The board approved a large hike in a funding cap for debris cleanup at the university, amending a contract already in place with Looks Great Services of Mississippi. LGS is based in Columbia.
"The agreement includes trimming, cutting and hauling debris from the campus," said IHL Senior Associate Commissioner for Finance John Pearce during the meeting. "The original agreement was for just under $2 million for a term of 90 days. The university is seeking to amend the agreement for an expenditure up to 10 million."
Work began late last month and while the contract is for 90 days, the university has the option to end it sooner. University spokesperson Jacob Batte said that debris removal is expected to take several months, with minor issues in about a dozen buildings.
However, that Batte added that preparation helped keep some of the damage lower than in previous winter storms and that most of the trees on campus are expected to survive.
But, the additional $8 million, according to Batte, reflects the scale of work needed across campus. It may not be spent in its entirety, though.
"They may not spend that much: it just gave them that cushion, if you will," said IHL communications director John Sewell. "And then they will work with FEMA, MEMA, and other insurance to recover those expenses."
Ole Miss will initially pay for services with its own money to make sure that work continues without interruption. They'll then seek reimbursement from those state and federal agencies.
IHL Commissioner Al Rankins, Jr., also provided a few general updates for trustees on cleanup at the university.
"They've made significant progress in getting the campus clear," Rankins said at the very end of the meeting. "There's still some more work to do"
"They've done a yeoman's job in dealing with a very tough situation and made significant process at this point."
Ole Miss's provider, Looks Great Services of Mississippi, is additionally handling some of the clean up in the city of Oxford and Lafayette County.
In the meantime, Sewell says that no other universities have made requests of the board regarding cleanup at their campuses. IHL President Gee Ogletree indicated, however, that Mississippi Valley State University and Delta State University were also affected by the storm.
"On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express my thanks and appreciation not only to the leadership of these universities, but also for the staff," said Ogletree. "Especially those on the facilities team and the ground crews who've worked tirelessly to address the damage from the storm and to get our universities back up and running."
Ogletree said Ole Miss was the most damaged, and encouraged folks to donate to the Rebel Relief Disaster Fund to help students affected by the storm.
Donations for Mississippi Valley State and Delta State universities can be made through their foundations.
