Parking lot changes near Millennium and Cass

You may have noticed several changes in campus parking lots recently.  Ten parking spaces next to the Millennium Center have been blocked off to provide contractors space for equipment and vehicles for an upcoming boiler project.  These spaces will be blocked off through the end of October, the estimated duration of the project.

Also, there are now two concrete barriers at the corner of Cass Gym where the sidewalk in front of the building crosses the roadway. There have been concerns expressed regarding vehicles not stopping at the corner of the building and pedestrians not looking up as they are walking.  By placing the barriers there, the pedestrian traffic is forced to the right which places them in view of vehicles. The crosswalk will also be repainted to reflect the new pedestrian walking flow.

Construction Updates

We have three new projects that we have recently begun.  We have just started work on a new sanitary sewer for the Child Development Center.  Previously the CDC had been served by a sceptic system but will now be connected to the Sanitary District’s sewer system.  You may see some activity in the western section of the Hamilton area that is associated with this project.

We are also beginning an update of the UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) systems and cooling systems in the Information Systems area of Menard Hall.  This will allow for a safer and more efficient use of these rooms in the lower level of the building.

Finally, we are installing two new boilers in the Millennium Center.  This is an emergency project necessitated by leaking hot water pipes from the Physical Plant in Sangamon Hall.  Without new boilers we would be unable to provide heat to the Millennium Center this winter.  We will be barricading off some areas on the west side of the building and are appreciative of your understanding and patience as we strive to complete the project prior to the heating season coming up at the end of October.

Thank you,
Hugh Garvey, Asst. VP Construction

What’s the Buzz!?

photoLLCC is now home to two donated honey bee hives! The LLCC Sustainability Committee was approached in the spring about placing bee hives on the campus. Beekeeper Dr. Stu Jacobson worked with committee member Steve Handy and workforce specialist Marnie Record to make sure the bees found a location identified as a good place for the bees as well as a safe place for those on campus. The bees are located on the southeast end of campus along the tree line. Signs will be posted near the hive area to alert people of the location. Most recently, community education students in Bee Series: Fall Management, were able to have a live demonstration at the site. In the future, credit classes will be able to incorporate the bee hives into their academic learning and Community Learning will be able to expand their class offerings. If you would like to read about all the benefits of bees, check out Jessica Tucker’s article on One Green Planet titled: How Bees Benefit Other Living Things. The college will surely benefit from bees in ways described in the article which include:

  • Benefits to our prairies and flower bearing plants – the perfect relationship in nature; bees need flowers and flowers need bees!
  • Agriculture – did you know pollination of agricultural crops are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat!
  • Providing food – who doesn’t like honey!
  • Acting as environmental indicators –the decline of bees is an indicator that something is amiss in our environment – perhaps the effects of pesticides!

For more information contact Julie Rourke, chair, Sustainability Committee.

Fire Alarm Testing

Facilities Services will be conducting annual testing of the fire alarm systems in all buildings beginning on Monday, Aug. 8, through Monday, Aug. 15. Disruptions will be kept to a minimum; however, it will be necessary to activate  horns and strobes during the testing. We appreciate your patience as we perform this necessary testing.

Thank you,
Dave Bretscher
Director, Facilities Services

KBox training available for Facilities and PRM migration

The Facilities Services Work Order system and the Public Relations and Marketing Project Request form are migrating to the web-based submission process via the KBOX ticket system as currently in use by ITS, the Print Shop and Institutional Research and Effectiveness departments.  The queue is available for immediate use.

ITS is hosting two open workshop sessions that you can stop in and ask questions and receive personal assistance with the steps to submit a ticket through the KBOX software for any of the queues.  No registration is necessary. For those off-campus and in need of assistance, please contact Jeris Creasey to schedule a training session via Skype.

  • Today, June 23 10-11 a.m. in Menard Hall, Room 1173
  • Tuesday, June 28 2-3 p.m. in Menard Hall, Room 1173

Facilities Services Work Order switching to KBox

The Facilities Services Work Order system is migrating to a new web-based submission process via the KBOX ticket system as currently in use by ITS, the Print Shop and Institutional Research and Effectiveness departments.  The queue is available for immediate use.  As with the previous system, all ticket submissions must still be Approved by your Supervisor before the request will be processed.

  • To submit your request, just click on the ITS Service Desk icon on your desktop on campus (off campus, https://help.llcc.edu/),
  • Select New>New Ticket From Queue>Facilities Services Work Order and complete the form.
  • Click on Apply Changes>Save.
  • Supervisor’s, please be advised that you will receive an email from facsvcs@llcc.edu with a link to a ticket number.
    * You must log into KBOX first and then click on the link within the email to access the ticket.
  • Set the Approval – select Approved or Rejected and list any notes if pertinent.
  • Click on Apply Changes>Save.

