Butler trustees approve MOU with City of El Dorado to benefit policing of The Villa's

El Dorado, Kan. – The regular session of the Butler Community College Board of Trustees was held January 14 at 4:30 p.m. on the college’s El Dorado campus.

Four new trustees were officially sworn into office. Mary Martha Good of El Dorado , position at large); Forrest Rhodes of El Dorado, District 3; Shelby Smith of Augusta, District 2; and Julie Winslow of Rose Hill, District 1, were sworn into office by outgoing Board Chair Dr. Greg Joyce.

Dr. Kim Krull, Butler president, thanked Ron Englebrecht, Ken Bohon, Eileen Dreiling and Dr. Greg Joyce for their years of service and leadership to the College.

Trustees also designated committee assignments with Jim Howell assuming the chair position, Lance Lechtenberg vice chair, and Doug Law as Secretary/Treasurer. Mary Martha Good will serve as KACCT delegate with Julie Winslow serving as alternative delegate. Lechtenberg and Shelby Smith will serve on the Board Finance Committee. The Foundation Board Liaison will be Forrest Rhodes. The Butler County Educational Facilities Authority representatives will be Howell and Law with Lechtenberg serving as alternate. Julie Winslow and Doug Law will serve on the Capital Projects Team.

Under the Consent Agenda, Board members approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of El Dorado and the El Dorado Police Department. Bill Rinkenbaugh, Vice President of Student Services, explained that he, along with Butler Police Chief Jason Kenney, El Dorado Chief of Police Curt Zieman, and El Dorado Detective Chad Young, had met regarding the number of incidents occurring at The Villa’s apartment complex. The Villa’s are located adjacent to college property and primarily contain Butler students. The three entities are working together to decrease the occurrence of unfavorable incidents and thus enhance the safety for all at the apartment complex.

With the approval of the MOU, Butler Community College Police officers can now officially patrol the apartment complex, inside as well as throughout the related property. The approval of the MOU allows Butler officers to increase their presence in the building and implement the same community policing strategies they currently conduct on the college’s property in El Dorado and Andover. The El Dorado City MOU is very similar to the existing MOU Butler has with the City of Andover. The MOU was approved by the El Dorado City Council on Dec. 16, 2019. With the Trustee’s approval, the MOU is effective immediately.  

Also under the Consent Agenda, the Board approved Armstrong Chamberlin as the Agency of Record for the College.  

BOARD ACTION ITEMS 

Board members accepted the audit from BKD, LLP for the financial period ending June 30, 2019. Revenues and expenses were found to be in line and a clean audit reported. In addition, there were no findings on the Federal Financial Aid program.

The City of Augusta requested the college approve an Interlocal Agreement with the City of Augusta, the Butler County Board of Commissioners and USD #402. On December 2, 2019, the Augusta City Council adopted an Ordinance to renew the current Neighborhood Revitalization Program. This NRP provides opportunities to promote the revitalization and development within the City of Augusta in order to protect the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents. The ordinance will expire December 31, 2022.  Participants in this agreement will be eligible for a tax rebate from all four taxing entities in Butler County. Board members approved the request.  

Trustees also approved a change to the college’s sick leave policy. Human Resources Associate Vice President Shelley Stultz requested language in the sick leave policy be revised to match a July 2018 decision to discontinue employment contracts for Administrative and Institutional Support Staff. That change was made in order to administer the employment-at-will statute for such positions. The current sick leave policy for these employment groups still referenced a contracted term and therefore required updating. The new policy will read: All full-time Administrative/Institutional Support and Operational Staff employees shall receive 120 hours (15 days) of sick leave per year. Employees with less than ten (10) years of service may accumulate up to 720 hours (90 days) unused sick days and employees with more than ten (10) years of service may accumulate up to 960 hours (120 days).

The Consent Agenda was approved unanimously with Mary Martha Good making the motion and Doug Law seconding. Trustee Winslow requested monthly print outs of all checks and expenses. It was explained Trustees receive monthly documentation of the college’s expenditures the first week of each month.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, at 4:30 p.m. in the Grizzly Den of the Andover 5000 Building. Prior to that meeting, Trustees will tour the remodel of the College’s 5000 Building.