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Our community college

Posted: Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 07:17:30 pm PDT
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By Priscilla Bell, Ph.D.
President, North Idaho College 
Dr. Priscilla Bell

The North Idaho College Board of Trustees approved our 2008-09 budget at its May meeting. For those not aware, NIC operates on a July 1 to June 30 fiscal year.

There was very little new in the budget beyond salary and benefit increases and some technology enhancements, with one notable exception: new property tax funding for acquisition of the Stimson Lumber Co. DeArmond Mill site.

The NIC Board has debated the matter extensively. Its decision to take so-called "foregone" tax -- property taxes it had previously chosen not to collect -- was not done lightly. In the end, Trustees decided that use of these taxes for land acquisition is in the best long-term interests of our community and our college.

Many have asked questions of NIC Trustees. Not all of them have answers yet; for example, how and when the site will be developed, and exactly how to pay for development, is still to be determined.

But failure by NIC to acquire the property would almost certainly result in the site being developed privately. That would permanently limit NIC growth opportunities on the main campus, and in all likelihood permanently eliminate public access to the site.

True, property tax could be generated by such private development. But with the eventual removal of the Burlington Northern rail line and development of that Northwest Boulevard property, property tax revenue will be realized -- as will jobs that come from that commercial development. Plus, expanding higher education will produce positive economic benefits for North Idaho. A well-trained and educated workforce will attract new business and industry, produce new jobs, and generate revenue to our community.

A frustration is that some have stated or implied this project will come at the expense of NIC's commitment to Professional Technical Education. As I've said repeatedly, this is not "either-or." NIC must prepare for inevitable growth in all areas. And we continue to plan for increased capacity in high-demand PTE programs.

NIC will not fund the entire mill purchase with local property taxes. Some $1.5 million will come from our fund balance, a mix of all of our funding sources (principally state, student tuition and fees, and local funds).

We continue to seek $1 million in federal funding, and while that has always been a long shot, it is worth a try and would be that much less to be paid by local property taxes. Other funding sources remain possible.

Even the most vocal critics of the Corridor initiative seem to recognize that the current NIC main campus will not meet regional needs in the future; they just question if the mill site is the best location. Almost everyone agrees that for the local economy to stay strong and diverse, increased access to training and education is essential.

This site will provide the physical capability to help meet this demand, and not just for NIC. It will benefit North Idaho immensely through the expanded presence of our partners at the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, Idaho State University and Boise State University. All are here now and doing great things, yet the need for their programming will only grow.

Life in the short term would be much simpler for all of us working on the Education Corridor if only we would walk away from it. But North Idaho did not get to where it is today by its leaders walking away from challenges.

The opportunity is here, and it won't last forever. I honestly believe future generations of students, employers, and citizens of all walks of life will hail the decision to make the Education Corridor a reality.

Priscilla Bell is President of North Idaho College. She can be reached by writing her at North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d'Alene, ID. 83814.


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University Place CDA wrote on Jul 16, 2008 2:24 PM:

" The President of the University of Idaho lost his job over the University Place Boise fiasco.

Is it possible that Dr. Bell President of NIC will follow the same path with her endorsement of University Place CDA?


Watch Dr. Bell extremely closely and find out where the wind blows her. "

LCDC Has Problems wrote on Jul 9, 2008 6:41 AM:

" I CAN'T BELEIVE THAT RYAN ARMBRUSTER WHO WAS SERIOUSLY INVOLVED WITH THE UNIVERSITY PLACE BOISE IS THE ATTORNEY FOR THE LAKE CITY DEVLOPEMENT CORPORATION !!!!!

The LCDC sure knows how to pick good legal counsel. "

TAKE THE TOUR OF THE POOPY PLANT wrote on Jul 9, 2008 6:36 AM:

" Dr. Bell why should all Kootenai County property owners pay additional taxes to purchase the DeArmond mill property when it's not worth $10,000,000 due to it's location next to a sewage plant? No private developer in his right mind would build condos next to a stinking poopy plant. Have you taken a tour of the Coeur d'Alene WWTP and had a sniff of the poopy plant? You won't forget the experience. But then you are only the President of NIC and don't have time for such trivial matters, touring a poopy plant. "

LCDCs Attorney is Ryan Armbruster OH SHT wrote on Jul 8, 2008 1:23 PM:

" University Place civil suit ends; criminal investigation goes on


From the Idaho Statesman"

The Idaho State Bar filed complaints against attorneys Roy Eiguren, Ed Miller and Ryan Armbruster in connection with University Place, alleging the lawyers violated professional codes of conduct governing conflicts of interest. "

Federal Investigation wrote on Jul 8, 2008 12:36 PM:

" The LCDC hired Ryan Armbuster who was a target in the University Place Boise investigation. From the Idaho Statesman:

University Place case moved to Oregon
Idaho's U.S. attorney has agreed to hand over the federal investigation into University Place to the U.S. attorney's office in Oregon to avoid a possible conflict of interest in the Idaho office.
U.S. Attorney Tom Moss said Wednesday that one of his office's attorneys has had a relationship with a person who could be a witness in the case of the failed University of Idaho satellite campus in Boise.

