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The Legislative Black Caucus plans to ask the governor for $29.3 million to fix problems at N.C. Central University and UNC-Pembroke

Black legislators agreed on a new tactic Thursday for fixing mold problems at N.C. Central University: Go directly to Gov. Mike Easley for the money.

Blocked in his attempts to get the General Assembly to approve $26 million this month to clean up NCCU's mold, Rep. Mickey Michaux, a Durham Democrat, asked the Legislative Black Caucus to go to the governor.

Members agreed to ask for $25.8 million for NCCU and $3.5 million for UNC-Pembroke, where mold has closed one building.

Easley could take the money from the $300 million in repair and renovation bonds the legislature approved but did not distribute, Michaux said.

"My thought is the governor is sitting on that money and the pressure ought to be there to get it," he said.

At least a dozen NCCU buildings harbor potentially harmful mold.

Mold infestation shut down two 4-year-old dormitories before the fall semester began. The university is paying to house 500 students in hotels and apartments.

Jay Reiff, a special adviser to Easley, said Thursday that $300 million in planned indebtedness to pay for repair and renovation of state-owned buildings is one of the sources of funding the governor would consider tapping to help clean up NCCU's mold. About 46 percent of that, or $138 million, typically goes to the UNC system for all 16 campuses.

"First and foremost, the university has been authorized to spend $10 million already to address this issue," Reiff said. "The governor's concern, before we start writing checks, is that there is a comprehensive plan in place to make sure we solve this mold problem once and for all. To date, we have not seen a comprehensive plan from the university system."

Reiff said the state budget office is working with the UNC system to put a plan together "to the governor's satisfaction," but he didn't know when any decisions would be made.

NCCU took $10 million from its 2000 higher education bond funding to start mold cleanup, and work already has begun on nine buildings. University trustees want the bond funding to be replaced, so that NCCU can move forward with renovations and new construction needed to support booming enrollment.

The reconstruction of New Residence Hall Buildings One and Two could start as soon as April, but not without additional money to hire contractors.