September 17, 2025 – Physical Environment – Minutes

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Time: Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams

Present: N. Brautigan, B. Church, S. Darm, C. Driscoll, J. Earl Boehm, J. Francis, D. Frick, W. Huddleston, K. Jahnke, P. Nanda, M. Newman, A. Raddant, R. Schneider, K. Sobolev, M. Spadanuda, M. Srite, N. Stelzner, P. Warren, K. Wolfert
Absent: J. McLean, E. Newman, J. Szczepaniak-Gillece, S. Wirka
Guests: J. Luehring; R. Koehler; M. Priem

  1. Meeting called to order at 8:31 a.m.
  2. Automatic Consent
    1. Meeting Agenda – no change to agenda.
    2. Minutes of April 25, 2024 meeting approved as distributed. 
  3. Welcome
    1. New members
    2. Jen Knackert, Senior Director of Gift Planning & Agreements – introduction.
  4. Old Business – none
  5. New Business
    1. Elections
      1. Chair – Wendy describes position and motions Jocelyn’s Szczepaniak-Gillece’s nomination to chair the committee for 25-26.
        1. Michael Newman firsts, Nicole Stelzner seconds.
        2. Consensus from committee.
      2. Vice Chair – Wendy nominates self, and motions to indicate such
        1. Ann Raddant firsts, Robert Schneider seconds.
        2. Consensus from committee.
      3. Transportation sub-committee
        1. Current members:
          1. Bob Schneider
          2. Jesse McLean
          3. Stephanie Coryell (ex-officio)
          4. Prasanna Nanda (ex-officio)
          5. Colleen Ference Burke (ex-officio)
          6. Mike Priem (ex officio)
        2. Needed members:
          1. Chair – Robert Schneider volunteers self.
            1. Vote from floor. Nicole Stelzner firsts, Jen Earl Boehm seconds.
            2. Consensus from committee.
          2. FAC – Michael Newman volunteers self.
          3. FAC – Benjamin Church volunteers self. (1 year term)
          4. AS – Philip Warren volunteers self.
          5. US – Nelson Brautigam volunteers self.
      4. Naming sub-committee
        1. Current members:
          1. Jocelyn Szczepaniak-Gillece
          2. Jesse McLean
          3. Brandon James (ex officio)
          4. Jodie Tabak (ex officio)
          5. Karen Wolfert (ex officio)
        2. Needed members:
          1. Chair – Wendy Huddleston volunteers self.
            1. Motion from the floor. Nelson firsts, Mark seconds.
            2. Consensus from committee.
          2. FAC – Wendy Huddleston volunteers self.
          3. FAC – Jennifer Earl Boehm volunteers self.
          4. AS – Ann Raddant volunteers self.
          5. US – Rick Koehler volunteers self.
      5. Space Planning Committee PEC representative – Nicole Stelzner volunteers self.
    2. Capital budget 25-27 update (Spadanuda)
      1. Capital budget was passed in July 2025 and signed by governor shortly after. 8 projects were enumerated.
      2. Largest project is the Health Sciences Renovation project and will advance in NWQ. Anticipating October building commission meeting to approve construction.
      3. Engineering and Neurosciences design money, includes review of EMS and Physics building. Requesting construction budget in next biennium.
      4. Sandburg Hall received design money for work in east tower – resident restroom & kitchen updates.
      5. 3 facilities projects – campuswide building automation upgrades, Maryland Ave bridge restoration, and Lapham exterior and envelope repair.
      6. Physics Instructional Lab Relocation – money to help relocate to KIRC.
      7. Lapham Active Learning classroom renovation.
    3. Chemistry demo update (Wolfert)
      1. Project is July 2025 – August 2027.
    4. Hartford Ave Construction schedule (Jen)
      1. Initially scheduled to occur before the start of this semester, but work is now pushed out to next summer with expectations to complete before Fall 2026.
        1. This project is to improve Hartford Ave roadway – converting to one way street with bike lanes from spanning Downer to just before Kramer (at the NWQ South drive entrance).
      2. Project was pushed back due to approvals and desire to avoid impact to fall campus activities.
      3. Michael Newman asks question about cycling. Jen states there will be a 2 way cycling lane on North side of the street.
  6. Standing business
    1. Report of Space Planning Subcommittee (Mark Srite).
      1. Subcommittee has not met yet but plan to have first meeting in October.
  7. Closed session – The Physical Environment Committee may move into closed session as permitted by Wis. Stats. sec. 19.85(1)(e) for the purposes of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.
    1. No closed session business scheduled for this meeting.
  8. Announcements – none.
  9. Meeting adjournment – Wendy calls meeting adjourned at 9:20 am.
  10. Next meeting: Wednesday, October 15th, 2024, 8:30 – 10:00 a.m.