In the gutter
Around $165,000 was used from the university's $200 million deferred maintenance budget to install new copper gutters, down spouts and a heat trace system on Warriner Hall.
Facilities Management should have allocated funds elsewhere instead of replacing the existing gutters with an expensive material.
Copper can be found costing $3.2187 per pound, according to metalprices.com. In contrast, the Web site lists aluminum, lead and zinc all near $1.
While officials argue copper was chose to maintain the historical integrity of Warriner Hall and even increase longevity, in such harsh economic times funds should have been used elsewhere.
Why not choose a less expensive material that could be colored or dyed? It may be a quick fix, but at least it would trim some of the fat from the large deferred maintenance budget.
In addition, Associate Vice President of Facilities Management Steve Lawrence said projects like interior wall restoration need to be done inside Warriner Hall because the old gutters failed to keep water out of the building.
Granted, when the project began in June, it was before the July 17 Board of Trustees meeting in which it was announced the university had $200 million in deferred maintenance. At that meeting. Trustees decided to allot $5 million per year toward the maintenance.
Officials should prioritize the needs of students and faculty on campus and evaluate what needs to be restored first. Surely few would list new copper gutters and down spouts on Warriner Hall a necessity.
