Winter exposes KU energy woes
This is the first of a three part series examining the energy situation at the University of Kansas.
By DAVID SIMPSON
By DAVID SIMPSON
Staff Reporter
Staff Renorter
KU administrators must "get on the stick" if the Lawrence campus is to be heated next year without a repeat of its high cost and transportation difficulties. Facilities Operations officials say.
Energy problems struck hard this winter at KU. The troubles begin when the University's natural gas service was cut off by the Kansas Public Service Gas Company. The University has an interruptible contract with the gas company that allows service to be cut when demand for natural gas is high.
As a result of the current demand for gas, KU has been using its fuel oil reserves since Jan. 1.
To compound troubles, two fuel oil storage tanks with a combined capacity of 380,000 gallons were rendered useless by leaks. KU was forced to operate with a third storage tank, which can hold 230,000 gallons and gives the University a 14- to 16-day supply of fuel oil to heat the campus.
AT TIMES this winter, because of difficulties in getting the oil in Lawrence, the University had been down to a five-day supply of oil. During those crunchies, there was a great risk that the university would be shunted because of a lack of oil to fire its boilers.
hodge Orke, director of Facilities Operations, said building designs were another cause for heating problems. Some buildings were not expensive to heat when they were designed, but heating them today is expensive.
"We've experienced some ridiculous building designs from architects and engineers at times," Oroa said. "In some buildings, like the Space Technology Center, a building that is 80 feet tall must run even in the summer to heat the building."
Orok said that in the system these buildings use, the air was cooled to 55 degrees by the air conditioning system. The air is then reheated to room temperatures by heating coils in the ceiling of each room.
"WEVE TRIED to adjust the controls to avoid the reheating process," Broke said. "The purpose for the reheat system was to give the rooms the ability for more exact climate control. If you wanted to control temperatures in a room, this method works, but it costs a lot of money."
In addition to attempts to adjust the heating systems, Allen Wiechert, director of Facilities Planning, said, the University was double glazing or replacing windows in buildings where the heat loss was high.
"Most of the insulating projects of this nature in older buildings, such as Strong Hall, are finished," Wiechert said. "Insulation will help cut back some on the energy the campus uses."
Insulation will help, but officials are still beset with
problems because the curtailment of natural gas. This winter has been particularly bad because KU's rating was very high, and the company had to rethink its operations.
THE GOVERNMENT rates natural gas users according to the volume of gas used.
The rating of KU, a heavy user, was changed to allow the gas company to withhold service until demand from other customers was much lower. Service usually is resumed after temperatures have been in the 30s for a few days.
Oroke said, "I believe that in the next few years, no improvements will be heard of our gas classification with the gas company. The University is faced, in the foreseeable future, with the curtails we've had this
Oroke said that because no rating change could be expected, KU would have to rely on its fuel oil backup system, and that it was looking for ways to avoid the supply problems it had had this year.
"The University has some alternatives available for next winter," he said. "Pacific Operations is pressing for the replacement of our equipment at least the replenishment of the storage capacity we had last winter, then we could buy oil when prices weren't so low."
OROKE SAID that he had submitted information to Chancellor Archie B. Dykes about estimated storage needs and cost, and that Dykes had sent a letter to the Board of Regents about the matter. Facilities Operations is asking for a minimum of 250,000 more gallons of storage at an estimated cost of $390,000.
"We have a need and we'll be pushing for that need." Oroke said. "We're making our point clear that if we can save 10 cents a gallon on 100,000 gallons of fuel oil, we'd save a lot of money."
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
storage capacity would allow KU to buy fuel oil
See ENERGY back page
Monday, February 12, 1979
Lawrence, Kansas
The University of Kansas Vol. 89, No. 92
Spending lid may limit KU funds
By PATRICIA MANSON
Staff Reporter
The amount of money available to the University of Kansas and other Regents schools may depend on a spending commitment. The University of Kansas Senate and House of Representatives.
A spending bill, which would limit increases in expenditures from the state's general fund to 7 percent each year, was passed in different versions last week by the Senate and House. The versions will go into committee, which will work out a compromise.
State Rep. Mike Glover, D-Lawrence, who voted against the bill, said recently any version of the spending lid probably would have prevented higher education but would not reduce taxes.
"I think it's cosmetic legislation," Glover
said, "The people think it's going to change things, but it won't."
THE SENATE version of the bill, which passed 38-1, included a tax relief fund that would channel surplus money to local governments and schools.
If the state's surplus is more than 8 percent of the estimated budget for the following year, the excess money would go to the local schools. KU would not receive any of it.
The House version eliminated the relief fund and excluded from the spending lid large, long-range appropriations made by past Legislatures. It was passed 91-32.
