[00:00:04]
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UH, I'LL NOW TURN IT OVER TO DR.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US, UH, THIS AFTERNOON ON, ON SOME VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS ULTIMATELY THAT ARE GOING TO INFORM OUR, OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD RELATED TO, TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND OUR FACILITIES.
AND JUST SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND, UH, UH, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD AND WITH STAFF AND BE ABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GET SOME IDEAS OUT ON THE TABLE, HAVE SOME CONVERSATION, AND ULTIMATELY, A LOT OF DISCUSSION TODAY, UH, AS WE'VE BUILT THE AGENDA FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT.
THERE ARE SOME, SOME SEGMENTS OF THE AGENDA WHERE WE WANNA PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION, BUT ULTIMATELY ALLOW THE BOARD TO HAVE TIME TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION.
UH, I DO WANT TO THANK DR. ARMSTRONG AND MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SCHOOL BOARD STAFF WHO ARE HERE AS WELL AS COUNTY STAFF WHO ARE HERE AND CONTINUAL THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR BEING ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I'VE BEEN A PART OF SOME OF THESE WORK SESSIONS IN THE PAST AND HAS NOT, WE HAVE NOT HAD THIS LEVEL OF ATTENDANCE, SO IT'S, UH, IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE.
AND SO, AS THIS TRULY IS A WORK SESSION, WE'RE ROLLING OUR SLEEVES UP AND, UH, ULTIMATELY TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF IMPORTANT TOPICS.
STAFF ARE HERE AT THE TABLE AND AROUND IN ORDER TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.
AND SO, HUGE THANKS TO THE TEAM, SPECIFICALLY CARLA, WHO HAS REALLY LED THIS EFFORT TO GET US PREPARED FOR TODAY.
AND JUST GRATEFUL TO, TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH A LOT OF TREMENDOUS PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE DEDICATED TO THE WORK HERE.
UH, SO OUR GOAL FOR TODAY, JUST TO SET THE TABLE A LITTLE BIT, IS, UH, ULTIMATELY TO BEGIN A CONVERSATION ABOUT PRIORITIES.
AND SO AS WE TRANSITION TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANNA ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS TO MAYBE SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON, ON A FEW THINGS, KIND OF SET THE STAGE AND SET THE TABLE AS I'M STILL, UH, TRANSITIONING IN THIS ROLE.
I HAVEN'T YET MADE IT THREE MONTHS, SO, UH, FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT I HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE REALLY TO HAVE CONVERSATION WITH BOARD MEMBERS IN GREAT DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS ASSOCIATED WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND FEELING THAT THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR OUR WORK AND, AND FIND SOME COMMON THREADS AND SOME COMMON THREE THEMES ULTIMATELY THAT CAN HELP US JUMPSTART INTO THIS WORK INTO THE FUTURE.
AND THEN, UH, CARLOS'S GONNA SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL POSITION AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW FROM A CASH STANDPOINT, FROM A FINANCING STANDPOINT, AND THEN ALLOW THE BOARD SOME TIME TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, ASK SOME QUESTIONS, AND ULTIMATELY MAYBE PROVIDE SOME CLARITY FOR OUR PUBLIC.
AND THEN I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE IN SOME CURRENT PROJECTS RIGHT NOW, WHAT THE BOARD APPROVED IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR SHORT TERM PROJECT NEEDS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UH, ASK SOME QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD, SEE IF WE CAN GAIN SOME CONSENSUS POTENTIALLY ABOUT NEXT STEPS ON THOSE.
AND THEN FORECAST FORWARD WHAT WE NEED TO START TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
MAYBE SOME MORE SHORT TERM PROJECTS BEYOND THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN GIVE DR. ARMSTRONG AND HIS TEAM A CHANCE TO HAVE, UH, THE FLOOR TO SHARE THEIR NEEDS AS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND ULTIMATELY, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION BUILT IN.
SO WE DO HAVE THREE HOURS TOGETHER, AND LIKELY WE'LL TAKE A BREAK SOMEWHERE IN THE IN BETWEEN FOR, UH, FOR US TO CATCH OUR BREATH A LITTLE BIT, BUT DO WANT THIS TO BE COLLABORATIVE AND, AND HAVE A LOT OF DIALOGUE ALONG THE WAY.
UH, SO I FIGURED IT'D GET US KICKED OFF BY, YOU KNOW, ASKING THE BOARD MEMBERS TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS BRIEFLY.
