Rockland hearing on RCC budget turns into forum on mold issue

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Rockland hearing on RCC budget turns into forum on mold issue

By Netter

The Journal News*

• July 2, 2008

http://lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/NEWS03/807020374

The county Legislature's public hearing on the $57.4 million

proposed Rockland Community College budget was overshadowed

yesterday by conversation about the possibility of toxins at the

campus.

A current RCC employee and a former employee spoke about the health

problems they experienced after working at Brucker Hall, which they

say is contaminated with mold and other toxins.

Former employee Gluckmann, a resident of Mount Kisco, and

Suffern resident Pereira-Jersey questioned the Legislature as

to whether the RCC budget would include money to pay for testing and

remediation.

" If this Legislature and the college is concerned about the health

and safety of the workers, this needs to be in the budget, "

Gluckmann said.

Proposed spending for the 2008-09 year is up by 6.3 percent and the

county's contribution - $15.2 million - rose by just under 3 percent.

Tuition for full-time Rockland residents will rise by $100 per year

to $3,300.

Plunkett, the White Plains attorney hired by the county for

issues related to the mold controversy, told the crowd yesterday

that the county has agreed to hire Colden Corp., a Philadelphia-

based consulting firm that specializes on occupational health and

safety, to analyze the college.

Legislature Chairwoman Harriet Cornell, D-West Nyack, said there

would be another hearing held on the mold issue once the findings

from Colden are released.

County Finance Commissioner Kopf said the continuing

investigation into the presence of mold or other toxins at the

college won't have a dramatic impact on the budget.

And if significant change is needed to the buildings, it would

likely come out of the county's capital improvement budget just like

all other major RCC projects.

The amount of the county's contribution to RCC's budget is decided

after the college tallies state aid and uses enrollment projections

to determine how much tuition revenue it will get, Kopf said.

County officials then get the option to review the budget, which

they did.

" I think we reduced a few dollars here and there, " Kopf said. " They

submitted a very reasonable budget. "

RCC's proposal, he noted, included one new position - a physical

education instructor.

Most of the budget's increase is due to increases in utilities, fuel

and contracted payroll and benefits.

An increase in enrollment also brings up spending, Kopf said, but

that is a good thing for the college.

After years of flat or declining enrollment, RCC is projecting a 13

percent increase in student population.

RCC President Cliff Wood said the increase in enrollment is largely

due to the use of the college's Web site as a recruiting tool.

" I think we really worked very hard at it, " Wood said.

The college has also done some target recruiting and, he added, the

addition of a new technology center also has helped draw new

students.

Wood did not speak to the mold issue during the public hearing.

Reach Netter at snetter@... or 845-578-2433.