Chautauqua County agrees to increase Jamestown Community College Learning Commons budget after asbestos discovery

The Chautauqua County Administrative Services Committee voted April 14 to amend capital project accounts to cover unexpected asbestos abatement discovered during renovations at Jamestown Community College’s Learning Commons.

Kathleen Dennison, interim vice president for finance and operations at Jamestown Community College, told the committee the abatement arose after carpet removal in the Hultquist Library revealed asbestos beneath the flooring. “We have to do it. There is no choice but to do it and so we're asking for additional funds to do that, to cover that unexpected expense,” Dennison said.

Committee members were shown a budget worksheet Dennison said had been previously approved by the county and state. The college reported a final asbestos abatement change order from the contractor, Erie Contracting, of $263,000 — down from an earlier estimate of $275,000 — and said the project contingency had been reduced from $100,000 to roughly $30,000. Dennison said the combined county, state and college increase being requested is about $187,000; the college said the state has confirmed it will fund 50% of the county’s requested increase if the county approves an increase in its own contribution. The county’s additional share requested at this meeting was $46,694; the state’s contingent share was shown as $93,388. Dennison said the college would absorb the remaining share from its capital reserves if necessary.

Committee members questioned procurement and timing. Dennison said the county was not required to competitively bid the asbestos work because the existing contractor was already on the job and the architect had confirmed the change-order price was reasonable. She said the project is roughly 50% complete when excluding the abatement work, and the college expects to finish by June, “hopefully sooner.”

A committee member who had previously urged caution said the committee had earlier debated funding overages on college projects and that this matter was difficult. That member said, after hearing Dennison’s update, they were “satisfied” and would vote in favor. The committee approved the resolution by voice vote.

The county and college also noted that one completed project, the Community Services Center demolition (asbestos abatement), came in under budget; the committee was asked to move $23,001.94 from that project’s unspent balance to help offset the Learning Commons need. Dennison said if contingency funds ultimately remain unspent, the unspent portion would be returned proportionally to the county, state and college via the normal reimbursement process.

The resolution passed by voice vote. Committee members did not record a roll-call tally on the record and no mover or seconder was specified in the transcript.

The committee also discussed alternatives Dennison said the college had considered, including using college capital reserves or soliciting local foundations, but she said the college had not pursued foundation support because of a concurrent large fundraising request tied to a joint college–YMCA facility.

Dennison thanked the committee for its support after the vote; committee members noted ongoing concern about repeated requests for funding from partners but approved the amendment for the current need.