Austin Peay trustees hear detailed briefing from physical-plant leaders on campus upkeep

Tom Hutchins, Austin Peay State University's executive director of physical plant, told the Board of Trustees the department manages buildings, infrastructure, grounds and custodial services across the downtown campus and supports major events and housing operations.

Hutchins said the department has 69 full-time university employees plus a custodial contractor staff, and described a range of technical responsibilities from plumbing and HVAC to a 12,470-volt underground electrical distribution network and 1,000 parking-lot lights. He said the campus has grown since 1927 to about 200 acres and more than 2.5 million square feet of space, and that teams work around the clock during campus emergencies.

Wes Powell, director of landscape and grounds and curator of the Austin Peay Arboretum, highlighted recent grounds work and recognitions. He said a contractor-created tree inventory identified nearly 2,000 trees representing 172 species and noted the Campus Greenway Trail completed in 2021, funded in part by a $384,000 grant from the Community Health Foundation and $100,000 from a campus sustainability fee fund.

Trustees asked about the biggest operational challenges. Hutchins pointed to the age of many buildings and constrained capital funding. He said the university monitors electricity usage in buildings but has not conducted a full energy audit in recent years.

The board responded with praise for the grounds and facilities, and a trustee moved that the trustees extend their thanks to Hutchins, Powell and the physical-plant staff for campus upkeep. The chair and other trustees voiced support.