College trustees approve bond sale

Flathead Valley Community College trustees last week approved the sale of $5.9 million in bonds to complete campus expansion projects.

College President Jane Karas said trustee approval of the resolution marked the first step in moving toward a Dec. 13 opening of competing interest rate offers for the bonds.

"We're still optimistic that there will be a fairly low rate," Karas told trustees.

College officials expect to issue the second round of bonds in January.

Although the bond election was held in December 2002, legal challenges delayed the bond sale several years. However, interest rates remain relatively low.

The college sold the first $9.9 million in bonds in February after receiving an interest rate of 3.86 percent from bidder SunTrust Capital Markets.

Site preparation began recently on the Occupational Trades Building, the first of three new buildings. Karas said the college will release bid packets Dec. 19 for the trades building as well as the Arts and Technology Building.

Contractors will have four weeks to return their bids to the college.

In other action, the board approved a new certificate for 3-D Jewelry Computer Design and Production. Art instructor Jim Flagherty said Mercedes-Benz and Tiffany & Co. use the same DelCam software taught by the college.

Flagherty said the new certificate would attract students beyond Montana's borders.

"We are the only one in the world offering this technology in this depth," he said.

The 30-credit certificate prepares students for the high-tech fields of Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing. It includes design, fabrication, casting and stone-setting.

Flagherty said other programs, like that at the Rhode Island School of Design, cost $20,000 or more but don't include the complete manufacturing phase.

"They send the waxes off campus for casting," Flagherty said. "Our students do it all."

To provide individual attention, he said he likes to limit classes to 12 students. Flagherty team-teaches the class with adjunct instructor Karen Kolar.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com