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WELL, WELCOME TO OUR TOWN HALL.
I'M JOHN LUMPKINS, UH, DISTRICT THREE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBER.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO DO SOME QUICK INTRODUCTIONS OF THE BOARD, ME, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, YOUR REPRESENTATIVES ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT ARE HERE.
AND THEN I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO VIC CARPENTER.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE COUNTY PRESENTATION, THE BUD BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THIS TIME OF SEASON IS BUDGET SEASON, AND WE GO OVER THE, THE BUDGET AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
UM, NEIL SPOON, HOWER DISTRICT TWO, HE'LL BE HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
I THINK HE'S RUNNING LATE, UH, A FEW MINUTES LATE.
UH, BUT HE AND I SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON TRANSPORTATION.
SO I'M, I'M INTERESTED TO, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE EVERY DAY I'M LEARNING SOMETHING MORE ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS A, IS A BIG TOPIC FOR US.
UM, AFTER THE COUNTY PRESENTS AFTER, UH, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. CARPENTER PRESENTS, WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
I THINK, UH, KAREN HORN MAY DO AN INTRODUCTION.
SO WE HAVE, UM, SUSAN LASETTE, DISTRICT ONE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS HERE UP THE FRONT.
LIKE I SAID, NEIL WILL BE WITH US.
THAT'S ALL THE BOARD SUPERVISORS MEMBERS.
I SEE, UM, KAREN HORN, DISTRICT THREE, NOW TWO, UM, IS HERE.
SO WE'LL HEAR FROM THE STATE BOARD A LITTLE BIT.
ANGELA ALLEN IS ALSO THE OTHER.
THIS IS, UH, Y'ALL'S TWO TOWN HALL FOR DISTRICTS TWO AND THREE.
AND I SAW MIKE NEWMAN, DISTRICT FOUR TOWARDS THE BACK, UH, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOU FOR THE CITIZENS HERE.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. CARPENTER AND WE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS, UM, AT THE END AFTER DR.
WE'LL, AND I THINK BOARD MEMBERS WILL PROBABLY STICK AROUND IF YOU WANNA TALK TO US INDIVIDUALLY AS WELL.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
YOU, I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE OF YOU.
MS. LUTON JUST DID, BUT IT, IT, IT MEANS A LOT TO YOUR, YOUR COUNTY STAFF, YOUR TEAM, YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
WHEN WE DO AN EVENT LIKE THIS, WE LOOK OUT AND WE SEE CITIZENS WHO CARE AND CITIZENS WHO ARE CONCERNED AND INTERESTED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
WHEN YOU'RE AN ORGANIZATION THAT EMBRACES TRANSPARENCY LIKE WE DO EVENTS LIKE THIS, THEY'RE FUN, THEY'RE ENJOYABLE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M GONNA PAINT YOU A PICTURE ABOUT GSOM COUNTY.
UH, BUT IT'S A PICTURE WITH NUMBERS AND STATISTICS.
IT'S GONNA BE A STORY ABOUT COMMITMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND PROMISES THAT ARE KEPT.
AND IT'S A STORY ABOUT PEOPLE VALUES DRIVE AND TERMINATION.
OF COURSE, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
THIS IS OUR LAST TOWN HALL, OUR THIRD ONE.
WE'VE DONE SEVERAL ALREADY THROUGHOUT THE, UH, FIRST COUPLE WEEKS OF THIS MONTH AND FINISHING UP TONIGHT HERE AT CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS BUDGET? WELL, I'M GONNA START WITH THE BASICS.
YOU KNOW, GUCCI'S ECONOMY REMAINS STRONG.
OUR HOUSING PERMITS CONTINUE TO STAY STRONG.
COMMERCIAL RETAIL BUILDINGS PICKED UP.
SIGNS DON'T THAT IT'S SLOWING DOWN.
NOW BECAUSE OF A STRONG ECONOMY, WE CONTINUE TO MEET ALL THE BOARD'S ESTABLISHED FINANCIAL POLICIES.
THE BUDGET YOU'RE GONNA SEE TONIGHT KEEPS PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION AS A PRIORITY.
IN FACT, IT ACCOUNTS ENOUGH ABOUT 50% OF ALL OUR SPENDING IN THIS BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE NO INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE TAXES.
AND IN FACT, WE'RE WORKING TO LOWER SOME BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET.
WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH OUR REGIONAL PEERS, THE COST OF LIVING A MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR EMPLOYEE SALARIES.
SO IN SUMMARY, THIS BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR FUTURE WITH EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY LEADING THE WAY.
WHEN YOU, LET'S START WITH OUR REVENUES, CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE START WITH.
AND WE START WITH OUR ASSESSED VALUES OF THE COUNTY.
THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE COUNTY CONTINUES TO GROW.
AND THIS IS BECAUSE THE COMBINATION OF NEW DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH IN EXISTING PROPERTY VALUES, STRONG GROWTH IN NEW HOUSING, COMMERCIAL RETAIL RESULT IN THE TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE OF BUCHIN COUNTY RISING IS 7.84 BILLION.
PERSONAL PROPERTY VALUES HAVE RISEN OVERALL AS WELL.
UH, VALUES OF EXISTING VEHICLES THOUGH HAVE DROPPED APPROXIMATELY 20% FROM LAST YEAR.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES OF IT, THE TOTAL REVENUES OF THIS COUNTY COMING IN, YOU'LL SEE THAT RIGHT NOW ABOUT 138 MILLION IS THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE REVENUES COMING IN.
AND THE REST OF THE OTHER SOURCES THAT'LL BE COMING FROM THERE.
WHEN YOU GET TO THE GENERAL FUND, IS ABOUT 86.5 MILLION IN OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND THE GENERAL FUND IS DIVIDED MOSTLY AMONGST, AGAIN, PROPERTY TAXES, LOCAL TAXES, AND STATE AID THAT COMES IN.
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HIGH SPENDING.ALL THE GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS IN GUCCI COUNTY, TOTAL SPENDING FOR ALL GOVERNMENT FUNDS IS ABOUT 140 MILLION.
HOWEVER, MOST OF THAT DOES NOT GO TO WHAT PEOPLE GENERALLY THINK OF WHEN THEY THINK OF THE COUNTY, THE ACTUAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
IN FACT, 65% OF THAT 140 MILLION GOES TO EDUCATION, DEBT, UTILITIES, AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
OKAY,
NOW, OF THAT $86.5 MILLION, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT'S GONNA GO TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND OUR COURTS, ABOUT 50% OF THAT GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND OUR COURTS, WE TALK ABOUT THE OVERALL BUDGET.
LET ME SHOW YOU SOME OF THE THINGS TO THIS OVERALL BUDGET THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
OF THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT WE HAVE, ABOUT ABOUT 140 MILLION RIGHT THERE.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE GENERAL FUND INCREASED BY ABOUT 9.5%.
UTILITIES, A LITTLE ABOUT 2% SCHOOLS ONLY INCREASED ABOUT THREE TENTHS A PERCENT.
AND OUR CONSTRUCTION AND PROG AND CONSTRUCTION AND PROGRESS CAPITAL ABOUT 53%.
SO THE TOTAL OVERALL BUDGET GREW BY ABOUT 11.5%.
BUT I'M GONNA GET INTO THAT A LITTLE DEEPER NOW AND TALK TO YOU SOME MORE ABOUT WHAT IT IS.
PUBLIC SAFETY OF THE GENERAL FUND'S GROWTH.
PUBLIC SAFETY ACCOUNTED FOR TOTAL OF 18.1%.
ALL OF THE ACCOUNTED DEPARTMENTS WERE ABOUT 3.4% GROWTH.
SO THE TOTAL AVERAGE GROWTH OF THE BUDGET WAS 9.5%.
BUT AGAIN, 18.1% GROWTH IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING AND 3.4% IN OUR OTHER COUNTY DEPARTS.
SO WHAT DO YOU GET FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY? THE COMMITMENT'S BEEN MADE TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR CITIZENS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF QUALITY THAT YOU DESERVE, YOU DESIRE AND YOU WANT.
SO THIS BUDGET, WE'RE ADDING NINE NEW POSITIONS IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT SHERIFF FIRE RESCUES AND OUR COMMUNICATION EMPLOYEES RECEIVE REGIONALLY COMPETITIVE COST OF LIVING INCREASES.
BUT OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION EMPLOYEES ARE CRITICAL TO US.
THEY'RE THE SPEAR OF THE SPEAR.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUR FIRST FIRST RESPONDERS.
SO THEY'RE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL 8% RAISE.
WHY? BECAUSE WE ARE IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET.
WE HAVE TO COMPETE WITH HENRICO, WE HAVE TO COMPETE WITH CHESTERFIELD.
THEY'RE PUTTING MONEY INTO THOSE POSITIONS.
AND IF WE DON'T MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES, THEY WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVENESS.
SO WHEN YOU PICK UP THAT PHONE OR CALL SOMEONE ANSWERS IT AND SOMEONE SHOWS UP AT YOUR HOUSE IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU WANT IT AND YOU NEED IT.
NOW, SCHOOLS AS SAID, OUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION REMAINS STRONG IN THIS COUNTY.
RAYLEY'S GONNA GIVE YOU A MUCH MORE IN-DEPTH EXPLANATION OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET, BUT WHEN I SAID THAT THE TELE SCHOOL BUDGET WENT UP THREE TENTHS OF 1%, WELL, ACTUALLY YOU'LL SEE A PART OF IT, LOCAL CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL FUNDS WENT ABOUT 5%.
THAT'S THE MONEY WE PUT INTO THE SCHOOL BUDGET.
NOW, AS HE'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU, OTHER PARTS OF IT DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER A MILLION DOLLAR DECREASE.
SO THE NET RESULT OF THEIR BUDGET IS A INCREASED ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR THREE TENTHS OF 1%.
THE UTILITIES FUND IS ACTUALLY OUR SECOND LARGEST FUND OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT UTILITIES IN OUR COUNTY ARE AN INDEPENDENT FUND.
IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE CALL AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
IT'S A BUSINESS UNIT OF THE COUNTY.
AND THE UTILITIES ARE A WATER AND SEWER.
AND BY LAW THEY HAVE TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
THEY HAVE TO STAND ON THEIR OWN TWO FEET.
SO THEY HAVE TO GENERATE THE NECESSARY REVENUE FROM THEIR OWN OPERATING EXPENSES, FROM THE RATE PAYERS THAT ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM THEIR SERVICES.
SO THERE, YOU SEE, THIS YEAR 19 MILLION IS THEIR BUDGET GROWTH OF ABOUT 3%.
NOW, WHAT DRIVES THAT OF COURSE, IS A SMALL WATER INCREASE AND SEWER INCREASE.
