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Lake Region State College seeks deferred‑maintenance funding; turbine insurance and workforce training highlighted
Summary
Lake Region State College told the Appropriations committee it needs capital dollars for roof restoration, parking and electrical upgrades, described an expensive turbine insurance renewal, and outlined workforce and apprenticeship programs tied to wind, solar and other employers.
Doug Darling, president of Lake Region State College, thanked the committee for past support and described a capital request focused on deferred‑maintenance: roof restoration, parking and an electrical distribution upgrade tied to a local utility conversion.
Joanne Kitchens, vice president for administrative affairs, gave amounts and sequencing: the roof restoration proposal covers 29 roofs (13 prioritized for completion by 2027) and the college estimated a remainder cost of about $3.2 million for the 2025‑27 biennium to complete the next phases. Kitchens said the college spent $626,000 on a 2024 phase and argued the higher‑quality roofing membrane requested would lower long‑term water intrusion risk. She added that, if deferred further, the college’s roofing vendor estimated an additional $3.3 million in future costs.
Kitchens said the campus also needs a parking and curb‑and‑gutter program; after partial use of Tier 3 funds to address an urgent gearbox repair for a campus wind turbine, the college still estimated a parking need of roughly $1.1 million and proposed a $2.5 million package for broader repairs and new parking tied to a recently completed agriculture facility. The college's electrical request — required because a local utility planned to upgrade distribution to 12,500 volts — was estimated at about $360,000 and needs to be complete before the utility conversion in 2027.
Kitchens gave a concrete example of operating pressure: a commercial insurance renewal for the campus wind turbine rose from about $17,000 per year to about $75,000 per year; she said that increase strained auxiliary finances when the turbine was offline for gearbox repairs. Darling and Kitchens said the college’s composite financial index remains healthy (reported at 4.57) and that the foundation has grown substantially through the challenge‑grant match program.
Darling outlined workforce and program work: wind energy technician training (including Global Wind Organization training), solar installation work, expansion of nursing and peace officer training, and the college’s role in apprenticeship development across the region. He also noted community interest in sports facilities such as a multi‑use pavilion and a second ice sheet, and said fundraising is underway.
Kitchens asked legislators to consider adjustments to the challenge‑grant match for small institutions (she suggested a reduced match rate might allow more effective use of deferred‑maintenance funding) and to support inflationary and PERS‑related budget factors that raise operating costs.
Ending: Lake Region presented a deferred‑maintenance capital package and several workforce training initiatives, flagged a steep jump in turbine insurance costs, and requested legislative help on funding and system policy for challenge‑grant matching and other cost pressures.
