WESSON – Copiah-Lincoln Community College Board of TrusteesChairman Eugene Bates Thursday established a committee toinvestigate variances in the school’s auxiliary fund accounts.

The Auxiliary Fund Account includes money used and generated bythe college’s bookstore, golf store, housing and food service.Board members questioned the account last month, and Bates said thequestions raised “weighed heavily on my mind.”

“I think, as a board, we need to take a look into thesematters,” Bates said.

Dr. Howell Garner, Co-Lin president, said that while theauxiliary account finished “in the black,” some of the individualservices failed to generate more revenue than they expended.

“Both the golf course and the cafeteria were down,” he said.

Income generated by housing and the bookstore, however, morethan offset the losses to allow the fund to show a profit.

“What we need to look at is how to make each areaself-sufficient,” Garner said.

The board is concerned that the balance of the fund could endthe year at a loss should more areas fail to meet theirexpenditures.

Bates asked the new committee to work diligently on theinvestigation and said he hopes to have a complete report by thenext meeting of the board.

“However, I do not wish to rush the committee and have themoverlook any discrepancies,” he said.

In other matters, the board approved a request by a member toreplace a majority of the fence surrounding the football field at acost of approximately $20,000.

“We just repaired a portion of the fence torn down by Katrina.That cost us about $8,500,” Garner said. “I think it’s an eyesoremyself, but I never felt like the cost justified the work.”

Previous estimates to replace the fence had come in around$50,000, the president said, but a new company in Brookhavenprovided the $20,000 bid.

The original fence posts will remain, Garner said, and thecompany will replace all of the slats, except the area rebuiltafter the hurricane.

The board also reviewed an architect’s timeline for renovationsat Smith Hall. The approved plan would allow construction to beginin May 2007 with a August 2007 completion date.