AND SO THE TYPICAL CUSTOMER BILL IS GONNA GO UP ABOUT $4 A MONTH FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS GIN COUNTY UTILITIES, PROVIDING TO THEM OUR CIP P.
I SAID THAT WAS A BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET AND IT IS, UH, SOME YEARS AGO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAD THE WISDOM AND THE FORESIGHT TO ADOPT A 25 YEAR PLAN.
EVERY YEAR WE ANALYZE THAT PLAN, WE REVIEW THAT PLAN, AND WE ADJUST IT AS NECESSARY.
THIS YEAR, IT'S ABOUT A 25 MILLION PLAN.
AND AS YOU SEE, AGAIN, EDUCATION IS ABOUT 76% OF THAT.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THIS AMAZING SCHOOL BEING BUILT AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE SURE THAT THE FUNDING WAS NECESSARY TO ALLOW IT TO BE COMPLETED.
FIRE AND RESCUE IS IN THERE AS WELL.
A SHERIFF'S OFFICE, TRUCKS, VEHICLES, THOSE KINDS THAT WE NEED.
UH, WE PUT SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY IN FIRE RESCUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FIRE STATION WILL BE BUILDING ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY, WILL BE ADEQUATELY FUNDED WHEN IT COMES TIME TO CONSTRUCT IT.
SO AS YOU LOOK AT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AGAIN, 19 MILLION IN THE SCHOOL C I P, INCLUDING 15TH FOR THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 2 MILLION TO GO WITH A 9.1 WE ALREADY HAD SET ASIDE FROM THE FIRE STATION ON H ROAD IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO LEMME KIND OF SUMMARIZE AND WHAT DOES THIS BUDGET DO? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, CONTINUES TO MEET OR EXCEED ALL FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS
[00:10:01]
THAT THE BOARD AND OUR CITIZENS EXPECT INCLUDES COST OF LIVING AND SALARY INCREASES FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND MARKET COMPARISON ANALYSIS AND INCREASES AS WELL.WE CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC SAFETY IS A PRIORITY.
NEW POSITIONS FUNDED COMPETITIVE SALARY INCREASES AND ADDITIONAL SALARY INCREASES AS NECESSARY.
WE'VE INCREASED OUR EDUCATIONAL FUNDING BY $1.25 MILLION 19 MILLION FOR SCHOOL C I P.
AND WE'RE ALSO FUNDING NECESSARY STUDIES FOR THE FUTURE PROJECTS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ENGAGE IN IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DEAL WITH AND ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH THAT IS COMING.
AND AGAIN, NO INCREASE IN OUR REAL ESTATE TAX RATE, OUR TUCKAHOE CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT TAX RATE.
AND FURTHER, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE WHERE WE CAN DECREASE THOSE TAXES.
STILL AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE REST OF THIS BUDGET, WE'VE STILL GOT OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD OF US, IF YOU WANT TO USE THAT WORD, AN OPPORTUNITY.
INFLATION'S COMING, WE KNOW IT IS.
WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE FIGURE THAT IN.
IS THERE GONNA BE A RECESSION? EVERYONE TELLS US THEIR WILL.
SO WE HAVE TO ANALYZE THAT AND BE READY FOR EDIT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A CONTINUED DESIRE FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO GROW OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT ABILITY TO RESPOND WHEN NEEDED, WHERE NEEDED, AS OFTEN AS NEEDED.
WE'VE GOT A GROWING COMMUNITY POPULATION JUST DRIVING HERE.
I SAW ALL THE FOR SALE AND SOLD SIGNS ON PROPERTIES ALONG 5 22 PUBLIC FUNDING FROM THE COMMONWEALTH.
WELL, IT'S KEEPS DROPPING OR SO WE GOTTA KEEP RAISING OUR LOCAL SUPPORT OF IT.
CONSTANTLY INCREASING HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS.
AND AGAIN, WHATEVER THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DECIDE TO DO, THEY'RE ALWAYS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO REMEMBER AND BE PREPARED FOR WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO THROUGH UNFUNDED MANDATES TO US.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, OUR STAFF IS VERY AWARE OF THOSE ISSUES AS WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGETS GOING FORWARD.
SO HERE'S THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT BUDGET.
AS YOU SEE, WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH OUR TOWN HALLS.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE APRIL 4TH.
APRIL 4TH WILL BE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE BUDGET DOWN AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER, THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF THE PORTHOUSE ITSELF.
THAT'S WHAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT OUR TAX RATE AND OUR AD VALOR RATES AS WELL AS THE BUDGET ITSELF.
URGE EVERYBODY TO COME OUT, SEE THE BUDGET IN GREAT DETAIL, ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THEN APRIL 18TH, THE BUDGET WOULD BE ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
NOW, AGAIN, THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW I'M GIVING YOU TONIGHT.
I'LL BE GLAD TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT WITH THE SUPERVISORS WILL AND THOSE TWO DATES, YOU'LL ADDITIONALLY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES PUBLICLY TO COME AND LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING.
AND OF COURSE, I ALWAYS LIKE TO THROW IN THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN MY TALKS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER LATELY.
YEAH, WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT DOGS AND CATS THERE THAT ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THEIR FOREVER HOME.
YOU SEE TUESDAYS THROUGH SUNDAYS.
SO MOVE ON A LITTLE FROM THE BUDGET NOW, JUST KIND OF TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING AT GUCCI COUNTY.
OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD A BOND REFERENDUM NOT TOO LONG AGO.
85% OF OUR VOTERS APPROVED A BOND REFERENDUM THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO START DOING WHAT YOU NOW SEE HAPPENING.
OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS BEING BUILT THERE.
YOU SEE THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR IT.
AND ALSO WE HAVE FUNDING THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW THE WEST STREET FIRE STATION, THAT THERE'S A MAYBE AN EXAM OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AT SOME POINT.
UH, AN OVERVIEW OF OF A DESIGN FOR IT OVER THE WEST CREEK PART OF THIS COUNTY.
ADDITION TO THAT, THIS PART OF THE COUNTY CERTAINLY SEES AND UNDERSTANDS THE NEED FOR INTERNET.
SO BACK IN 2021, WE ANNOUNCED THE FIREFLY ANNOUNCEMENT IN, UH, 2021.
THE END OF IT, THE UH, 79 MILLION BRANCH WAS ANNOUNCED AS WELL.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR GOON COUNTY? WELL, YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE STATISTICS OVER IN THE CROZIER AREA.
THE PORT 80 HAS ALMOST COMPLETED THEIR BACKBONE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
PORT A, THEY'VE BUILT OVER 28 MILES OF FIBER TO DATE THE FIREFLY BROADBAND HAS REWARDED THEIR GRANT.
NOW 320 MILES OF FIBER CONNECTING 3,500 PASSING ARE GONNA BE WITHIN GUCCI COUNTY BECAUSE OF FIREFLY.
THE COUNTY IS CONTRIBUTING IN ADDITION TO THE GRANT FUNDING OVER 3.6 MILLION.
IF YOU'VE SEEN BUCKET TRUCKS AROUND, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT ON UH, WHITE HALL, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOME ON HIGHWAY SIX, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOME.
UM, IF YOU'VE SEEN THOSE OVER ON, ON HAYESVILLE FIRE ROAD, UM, THAT'S FIREFLY EXPANDING OUT ON WHAT THEY CALL THE MIDDLE MILE.
THE, UH, THE UM, UM, THE POWER LINES THAT DOMINION HAS, THEY'RE RUNNING MIDDLE MILE.
THAT'LL THEN TIE INTO THE HOUSES ONCE THEY GET IT RUN UP.
SO THE MAP, AGAIN, THIS SHOWS YOU AGAIN, THIS PART OF THE COUNTY.
AND THE YELLOW IS WHAT'S CALLED THE RISE AREA.
THAT'S THE, THE PART OF IT THAT, UH, IS PART OF THE FIREFLY FOOTPRINT AND THE GRANT FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
AGAIN, THE, UH, IT'S ALL SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BY THE END OF 2024.
UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER MORE OF THESE QUESTIONS LATER IF YOU HAVE ANY ABOUT 'EM.
MOVING ON FROM THERE, OUR VILLAGE PLANS.
WE HAVE TWO VILLAGE PLANS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
UH, CURRENTLY THE ATTENDANCE GROUP IS BROUGHT IN NOT TOO LONG TO GIVE A FRESH PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR VILLAGE PLANS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BE DEVELOPED SO THAT WE CAN PRESENT THEM TO THE BOARD IN THE LATE SPRING FOR, UH, FURTHER CONSIDERATION APPROVAL.
BUT FOCUSING ON A FEW THINGS, FOCUSING ON REGULATING PRINCIPLES THAT IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'M SORRY, OUR, OUR OUR VILLAGES.
AND BALANCING THE CHARACTER OF EACH VILLAGE AND ENCOURAGING THE PRESERVATION OF THEM.
UH, WE ANTICIPATE IN LAKE SPRING THAT THESE WILL BE COMING UP.
ANY PUBLIC INPUT THAT WAS RECEIVED
[00:15:01]
IN THE TIMEFRAME WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE HAS BEEN INCORPORATED IN ALL THIS.IF YOU'RE ON THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, THIS OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T INFECTI US TOO MUCH, BUT I'LL STILL SAY THIS IS A HUGE PROJECT THE COUNTY'S DOING.
WE'RE HAVING TO REBUILD OUR FORCE MAIN OVER IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
UH, IT'S ABOUT A 9 MILLION PROJECT.
WE'D LIKE TO SHOW THAT AS AN EXAMPLE THAT, THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO KEEP EVEN YEARS LATER AFTER SOMETHING PUT IN THE GROUND, YOU GOTTA GO BACK AND FIX, IT'S GOTTA GO BACK AND REPLACE IT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE DOWNSIDES OF BEING A LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS YOU'RE NEVER DONE.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU FINISH WITH ONE PROJECT, YOU GOTTA COME BACK AND REPLACE IT AND FIX IT AND UPGRADE SOME YEARS LATER.
SO THAT'S A REPLACEMENT OF OUR FORCE MAN IN THE EASTERN, I'M SORRY, THE WESTERN PART OF, NO, THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS OUT GONNA START IN THE COURTHOUSE AREA RIGHT HERE.
THE FAIRGROUNDS OF SANDY HOOK ROAD, THE INTERSECTION, THE ROUNDABOUT THAT'S, YOU'VE BEEN SAYING IT AND IT'S COMING.
WELL, IT'S REALLY COMING SOON.
IN ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS, THEY'RE GONNA BE CLOSING DOWN THE FAIRGROUND SECTION, UH, FOR UP TO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOUR TO SIX MONTHS.
