2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 18B. Higher Education › Article 19. Capital Projects and Facilities Needs › §18B-19-5. Capital Appropriation Requests

(a) The commission and council each shall submit a prioritized capital appropriation request annually to the state budget office as required by article two, chapter eleven-b of this code consisting of major capital projects and maintenance projects.
(b) The commission and council each shall develop a process for governing boards to follow in submitting a list of major educational and general capital projects so that a prioritized major capital project list, prepared by the commission or council, as appropriate, may be submitted to the state budget office by the applicable deadline.
(1) The governing board’s major capital project list shall include the following items:
(A) Projects identified in the governing board’s campus development plan or plans. A project may not be included which is not contained in the plan confirmed by the commission or approved by the council, as appropriate, except when extraordinary circumstances otherwise warrant;
(B) A current estimate of each project’s estimated cost accounting for inflation since completion of the campus development plan. The size and scope of the project may not change unless the campus development plan has been updated and approved by the council or confirmed by the commission, as appropriate, as provided in section three of this article; and
(C) Any additional information required to be provided by the commission, council or state budget office.
(2) The commission and council each shall rank the major capital projects submitted by the governing boards according to priority consistent with the criteria outlined in the system capital development plan. The council and commission may not submit to the state budget office a request for an institution which the commission or council determines reasonably could not secure funding through the appropriation process during the following fiscal year.
(c) The commission and council each shall develop a process for governing boards to follow in submitting a list of major maintenance projects so that a prioritized maintenance project list, prepared by the commission or council, as appropriate, may be submitted to the state budget office by the applicable deadline.
(1) Annually, the commission and council, as appropriate, shall provide each governing board a recommended building renewal calculation that identifies the funds that should be collected and invested in its buildings and facilities during the next fiscal year to maintain them and minimize deferred maintenance.
(2) As soon as it receives the building renewal calculation, each governing board shall make realistic revenue estimates of the funds available for maintenance projects from educational and general capital fees, from auxiliary and auxiliary capital fees and from any other revenue that may be used for maintenance projects, as well as any anticipated reserves. The governing boards then shall identify and submit proposed major maintenance projects, consistent with its campus development plan or plans, to be funded from these revenues.
(3) The commission and council each shall report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability on the revenue available to governing boards for educational and general and auxiliary maintenance projects, as well as any shortfalls based on building renewal formula calculation, and major maintenance projects that institutions propose to undertake during the upcoming fiscal year.
(4) The commission shall work with institutions under its jurisdiction to ensure that adequate funds are generated to fund maintenance and build adequate reserves from educational and general and auxiliary capital fees and other revenue consistent with the building renewal formula. The Legislature recognizes that it may take several years for this to be accomplished fully.
(5) The council shall work with the Legislature and institutions under its jurisdiction to ensure that a combination of appropriated and nonappropriated revenue is available to fund maintenance and build adequate reserves at community and technical colleges consistent with the building renewal formula.