Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) will hold a public hearing next Thursday (Dec. 19) to receive input on facilities projects totaling $48.8 million.
If the CVTC board approves the projects, a spring referendum to approve funding them is likely. The hearing will be held at 5:30 p.m. in Room 100A of the Business Education Center, 620 W. Clairemont Ave. in Eau Claire.
In September, the CVTC board authorized a survey of district residents to gauge support for facilities projects and tolerance of the property tax impact. It was conducted by School Perceptions LLC, a business consulting firm from Slinger.
After evaluating the survey results, the CVTC District Board passed a resolution on Dec. 5 stating its intent to issue $48.8 million in bonds to fund facilities projects that would address regional workforce needs.
At that meeting, the board received a preliminary plan calling for construction of a Transportation Education Center for $28 million; an addition and remodeling at the Emergency Services Education Center for $9.2 million; the addition of an automated fabrication lab for $3 million; and purchase of land in River Falls for $2.5 million.
The project also includes remodeling at the Menomonie and Chippewa Falls campuses, mobile labs, a storage facility, additional labs, and razing of the West Annex building near the Business Education Center.
“Many of these projects cannot be funded within our annual capital budget,” said CVTC President Bruce Barker. “Therefore, the Board of Trustees would need to authorize a referendum to fund them.”