Page 4 - Bill Cherry News Today

Ray Funderburk III was removed from the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees last week. Now that he’s off the board, he’s sharing two concerning experiences he said happened during his tenure.

At Thursday night’s Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees meeting, President Jim Morton gave a lengthy presentation on the college’s accomplishments over the last five years since he’s been in charge. Some of these were increasing enrollment numbers, upping state funding through course credits called full-time equivalency (FTE), and building improvements on campus.

Last week, members of Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees (BOT) pushed Trustee Ray Funderburk III into a closed session, after he said he wanted to make a public statement about the removal of former Trustee Jimmy Hopkins by New Hanover County Commission Chair Julia Olson-Boseman.

At Wednesday’s Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees meeting, Trustee Ray Funderburk brought up the contentious removal of former Trustee Jimmy Hopkins — but was almost immediately shut down by the board chair and attorney.

Rule was the starting goalie for the U.S. in 1974 and a 1998 Hall of Fame inductee.

Longtime Cape Fear Community College trustee Jimmy Hopkins was removed after a disagreement with college President Jim Morton. He later challenged the county's authority to remove him and threatened legal action — which he has now walked away from.

The county is facing blowback from the removal of CFCC Trustee Jimmy Hopkins. Now Hopkins says he hopes the county commission will do the “right thing” but if the matter needs to go to court he seems prepared to take it there.

On this episode, two interwoven stories revolving around the potential purchase of the former Bank of America building in downtown Wilmington by New Hanover County on behalf of Cape Fear Community College — and the abrupt removal of trustee Jimmy Hopkins from his longtime post on the CFCC Board.

On Monday, New Hanover County commissioners will consider a request from CFCC Board Chair Bill Cherry, asking the county to purchase the former Bank of America building in downtown Wilmington for $11,875,000. The building would be used to expand CFCC’s nursing and allied health programs. County staff estimate at least $14.8 million would be needed to renovate the building.

At Thursday evening’s Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees meeting, members unanimously approved the state budget worth $59.6 million — and the overall CFCC budget at $111.7 million. The college is receiving $12.6 million from the county and has an institutional budget of $39.4 million.