The attorney was not working on the University Place investigation, said Jean McNeil, a spokeswoman for the Idaho U.S. attorney's office.

Moss declined to give further specifics.

In a brief statement, the U.S. attorney's office in Portland said all inquiries about the investigation should be directed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Allan Gartan. Gartan was not available for comment Wednesday.

University Place fell apart over financial mismanagement and cost then-U of I President Bob Hoover his job in 2003.

Moss, who prosecutes federal crimes in Idaho began his review in December after the release of a 600-page report on University Place compiled by attorney Larry Prince, an Idaho special deputy attorney general. Prince did the report at the request of the State Board of Education.

Moss' office began in December looking into the conduct of the U of I Foundation and the U of I in the University Place project, which resulted in the foundation losing approximately $28 million.

Moss brought the possible conflict to the attention of federal officials.

The potential conflict of interest has been under discussion between the U.S. Department of Justice and Moss' office for "a matter of weeks," McNeil said.

Both Moss and the Department of Justice agreed to move the investigation, Moss said.

The federal investigation isn't the only one into University Place.

Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden is investigating possible violations of state law outlined.

The report said University of Idaho officials may have violated the law by misusing public money.

Wasden's office declined Wednesday to comment on its investigation.

The Idaho State Bar also is investigating whether attorneys who represented parties involved with the project had conflicts that violated the Professional Code of Ethics. "

University Place CDA wrote on Jul 8, 2008 9:20 AM:

" Will Dr. Bell be able to distance herself from the commercial developers who purchase some of the University Place CDA land?

This will be interesting to see if University Place CDA is a reoccurrence of University Place Boise.

WHAT A FIASCO!

Who will make big bucks leasing to the higher ed entities and how much will the LCDC be involved? "

ACRES IS A DOG wrote on Jul 1, 2008 6:12 AM:

" If the CdA Waste Water Treatment Plant has such dangerous biological and chemical hazards, why in the HELL does NIC plan to place thousands of students in harm's way? Who cares if chlorine and sulfur dioxide can kill, remember what's important is that 300 feet of public Spokane River front will be acquired. Chesrown not only gets free LCDC tax money for his projects, he get the deal of the a life time by unloading a "dog" property (17 acres). Can you imagine million dollar condos built right next to a sewage treatment plant with foul air and an evacuation plan due to chlorine and sulfur dioxide hazards? Chresrown needs to sell the 17 acres because he can't develop it. "

CC wrote on Jun 30, 2008 7:15 PM:

" please don't insult us. It is your guy's community college not ours. We just get to pay for infrastructure, buildings, salaries, etc so students can get two and four year degrees that do not land them a job locally. for decades, the smart ones have left to pursue their ambitions. they return home when they are ready to retire or have a business to relocate with lucrative Job's Plus bennies. "

Sell off some of the acres now wrote on Jun 30, 2008 5:01 PM:

" Why is the City of CDA planning to sell some of the 17 acres to private commercial developers if the property is so badly needed for campus and parking expansion? Just exactly how many acres will the LCDC help purchase for a few special buddies? That's tax money STUPID! "

Dump It Now wrote on Jun 30, 2008 4:36 PM:

" Don't worry and be happy just because there is at any one time 14,000 pounds of deadly chemicals located at the CDA Waste Water Treatment Plant. Nothing to fret about except the smell. Chresrown knows the 17 acres is a lousy location for high end condo or commercial development and wants to "dump" it onto the taxpayers. It's not worth $10 million because it is located next to a stinking sewage plant. "

Question For Dr. Bell wrote on Jun 10, 2008 11:23 AM:

" Dr. Bell, does NIC have an evacuation plan if the Coeur d'Alene Waste Water Treatment Plant has a catastrophic chemical or biological mishap? If it doesn't, please explain why. The safety of thousands of students is in your hands, please address this important question. "

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