UH, WE'VE ALLOCATED ABOUT 15 MINUTES, YOU KNOW, ON THESE, ON THESE TOPICS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR BELIEFS RELATED TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT SHOULD WE BE SPENDING OUR DOLLARS FOR WHEN IT COMES TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY? AND WHAT DO WE THINK REALLY DOESN'T APPLY FOR A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN? MAYBE IT'S MORE OPERATIONAL IN NATURE, BUT AS WE THINK ABOUT THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS OF OUR WORK TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE WANNA SPEND OUR DOLLARS FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS? WHAT, WHAT SHOULD WE BE FOCUSING OUR DOLLARS ON THERE? AND THEN ASKING THE QUESTION TOO ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD FUND PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO THAT WILL TRANSITION INTO THE FINANCIAL ELEMENTS OF OUR WORK.
BUT JUST WANTED TO GET SOME, SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND HEAR DIRECTLY FROM BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THESE TOPICS RELATED TO OUR CIP.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN GOING FIRST.
I THINK THE CHAIR USUALLY STARTS TO, WELL, IT, UM, GOES DOWN NOT TO BE A SURPRISE TO ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, I GUESS I WOULD PLACE MY PRIORITIES IN SHORT TERM, INTERMEDIATE TERM, MAYBE LONG TERM, UM, SHORT TERM, OF COURSE, AS WE ALL KNOW, CITIZENS AWARE OF, WE'VE GOT TWO FIRE STATIONS, UH, COURTHOUSE, UH, AND A, UH, AND, AND MY, I WOULD ADD TO THAT A, UH, CTE, UH, ELEMENT IN THAT FOR THE SCHOOLS.
[00:05:02]
SO THOSE I THINK WOULD BE SOMEWHAT OF A IMMEDIATE OR SHORT TERM CIP NEED.AND THEN MAYBE RIGHT AFTER THAT, ON THE HEELS OF THAT WOULD BE SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE THINK WE CAN DO IN THE EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE AWARE THAT WE NEED TO PAY SOME ATTENTION TO THAT, TO THAT AREA OF PARKS AND REC.
UH, LONGER TERM WOULD BE ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS PERHAPS.
SO, UH, I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, GET AN ASSESSMENT OF WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO A ANSWER THE SECOND QUESTION OF HOW WOULD WE FUND THIS STUFF? UM, AND I THINK THAT WOULD REQUIRE SOME MORE DISCIPLINE ON OUR PART, UH, AS TO WHETHER WE GO OUT IMMEDIATELY AND BORROW.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT.
I ASKED, UM, SO I KIND OF AM WITH TOM ON, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM VERSUS SHORT TERM.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE LONG TERM WE NEED TO BE FUNDING, UH, LONGSTANDING INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, NOT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT, I DON'T KNOW, UH, REDOING A PARK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD, I WOULD CONSIDER THAT OPERATIONAL, UH, UH, INCIDENTALS OPERATIONAL MM-HMM
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO LIKE THE COURTHOUSE, YOU KNOW, HARD INFRASTRUCTURE, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA LAST 25, 50 YEARS, OR A HUNDRED IF WE'RE LUCKY MM-HMM
I THINK THAT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO FALL UNDER THE, THE CIP PLAN.
UM, AND HOW IT SHOULD BE FUNDED.
I WOULD LIKE TO IT TO BE FUNDED BY OUR, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE BRING IN WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BUT I ALSO, ON THAT NOTE, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALSO BE FUNDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH CIP AND GETTING SOME OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME SITE READINESS TO BRING IN, KIND OF CREATE A SELF-SUSTAINING, UH, FUNDING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T THINK OF THE CIP MUCH DIFFERENT THAN I LOOK AT THE BUDGET, AND IT'S WHAT THE CITIZENS HAVE SAID IS THEIR PRIORITY PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION.
UH, SO I THINK LOOKING AT THOSE TWO, AND I LIKE THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAD.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT LENS TO LOOK AT.
PUBLIC SAYS, WE LOOK AT GOVERNMENT, WE LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION.
UM, I DO BELIEVE KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON, UH, MR. CHRISTIE, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY TALENTED PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD THAT ARE WHAT I WOULD CALL MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL THAN I AM.
UM, I, I GET CONCERNED WHEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES SEEM, UH, SORT OF REACTIVE.
I'D LIKE US TO FIGURE OUT IS THERE A WAY, UM, TO POTENTIALLY KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, PURCHASING PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO IMPROVE THE SITE READINESS, TO, TO HELP WITH THE FUNDING ON A COMMERCIAL ASPECT, UH, SO THAT IF THINGS POP UP THAT THERE'S MONEY SET ASIDE FOR THAT MM-HMM
AND MAYBE THERE ALREADY IS, WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RENAME SOME, UH, CURRENT, UH, RESERVE FUND OR SOMETHING.
