Cincinnati State Tech: A Community Resource

Editor, Matthew Doyle

The hilly location creates extra challenges, with many slopes reaching 25 and 30 degrees. Not only is all physical labor that much more difficult, but plant threats include windburn, uprooting and crooked growth. However, Mirizzi transformed a challenge to an advantage by teaming up with the civil engineering school to create a Frisbee golf course that uses the hills to increase the level of play. All images courtesy PGMS/CSTCC

Since Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC) was chartered in 1967, it has expanded to offer 72 associates degrees and numerous certificates to the surrounding area over five terms. The programs boast a 90 percent job placement rate, and the obvious zeal for supporting the education needs of the Cincinnati area includes the grounds department.

The Superintendent

Raymond Mirizzi has been at the facility for almost 33 years, including the period for which the crew won a 2007 PGMS Green Star Honor Award. He has since handed the reins to Tyrone Walton. The elder superintendent holds an associate?EUR??,,????'???s degree in both ornamental horticulture and business with an additional bachelor?EUR??,,????'???s in the latter. Regarding work hours, the 33-year veteran usually arrives between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., leaving around 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m.

When asked what?EUR??,,????'???s kept him at the site so long, the award-winning superintendent recalled what motivated him initially through the present day. It?EUR??,,????'???s the potential of what CSTCC can do for the Cincinnati area and the challenge in making it a reality.

The crew at CTSCC averages 240 total labor hours per week to serve the 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. class schedule. The main campus required $148,194 in expenditures for the six full-time employees in 2007. Normal work hours mean arriving at about 6:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. and leaving between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Staff

Employee expenditures in 2007 for the main campus were $148,194. The group consists of six full time employees, all of whom are licensed pesticide applicators. They usually come in around 6:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m. and leave between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Winter brings on a staggered schedule, with everyone coming in around 7:00 a.m. for snow and ice removal. Another comes in later so they can stay till 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. to serve the needs of night classes, which run till?EUR??,,????'??? 11:00 p.m. The crew averages 240 total labor hours per week to serve the 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. class schedule.

There?EUR??,,????'???re no permanent part-time employee?EUR??,,????'???s, but during the peak season a horticulture or crop student can be called in for extra manpower.

Facility

The workers at CSTCC are responsible for the 43 acre main campus, a Work Force Development element 10 miles away, and the West campus located 19 miles from the main site. The distance cuts into available labor hours with drive time. There are 7,500 to 8,500 full time students, several thousand part-time students and 500 faculty and staff at all three locations, with a total groundskeeping department budget of $310,000 in 2007.

The West campus is a school-owned and operated airport to support the aviation maintenance program. A unique set of landscaping procedures results. Ice and snow removal must use pure urea, as salts risk corroding vital aircraft components. No large trees can be used to prevent blocking control tower sightlines. Lighting must also be 100% reliable and failures must be repaired immediately. Debris must be promptly removed from the ground and no gravels or mulches may be used, all to prevent engine damage.

Raymond Mirizzi has been at the facility 33 years, and the same reasons that initially drew him have kept him there. He believes in what the organization can do for the area and enjoys the challenge of making it a reality. He holds an associate?EUR??,,????'???s degree in ornamental horticulture and business as well as a bachelor?EUR??,,????'???s in the latter.

Plant Material

$3,800 have been allocated for florals and $2,900 for landscape plants at all three campus?EUR??,,????'??? for 2008. Vegetation is selected with four primary considerations: the maintenance requirements, pest vulnerability of the species under consideration, how well it supports the lab function of the landscape and aesthetics.

Ornamental grasses can also be found in abundance, particularly fountain grasses. Winter Gold winterberry, hydrangeas, chaemyaparis, dogwoods, ithea, dwarf willow, arborvitae, dogwood varieties, barberries and viburnums are among the varieties present.

Maintenance Schedule

The staff targets the majority of the planting for fall with some in winter. This is primarily driven by partial irrigation that limits when new seedlings can be watered in. They then pull back and slow down to focus on preventative maintenance. After the last frost, which is usually mid-may, annuals are put in. Then, in the first week of June to mid September, a complete floral changeover occurs with many mums, pansies and some ornamental cabbage going in.