IF IT TAKES THAT LONG FOR THEM TO GET IT COMPLETED, HOPEFULLY MUCH SOONER THAN THAT THERE WILL BE 5 22 WILL REMAIN OPEN.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO STILL TAKE 5 22 IN.
AND THEN DIXON ROAD WILL BE THE, UM, THE WAY THAT YOU GET AROUND IS A DETOUR FROM THAT, THE EXTENSION, UH, THE FAIRGROUNDS EXTENSION ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY.
THAT IS THE PART THAT WILL CONTINUE ON AROUND TO HIGHWAY SIX.
WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE FOR CONSTRUCTION IN 2025 ON THAT PROJECT SO IT COULD BE COMPLETED IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
WE RECENTLY ALSO DID A STUDY, A CORRIDOR STUDY WE CALL THE FAIRGROUNDS ROAD CORRIDOR STUDY, WHICH WAS ANALYZING THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR FOR SAFETY ISSUES TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT COULD BE, UM, ENACTED, COULD BE ENGAGED IN BY THE COUNTY TO MAKE IT A SAFER AND BETTER ROAD.
SO THE STUDY IS COMPLETED AND IT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO THE COUNTY FOR US TO CONSIDER GOING FORWARD.
ADDITIONAL THINGS, THE OILVILLE ROAD I 64 INTERCHANGE, AYE PROCEED $4 MILLION FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, IT'S GONNA ALLEVIATE, UH, TRAFFIC CONCERNS AND THE WESTBOUND RAMPS.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER THE REST OF THE FUNDING NECESSARY IN ORDER TO BUILD IT.
ALSO IN, AGAIN, THE FAR EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, THERE IS A STUDY THAT'S BEEN APPROVED.
IT WOULD LOOK AT BUILDING A NEW INTERCHANGE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
NO, NO TIME SOON, BUT THOUGH ESSENTIALLY ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS AND WOULD CONNECT WILKES RIDGE ROAD TO HIGHWAY 2 88.
MOVING FURTHER INTO THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, THE ASHTON ROAD I 64, UM, THAT INTERCHANGE WHAT WE CALL THE D D I, THE DIVERGENT DIAMOND INTERSECTION.
IF YOU'VE BEEN OVER TO A ZION'S CROSSROAD, THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THOSE IS.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE PURSUING ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
WE'VE GOT COMMITMENTS SECURED.
WE LOOK TO BE ABLE TO START ADVERTISING AND BIDDING FOR THE AWARD OF THE CONSTRUCTION, HOPEFULLY SOMETIME IN 2028 OR SOONER FOR THAT.
THAT'LL MAKE A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT TO TRAFFIC AROUND THERE.
ANOTHER THAT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY IS THE ASHTON ROAD PARK AND RIDE LOT THAT'S ALREADY BEEN, UM, THEY'RE AWARDING THAT BID AND WE HOPE YOU HAVE A CONSTRUCTION IN 2025 IF YOU DRIVE THAT SECTION OF COUNTY, THE HOCKETT ROAD REALIGNMENT, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE HOCKET ROAD SECTION THAT WOULD CONNECT YOU FROM HOCKET ROAD STRAIGHT UP INTO THE ASHTON ROAD CORRIDOR AND THEN UP TO THE INTERSTATE.
SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT FUNNY LITTLE JOG THAT YOU HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO GET THROUGH IT.
WE HOPE TO BEGIN ENGINEERING THE END OF THIS YEAR IN CONSTRUCTION AND PROBABLY IN ABOUT TWO OR THREE YEARS FROM THERE.
WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING? WELL LATELY, IF FOR WHATEVER REASON KNOW, UM, UH, THOSE OF Y'ALL WHO, WHO KNOW FOOTBALL, THERE'S A COACH CALLED LOU HOLTZ.
AND YEARS AGO, LOU HOLTZ, UH, TOOK OUT A JOB.
UH, THE STATE, I I COME FROM SOUTH CAROLINA AND, AND HE MADE A COMMENT, SOON AFTER BEEN THERE, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA MUST HAVE THE CLEANEST CARS IN THIS COUNTRY CUZ THESE ROADS ARE THE DIRTIEST I'VE EVER SEEN.
AND FOR A WHILE THAT'S WHAT GISHA WAS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE.
WE WERE STARTING TO GET A BUNCH OF TRASH ON THE ROADS.
SO WE'RE DOING A COUNTYWIDE CLEANUP ON APRIL 22ND.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE PLACES THAT YOU CAN GO TO PICK UP TRASH BAGS AND MATERIALS.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT HERE, OR YOU CAN GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND PICK UP YOUR BAGS.
AND, UH, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRE-REGISTER.
BUT COME UNJOIN AND, AND HELP US MAKE SURE THIS COUNTY STAYS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT IT IS.
OTHER STUFF WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS OUR FIRE RESCUES AND RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STUDY AND THE SURVEY.
AND WE WANNA KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR FIRE RESCUE.
SO THERE'S A QR CODE RIGHT THERE.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT IF YOU GET THE, THE PAPERS IN THE BACK, OR YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND COMPLETE A SURVEY.
PLEASE TAKE CHANCE, UH, OR TAKE, TAKE THE TIME TO DO IT BECAUSE YOUR OPINION DOES MEAN A LOT TO US AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE NEED TO BE GOING WITH OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE.
AND THAT LEADS ME TO JUST HOW YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH US.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE ENJOY.
WHEN I SAY WE ENJOY THESE KINDS OF MEETINGS, WE DO, IT MEANS A LOT TO US TO TALK TO CITIZENS, TO SEE CITIZENS.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN GAUGE WITH US.
OF COURSE, YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE.
ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR WEBSITE AND NOTIFICATIONS.
THOSE WILL THEN LET YOU KNOW WHEN SOMETHING'S HAPPENING ON THE WEBSITE.
OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, OUR TWITTER, UH, ACCOUNT AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER OF CODE RED, PLEASE DO.
WHEN WE HAVE HAVE DISASTERS OR CRISISES OR SOMETHING THAT'S AN EMERGENCY,
[00:20:01]
WE CAN REACH OUT AND IDENTIFY.YOU SHOULD SIGN UP FOR CODE RED, OF COURSE, I HOPE EVERYONE HERE'S GOT OUR SHERIFF'S APP.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SHERIFF'S APP, YOU NEED IT BECAUSE IT'LL TELL YOU FROM ROADS THAT ARE CLOSED AND PROBLEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
THAT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
SO EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE SHERIFF'S APP COME TO OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
UH, THEY START AT TWO O'CLOCK AND THEN, UH, START BACK AGAIN.
UM, WE ALSO POST ON OUR WEBSITE ALL THE INFORMATION LIKE THIS, BOARD MEETINGS, MINUTES, UH, REPORTS, THEY'RE ALL ON OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN ALSO DIG IN OUR WEBSITE AND GET TRANSPARENCY REPORTS.
YOU CAN GET OUR, OUR BUDGET, YOU CAN GET OUR AUDITS, YOU CAN GET OUR CHECKBOOK.
YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GO ONLINE OR FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR GOVERNMENT.
SO PLEASE TAKE PART IN ANY OR ALL OF THESE WAYS TO GET ENGAGED WITH US AS A COMMUNITY.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR.
SO WE CAN KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS.
HAVEN'T HAD OPPORTUNITY TO MEET.
I'M ANGELA AND WE'LL START OVER.
I'M THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FOR DISTRICT TWO.
AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS YOUR VICE-CHAIR AT THIS TIME.
I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INVITE YOU TO CONNECT WITH ME EITHER DURING OR AFTER TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOLS OR HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT YOU.
UM, THERE'S NO SUGARCOATING IT, THERE ARE CHALLENGES BEFORE US, BUT WITH CHALLENGES COME GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS, THE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING NEARLY 2,600 STUDENTS EVERY DAY AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.
I DON'T WANNA STEAL ANY OF DR.
RAYLEY'S THUNDER CUZ HE'S GOT A GREAT STORY TO SHARE WITH YOU.
BUT DO LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN BE OF SERVICE.
I'M CURRENTLY SERVING DISTRICT THREE AND ANGELA, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE ARE SWITCHING.
SO THIS NOVEMBER, UM, BECAUSE OF THE ELECTION, UH, THE RE-DISTRICTING MY HOME IS NOW IN, WILL BE IN DISTRICT TWO AND ANGELAS WILL BE IN DISTRICT THREE.
SO IF YOU SEE TWOS OR THREES BY OUR NAMES, UH, DON'T BE SO CONFUSED.
UM, THAT IS WHAT HAS OCCURRED.
RALEY IS GOING TO BE SHARING SOME GREAT INFORMATION WITH US.
UM, ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT WAS SHARED, UM, THIS EVENING FROM THE COUNTY SIDE TALKED ABOUT THE ASSESSED REAL ESTATE VALUES IN THIS COUNTY.
AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT A BIG DRIVER OF OUR REAL ESTATE VALUE WOULD BE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE DO HAVE AMAZING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE KNOW PEOPLE COME TO GOLAN TO BE A PART OF OUR SCHOOL.
AND I KNOW WHAT OUR SCHOOLS DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
EDUCATION IS NOT A LINE ITEM AND A SCHOOL BOARD'S BUDGET.
RELEY TONIGHT HOW EVERYTHING WE DO GOES BACK TO, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S EDUCATION.
YOU ALL RECEIVED, UH, THIS ANNUAL REPORT THIS YEAR AND THE AMAZING DATA THAT IS ON THIS PAGE, 159 OF OUR 210 GRADUATES AT THE CLASS OF 2022 EARNED ADVANCED STUDY DIPLOMAS, 53 EARNED ASSOCIATES DEGREES.
SIX STUDENTS COMPLETED THE ACADEMY FOR ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION GRADUATES.
54% WENT ON TO A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE, 16% TWO YEAR COLLEGE, 8% OTHER EDUCATION, 3% WE ARE PROUD TO SAY ENLISTED IN THE MILITARY AND 19% WENT TO EMPLOYMENT.
THOSE ARE POWERFUL STATISTICS.
YOU WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO FIND WHAT'S CALLED A PROGRAM OF STUDIES ON OUR SCHOOL DIVISION WEBSITE.
AND IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THAT, YOU WOULD KNOW WHY OUR STUDENTS EARNED THOSE OPPORTUNITIES POST HIGH SCHOOL, BECAUSE OUR PROGRAM IS AMAZING.
SO, AS I SAID, EDUCATION IS NOT A LINE ITEM IN A SCHOOL BOARD'S BUDGET.
AND HOW DOES THAT OCCUR? BECAUSE WE HAVE A MISSION, AND OUR MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY LEARNER.
AND THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE, DR.
