Planning & Construction: Capital Improvement Funding Sources

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES PROGRAM

The State has supplied funding for Hazardous Substance Abatement every year since 1985. The program assists districts by funding the cost of removing hazardous substances such as asbestos-containing building materials, lead-based paint, PCB-containing ballasts, lead acid batteries, etc. There is no district funding match in the Hazardous Substances Program.

There are no funding limitations on projects funded under this Program. Projects are categorized by project type: Asbestos, Toxic/Hazardous Chemical, Underground Tanks, PCBs, and Other Projects. Allowable costs include such items as testing and monitoring during construction, replacing, removing and repairing identified hazardous substances. Projects for those facilities (parking lots, stadiums, bookstores, and dormitories) which would not be state supported under the Community College Construction Act are not considered for funding in the Hazardous Substances Program. Projects for repair or maintenance of facilities are supported by the Scheduled Maintenance & Special Repairs Program. Major capital projects, such as new construction or existing facility renovation, are supported by the Capital Outlay Program.

Each year through fiscal year 2002-03, the State Chancellor's Office invited community colleges to participate in their Hazardous Substances Program by submitting individual project proposals for the upcoming year, along with a Five Year Plan for hazardous substance projects. Eligible projects were aligned in the following program priority order of project type: asbestos, toxic/hazardous chemical, underground tanks, PCBs, and other projects. Consideration for funding also gave priority value to projects identified as most critical by each district. Administrative support expenses such as the periodic removal of hazardous chemicals (chemical sweeps) and the monitoring or surveying of potential hazardous situations generally are considered the responsibility of a district and received lower priority ranking for State funding.

Beginning fiscal year 2003-04, funding for the Hazardous Substances Program changed from being funded on a project-by-project basis to being included with the on-going Physical Plant and Instructional Support Block Grant (used to be called “Instructional Equipment and Library Materials Block Grant”). The block grant allocation is based on the District’s actual reported FTES (Full-Time Equivalent Student) for the previous fiscal year. The State Chancellor’s Office informs each District of their Block Grant allocation and a decision is made by each District on how to allocate the funds amongst various applicable programs which include scheduled maintenance and special repairs, hazardous substances removal, architectural barrier removal, instructional equipment, and library materials.

For comparison purposes, the following table shows amounts requested and funded in previous years.

"Facilities Excellence"