The Board of Trustees has two purchases to vote on at today’s meeting in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. Union.

According to Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, the board is required to approve any purchase of more than $250,000.

“If the Board of Trustees gives their approval, the University will move forward with the purchases,” Nilsen said.

One item on the agenda for a purchase approval is the Douglas Hall remodeling and utility upgrades.

The cost for these services is $3,421,914, broken down between general contracting, plumbing, heating, ventilation, electrical, fire protection, abatement and contingency.

The University would bring in six different recommended companies to accomplish the different areas of work.

The project includes all labor and materials needed to demolish and redevelop the toilet and shower rooms on all floors in Douglas.

According to Mark Hudson, director of Housing and Dining, they will be taking out additional rooms as well to make the bathrooms larger and install some individual private bathrooms.

“The Office of Housing has a long term plan to provide similar shower and toilet upgrades to all of the residence halls,” Nilsen said.

Hudson said Douglas was chosen because it had the lowest satisfaction on surveys that were filled out by residents with about 40 percent of the sample saying they were dissatisfied with the bathrooms. Lincoln Hall is next on the list, followed by Pemberton Hall.

The project will also work to accommodate future fire alarm upgrades in Stevenson Hall and the installation of sprinkler systems in Lincoln and Stevenson.

Hudson said, according to a state law, all dormitories must have sprinkler systems installed by 2013.

Hudson said Douglas will also have kitchenettes on every floor, a recycling center to encourage more recycling and speakers in every room for emergency announcements.

Douglas will also have an electrical update.

Hudson said when the buildings were originally wired, they had less demands for electricity, and now they have to rewire so it can take all the demands needed today.

All of these updates can only happen if the board approves this purchase today.

The second item the Board would need to approve is a 10-year contract for university parking lot design services, which includes the design of a parking lot maintenance plan for the campus.

The cost of this is not to exceed $500,000 during the ten-year period.

“This contract will allow the university to contract with a company to provide annual maintenance services to the university’s parking lots,” Nilsen said.

Nilsen said the other items on the agenda for the meeting are important as well.

“We know the Board of Trustees members are busy, and we try very hard to use their time wisely,” Nilsen said.