Current Program

The Physical Plant department provides campus maintenance and operations. It is dedicated to keeping the campus attractive and conducive to student learning, faculty teaching and staff activities by maintaining and enhancing its buildings, grounds and infrastructure in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner. In support of the college's mission, Physical Plant employees are committed to continuous improvement in responding to, meeting and anticipating current and emerging needs. In recent years several factors have impacted the department's resources and abilities to meet demand, including additional special events (job fairs for example), an increase in student enrollment, a mandatory recycling program, constant changes in the college's economic conditions, new laws such as the State Mandated Waste Management Plan, and an increase in the use of technology with its accompanying demand for more power and electrical connections. Changes in the college's education schedule, for example adding Saturday classes, have also affected the department's functional areas. These factors and others have caused many employees to take on additional duties when services have been increased and/or when positions have been cut.

Personnel - At this time approximately 75 full-time employees work in the department, along with two student workers.

Equipment - Several pieces of equipment need to be repaired or replaced immediately, including a milling machine in the machinist's shop, a steam cleaner, a carpet extractor, two floor stripping machines, a carpet shampoo machine, platform risers, a sweeper, a Rototiller for flower beds and a scissor lift.

Facilities - The department's office is kept clean and is well maintained and lighted, and is easily accessible to the public and to the delivery trucks that arrive as a result of having Receiving adjacent to the Physical Plant office. The shop areas are independent of the office and are located relatively close to the office. Storage spaces are scattered throughout campus, and are limited in size and locations.

Future Program

Because of increasing enrollment and increasing reliance on new technologies (with computer and telephone cabling needs) and in order to keep up with proper maintenance and operations schedules, it is likely the college will need to expand the number of Physical Plant employees and the type of equipment needed to maintain service levels in both the mid term (five years) and the long term (ten years). Also, projects now handled at the district level may be gradually transferred to the college level, requiring additional staff and material resources. As college facilities expand - old buildings are replaced with new ones and new instructional spaces are
acquired - the department will naturally grow along with this expansion.

Personnel - See Projected Faculty and Staff Needs.

Equipment - Within the next five years, the department will need to add or replace the following items: a vacuum cleaner, pick-up machine, carpet shampoo machine, floor stripping machines, an automatic wax layer machine, an automatic scrubber, a steamer, and Aireater Tow Behind, a pallet jack, a riding lawn mower, a pressure washer, a trash compactor, a dimming system for the theatre (funded on scheduled maintenance), a scissor lift, an energy management system for lighting control, a conduit locator, and five computers.
Within ten years an additional eight computers will need to be replaced.

Facilities - Additional office space is needed for supervisors, and a meeting room for 30 people as well as additional parking would be useful. A larger receiving area to accommodate larger deliveries is needed. Approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of additional storage space is required, and consolidation of storage areas into one large area would help with inventory control and equipment maintenance. As the number of employees increase, additional shop space will be needed so that the required materials to conduct operations can be maintained. Although the shop areas are not very far away, having a central location or single point of control for the entire department would allow for easier access on campus and control of resources. Within the next five years, the plan room should be updated and maintained, the materials and equipment for the electrical shop should be moved to a single location, and transformers are needed to meet 120/208 requirements.

Staff Development - In-service training opportunities on all shifts are needed in all areas of Physical Plant operations, including custodial, electrical, gardening and grounds, plumbing and meeting codes. Seminars on new technology, computer skills, supervision, and health and safety would be beneficial as well.