Cutting cost while maintaining standards is a challenge superintendents are all too familiar with. One measure at CSTCC has been the elimination of a contracted mowing program to save a targeted $150,000 over five years. While it increases staff time demands, the cost savings are worth it in Mirizzi?EUR??,,????'???s opinion.

Vehicles

The 2007 equipment budget for the main site was $37,000. Trucks include two Ford F-250?EUR??,,????'???s. There is one John Deere loader/tractor with a backhoe. Two Gator utility carts are in use, but have been replaced with one Kabota unit so far. The superintendent said they like the independent suspension available on the new purchase for the hilly terrain on campus. He also claims to have experienced higher maintenance requirements with the John Deere vehicles. Also present is a Dingo mini track loader equipped with a tiller and auger. Mowers are all Exmark and include several walk behinds and riders. Weed eaters, blowers and all other pieces of hand equipment are Stihl.

Before a couple years ago, most of their maintenance was contracted out. However, since then a new groundskeeper has been hired with a mechanical background and an interest in utilizing it. Mirizzi estimates that 70% of their preventative maintenance and repair work is handled in house as a result. Only the most time-consuming or difficult to perform tasks are sent to the shop.

The superintendent estimates that 60 percent of the campus is irrigated and the remainder not. As a result, drought conditions require either a 50 gallon water tank approach as depicted or plugging hoses into spigots. The problem is further complicated by administrations reluctance to make irrigation a priority, as buildings installed as late as 1994 and 2003 lack the utility.

Chemicals and Fertilizer

The budget for these products at the main campus in 2007 was $4,700. The superintendent estimates a 5 percent increase in 2008 due to rising petroleum costs. Despite the increase, programming has been minimally altered.

Roundup and Snapshot are used for weed control in the landscape beds, and TruGreen is chosen for turf weed control and spot sprays as needed. It?EUR??,,????'???s also used as a pre-emergent in spring. Barricade and Dimension are used in alternating years. Fertilization of trees and turf is contracted out, while annuals get a 20-20-20 soluble mix.

Plant material is chosen with four factors in mind. They include maintenance requirements, pest resistance, how well they support the lab function of the landscape and aesthetics. The lab function requires the careful cataloguing of all installations for students to check identifications against.

Irrigation

Six controllers equipped with rain gauges manage the watering system on campus. Each controller manages eight or 10 systems, each of which consists of about 50 or 60 heads.

The majority of the installation on campus is Toro, but they?EUR??,,????'???re in the process of converting to Rain Bird. The switchover was prompted by increased water savings with the newer option over the older Toro units to meet a 25% water reduction goal. This is complicated by the lack of a central control system and the need for an irrigation audit. Maintenance was formally contracted out, but a new hire with an interest in the task brought the program in-house.

The small budget of the campus requires that the crew adopt a ?EUR??,,????'??full service?EUR??,,????'?? approach. A ride-on-sweeper is used to clean one of two five story parking garages, which is done every 10 weeks. Lighting repair and maintenance, most vehicle maintenance, irrigation system repair and overall hardscapes care are among their long list of responsibilities.

Challenges

Slope Issue: The campus landscape is all hills, featuring many 25 and 30 degree grades. According to the superintendent, the topography generates the greatest horticultural challenge. A major difficulty is the wind experienced, which threatens plants with windburn, uprooting and crooked growth. Also, the elevated surface ensures that any mistakes are plainly visible from a distance. Finally, the slopes are a much greater energy drain for the crew than level ground.

Floral Greenhouse: An on-site greenhouse now serves all the annual and perennial flower needs of the campus. This has allowed the horticulture students to gain valuable lab experience while maintaining standards and cutting costs.

Yet another cost cutting measure has been the use of an on-site greenhouse to grow all the floral plant materials required. Depicted are several annual species, particularly chrysanthemums. This approach also allows the horticulture students to increase their knowledge base.

Mission

When asked what they do, Mirizzi?EUR??,,????'???s usual response is, ?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???re in the image business?EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'?? He believes the goal is to provide a source of pride and a beautiful place to go for the students, faculty, surrounding community, and visitors. The superintendent also points out that groundskeepers are responsible for everyone?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??first impression?EUR??,,????'?? of the campus facilities, playing a key recruiting role as a result. Furthermore, he noted this must be articulated to campus administration for the department to accomplish it?EUR??,,????'???s mission.