LINN  —  At a special meeting on Monday, State Tech Regents voted unanimously to award a contract to Howrey Construction of Rockwell City, Iowa, to construct golf cart paths at Osage View for the sum of $577,000, with the total cost not to exceed $600,000. The college solicited pricing for asphalt and concrete. Although the lowest bid was from Higgins Asphalt Paving Co. of Tipton for $530,000, Regents felt that concrete would last longer and require less maintenance than asphalt and believed the additional $40,000 expense was worth it. Howrey was the low bidder for concrete and also agreed to have the work completed by June 1.

Construction of the cart paths will be funded using the remaining bond proceeds from the Commercial Turf & Grounds Building, which were unused for that project due to the driving range.

State Tech anticipates the cart paths are the last major expenditure, other than a storage shed near the CT&G building, to be used for equipment storage.

State Tech President Dr. Shawn Strong noted that golf course usage has increased to the point where tee times must be scheduled in advance.

“This is what’s keeping us from having what will prob ably be the best nine-hole course in Missouri when it’s all said and done, which is really our goal, and we can’t accomplish that without cart paths,” said Dr.  Strong.

The new green is expected to be playable in June.

In his presidential report, Dr. Strong said the open house went well, with approximately 550 attendees and more than 100 new applications.

Dr. Strong also provided updated information on the potential addition of shooting sports. A survey questionnaire sent to students resulted in 195 favorable responses. Several potential students attending the open house also seemed excited and asked questions about what might be offered.

Although lead contamination is a concern, Regents were concerned that gun owners might not want to shoot expensive guns on a steel-shot range. Hence, the board decided to explore options for managing lead before voting on that issue.

Dr. Strong seemed confident that State Tech could pay for the range with grant money and/or business contributions.

Enrollment is up slightly, and the college anticipates a busy summer.

Construction projects are proceeding, and changes should be visible over the next two months. 

Graduation will be on May 11, and the next Regents meeting will be on June 25.