RAILEY, WOW, DARN IT,
[00:25:01]
EDUCATION.AND SO WE'RE REALLY SAD, UM, TO BE LOSING HIM BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN A MAN ON A MISSION SINCE THE DAY HE CAME TO OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
HE LEADS THIS ENTIRE GLAN SCHOOL BOARD, GLAN, EVERY TEACHER, FAMILY MEMBER, STAFF MEMBER AND STUDENT TO REACH THAT AND BE A PART OF THAT MISSION EVERY DAY.
SO I WOULD LIKE FOR US ALL TO PLEASE RECOGNIZE DR.
RAYLEY AND HIS SERVICE TO OUR DIVISION.
THIS MAN ON A MISSION HAS TAKEN THAT MISSION TO THE STATE AND WE HOPE THAT HE WILL, WILL JUST LIFT THE STATE UP BECAUSE WE ALL, WE ALL WILL BENEFIT FROM HIS SERVICE AT THAT LEVEL.
SO PLEASE JOIN IN AND THANK YOU GUYS.
WELL, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU MS. HORN.
UH, THE MISSION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT IS TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL BOARD AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR WORK IS ALIGNED.
AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO, TO SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AS DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
UH, WE HAVE A FANTASTIC COMMUNITY HERE.
WE DO A COMMUNITY THAT VALUES PUBLIC EDUCATION AND SUPPORTS US GREATLY.
AND IT'S, UH, JUST REALLY BEEN AN HONOR TO BE A PART OF THIS WORK FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING EDUCATION ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH AND HOPEFULLY MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE ON A LARGER SCALE.
AND I'M, I'M HUMBLED BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN THAT ROLE.
MY GOAL FOR TONIGHT IS TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT OUR SCHOOL DIVISION FOR THOSE THAT MAY NOT HAVE, UH, THE EXPERIENCE THAT OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY DO RELATED TO WHAT WE DO.
UH, I SEE A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT SOME FOLKS, THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT US.
SO I WANTED TO START WITH A FOUNDATIONAL PERSPECTIVE FIRST AND THE VISION OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
A VISION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD THAT WAS ELECTED IN 2011.
AND THE VISION THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED THROUGH THE FA FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND AS PART OF OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN IS TO INSPIRE THIS GENERATION OF STUDENTS WHO, WHOM WE SERVE TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE WORLD AROUND US.
AND ULTIMATELY, IF WE'RE DOING OUR JOBS, THE STUDENTS THAT WE ARE EDUCATING NOW ARE WELL EDUCATED AND TRAINED.
AND THEY'LL MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE FOR ALL OF US.
ALL OF US CERTAINLY ARE IMPACTED BY EDUCATION AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT WE WANNA DO IS PREPARE THEM VERY WELL FOR THEIR FUTURE.
AND THE MISSION THAT DRIVES US AS A SCHOOL DIVISION IS TO MAXIMIZE, MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF EACH AND EVERY LEARNER WHO WE SERVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE FIVE CORE VALUES THAT REALLY ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE BELIEFS.
AND AGAIN, THESE CORE VALUES HAVE BEEN AROUND IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION SINCE THAT 2011 BOARD ADOPTED THEM AND HAVE CONTINUED WHY CHANGE IT IF IT'S WORKING? AND SO WE BELIEVE STRONGLY IN EXCELLENCE, NOT MEDIOCRITY, NOT SO, SO NOT HALFWAY LIKE EXCELLENCE DRIVES US EVERY DAY.
COURAGE, CREATIVITY, HONOR AND OPTIMISM.
A CORE BELIEF THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN AND WILL SUCCEED, UH, IN BELIEVING STRONGLY THAT EVERY CHILD CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND SO THAT REALLY DRIVES US GREATLY ON OUR WORK EVERY DAY.
AND THEN OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN HAS THREE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, ONE RELATED TO INSTRUCTION, ONE RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CREATE WITH THE PERSONNEL WHOM WE HIRE.
AND THEN ONE THAT RECO RECOGNIZES THE RESOURCES THAT WE, UH, INVEST IN RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO OUR OPERATIONAL ASPECT OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
SO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION IS STRONG.
IT IS A VERY STRONG SCHOOL DIVISION AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT DURING OUR TIME TOGETHER.
AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE INVESTMENTS AND THOSE DIVIDENDS THEY'VE BEEN RETURNED AS A RESULT OF WHAT THIS COMMUNITY DOES FOR US.
THIS COMMUNITY INVESTS OVER 40 MILLION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
IT'S YOUR HARD-EARNED TAX DOLLARS, TAX DOLLARS THAT YOU'VE WORKED HARD FOR AND YOU HAVE ENTRUSTED IN THIS COUNTY, IN THIS SCHOOL DIVISION.
AND I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING INVESTED WISELY AND ARE RETURNING A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN WELL-TRAINED, WELL-EDUCATED STUDENTS.
THEY'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF AS A SCHOOL DIVISION IS THAT WE ARE UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION NOT AS THE TOOL, BUT AS A TOOL.
ULTIMATELY, WE ARE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE KNOW THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS TO BE A CRITICAL PART OF THAT.
AND SO WE'RE GIVING STUDENTS IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH 12TH GRADE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE BEST-IN-CLASS TECHNOLOGY AND ARE UTILIZING THAT VERY EFFECTIVELY TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION.
IT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED BY APPLE AS THERE ARE ONLY 700 SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY.
ALL FIVE OF OURS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BY APPLE FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH TECHNOLOGY FIVE YEARS IN A ROW.
THIS SCHOOL DIVISION HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY NICHE AS THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL DIVISION IN THIS REGION.
WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED IN THE TOP 15 OF SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACROSS THIS COMMONWEALTH.
WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR SAFETY, ATHLETICS.
THE EXPERIENCE THAT STUDENTS HAVE AND WHAT'S NICE BY NICHE IS THAT IS INFORMED NOT ONLY BY DATA, BUT IN EXPERIENCES
[00:30:01]
THAT FOLKS HAVE WITH OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITES WHERE PEOPLE GO AND SAY, WELL, HOW ARE THE SCHOOLS DOING IN YOUR COMMUNITY? THERE ARE MANY OF THEM, BUT NICHE IS ONE OF THEM THAT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED AND FOR FIVE YEARS IN A ROW, BEEN RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE RICHMOND METRO REGION FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND EXTREMELY PROUD OF THAT.
SO AS THIS COMMUNITY DOES INVEST 40 MILLION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN FACT BEING STRONG STEWARDS OF YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
AND SO THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT ANALYZES BUDGET PRACTICES WITH MUNICIPAL, STATEWIDE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THIS NATION.
AND SO WE SUBMIT OUR BUDGET BOOK TO THEM ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
WE JUST SUBMITTED OUR 2023 BUDGET BOOK TO THEM FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
IT'LL BE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE WE FIND OUT HOW WE DID.
BUT FOR OUR FY 2022 SUBMISSION, WE ARE RECOGNIZED, UH, AMONG SOME VERY ELITE COMPANY FOR A DISTINGUISHED BUDGET AWARD AND REALLY PROUD OF THAT AND HUGE THANKS TO OUR FINANCE TEAM FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT WORK IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
IT'S ACTUALLY GREAT, BUT ARE WE GETTING RESULTS? OUR STUDENTS LEARNING? AND SO YES, YOU'RE INVESTING A LOT OF DOLLARS, YOU GOT A FEW REWARDS, BUT OUR STUDENTS PERFORMING ACADEMICALLY.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES.
OUR STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING EXTREMELY WELL ON STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS AND ARE USING A VARIETY OF METRICS TO LOOK AT BOTH GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT.
SO THE STANDARDS OF LEARNING ARE THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE ADMINISTER AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT OUR STUDENTS ARE MEETING A MINIMUM PROFICIENCY.
AND SO ACCREDITATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE LINKED TOGETHER RIGHT NOW.
AND SO GUC IS ONLY ONE OF 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS OR 132 STATEWIDE, ONE OF 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT HAVE HAD ALL OF ITS SCHOOLS FULLY ACCREDITED FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW.
SO OUR STUDENTS ARE ACHIEVING, OUR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING AND THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL ON THAT MEASUREMENT WHERE WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
WE ALL ALWAYS WANT TO SEE HOW WE'RE DOING STATEWIDE AND LOCALLY.
AND WE HAVE SOME STRONG METRICS HERE.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS AROUND US AND HOW WE ARE IN THE UPPER ECHELON OF PERFORMANCE WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVEMENT ON THE S O L RESULTS.
AND WE ARE EXCEEDING STATE AVERAGES ON ALL CORE ASSESSMENTS, THOSE BEING READING, MATHEMATICS, HISTORY AND SCIENCE.
SO OUR STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING, WE ARE GETTING RESULTS.
AGAIN, ANOTHER SIGN OF THE STRONG SCHOOL DIVISION THAT WE HAVE HERE IN GUC LIMB.
WE EXCEED THE STATE AVERAGE ON ON-TIME GRADUATION BY NEARLY 5%.
THIS IS AN EXTREMELY STRONG RESULT BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IF WE'RE INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION, WE'RE PREPARING FOR STUDENTS FOR SCHOOL AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, THEY GOTTA GRADUATE.
THEY GOTTA HAVE THE SKILLS BE SUCCESSFUL LONG AFTER THEY LEAVE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO IF YOU'RE THERE FIVE YEARS, THE CHANCES ARE YOU MAY NOT BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS SOMEONE WHO GRADUATES ON TIME, GETS THE POOR PROGRAM AND IS READY TO GO.
97% OF OUR KIDS WHO WALK IN THE DOOR AS A FRESHMAN ARE WALKING OUT THE DOOR AS A GUC ON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE IN FOUR YEARS.
AND SO ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THIS A HUNDRED PERCENT.
BUT THE REALITY IS SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
WE'RE ABOUT TWO OR THREE KIDS AWAY AND SOMETIMES A STUDENT MOVES AWAY AND WE DON'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM THEM.
AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S HELD AGAINST US.
HE GETS US A A HUNDRED PERCENT AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S OUR GOAL, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A POINT OF PRIDE FOR US ALL.
AND THEN OUR STUDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO ATTEND ANY COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IN THIS STATE OR IN THIS NATION.
WE HAVE, UH, A YOUNG MAN WHO IS ATTENDING THE COAST GUARD ACADEMY AN APPOINTMENT, THE FIRST APPOINTMENT WE'VE HAD IN MANY, MANY YEARS IN THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE APRIL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING A YOUNG MAN WHO EARNED $120,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR THE ARMY, R O T C.
SO OUR STUDENTS ARE VERY WELL PREPARED.
I MEAN, THAT IS LIFE CHANGING FOR A FAMILY AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, HAVING AN APPOINTMENT AT THAT LEVEL.
