K-State leads capital improvement funding
By DIRCK STEIMEL
Staff Writer
Of the six state universities, Kansas State University stands to receive a large portion of the capital improvement funding from the Kansas Legislature.
From projects already approved by last year's legislature and from recommendations by the Senate Ways and Means Committee, K-State would receive almost 47 percent of the $97.6 million projected to be spent over the next five fiscal years for building and renovation of university buildings.
The University of Kansas would receive $23.3 million in capital improvement funding and Wichita State University would receive $9.9 million under the committee recommendations.
STATE SEN. Paul Hess, R-Wichita, chairman of the KU budget subcommittee notified the Ways and
Means Committee of the differences in projected funding of capital improvements.
Hess, a KU graduate, said his intentions were simply to bring the figures to light.
"I'm not going to say any university is getting an unfair amount of capital improvement funding." Hess said. "I'm just going to let the figures speak for themselves."
The major building projects at K-State that were approved by the last two legislative sessions and by the Committee this session are an $18 million coalfired building, a $6 million brick-built building and $8 million for an engineering building.
AT KU the major projects approved have been $11.5
million for renovation of Malott Hall, a $6.2 million
renovation of Watson Library and a $6.1 million
addition to Robinson Gymnasium.
Hess said most of those projects were still in the
panning stages and construction could be stopped by future legislatures.
However, he said, it was very unlikely that the Legislature would discontinue funding any construction after the planning already had been paid for.
"Only once in my eight years as a senator have I seen a building not built after it was planned," Hess said, "giving the planning money to a project is like driving the first stake."
HESS SAID he was not sure why K-State appears
be getting the majority of the capital improvement
in the region.
"There could be several reasons; like K-State may have been held back in the past or maybe their buildings are old and they need new ones," Hess said. "Maybe this is even a normal thing, and I’m not used to such peaks and valleys in Regents capital improvement funding."
State Sen. Norman Gaa, R-Westwood, chairman of the K State subcommittee and a University of Michigan graduate, said he thought both universities were being well funded by the legislature.
THE FIGURES quoted by Hess, Gaar said, "conveniently left out many probable building projects at KU. He said the new heating plant for KU was built, but the proposed trash burning plant at KU was not."
"We're not going to play a game of trying to balance both schools' building projects," Gaar said, "I think we ought to accept the priority projects every year."
BERMAN SAID figures from the past five years
State Sen. Arnold Berman, D-Lawrence, said he thought the major reason for the capital improvement funding differences was a feeling in the city that people don't want more money to catch up with KU in building projects.
showed that K-State had received about $150,000 more than KU was allocated in capital improvement
n necessarily agree with the K-State catchment area, and if you look at it over the years it simply doesn't matter.
The Ways and Means Committee has been working on the entire Regents budget during the past few weeks. The committee will make its recommendations to the full Senate next week.
Hess said he would present his figures on the differences in the capital improvement funding to the entire Senate when the Regents budget recommendations were presented.
If the Senate passes the committee proposals, the budget must be approved by the Kansas House Ways and Means Committee, the full House and be signed by Gov. Robert F. Bennett before it goes into effect.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Vol. 88, No.115
KANSAN
The University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Friday March 24,1978
Statue removal still under fire
By BRIAN SETTLE Staff Writer
The University has not heard the end of the controversy about moving the statue of Jimmy Green, despite the fact that apprehension for a new location was granted Monday.
A member of a student-faculty group opposing the move of the statue said yesterday that he was told by a University administrator that "political pressure" had been applied to the Kansas State Historical Society to approve the move.
The member, Stephen Grabow, associate professor of architecture and urban design, said his group was told that two prominent alumni of the KU Law School had exerted "political pressure and force on Joseph Snell, director of the society and the man who had final say on whether the statue could be moved.
In addition, Grabow contended he was told by a KU professor of law that Gee Smith, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents, said that the University be allowed to make the move.
