Shoukri’s spiel hones in on fiscal concerns

[su_heading size=”21″]Riding high on the coattails of a brand-new marketing campaign, the Town Hall was also dubbed as a state of the union address for the university.[/su_heading] The university’s senior administration, including President Mamdouh Shoukri, addressed the community and detailed challenges facing York. The administration dropped tidbits of information regarding York’s future. Topics of discussion included campus safety and infrastructure. As part of Ontario’s Facilities Renewal Program, York receives grants to address ongoing maintenance, repair, and renovations of campus buildings and infrastructure. Gary Brewer, vice-president, finance and administration, says York never has enough money to maintain its large campus. He notes that with 90 buildings at the Keele campus alone, the amount of grant funding is “significantly below” the level necessary to adequately support campus infrastructure. [su_divider] “For the past several years, we have been receiving about $1.5 million annually,” says Brewer. “We anticipate our FRP grant to increase to $2.5 million for 2015-16 and 2016-17, with further increases announced by the government that would provide York [with] about $6 million by 2019-20,” he adds. According to Brewer, renewal priorities include the Ross Podium Waterproofing Project and the replacement of oil tanks at the Central Utilities Building. Future targets for upgrades include classroom and washroom facilities, road and walkway repairs, mechanical system upgrades, and lighting. [su_pullquote]Riding high on the coattails of a brand-new marketing campaign, the Town Hall was also dubbed as a state of the union address for the university.[/su_pullquote]   Nevertheless, the funding increases fall far short of York’s needs. Brewer estimates an annual funding level of $25 million required in facility renewal. There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but it has nothing to do with the subway. In fact, York is nervous about the security impact of the impending subway stations on campus. Discussions are underway to coordinate safety efforts with the TTC and York working together. The TTC will be responsible for safety inside the stations, while York looks to invest in perimeter access control measures. “To date, approximately 65 per cent of the Keele campus buildings have been outfitted with access control systems,” says Brewer. “As well, we are enhancing our CCTV system throughout the Keele campus,” he adds. Alex kvaskov assistant news editor