SO OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT ONLY ENTERING TWO AND FOUR YEAR COLLEGES, THEY ARE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO THAT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL.
OUR STUDENTS IN OUR HEAVY EQUIPMENT PROGRAM ARE GETTING JOB OFFERS AND THEY'LL FOLLOW THEIR SENIOR YEAR MULTIPLE JOB OFFERS.
THEY HAVE CHOICE AND THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE MORE COMING RIGHT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL THAN A FIRST YEAR TEACHER.
AND SO OUR STUDENTS HAVE OPTIONS, THEY HAVE CHOICES.
AND WE ALSO RECOGNIZE WE WANT STUDENTS TO BE CAREER READY AND CAREER READY LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR EACH AND EVERY CHILD.
IT MAY NOT BE GOING TO ONE OF THESE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, BUT THEY HAVE OPTIONS.
THEY HAVE CHOICES, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY WELL PREPARED.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
OUR SCHOOL BOARD HAS APPROVED A BUDGET REQUEST THAT IS NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE GUCCI COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA UNPACK THOSE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UH, I WANT TO HIT HIGH LEVEL SUMMARIES.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN DETAIL THROUGH WEBSITES AND, UM, PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS, BUT I'LL JUST HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
WE ORGANIZE THIS IN THREE DIFFERENT GOAL AREAS.
THE FIRST GOAL AREA IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO INSTRUCTION.
AND SO WE HAVE A FEW POSITIONS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE STRONG WORK OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
UH, WE HAVE SOME PART-TIME POSITIONS
[00:35:01]
THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE.UH, WE HAVE SOME NEED TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IN READING AT GLA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND THEN WE HAVE A REALLY DESIRE, A REALLY DIRE NEED FOR A SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHER.
WE HAVE SOME CLASS SIZES THAT ARE INCREASING AND WE HAVE SOME DEMANDS THAT ARE PLACED ON US RIGHT NOW THAT RE REALLY REQUIRE THAT.
SO OVERALL, FOUR AND A HALF NEW POSITIONS, AND YOU'LL SEE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND WE'VE REDUCED A LOT OF POSITIONS AS WELL.
SO OVERALL AS A SCHOOL DIVISION, OUR, OUR EMPLOYMENT BASE IS DOWN, BUT HERE ARE SOME INVESTMENTS IN THIS GOAL AREA HERE AND SOME INVESTMENTS TO SUPPORT OUR ADVANCED LEARNERS, UH, GRADUATION AND SOME OTHER INFLATIONARY PRESSURES AS A RESULT OF OUR ONGOING OPERATIONS.
SO $500,000 ON NEW INVESTMENTS FOR THIS GOAL AREA.
OUR SECOND GOAL AREA SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE PROVIDE FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR FAMILIES.
AND SO THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT BECAUSE THIS GOAL AREA IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE PERSONNEL NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS A SCHOOL DIVISION.
A FEW POSITIONS THAT, UH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING IN THIS BUDGET.
UH, YOU CAN SEE SOME STUDENT SUPPORT POSITIONS THERE, AS WELL AS SOME INCREASES TOWARDS SALARY AND BENEFIT COSTS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND TALENTED FOLKS IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OF 1.8 MILLION IN MUNICIPAL AREA.
AND AS I'LL SHOW LATER, THIS IS WHERE THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR, OUR DOLLARS ARE SPENT IN OUR BUDGET.
LAST POOL AREA IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO OPERATIONS.
AND SO A NEGLIGIBLE INVESTMENT OF $352,000.
A LOT OF THAT BEING TIED TO HIGHER FUEL COSTS, WHICH WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING IN OUR OWN WALLETS, AS WELL AS SOME INFLATIONARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING JUST WITH FOOD COSTS.
SO JUST LIKE WE EXPERIENCE IN OUR HOME, WE'RE SEEING THE SAME THING IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAJORITY OF THE INCREASES HERE ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THOSE CORE OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO AS A SCHOOL DIVISION, I THINK MIGHT BE UNIQUE IN MOST PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISIONS, UM, IN A LOT OF SCHOOL DIVISIONS, THEY TAKE THEIR CURRENT BUDGET AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED? AND WE JUST ADD ON TO WHAT WE ALREADY HAD.
BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE SCRUB EACH AND EVERY BUDGET LINE AND WE SAY, OKAY, ARE THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT, ARE THEY WORTHWHILE? ARE WE GETTING THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT FOR THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT? AND YOU'LL SEE IN A SLIDE HERE IN A MOMENT THAT WE'VE CHANGED SOME THINGS.
YOU'RE LIKE, WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RETURN THERE THAT WE NEED.
HOW ABOUT WE USE THOSE DOLLARS AND REINVEST THEM INTO THE PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A SCHOOL DIVISION? AND SO DOING THAT, WE CALL IT STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT.
WE'RE OVER $400,000 OF REINVESTMENT, UH, THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO ACCOMPLISH OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE WHERE WE ARE MAKING SOME STAFFING CHANGES, WE'RE REDUCING SOME OF OUR STAFF IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE MOST NEEDED FROM OUR INSTRUCTIONAL STANDPOINT, SOME SAVINGS AND SOME OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING AND JUST A VARIETY OF THINGS WHERE WE HAVE SCRUB EVERY BUDGET LINE.
WE'VE LOOKED AT SOFTWARE COSTS.
WE'VE LOOKED AT MANY, MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND ULTIMATELY SAVING $427,000 IN THREE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCIES.
SO IN SUMMARY, THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET AND I'M PROUD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND AS MR. CARPENTER SAID, THIS BUDGET OVERALL IS ONLY THREE TENTHS OF A PERCENT HIGHER THAN OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
AND THE OVERALL BUDGET IS $104,000 GREATER NEXT YEAR THAN IT IS THIS YEAR.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE EXPERIENCE WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WERE INFUSED INTO THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL IT THE, THE FUNDING CLIFF.
WE HAVEN'T FALLEN OVER, WE'RE STILL STANDING TALL.
AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT WHY WE'RE STILL STANDING TALL.
SO, UH, JUST A NEGLIGIBLE INCREASE AS YOU CAN SEE THERE.
AND SO PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS BUDGET.
QUITE HONESTLY,
40.6 MILLION IN TOTAL INVESTMENTS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
78 CENTS ON EVERY DOLLAR GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE CLASSROOM FOR INSTRUCTION OR FOR TECHNOLOGY.
SO EVERY DOLLAR 78 CENTS IS GOING DIRECTLY TO OUR CORE BUSINESS, WHICH IS TEACHING AND LEARNING.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME SUPPORT FUNCTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUILDINGS ARE CLEAN AND THE STUDENTS GET TO SCHOOL AND THEY'RE SAFE.
BUT, UH, THAT IS NOT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THIS BUDGET.
AND WE ARE A VERY PEOPLE HEAVY ORGANIZATION.
WE'RE NOT A MANUFACTURING PLANT.
IT CAN HAVE FIVE OR SIX EMPLOYEES AND A BUNCH OF MACHINES.
THAT'S JUST NOT PUBLIC EDUCATION.
PUBLIC EDUCATION IS A PEOPLE BUSINESS, AND WE ARE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF THOSE AMAZING FOLKS WHO DO THE GREAT WORK OF THIS SCHOOL DIVISION.
SO 84 CENTS WHEN EVERY DOLLAR GOES DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE SALARY AND BENEFITS OF OUR HIGHLY DEDICATED AND TALENTED EMPLOYEES.
SO THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW DO WE FUND THIS BUDGET? WHERE DO THE RESOURCES COME FROM? AND SO I CONTINUE TO BE THANKFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT WE GET FROM YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS
[00:40:01]
AND GOLAND COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES, YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES THAT ARE GENERATED IN THIS COMMUNITY COME TO THE SCHOOL DIVISION THROUGH THE FORM OF A LOCAL TRANSFER.AND AS MR. CARPENTER SAID, THAT LOCAL TRANSFER IS PROPOSED TO BE $1.251 MILLION GREATER NEXT YEAR THAN IT IS THIS YEAR.
AND WE LIVE AND DIE BY THE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY GUC COUNTY RESIDENTS BECAUSE 68% OF THE REVENUE FOR THIS BUDGET IS GENERATED DIRECTLY FROM PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE VALUE.
NOW, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THESE DOLLARS ARE GENERATED BY GLAND COUNTY RESIDENTS.
SOME OF IT JUST GOES TO RICHMOND AND DC AND TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO US.
BUT IT'S ALL GENERATED HERE IN GOLAND.
BUT 68% COMES DIRECTLY FROM YOUR REAL ESTATE AND, AND YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
SO BALANCE BUDGET, AS I SAID, OUR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS EQUAL THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAJOR IMPACT THERE IS THAT LOSS IN FEDERAL REVENUE.
AND AGAIN, $104,000 IN ADDITIONAL INCREASES.
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT IT IS A BALANCED BUDGET THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS PRESENTED FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO TRANSITIONING FOR A SECOND, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING, AND MR. CARPENTER HIT MANY OF THESE HIGHLIGHTS.
THE COUNTY HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN FACILITIES AND VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
TO HAVE AN 85% APPROVAL RATING ON A BOND REFERENDUM A FEW YEARS AGO IS SOMETHING THAT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN.
BUT THIS COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE AND RESCUE AND SCHOOLS TO A GREAT DEGREE.
AND AGAIN, I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT ON THAT.
EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND I WISH THAT I COULD SEE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
BUT I WILL BE THERE ON DAY ONE, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY AN AMAZING SCHOOL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING LIKE GANGBUSTERS ON THIS.
THE SHOWS, THE, THE PICTURES I WANNA SHOW YOU HERE IN A SECOND ARE ONLY LIKE TWO WEEKS OLD, BUT THAT SITE LOOKS NOTHING LIKE IT DOES NOW.
THEY STARTED TO POUR CONCRETE THIS WEEK.
WE HAVE FOOTERS THAT HAVE BEEN DUG AND CONCRETE THAT IS GOING IN THOSE FOOTERS, AND IT WILL NOT BE LONG BEFORE WE SEE A CONCRETE PAD ON THAT SITE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL COMING UP OUTTA THE GROUND.
SO THANKFULLY MOTHER NATURE HAS BEEN KIND TO US.
UH, IT HASN'T HELPED, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE THAT WANT A SNOW DAY.
BUT FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, IT'S BEEN GREAT.
AND, UH, DARE SAY THAT OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE EXTREMELY PROUD WHEN WE OPENED THE DOORS OF THIS SCHOOL IN AUGUST OF 2024, WE'RE FULLY ON SCHEDULE TO OPEN ON THAT TIMELINE.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES WITH OUR BUDGET.
WE'RE REALLY IN A VERY POSITIVE POSITION WITH THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW.
