NWTC expansion clears the voters NWTC president H. Jeffrey was pleased with Tuesday's results (photo by H. Marc Larson). Ground should be broken this summer By Michelle Kennedy News-Chronicle Officials of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College have spent the last six weeks spreading the word about the need to expand its facilities. Six and a half counties affirmed Tuesday night that the message has gotten through by approving a $46.6 million building expansion project. "I am very pleased and have only thoughts of gratitude for the communities that have come out and supported this expansion, even in these difficult times when people are worried about taxes," NWTC President H. Jeffrey Rafn said as the returns indicated the measure would pass by a comfortable 55 to 45 percent margin. This referendum was considered absolutely necessary by school officials due to continual overcrowding, increasing enrollment and waiting lists for essential programs. Rafn, along with other NWTC board members visited more than 250 organizations, clubs and businesses. They anticipated reaching up to 6,000 people and clearly reached many more. A direct-mail campaign went out to over 150,000 people, including every person who ever took a class at NWTC, whether credit or non-credit. The plans for expansion include adding 205,000 square feet to the Green Bay campus. The Marinette campus would be expanded by 21,600 square feet and Sturgeon Bay would receive 21,700 square feet of extra space. In order to meet the needs of the growing job market and shortage of skilled labor, NWTC will also add 10 new associate degrees and 20 new certificate programs. Currently, the highest occupational demands are for skilled workers in information technology and allied health careers. Rafn said he is committed to delivering the quality workers that the community looks to NWTC to provide. The next step for the college is to put together bid specifications for approval by the state Building Commission, he said. The hope is that the bid specifications for a new police training building will be complete by early summer and that construction will begin in late summer. The construction trades building bid specifications are also going in for approval this year and construction should begin this fall. All of the other renovations and additions will be designed and planned this year, with the hope that construction will begin as soon as the ground thaws in the spring of 2002. The project will be funded by a 10-year bond that will add an estimated $22 in property taxes for every $100,000 in equalized value. As of press time, 90 percent of precincts had reported, with 33,327 voting to pass the referendum and 26,672 opposed.