Under the House bill, the Legislature would not reduce building appropriations for KU, even if those appropriations included KU's budget by more than 7 percent.
Either version would hurt KU, Chancellor Archie R. Dykes said.
"THE SPENDING lid is going to place severe restrictions on the budget expansions of all state institutions, including universities," he said.
Some members of the Board of Regents also were not optimistic about the lid. The board has requested $425 million for the expansion, from 0 to 12 percent increase from the 1970 budget.
Glee Smith Jr., a Reagan, said, "The tax
idn't good for the future of higher
education."
Jordan Haines, another Regent, said, "I think the governor's budget was somewhat cut. I thought the governor's budget was somewhat cut."
Frank Lowman, chairman of the board,
said, "I would hope the lid would not hurt
me."
the long run, the priorities of the Legislature are."
BOTH VERSIONS would set up a joint committee to recommend budget cuts if the Legislature appropriates increases of more than 7 percent.
Glover said education and welfare programs, which make up about two-thirds of the budget, would suffer the most under that system.
"With the Legislature starting to take taxes off necessities like utilities, the biggest cuts are going to have to come from social welfare and education," Glover said. "Their budgets were pretty lean to begin with."
The House recently passed legislation that would remove the sales tax from food and drug stores.
KU's 1980 funding battles begin
ByTAMMY TIERNEY
Staff Renorter
Administrators and legislators will enter the ring tomorrow to begin an annual battle for bucks, the budget hearings for the Kansas Board of Regents schools.
KU administrators are scheduled to make a 45-minute presentation explaining Lawrence campus requests to a joint meeting of the Kansas House and Senate, which will be held in connection with presentation for the University of Kansas Medical Center will be made Wednesday.
Chancellor Archie R. Dykes said yesterday legislators but not been encouraged to join
"The they have asked us to keep our presentations brief," he said. "They have told us there is not much money to tell us and they are talk only on items that are essential."
A new twist to this year's hearings is the addition of formula funding to the budgets of the government.
Formula funding is a new method of figuring the budgets for the Regents schools. It compares the financial figures that have similar programs and enrollment figures.
peer schools for KU are the universities of
Northern, North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa and
Michigan.
PAST BUDGETS have been based on the number of full-time students enrolled in a program.
Although formula funding has generated considerable enthusiasm among University officials, it already has gained one opponent: Gov. John Carlin.
In his budget address two weeks ago, Carlin recommended that a $123.8 million budget request for the Lawrence campus be cut to $115.4 million. He also recommended that a $199.4 million request for the Med Center be cut to $112.6 million.
Carlin recommended that one of five carlin capital improvements be funded and two of 13 requested new programs be funded.
Dykes said he did not expect those numbers to increase.
If the Legislature approves Carlin's recommendations, KU would receive little money for new programs or capital improvements in 1880.
Although he did not favor formula funding, Carl said, he had used it as a bench position.
He said KU's main concern at the budget hearings would be to keep what the budget did.
"OUR FIRST priority is to sustain the governor's recommendations," he said. Especially the recomnendation of operating expenses, we want to keep what we've got."
Carlin proposed a KU faculty salary increase of 7 percent, a 5 percent increase over what the Regents requested. Carlin also recommended a 9.5 percent student fee decrease requested by the Regents and a 6 percent increase for other operating expenses.
The Regents had used formula funding to break down some of the budget into six areas. They are academic instruction, $1 million; organized research and service, $195,200; libraries and audio-visual services, $300,000; student services, $152,500.
Dykes said a 7 percent state spending lab recommendation would be a debilitating factor.
Although he does not think a formula funding bill will be passed this year, he said. "It's a tricky one," he added.
Carlin recommended an overall budget increase of 7 percent for 1979-80.
institutional support, $226,600; and physical plant, $74,500.
KU ALSO has requested funds for five capital improvement projects. They are Marvin Hall renovation, $1,277,500; Lindley Hall renovation, $1,927,600; a waste-treatment plant, $345,000; access to the handicapped, $1,918,170; and Spooner-Tuver Hall renovation, $390,000.
In another part of the budget, KU requested funds for 13 individually justified programs: doctors' program in social work, $49;555; media support, Bureau of Child Research, $22;169; central support services, Bureau of Child Research, $33;725; groundwater management, $33;725; groundwater and sandstone aquifers in south Kansas, Kansas Geological Survey, $45;000; maintenance of technical capabilities and student help, KANU radio station, $26;128; exhibition of art works, Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art, $30;000; security, Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Arts, $30;000; women's intercollegiate athletics, $40;996; rental of facilities in the Kansas Union, $40;000; Robinson Gymnasium addition, $65;476; and utilities, $78;555.