Please click on the appropriate link to view how to submit a work order or how to approve a work order. ITS will host two open workshop sessions that you can stop in and ask questions and receive personal assistance with the steps to submit a ticket through the KBOX software for any of the Queue’s.  No registration is necessary. For those off-campus and in need of assistance, please contact Jeris Creasey to schedule a training session via Skype.

Thursday, June 23 10-11 a.m. in Menard Hall, Room 1173

Tuesday, June 28 2-3 p.m. in Menard Hall, Room 1173

 

Air conditioning interruption week of May 23 in Menard, Sangamon, Cass, Millennium due to chiller project

We’d like to offer another reminder about our project to replace an aging chiller in the Sangamon Hall physical plant. This will require an interruption to our air conditioning at Sangamon Hall, Menard Hall, Cass Gym and the Millennium Center for the week of May 23.  During that period we will be using and circulating outside air to mitigate the loss of conditioned air. The new chiller will allow us to provide chilled water and air conditioning much more efficiently and economically than in the past. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this upcoming week. If you should have any questions, please call us at 786-9605.

Thank you,
Hugh Garvey
Asst. VP Construction
hugh.garvey@llcc.edu

College construction update

As the College prepares for Commencement, we are preparing for projects that may affect some of us returning to our campuses from time to time through the summer.

On May 31, the day after Memorial Day, we will begin another project to repair and maintain our main campus parking lots and roadways.  The project calls for milling and patching areas that have large areas of bad pavement, filling cracks and seal coating all of the parking lots and roadways.  We will also be striping parking spaces, cross walks and curbs.  After the patching portion of project is completed we intend to start sealing at the east side of the campus and work our way west to Shepherd Road.  The Contractor will provide traffic control and signage to provide access to all areas of the campus.

Another project, to replace an aging chiller in the Sangamon Hall physical plant, will also commence at this time.  This will require an interruption to our air conditioning for the week of May 23.  During that period we will be using outside air to mitigate the loss of conditioned air.  The new chiller will allow us to provide chilled water and air conditioning much more efficiently and economically than in the past.

As these projects near completion we will continue our ongoing efforts to replace the old carpet around the campus. In August we will replace the carpet in the Trutter Center with new carpet tiles.  During this period we ask, and are grateful for, your patience as we continue to maintain and upgrade our facilities.

Finally, but no less important than any of the above projects, we will also be replacing the HVAC system at our Litchfield Administration building and have begun working with our colleagues there to help mitigate the impact that project will have on their services and facilities.

If you would like to contact our office about any of these projects, I am available at 786-9605 or at hugh.garvey@llcc.edu

Thank you.
Hugh Garvey
Asst. VP Construction

Ribbon cutting for new bird banding station

Biology students conduct research in new structure built by construction trades students

(Click HERE for a short video of the ribbon cuttig ceremony and demonstration.)

Ribbon cutting Rothering, Kleen, Roehrs, ShackelfordLincoln Land Community College cut the ribbon yesterday on a new structure that will house the college’s bird banding research program. In cooperation with the Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders, LLCC biology students participate in the capture, banding and release of birds, recording information which is added to a massive data pool on bird migration patterns.

The 36’ by 24’ building with a porch and overhang was built by LLCC construction trades students, a program funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Cutting the ribbon were LLCC Trustee and Board Secretary Dennis Shackelford, LLCC Biology Professor Tony Rothering, Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders (LLABB) President Vern Kleen, and LLCC bird banding student Lizzie Roehrs.

Bird banding Rothering, Roehrs

Professor Rothering and Mr. Kleen began the program in fall of 2012 on the northeast edge of the LLCC campus and to date, approximately 11,000 birds representing 113 species have been banded. LLABB members, school groups and organizations also participate in banding activities. Until the new structure was built, all bird banding took place outside and was cancelled during inclement weather. Banders can now do research inside when needed during the fall and spring banding seasons.

Speaking at the ribbon cutting, Rothering thanked the LLCC Board of Trustees, college administrators, LLABB and the construction trades program for support on the project. He noted the significance of the collected data on international weather and climate change research.

“The LLCC bird banding station provides students with a practical scientific experience outside of the classroom,” said Rothering. “Our hands-on approach allows students to appreciate the biological importance of studying bird population and migration patterns and how they relate to the greater ecological world.”

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