However, Smith said yesterday that he had not talked with Snell and did not know Smith.
State Rep. Robert Miller, R-Wellington, said he thought something "dirty had gone on in the decision." Miller has asked the office of the Kansas attorney general for an opinion on whether Snell had followed the intent of the preservation act.
Miller was involved in the original drafting of the 1977 Kansas State Historical Preservation Act that requires any state or local group to obtain approval from the Historical Society before tampering with a historical site.
See related story page five
The act protects historical sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Both old Green Hall and the Jimmy Green statue are listed in the register.
Selll said that he had pressure from people for and against moving the statue. He said the statue was moved on purpose.
But Snell flatly denied any political pressure or dirty tricks and said the society had made a unanimous decision to allow KU to make the move.
Smith said he was in complete favor of the move because it was a part of the original plans for the new law building four years ago.
"I'm amazed that such a big issue had been made about a little thing," Smith said.
Del Shankel, executive vice chancellor, who has been working closely as a mediator for the group said he had been a member, said he had not heard of any specific situations where pressure had been exerted on Snell. Shankel said he had not insisted about pressure to Grabow's group.
Grabow said Tuesday it was clear something unusual had happened when the phone rang.
"Momentum seemed to be building in our favor," he said.
Grabow referred to a question on the Student Senate election ballot that asked students whether they approved of the move.
According to Jill Grubaugh, Elections Committee chairman, the opinion of the committee was that
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Capsules From the Associated Press, United Press International
Strikers to vote on new contract
United Mine Workers vote today on whether to end the 108-day coal strike that has cut national coal production in half, prompted power cutbacks and caused many communities to lose their jobs. The company would go on the contract that would raise the union members' pay but would not retain the fully paid, independent health care coverage the矿员 are used to.
White House sent retirement bill
WASHINGTON—Congress passed and sent to the White House yesterday a bill to privately business businesses from forcing employees to retire before age 70. President Jimmy Carter is expected to sign the measure next month. See story page two.
Israeli cease-fire reported stable BEIRUT—The cease-fire in southern Lebanon was reported stable yesterday as the United Nations prepared to set up an Iranian peacekeeping unit along the Litani River, 15 miles north of the Israeli-Lebanese border. See story page two.
WASHINGTON—Rep. Charles C. Diggs Jr., chairman of the committee that oversees Washington's city government, was charged yesterday with padding his office payroll and taking $101,000 in kickbacks from the salaries of three of his House employees. See story page two.
House member cited for kickbacks
Light rain and snow without much accumulation, is expected today. The clouds should begin to clear this evening. High temperatures will be in the 40s, low 50s.
Weather . . .
Locally...
Mortimer Adler, a former University of Chicago philosophy teacher, told an audience of 100 persons last night that graduate schools, Ph.D. 's, parents and teachers were threatening basic education. He gave his audience a list of things he would do to redesign the educational system, which includes ending school at age 16 and sending students into the real world to learn about life. See story page 12.
Staff Photo by TIM ASHNER
Yesterday's rain and 20 mph north winds took their toll on the umbrella carrier by Jill Troester, Prairie Village senior. The soggy
Wind blown
weather didn't seem to bother her, though, as she strolled through campus with her broken bumbershoot.
Kansas law OKs firing of engineer
BY CAROL HUNTEK
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
The Douglas County Commission voted unanimously yesterday to fire the county jail.
The commission used a Kansas statute that gives them the authority to fire a county engineer without cause on June 1 of any year.
The commissioners contend that, despite the statute they used, they were justified in their actions.
"We have plenty of reasons," Beverly Bradley, county commissioner, said.
However, she refused to release the reasons.
"I HAVE my reasons, but I just don't think that I'm going to be good," she said. "I feel it wouldn't do any good to find the reasons through the press."
Peter Whitenight, commission chairman,
gave two reasons that he voted to fire
them.