AND AGAIN, WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT OF THAT.
I'LL BE HERE WITH BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL AS COUNTY STAFF TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY? ANY NEIL SPOONER, WHY DON'T YOU, YOU WANNA COME ON UP AND JOIN US.
I, I SAID YOU WERE RUNNING BEHIND IT.
NEIL SPOONER AGAIN, HE'S OUR, HE'S OUR BOARD CHAIR THIS YEAR AND, AND, UH, REPRESENTS DISTRICT TWO.
DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON MS. HOBB? DR.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDED OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, AND WE WANNA WISH YOU WELL AS YOU MOVE INTO THE NEXT LEVEL OF YOUR CAREER.
UM, BOTH THE QUESTION BOTH OF YOU I'M ASKING TO ANSWER IS, WE'VE HEARD HOW WELL WE ARE DOING IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
WE'VE HEARD HOW WELL WE ARE DOING AT THE COLLEGE, COMING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT'S THE TOP THREE CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FOR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS PUBLIC SCHOOLS? MS. AL AND DR.
RAYLEY MAY ECHO SOME OF THESE.
UH, FOR US, OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE IS RE TRAINING IS RETAINING AND ATTRACTING QUALITY PERSONNEL.
UH, THIS IS A CHALLENGING JOB, MARK WE'RE IN, UH, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES OR, OR MAYBE GREATER FINANCIALLY THAN WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE, BUT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT AND THE ABILITY TO, TO TO SURVIVE AS, AS, AS BREADWINNERS AND THE FAMILY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIRST THING WHICH I WOULD SAY FOR, FOR THE COUNTY, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE WORKFORCE, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR OUR INDIVIDUALS IN, IN PLANNING AND ZONING.
WE HAVE GREAT PEOPLE HERE, WE HAVE GREAT MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM.
SO, SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE IS THE OPPORTUNITY.
NUMBER TWO IS, IS LOOKING FORWARD.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S COMING? YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN, UH, FORTUNATE FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THAT, THAT OUR ECONOMY HAS, HAS BLESSED US AND WE ARE IN A LOCATION WHERE WE ARE, ARE ABLE TO, TO REAP
[00:45:01]
THE BENEFITS OF THE GOOD ECONOMY.BUT WHAT'S COMING IS SOMETHING THAT IS A CHALLENGE AND WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE'RE AWARE OF IT.
SO SEEING WHAT'S COMING TO US, NOT JUST NECESSARILY THIS YEAR, BUT IN THREE TO FIVE YEARS, THAT'S PART OF OUR JOB TOO, IS PLANNING AND ENSURING THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS ABLE TO BE SERVED BY, BY THE RESOURCES THAT WE ARE GIVEN AND, AND ASKED TO PROVIDE THEM THOSE SERVICES TOO.
AND THE NUMBER THREE IS ANTICIPATING WHAT'S GOING TO COME TO THE COUNTY, NOT JUST THE ECONOMY, BUT THE GROWTH THAT'S GONNA COME TO US.
SO FROM GUEN COUNTY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE WE ARE, ARE WE RESPONDING TO GROWTH AS IT COMES BEFORE IT COMES OR, OR NOT RESPONDING AT ALL? SO I WOULD SAY ARE, THOSE ARE THE THREE CHALLENGES I SEE.
UM, ATTRACTING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES, UH, DEALING WITH WHATEVER'S GONNA COME TO US AS FAR AS OUR ECONOMIC WINS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE AWARE OF GROWTH AND HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT US AND RESPOND TO IT ACCORDINGLY.
GAVE ME A FEW THI FEW MINUTES TO THINK
WELL, NUMBER ONE IS OUR PEOPLE, UH, THE SUCCESSES THAT I SHOWED ON THAT SCREEN ARE DIRECT ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT ENTER SCHOOL BUSES AT SIX 30 IN THE MORNING AND TREAT OUR STUDENTS IN OUR CLINICS, CLEAN OUR, OUR BUILDINGS, ADMINISTER OUR PROGRAMS AND TEACH OUR KIDS.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE EMPLOYEES HAVE A COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION PLAN.
OVER 50% OF OUR TEACHERS DRIVE FROM OUTSIDE OF GOLAND AND THEY HAVE CHOICE.
THEY OFTENTIMES DRIVE BY THREE OR FOUR SCHOOLS BEFORE THEY COME TO GOLAND.
SO THEY'RE COMING HERE FOR A REASON AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T EVER TAKE THAT EXPERIENCE FOR GRANTED.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION BECAUSE LAKE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, OUR TEACHERS COULD GO AND WORK IN ANY SCHOOL DIVISION.
SO ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE, THAT ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL VALUED AND AND APPRECIATED.
AND THEY'RE COM COMPENSATED APPROPRIATELY TOO.
SO IT'S THE PEOPLE, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO IS WE HAVE TO REMAIN CURRENT AND RELEVANT AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT TO THE CHANGING CONDITIONS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN IN PUBLIC EDUCATION OVER THE NEXT 5, 10, 20 YEARS.
WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED SINCE MARCH OF 2020 IS NOT ANYTHING WE THOUGHT WE COULD EVER FORECAST, BUT OUR SCHOOL DIVISION WAS NIMBLE.
WE WERE FLEXIBLE AND WE WORKED TO BE ABLE TO OVERCOME ANY OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED.
AND THERE WILL BE MORE CHALLENGES IN FUTURE YEARS.
THERE WILL BE, BUT HOW DO WE OVERCOME SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES AND ADAPT TO SOME OF THE CHANGING CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE IN OUR CONTROL OR OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
AND THEN NUMBER THREE ARE OUR FACILITIES.
COMMUNITIES MADE A GREAT INVESTMENT IN FACILITIES THEY HAVE, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME PRETTY OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT ARE STILL BEING UTILIZED AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL IS NOW 20 YEARS OLD.
SO WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR FACILITIES AND THEN THINKING LONG TERM ABOUT WHAT NEW FACILITIES MAY LOOK LIKE.
I THINK MS. SCHROER RIGHT, MY COMMENTS ARE HER, UH, VICE CHAIR ALLEN.
IS THERE A COGNITIVE ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE THAT WE AREN'T AWARE OF THAT MAKES SHE CONTINUALLY PROPOSE INTRUSIVE POLICIES COPIED FROM A RIGHT WING SCHOOL BOARD AND, AND OUR WHOSE POLICY, WOULDN AND CAPS JUDICIAL IN FEDERAL COURT.
HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU NEED TO BE TOLD THAT GUC WOULD BE OPEN TO A FEDERAL LAWSUIT? I DON'T WANT MY TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR YOUR DONTE LIKE CRUSADE TO INTRUDE ON STUDENT RIGHTS IN OUR SCHOOLS.
ALSO, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE DISRUPTOR AND WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT GUC NEEDS SOMEONE TO DISRUPT THE COURT? WHEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ASK OXFORD DICTIONARY SIDE A DISRUPTOR IS A PERSON OR THING THAT INTERRUPTS AN EVENT ACTIVITY OR PROCESS BY CAUSING A DISTURBANCE OR A PROBLEM.
THE OTHER DEFINITION IS A COMPANY OR FORM OF TECHNOLOGY THAT CAUSES RADICAL CHANGE IN AN EXISTING INDUSTRY OR MARKET BY MEANS OF INNOVATION.
I DON'T SEE INNOVATION FROM YOU.
WHAT EXACTLY AND AS A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR MYSELF, I FIND YOUR TACTICS DEPOSED YOURSELF IN A DISRUPTER AND GAIN FOLLOWING AND COMMUNING COMMUNITY DISTURBING REGARDING YOUR BEHAVIOR REGARDING THE APPLE CONTRACT.
YOU HAD AMPLE TIME FROM THURSDAY WHEN YOU RECEIVED YOUR BOARD PACKET TO ACQUIRE ABOUT INTEREST RATES AND THE TERMS OF THE APPLE CONTRACT, WHICH HAS BEEN NOTHING NEW HERE IN GLE.
ALL YOU DID WAS GRANDSTAND AND TRY TO EMBARRASS SCHOOL PERSON UP.
HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEBODY DID THAT TO YOU? A CAPITAL ONE IN YOUR JOB? THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS EMBROILED IN A MANUFACTURED CRISIS OF BOOKS, BATHROOMS, AND BS.
YOUR PUBLIC VIEWS FOR POLITICAL VIEWS HAVE NO PLACE IN THE SCHOOL.
TO PARAPHRASE, TO PARAPHRASE, SENATOR KING, THIS IS WHAT IS NEEDED NOW IN SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
PARENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO DROP THEIR KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE PICK THEM UP.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN TO LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT OUR HISTORY, THE GOOD AND THE BAD.
AND STUDENTS ABILITY TO LEARN SHOULDN'T BE LIMITED BY THE AUTOMATIC, YOU KNOW,
[00:50:01]
OF ONE PARENT WHO WANTS TO BAN A BOOK, MOVIE OR ARTWORK FOR THEIR KID.THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. WINKLER.
I HEARD SEVERAL COMMENTS, BUT ONLY MAYBE TWO QUESTIONS.
IF I OVERLOOK ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS, PLEASE FOLLOW UP SO I MAKE SURE I ANSWER THEM.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK.
MY JOB IS TO EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THE PEOPLE I SERVE AND THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHOM I SERVE HAVE EXPRESSED THESE AS THEIR VIEWS AND DESIRES AS HOW OUR SCHOOL SHOULD BE OPERATED.
THIS IS NOT A PERSONAL AGENDA.
I AM REPRESENTING THE VOICES OF THE VOTERS IN DISTRICT TWO.
MANY OF THEM ARE HERE TONIGHT AND I WOULD DARE SAY WOULD SUPPORT EXACTLY WHAT I'M TELLING YOU.
SO IF YOU THINK OTHERWISE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPEAK WITH THEM AS WELL.
AS FAR AS HOW I'M APPROACHING THINGS, UM, I'M ON A CONTINUOUS LEARNING AGENDA.
I BELIEVE IN IMPROVEMENT, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, CONSTANTLY REINVESTING.
SO I WILL TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK UNDER CONSIDERATION AND LOOK TO DO BETTER FOR THE MATTER RELATED TO INTEREST ON A LOAN, EXCUSE ME, LEASE FOR THE PURCHASE OF STAFF LAPTOPS.
IT ACTUALLY HAD NOT OCCURRED TO ME IN THE REVIEW OF THE AGENDA PACKET.
AND I DO HAVE AGENDA PREP WITH DR.
AND DURING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IT JUST SIMPLY HAD NOT OCCURRED TO ME.
SO I'M NOT A MACHINE, I AM A HUMAN AND THEREFORE FALLIBLE.
