarbonization orders and electrification. Kaplan and Warren said new construction statewide will face stricter electrification requirements and that retrofits on older buildings will add costs; the plan is being written with flexibility to adopt electric-ready systems and pursue renewables and grant funding where feasible. Kaplan referenced "Executive Order 22" as a directive that has filtered down through SUNY and state guidance; administrators said older buildings may be more cost-effective to electrify when replaced rather than as retrofits.

Officials also discussed community partnerships and revenue opportunities for athletic facilities but cautioned rental income is likely to be modest after accounting for maintenance and occasional damage. The college said it will continue to pursue shared-use agreements with community organizations when feasible.

The presentation included accessibility concerns: staff said roughly 20% to 25% of students qualify for accessibility services and that several older buildings lack adequate accessible routes, restrooms and seating areas. Administrators listed accessibility upgrades among priorities to comply with current code and civil-rights reviews.

No formal motions or committee votes were recorded on the capital plan during the meeting. Administrators said they will return with periodic operational and budget updates and the committee will be asked in a future meeting to approve a recommended budget.

The discussion underscored that many projects are contingent on outside funding, state rules and grant timelines. Committee members asked for continued updates while staff pursue the wastewater study, state funding and other grant opportunities.

Ending: College leaders asked the committee to stay engaged as staff refine cost estimates and pursue grant timelines; they emphasized the plan aims to address safety, accessibility and the most pressing deferred maintenance before pursuing larger expansions.