Delayed maintenance is nothing new for Wilson Community College. The college's original flat-roofed buildings caused problems almost from the beginning. Even as the college added new buildings to accommodate growing student populations and expanded curriculums, older buildings deteriorated from lack of maintenance.
The same pattern was evident in the University of North Carolina system. It was reports of postponed maintenance, resulting in structural damage, mold and other problems, that bolstered the state's higher education bond issue in 2000. College dorms, heating plants, classrooms and laboratories had been so neglected that the buildings had become hazards to students, faculty and staff.
Wilson Community College's problems do not rise to that level, but unless maintenance is scheduled and budgeted, deterioration will result, and the county's investment in the college's physical plant will degrade.
"You can pay me now, or you can pay me later," the old saying goes. Colleges, other governmental entities and even privately held corporations often prefer to invest in new equipment and buildings rather than maintain existing properties.
WCC has built two new buildings this decade, but its existing buildings now need attention. Rusty Stephens, college president, says the college will need $3.5 million in local funds for capital improvements in the coming year, a jump of more than $1.7 million from its current capital expense budget.
The college's budget will be set by county commissioners, who will have to determine what improvements are needed immediately and which ones can be postponed. Commissioners are already facing requests for added funding from public schools, the Sheriff's Office and Emergency Medical Services.
It behooves college trustees, however, to prepare a long-range plan for building maintenance, which would include such items as roof repairs and other maintenance as well as upgrading of older buildings to meet current standards.
A reliable schedule for maintenance -- one that would keep the physical facilities ahead of costly repairs and reconstruction -- should be part of the college's annual budget request.
Building maintenance is as important as new construction and should be planned and prepared for in the same way.