I DO FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE AN OP A DISCUSSION AS A BOARD ON SERVICES AND TO THE EAST END OF THE COUNTY, UH, THE EAST END OF THE, AND FOR EVERYBODY THAT DOESN'T KNOW I'M MORE WEST CENTRAL, WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, BUT THE EAST END OF THE COUNTY PAYS A, A, A, A HUGE PORTION OF OUR TAXES.
UM, I THINK WE DESERVE TO HAVE SERVICES THERE, AND I WANT TO HAVE INTENTIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT.
NOT JUST, HEY, SOMETHING CAME UP.
LET'S, LET'S PLAN FOR, HEY, IF WE WANT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO HAVING, UH, ACCESSIBILITY TO THE GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN THE EAST END.
AND WE HAD A MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT AND I WANTED TO ASK HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THAT MEETING HAD ACTUALLY BEEN THIS FAR WEST OF GLAND AND THEY WERE, UH, I DON'T THINK MANY HANDS WOULD'VE WENT UP MM-HMM
SO THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO IT, BUT I, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT DELIBERATE DISCUSSION.
UM, I DO THINK THAT CIP SHOULD BE FOR ONE TERM, UH, OR, OR FOR, FOR, UH, UH, SINGLE EXPENSES, NOT ONGOING EXPENSES.
HOWEVER, I, I SEE A GAP IN HOW WE PLAN, BECAUSE IN THE PAST, I SAT IN THIS ROOM FOR THIS MEETING AND WE'VE SEEN, UH, WE'VE SEEN, UH, PEOPLE IN THE CIP WE NEED, WE'RE GONNA NEED 12 PEOPLE TO STAFF STATION SEVENS PER SE.
I, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT SOMEWHERE WHERE WE DON'T.
SO I THINK LOOKING AT A LONGER OPERATIONAL PLAN, LOOKING
[00:10:01]
OUT MORE THAN ONE YEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO STAFFING.SO IF WE KNOW, IF THE COUNTY HITS, GETS A CERTAIN, CERTAIN MILESTONES OR CERTAIN POTENTIAL GROWTH AREAS, THAT, THAT'S GONNA SAY, WELL, THAT'S GONNA TRIGGER THE NEED FOR ANOTHER BUILDING INSPECTOR THAT'S GONNA TRIGGER A NEED FOR SOMEBODY IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE OR THE COMMISSIONER REVENUE SO THAT IT'S MORE FORMULAIC.
UM, AND THAT WE'RE BEING MORE WELL MANAGED IN THAT ASPECT OF IT.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES MENTIONING GETTING MORE SERVICES TO THE EAST END OF THE COUNTY.
FIRST, I'LL SAY THAT, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I VIEW AS MY MISSION IN SERVICE TO GLAND AS A SUPERVISOR, AND I ENCAPSULATED AS CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVED GLAND'S REVENUE GENERATION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE BEST IN CLASS SERVICES AND FACILITIES WITHOUT RAISING TAX RATES.
SO WHAT I STRESS AS IT RELATES TO CIP IS BEST IN CLASS SERVICES AND FACILITIES.
AND SO THAT MEANS FACILITIES THAT WE EXPECT TO LAST 50 YEARS, IT'S FACILITIES THAT WE EXPECT IN 20 YEARS TO HAVE PEOPLE PROUD AND THRILLED TO BE COMING TO WORK IN THEM.
AND WHAT DOES THAT REQUIRE? THAT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS UPFRONT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE BUILDING TO A STANDARD THAT IS BEST IN CLASS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS CAME FROM, THIS CAME OUT OF A LOT OF VISITS TO COURTHOUSES THAT, UH, OUR PREVIOUS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PLANNED.
AND, UH, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE SEVERAL OF THEM.
AND THE MOST FRUSTRATING ELEMENT, OR THE MOST FRUSTRATING THING TO HEAR FROM ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT SITES WERE COUNTY STAFF, THESE VARIOUS COUNTIES SAYING, GOSH, YOU KNOW, THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE YEARS IN, GOSH, I WISH WE'D THOUGHT OF THAT, OR, WE REALLY DON'T LIKE THIS, OR, WE'VE OUTGROWN THIS.
AND THAT LACK THAT IS NOT ONLY A LACK OF FORESIGHT, BUT OFTEN TIMES I THINK IT'S A LACK OF VISION IN WHAT THE FINANCING REQUIREMENTS NEED TO BE TO SET YOURSELVES UP TO PROVIDE FACILITIES THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME.
AND SO WE, WE ARE IN A NEW PARADIGM.
BUS G ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
SCHOOLS AND BEST IN CLASS FACILITIES COST MORE.
THAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S CREATION, NOT GLAND COUNTIES.
WE ARE HERE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT THESE OTHER, UH, MACROECONOMIC PLAYERS HAVE CREATED.
SO WE, WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT IT COSTS MORE TO DELIVER THESE FACILITIES AND THESE SERVICES.
