Board of Trustees approves $700k new locker room
Luke Taylor | The Daily Eastern News
University president David Glassman leaves the University Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union for a lunch break before the Board of Trustees meeting on June 25. Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 981. AFSCME members have been negotiating and protesting for higher wages and other changes to their contract for over a year. The union members displayed signs with the yearly income of various board members as well as average yearly income for clerical, technical and service workers.
June 25, 2021
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a $698,400 new locker room for the Women’s Basketball team.
The purchase will include $51,800 in design fees, $2,600 in design contingency $584,324 in construction costs and $59,676 in construction contingency. The purchase may be less than the listed amount but cannot exceed the amount.
The project is being funded by donations. The contractor over the project is Grunloh Construction, Inc. from Effingham.
The description of the project explains everything involved in the project, including remodeling the existing rifle range within Lantz Arena into a locker room, shower, and media viewing area for the Women’s Basketball team.
The board also unanimously approved a multi-year contract for Brenton Emanual, director of track & field and cross country. His monthly base salary will continue to be $6,800.67 with the ability to receive any non-negotiated across-the-board salary increases.
Emanual’s contract will begin June 18, 2021 and end June 17, 2024 unless the men’s or women’s track & field team attains an OVC championship, in which case the contract may extend another year.
The board unanimously approved the non-indenture and indentured reserves. The purpose is “to retain working capital allowances and adequate funds for repair/replacement of equipment and/or relevant facilities as well as repayment of debt, the bond resolutions allow for the transfers to reserve.”
They also unanimously approved the 2022 preliminary budget, the 2023 budget projections, and the 2022 board meeting calendar.
In 2022, the board will meet January 21 on campus, April 22 on campus, June 24 on campus, June 25 in an undecided location for the board retreat, September 9 on campus and November 11 on campus.
Payton Ade, the new student trustee, was also introduced at this meeting and spoke briefly to the board.
Ade, who will replace previous student trustee Michael Perri when his term ends June 30, is a sophomore double majoring in history and political science. Ade is the youngest student to be elected to this position in Eastern’s history.
As part of the President’s Report, Beth Heldebrandt shared a presentation on the Center for Student Innovation in Booth Library, explaining the new features offered to encourage student success.
Jody Stone presented a report from Staff Senate which included the senate’s support for AFSCME Local 981 in their contract negotiations with Eastern’s administration.
The board also reviewed university highlights and a summary of purchases.
Luke Taylor can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].
