The Print asked the question “what would happen if the $90 million bond measure were to fail?”
“There will be cutbacks if the bond doesn’t pass,” said Bob Cochran, dean of campus services at Clackamas Community College.

The college would also lose out on addressing a roughly $80 million deferred maintenance backlog of campus facilities that already exists, Cochran said. Deferred maintenance is putting off maintenance repairs on the physical structures of the college in order to meet other budget obligations that CCC has.
The campus is in need of repair in certain high traffic areas. Broken pipes have recently caused a couple hundred thousand dollars in damages in the library. New electrical work would likely help prevent future power outages.

Sharon Parker, department chair of business administration at CCC, has heard advice like, “Don’t drink water out of that [particular] fountain,” due to the taste of the water from the pipes. Old pipes, outdated electrical systems and other issues will remain if the bond fails.

Passing the bond will not solve all the maintenance issues overnight, but would be a step in the direction of addressing the issues on campus, Cochran said.

Story By: Tim Young