He said he thought that Sanderson was physically incapable of doing the work, and
See ENGINEER page five
Estimated bills cause patrons to doubt KP&L
By JEFF TEVIS Staff Writer
Keith Hill had paid his electric bill regularly for three months when he suddenly received a bill for twice the amount of any of the three previous months.
Hill, 221 Providence St., was a victim of electric bill estimation a technique used by Kansas Power & Light Co. to ask for the company's response when the company read the meter.
Fred Bryan, Lawrence division manager for KP&L, said that approximately 20 percent of all bills this winter were estimated.
AN ESTIMATED bill is used when KP12 is unable to check a meter and get an actual reading. The company guesses how much electricity was used.
"We only estimate when we have to," Bryan said,
This forces a consumer's bill to be estimated for that month.
He explained that severe weather, a locked gate, a vicious dog or some other unusual circumstance could keep a meter reader away from a house.
See BILLING page 12
Reports cloudy on firing of custodial heads
Bv PAM MANSON
Staff Writer
Two housekeeping directors have left the University of Kansas consecutively within a month amid conflicting reports of why they were replaced.
The two directors, George Hewitt and David Peeler, were employees of American Management Services of Englewood, Colo., who managed custodial services at KU since Dec. 1.
Steve Craig, a district manager of American Management, said yesterday that Hewitt had left KU to take a job of abacus company and that Polzer was asked to resign.
"HEWITT HAD personal matters to take care of, Craig said. "As soon as he resolves the situation, he'll be back to continue his international performance with the company."
However, Hewitt made the decision to take the leave. Craig said.
Pelzer was asked to resign because he was not providing the quality of service RU helped him with.
"His performance was not in the best interest of the University," he said. "I can't give specifics because it wouldn't be fair to David."
Neither Hewitt nor Peizer could be reached for comment. The personnel department of American Management did not have a forwarding address or phone number for Hewitt. Peizer had a temporary address, but he could not be reached.
HEWITT WAS replaced by Pelzer Feb. 7 after he had held the position for two months. At that time, Russell Mills, University director of Support Services, said Hewitt had been replaced because he wasn't doing a good job.
Mills said Hewitt had not supervised the firm's new housekeeping program well and some of the custodial employees were beginning to have morale problems.
The firm's program included getting new cleaning equipment, training the employees in cleaning techniques and defining the job descriptions for each employee in written job descriptions.
THE PROGRAM also called for the reduction of the custodial staff by attrition.
The program generated many complaints from KU custodians and their supervisors who said they were overworked under this system.
The custodians said they were not being taught new cleaning methods and the
company had not provided new equipment as promised.
Pelzer, who replaced Hewitt, left the University March 8. At that time, Mills said American Management had reassigned Pelzer to another position. But Mills said Pelzer did not know whether Hewitt or Pelzer still worked for American Management.
Campus buildings set holiday hours
THE DECISIONS to replace Hewitt and Pelzer were made jointly by American
There will be no Kansan Monday.
Most KU buildings will be open regular hours during Easter weekend, although there will be no classes Monday.
The Kansas Union Bookstore,
Robinson Gymnasium and Natatorium
and Allen Field House will be closed
Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Watson Library will be closed all day Sunday but will have regular hours Monday. The Kansas Union will be open Saturday and Monday only.
"Peizer distributed cleaning equipment and supplies to campus buildings," he said. Ray Dugan, vice president of American Management, would not say whether the two men were still employed by the company.
Management and University administrators, according to Mills. He said after Hewitt left Pelzer was brought in to fill his position and had accomplished several objectives.
"ITS A CORPORATION policy that all questions are channelled through the public relations department," Dugan said. "I can conduct research and company go into jobs on a temporary basis."
A spokesman at American Hospital Supply Corporation of Evanston, III., American Management's parent company, said there was no policy preventing American Management from releasing information.
A new director will take over KU's
department April 3,
because of Crusie.
Under this director, American Management will meet its June 1 deadline to implement the new housekeeping program at KU, he said.