AND WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE QUESTIONS, WHEN MS. WHITE WAS PRESENTING THAT, I THOUGHT, WAIT A SECOND, LET'S CHALLENGE OUR OWN THINKING.
LET'S LOOK FOR WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
LET'S PRESS ON THE EDGES HERE.
IT WAS MOST CERTAINLY NOT TO HUMILIATE MS. WHITE AND I PUBLICLY THANKED HER ON MONDAY NIGHT UPON APPROVAL OF SAID LEASE.
WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO BE TRANSPARENT, HAVE THICK ENOUGH SKIN TO HAVE APPROPRIATE DISCORD AS BOTH STAFF, SCHOOL BOARD, AND A COMMUNITY, AND BE ABLE TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT EVEN WHEN IT MAY NOT BE POPULAR.
ARE, UM, SO IN SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, UH, MANY PEOPLE KNOW BY NOW, BUT CERTAINLY NOT ALL THAT.
ON FEBRUARY 11TH OF THIS YEAR, SUPERVISOR LASETTE DEMANDED THE CONTACT INFO OF ALL PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF STUDENTS IN THE GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SHE RECEIVED THAT INFORMATION.
SOME MAY NOT KNOW THAT ON JUNE 9TH, 2021, AN ELECTION YEAR FOR ANGELA ALLEN, THE SAME EXACT DAMN OF DEMAND WAS MADE BY OUR CURRENT ELECTORAL BOARD CHAIR, PAM JOHNSON.
AND THOSE PARENTS WHOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION WAS RELEASED WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER CANDIDATES KAREN WORSE OR CANDIDATE AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER ANGELA ALLEN, BENEFITED IN ANY WAY BY THAT LIST.
I'VE ASKED, UM, LAST LETTER DIRECTLY AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NONE OF MY BUSINESS AND NONE OF THE BUSINESS OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE INFORMATION WAS RELEASED.
UM, I KEEP HAVING PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT ARE THEY USING IT FOR? IS IT FOR CANDIDATES TO GET ELECTED? IS IT TO COME AFTER ME BECAUSE I SPOKE UP AGAINST THEIR SIDE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UM, AND SUPERVISOR SPOONER SPOKE FOR THE BOARD.
UM, TO ECHO WHAT LAS BULLETT SAID, WHEN ASKED ESSENTIALLY THAT IT'S NOT THE BUSINESS OF THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS ON THAT LIST, WHAT SHE USES IT FOR.
SO I'M JUST GONNA ASK ONE MORE TIME BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY DO WANNA KNOW WHAT WAS THAT LIST USED FOR? A LIST OF, UH, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF GUC COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE ON THERE WHOSE KIDS HAVE IDPS WHO AREN'T IN THE PHYSICAL SCHOOLS, UM, AND THEY WANNA KNOW, WHAT DID YOU NEED THAT LIST FOR IF YOU'RE NOT THE PARENT OF ANY OF THESE STUDENTS? THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MR. UM, YEAH, I'M FAMILIAR.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH THAT OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY RESPONDED TO AT LEAST SOME OF THE INITIAL, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING UP.
UH, WE ARE HERE FOR DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT THREE.
UH, MAYBE NEIL, DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANNA, I SAW YOUR EMAIL, SO SURE.
SO THANKS FOR THE QUESTION AND, UM, I'LL, I'LL JUST REITERATE WHAT I ACTUALLY DID SAY, UH, IN MY REPLY TO YOU, MS. STROGER, IS THAT, UM, AS OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY AND AS THE BOARD IS DEEMED THAT IS A PERSONAL MATTER, MS. LASETTE DOES NOT FORFEIT HER RIGHTS AS A CITIZEN.
WHAT SHE DID WAS COMPLETELY LEGAL.
UM, AND IF MS. LASETTE WANTS TO REPLY TO THAT, SHE WILL.
THE BOARD DID NOT ASK MS. LASKO TO DO IT.
SHE DID IT AS A PERSONAL PRIVATE CITIZEN.
AND JUST BECAUSE WE'RE UP HERE, WE'RE ELECTED, WE DON'T GIVE UP OUR RIGHTS AS CITIZENS.
I UNDERSTAND MS. HOBBS MICROPHONE'S COMING TO YOU.
UM, I DO, I DO WANNA COMMENT ON
[00:55:01]
THAT.MS. ALLEN MADE TONIGHT ABOUT REPRESENTING THE INTEREST OF HER CONSTITUENTS.
I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF HER CONSTITUENTS AND THE GRANDMOTHER THAT HAS COME TO COURT SCHOOL BOARD A NUMBER OF TIMES HAS BEEN HER CONSTITUENTS.
AND I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A TOWN HALL MEETING OR ANYTHING WITH MS. ALLEN TO GIVE HER INPUT OTHER THAN AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I MISSED THE MEETING.
UM, I CERTAINLY HAVEN'T HEARD FROM MS. ALICE EXCEPT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
SO I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW WAS INPUT FROM THE DISTRICT TWO GAIN.
MS. OPS, UM, SPECIFIC TO THE GRANDMOTHER WHO'S COME BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD WITH COMMENTS, UM, THAT IS A LEGAL MATTER AND A STUDENT MATTER OF PRIVACY, SO I'M NOT ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT EITHER INDIVIDUALLY OR PUBLICLY.
UM, AS FAR AS FEEDBACK SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO BATHROOM AND AC, UH, BATHROOM AND LOCKER ROOM ACCESS CONCERNS IN OUR SCHOOL, UM, AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE, ANYONE WHO'S SEEN A GAZETTE IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS IN THIS COUNTY, I POSED A QUESTION ON MY CAMPAIGN FACEBOOK PAGE, AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHARED COMMENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE.
MANY REACHED OUT OFFLINE, UM, IN PERSON BY EMAIL, UM, BOTH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH PHONE CALLS AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF MY INFORMATION GATHERING.
I AM NOT CONDUCTING A FORMAL SURVEY OF, OF REP OF FOLKS IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I CERTAINLY WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK AT ANY TIME, MS. HUBS, SO I'M AVAILABLE TO YOU.
TALKED ABOUT THE TEACHERS HAVING TO DRIVE BY SCHOOLS TO LIVE OUT HERE.
IS ANYTHING IN THIS COMMUNITY PLAN THAT'S TAKING PLACE TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT THE TEACHERS CAN LIVE OUT HERE? AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, ANY PLAN TO FIX ROCK CASTLE ROAD? THE MESS THEY MADE LAST FALL THEFT? GOOD QUESTIONS.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT, BUT I'M GONNA LET MR. CARPENTER, I'LL FOLLOW NEIL, I WILL FOLLOW UP.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I'LL TAKE THE SECOND ONE FIRST.
MAYBE THAT MEANS ROCK CASTLE ROAD.
UM, AB I CAN ANSWER OK
SO THAT, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
SO ROCK CASTLE ROAD IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TOTALLY REPAVED SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH WHITE HALL ROAD.
UM, THEY, THE PROCESS THAT THEY USE, THEY COME BY AND THEY PATCH FIRST AND IT DOES MAKE A MESS.
WHITE HALL ROAD WAS AN ABSOLUTE MESS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, THEY, THEY WANNA LET THAT SIT FOR A SEASON, UH, BUT IT IS ON SCHEDULE TO BE COMPLETELY REPAVED THIS YEAR.
SO IT WILL BE SMOOTH AND IT'LL, IT'LL BE MUCH BETTER.
UM, AS A GARDEN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, YIELDS A LOT TALLER THAN I AM, I'M GUESSING.
UM, AS REGARDS THE DEVELOPMENT AND, AND THE BUILDING FOR HOUSING, UH, YOU KNOW, GUEN IS, UH, A COMMUNITY THAT, THAT PEOPLE WANNA LIVE IN, AND IT MAKES IT A MARKET THAT IS VERY DESIRABLE.
AND SO BUILDERS IN THIS COUNTY ARE BUILDING WHAT THE MARKET IS ASKING FOR.
AND SO THE HOMES THAT THEY'RE BUILDING GENERALLY HAVE A PRICE POINT THAT'S HIGHER THAN THEY ARE IN, SAY, CHESTERFIELD OR HENRICO.
AND SO AT THIS POINT, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUIRE THEM TO BUILD LESS THAN THEY'RE BUILDING, NOR DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MANAGE, UH, THE PRICE POINTS SO THE HOUSES THEY'RE BUILDING.
SO AS THEY BUILD THESE, THESE HOMES AND THESE HOUSES, UH, THEY'RE RESPONDING TO WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO BUY.
AND THAT'S LEADS US TO A SITUATION WHERE, UH, IT IS NOT EASY TO FIND A HOME BELOW A CERTAIN PRICE POINT IN THIS COUNTY.
UH, AND THE NEW HOMES THAT ARE LOOKING TO COME IN ON THE MARKET ARE AGAIN GONNA BE IN A RANGE THAT, THAT A LOT OF OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE.
UM, AND THAT IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WHEN I TALKED ABOUT KEEPING AN ATTRACTING EMPLOYEE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES I HAVE, IS THE NUMBER OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO DON'T LIVE IN GUCCI COUNTY THAT WORK FOR GIN COUNTY.
WHAT CAN WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT THEM? UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A COMMUNITY THAT BELIEVES IN THE FREE MARKET AND WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO, UH, UM, GET INVOLVED IN THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR PURVIEW.
WE'RE NOT BUILDERS, WE'RE NOT DEVELOPERS AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GET IN THAT MARKET.
BUT WE DO HAVE LEGITIMATE NEEDS.
WE HAVE DEPUTIES WHEN YOU DRIVE ANOTHER COUNTY IS SEE A GIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S VEHICLE SITTING IN A DRIVEWAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO LIVE.
SO WE HOPE AT SOME POINT TO BE ABLE TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME ABILITY TO INFLUENCE FOR, FOR SOME OF THOSE TEACHERS AND, AND DEPUTIES AND FIREMEN SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTY.
[01:00:01]
I'LL AGREE.I I AGREE WITH WHAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JUST SAID, BUT I WILL, I THINK IT SOUNDED A LITTLE BIT LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SAY, AND I, I WOULD, AGAIN, THIS IS A DEBATE WE HAVE AMONG OURSELVES ON THE BOARD IS, IS HOW, HOW TO ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM.
I I I, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING, UH, WHAT TIMMONS AND WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING VERY SOON, WHAT TIMMONS IS DOING, AND I I'VE MET WITH THEM, ALL OF US HAVE MET WITH THEM.
AND THE ISSUE THERE, I THINK WHERE WE DO HAVE A ROLE IS DENSITY.
AND WE HAVE BEEN, THIS BOARD HAS BEEN COMMITTED SINCE I GOT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD IN 2011 TO KEEPING GLAND RURAL, BUT THEIR GROWTH PRESSURES.