Decked Darnell
Staff photo by BILL FRAKE5
Terry Stots, Oklahoma forward, knocks Darrell Valentine to the floor in a controversial play Saturday. Valentine missed both free throws after the infraction but went on to score 19 points. Kansas defended the league-leading Sooners 74-62. See related stories on page seven.
Bakhtiar abdicates; Khomeini leads Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)—Prime Minister Shaipur Bakkari waited yesterday after its military chief declared support for Ayatullah Ruhullah Khomeini. The 2,500-year old Iranian monarchy appeared to be in its final hours.
The government news agency placed the death toll in Tehran at more than 200 with scores killed in other cities during two days of bloody street fighting during the
Khoneim's followers took control of Tehran Radio and issued a series of orders from the Provisional Revolutionary Government. The broadcasts said the shah-
backed Bakkarti government had fallen and all members of Parliament had resigned.
THE KHOMEMI followers also reported fighting continued in some cities but urged Tehran residents "to refrain from attacks on the armed forces now that the revolution has triumphed and the armed forces have surrendered."
Among many runners circulating in Tehran were that Bakhtiar had fled the city because of his role in the war.
Gen. Abas Gharbahari, chief of staff of the armed forces, met with 70-year-old war victims on Friday.
See IRAN back page
Candidates back gays for funding changes
Bv MARK L. OLSON
Gay Services of Kansas got four of five KU student body presidential candidates Friday to sign a letter of support for a plan to change the Student Senate code regarding funding of GSOK, in a move the candidates
Staff Renorter
The fifth candidate was in class when the letter was signed.
GSOK IS A service organization that has supplied information and counseling for 2,000 to 2,500 homosexual and heterosexual students in the past year, according to Michael Johnson, a member of the
The move was called brilliant because it could lead to Senate funding of the organization, which is denied funding under current administration policy.
The letter signed by the candidates says: "We Gay Services of Kansas feel competent and strong that for the following year the running candidates will help and if needed, please note: a) funding; b) discrimination."
Clair Keizer of Imagination, Bob Tomlinson of La Plume and Margaret Berlin of Porch Step.
range Senate Court, 105-962-
THE LETTER was signed by Ron Allen of Rapport.
The fifth candidate, Mark Hazeizett of the Apathy coalition, said yesterday he did not object to the letter.
"We said that we would support GSK on general terms as needing more recognition," he said.
According to Johnson, the group approached the candidates to get a positive statement concerning their own performance.
"First of all, we need to get them to know we exist." he said.
BUT BECAUSE of a clause in the administration's policy statement on recognition of student organizations, GSOK is prohibited from speaking before the Student Senate to request funds from student activity
This group serves the entire Lawrence community and the surrounding area. We probably the most engaged members of our community.
one poxy bars the funding of groups oriented toward support of or opposition to particular religious
or political activities, or "particular personal and customarily private activities, habit, or pro-
Also, a group must be recognized by the vice chancellor of the Office of Student Affairs and three members of the Student Senate executive committee before it can be eligible for funding.
ANY GROUP of students that organizes for a legal purpose must be registered, as SGOK is, but registration does not automatically entitle them to Student Senate funds.
Johnson said GSOK wanted to know what support it could expect from a new student body president in changing the code, and decided the letter was the best option.
He said GSKO did not want full recognition but wanted advertising discounts with the Kansas and use of the Kansas Union ballroom, both at rates recognized group get, in addition to a voice in the
Keizer said Friday he thought GSOK had gotten the 'raw end of the deal' at KU.
There also needs to be a change in Senate policy, Keizer said.
HE SAID that because there would not be the amount of student activity fees available that there would be, he said.
"I can understand why they would be apprehensive," Keter said, "considering how the Student Body feels about it."
"There are a number of things that they deserve to be recognized for," Kelzer said. "As a service organization they should be funded—that's my personal opinion."
She said article 14 of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct stated, "The Student
"I believe that this recognition policy should not exist," she said. "I will press to have the recognition policy dropped. This would leave the administration out of it."
Berlin said she thought it was not a question of whether GSKO deserved funding but whether the administration should have a voice in who can come before the Student Senate to request funding.
Senate has sole authority to allocate University funds designated student activity fees."
THE ADMINISTRATION'S policy is contradictory to this. she said.
Tomlinson said he thought GSKO was in the same position as other non-recognized groups but that the administration had made a point of eliminating GSKO.
"We're not in the 1950s anymore," he said. "We need to step out and recognize things as they exist in our society."
Tomlinson said he would change the administration's policy to eliminate the recognition clause.
"The more groups we have before the Senate, then the more voice minority groups can have," he said.
Allen said he thought his role would be to ensure that any effort to change the Senate code or the administration policy was taken through the proper channels.
"I'm not saying I'm endorsing a social issue by signing the letter," he said. "If the Senate approved that, we don't."