SO OUR FOCUS, AND IT'S BEEN IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS, IS TO HAVE OUR GROWTH IN THE VILLAGES IN THE EAST END CORE CENTERS IN CENTERVILLE, 4.9 SQUARE MILE CENTERVILLE VILLAGE, AND THEN IN THE COURTHOUSE VILLAGE.
UH, BECAUSE I REPRESENT THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY, I, I FOCUS MORE ON, WE REALLY ARE FOCUSING ON BOTH, BUT I, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, TO THE COURTHOUSE VILLAGE, AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME PLANS COME FORTH WHERE THE COUNTY IS GOING TO HAVE A ROLE IN, IN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPERS AND, AND, AND THE LANDOWNERS.
AND, AND, AND IT'S ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO DENSITY, BUT WE'RE GONNA PUT DENSITY, WE'VE AGREED TO PUT THE DENSITY IN THE VILLAGE AREAS.
SO, UH, STAY, STAY TUNED BECAUSE I, I'VE TALKED TO YOU IN THE PAST, AND I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, YOU SAID, WHAT, WHY, WHEN, WHEN I, I SAID, WHEN PEOPLE AGE OUT, WHEN WE AGE OUT, WHY DO WE HAVE TO LEAVE OUR COUNTY IF WE CAN NO LONGER LIVE IN OUR HOMES? AND THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME FOR, FOR MANY YEARS.
AND IT'S PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, IT'S PART OF WHAT TIMMONS IS TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S PART OF WHAT SOME LANDOWNERS IN THE COURT COURTHOUSE IS STARTING TO TALK ABOUT WITH US.
SO WE, WE ARE ENGAGED ON IT, BUT, UH, TO WHAT MR. CARPENTER'S POINT WAS WHEN, WHEN WE APPROVED REEB MARSH, AND I REMEMBER THAT SIGN WENT UP AND IT SAID, STARTING IN THE 400 S.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, THAT'S KIND OF EXPENSIVE.
BUT THAT THING GOT TORN DOWN IN LIKE A WEEK, AND IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PRICE BECAUSE THE PRICES WENT UP.
UM, IT, IT, IT WAS SHOCKING TO WATCH IT.
UM, SO YOU UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THIS IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL OF THE, THE ECONOMY, THE SUPPLY CHAIN, THE DEVELOPERS AND THE LAND IS EXPENSIVE IN GOLAND.
BUT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE, UH, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THAT AS WE, AS WE FIRM UP THE VILLAGE PLANS.
AND, AND I, I KNOW IT'S A NEED.
I, AND I, I KNOW THIS BOARD IS COMMITTED, UM, TO, TO YOUR POINT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO LEAVE THE COUNTY IF, YOU KNOW, IF I, AND, AND AGAIN, THE PREMISE WAS, CAN OUR TEACHERS AND FIREFIGHTERS AND DEPUTIES LIVE HERE? AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT ON THAT FRONT.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE ENGAGED ON THE TOPIC.
FIRST, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL SYSTEM AND AS YOU GO, GO OFF GOVERNOR APPOINTMENT.
UM, AND, UM, FURTHERING TRANSPARENCY.
UM, MY QUESTION TONIGHT IS, UM, HOW, UM, ARE WE ENSURING THAT THE TEACHERS THAT WE ARE, UM, INTERVIEWING ARE ONES THAT, UM, DO REFLECT, UM, AND TEACH OUR COMMUNITY VALUES SO THAT WE CAN PRESERVE THOSE IN GOLAN? BECAUSE, UH, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, NOT JUST FROM MYSELF, BUT FROM MANY PARENTS THAT MOVE OUT HERE, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT THAT I'VE TALKED TO THAT HAVE CURRENTLY JUST RECENTLY MOVED OUT HERE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY LOVE OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY LOVE THE PEOPLE AND THE VALUES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT THE, BECAUSE THE TAXPAYERS ARE PUTTING SO MUCH OF OUR MONEY TOWARDS, UM, EDUCATION, AS YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE'RE HAVING TEACHERS THAT DO, UM, RESPECT AND CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY VALUES IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? AND, UM, THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE STATE SYSTEM, WE HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL TEACHERS.
MY CHILDREN HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE MAJORITY OF ALL THE TEACHERS THAT MY STUDENT, MY CHILDREN, MY CHILDREN HAVE HAD, HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL AND HAVE BUILT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, OUR FAMILY, WITH OUR KIDS.
AND WE SO APPRECIATE THAT THE HOW ARE THE TEACHERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, AND THERE ARE SOME, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT BRINGING IN THINGS THAT ARE NOT THINGS THAT PARENTS WANT AND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THANK YOU FOR THE, THE QUESTION MR. WILSON.
UM, AND THEN ULTIMATE, ULTIMATELY, WE REPRESENT 26,000 RESIDENTS AND 2,600 FAMILIES WHO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY WE SERVE AS EMPLOYEES.
AND SO, UM, WE WORK REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE AMAZING HIRES, UM, THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW EMPLOYEES, THAT IT'S A FIT FOR GUC LIMB COUNTY.
AND OFTENTIMES THOSE FOLKS THAT WE INTERVIEW MAY NOT BE A FIT FOR GLAND COUNTY.
THEY MAY BE A FIT FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL DIVISION, BUT,
[01:05:01]
BUT NOT GUC COUNTY.AND SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS OF REVIEWING APPLICATIONS, UH, AN INTERVIEW PROCESS WITH A PRINCIPAL, RIGHT? WE ARE RIGHT NOW SOMETIMES DOING TWO LEVELS OF INTERVIEW TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS IN FACT THE RIGHT FIT FOR OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
BECAUSE THE IMPACT OF A CHILD IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE IN OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES AND INSTRUCTION THAT HAPPENS IN THAT CLASSROOM.
SO THAT THAT CLASSROOM TEACHER OFTENTIMES SPENDS 5, 6, 7 HOURS A DAY WITH THAT CHILD.
AND SO ULTIMATELY IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO MAKE GREAT HIRES.
OUR SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES GUIDE US IF IN FACT AN EMPLOYEE DOES SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS ADOPTED.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY WE VALUE EXCELLENCE.
I'VE SAID IT MANY TIMES, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, AS LONG AS I'M IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, THAT WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATING CHILDREN, NOT EMPLOYING ADULTS, AND WE VALUE EXCELLENCE.
THE SCHOOL DIVISION VALUES EXCELLENCE.
SO WE HA IF WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT IS NOT RISING TO THE LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE, AND WE GO THROUGH OUR TRADITIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES PROCESSES TO HELP THAT INDIVIDUAL GROW AND DEVELOP.
AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO THAT BECAUSE WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES IN OUR CLASSROOMS WORKING WITH OUR CHILDREN EVERY DAY.
DO WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS TO ENSURE THAT UM, THERE IS NOT DIVISIVE OR CONTENT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S BEING SHARED INSIDE THE CLASSROOM? I KNOW ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT EX EXPERIENCED HER FROM MY OWN FILE MM-HMM.
SO IS THAT FROM TEACHERS BEING ABLE TO HAVE A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY, WHICH I UNDERSTAND AT THE FUTURE MYSELF, BUT TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, BUT WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO MAKE ENSURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT BEING INUNDATED WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE THERE FOR ACADEMICS AND THEY'RE NOT THERE FOR OTHER POP-UP ADS OR OTHER THINGS COMING UP ON THEIR IPADS? YEAH.
SCHOOL BOARD HAS POLICY ON RESOURCES.
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
WE HAVE, UH, TEXTBOOK RESOURCES THAT GO THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE WE RECEIVE SELECTION WITH INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES AS WELL.
AND THOSE SUPPLEMENTARY RESOURCES ARE, UH, OUR FOLKS USE PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE HAD CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITY, WITH OUR, WITH OUR TEACHERS, AND SAY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING SOLID, STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS, RECOGNIZING THAT WE ARE IN THE POSITION OF BEING A ROLE MODEL FOR THE STUDENTS WHOM WE SERVE.
THE SCHOOL BOARD ALSO ADOPTED A POLICY IN LINE WITH LEGISLATION RELATED TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS.
AND SO OUR SCHOOL BOARD HAS ADOPTED THAT AND WE'VE BEEN COMPLYING WITH THAT POLICY, UH, SINCE THAT ADOPTION, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER OF THIS PAST YEAR.
SO YES, WE HAVE POLICIES, WE HAVE TRAINING, AND ULTIMATELY WE HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE EXPECTATIONS OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING WHAT'S RIGHT FOR CHILDREN EVERY DAY, MAKING SOUND INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS.
PUBLIC SAFETY, NINE WOMEN POSITIONS FUNDED, WHAT ARE THEY? THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY POSITIONS? SIX OF THEM ARE IN FIRE AND RESCUE, TWO OF THEM ARE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, FOR SROS THAT CAME IN.
AND THE ONE OF THEM IS, LEMME JUST BLANK, PUT THE NINE FOR THE LIST.
SROS ARE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
AND, AND BOB, JUST BOB, JUST FOR THE REST OF THE FOLKS.
AND I WAS GONNA SAY THAT I THINK WE HAVE STARTING THIS YEAR, ONE IN EVERY SCHOOL, MS. HLE, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? UM, FOR THE NEW FIRE STATION AT DOGTOWN AND, UM, WHITE HALL.
THE, UH, COUNTY AS YOU KNOW, PURCHASED THE LAND FOR IT.
UM, UH, DID WE NEED TO REPEAT THE QUESTION SINCE SHE WASN'T ON THE MIC? YEAH, THE QUESTION WAS THE TIMELINE FOR THE COUNTY FIRE STATION ON DOGTOWN ROAD, AND THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE CALL STATION EIGHT.
SO THE COUNTY OWNS THE LAND FOR THAT, WHERE RIGHT NOW THOUGH IT'S NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE, UH, FUTURE TO, TO BUILD A PERMANENT STATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE COULD PERHAPS PUT SOME KIND OF A TEMPORARY STATION UP THAT WOULD BE IN, IF SO ON THE NEXT TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
BUT THE ACTUAL PERMANENT FULL-TIME STATION IS PROBABLY ABOUT SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
ALRIGHT, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE.
UH, WE APPRECIATE AGAIN SO MUCH Y'ALL TAKING TIME TO COME OUT TONIGHT.
WHEN I STARTED SAYING THIS MEANS A LOT TO US, IT DOES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PUT OUR, OUR, OUR HEART AND SOUL INTO WORKING FOR YOU, THE PEOPLE.
SO YOU COMING OUT AND TALKING TO US AND SHARING YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS MAKES IT WORTHWHILE.
AND AGAIN, GOD SPEAK GOODNIGHT.