HOW CAN WE DO THAT? WELL, TO GO INTO THE SECOND QUESTION, I THINK THAT WE CAN DO THAT WITH A M BY LEVERAGING OUR AAA RATING, BY MAKING EFFECTIVE USE OF IT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THE MARKET IS OFFERING US 3% MONEY BECAUSE OF THAT GREAT RATING, AND WE CAN PUT THAT ON A 25 YEAR, 30 YEAR PAYBACK SCHEDULE, THAT IT ALIGNS WITH THE USAGE OF THESE FACILITIES THAT WE HOPE TO BRING ON BOARD.
AND, UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE TO JUST, WE HAVE TO SET, DRAW THE LINE RIGHT NOW, OR, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO SAY, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
THIS IS NOT GONNA BE THE WAY IT HAPPENS FROM NOW MOVING FORWARD.
AND I WILL SAY THAT IN RELATION TO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE A HISTORY OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE BUILDING UP IN THIS COUNTY.
AND FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, KICKING THE CAN.
AND A PAY AS YOU GO SYSTEM CAN CREATE THAT.
AND WHILE IT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE BEEN, I MEAN, I, I APPLAUD ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OPERATE GLAND COUNTY IN THE PAST WITH A PAY AS YOU GO MODEL.
BUT GIVEN THE COST THAT WE HAVE FOR THESE, IF, IF WE WANNA MAINTAIN BEST IN CLASS, GIVEN THE COST THAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW, WE CAN'T JUST RELY ON THE PAY AS YOU GO MODEL.
AND SO I THINK WE'VE GOTTA LEVERAGE WHAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT.
THE BEAUTY IS WE'VE ALREADY GOT THAT THANKS TO PREVIOUS SUPERVISORS, AND THAT'S A GIFT THAT WE NEED TO UTILIZE.
UM, BUT WE NEED TO, UM, DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ON A DAILY BASIS TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE OUR BUSINESS GENERATION BY BEING A PLACE THAT, I'M SORRY, OUR REVENUE GENERATION BY BEING A PLACE THAT BUSINESSES WANT TO COME TO.
AND, UM, AND NOT PUTTING IT ON RESIDENTIAL TAXPAYERS.
SO, UH, AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD ADD, 'CAUSE NEIL TOUCHED UPON THIS, UM,
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WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT HUMAN CAPITAL INVESTMENT, AND I STRESS HUMAN CAPITAL THAT THAT DOES NOT GET LOOKED AT IN CIP ENOUGH.AND, UH, YES, IT FALLS IN, IT NATURALLY FALLS IN OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
BUT THINGS LIKE A NEW FIRE STATION, THINGS LIKE A NEW SCHOOL REQUIRE AN IMMEDIATE UPTICK IN THE EXPENDITURES THAT WE BEAR.
LET'S NOT PRETEND THAT IT JUST GETS DUMPED INTO THE OPERATING EXPEN EXPENDITURE LINE AND IT'S IMMEDIATELY SOLVED.
LET'S THINK OF, OKAY, WE NEED TO GO OUT AND ATTRACT 20 MORE, AND I'LL STATE THIS AGAIN IN PROBABLY 15 TIMES, BEST IN CLASS FACULTY FOR THIS SCHOOL SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED.
AND WE'VE REALLY GOTTA LOOK AT BRICKS AND MORTAR ARE GREAT, AND LET'S BUILD THE BEST FACILITIES WE CAN, BUT WE'VE GOTTA STRESS HUMAN CAPITAL, CUBAN CAPITAL'S IMPORTANCE BEING BIGGER THAN JUST BRICKS AND MORTAR.
AND, UM, HOW ARE WE GONNA CONTINUE ADDRESSING THAT? SO THAT IS MY THESIS.
UM, WELL, IT'S, UH, 18 AFTER THE HOUR.
YOU SAID WE'RE GONNA DO 15 MINUTES.
WELL BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK
UM, CIP FOR ME IS, UH, LONG-TERM ASSETS AND LONG-TERM FINANCING.
AND IF, AND IF AN ASSET HAS LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, UH, SHELF LIFE, I WOULD CALL THAT AN EXPENSE, NOT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND, AND I'M GONNA BE MAYBE A LITTLE MORE PHILOSOPHICAL.
IF WE GIVE GOVERNMENT MONEY, IT'LL STAY.
AND FRANKLY, I TAKE THE APPROACH, I WANT TO TAX LESS AND SPEND LESS.
UH, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE ANSWER.
AND I HOPE TO GUCCI CARES AS BEING A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF A PRIVATE SECTOR ENTERPRISE PROVIDING A LOT OF, UH, RESOURCES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND YES, THEY DO RECEIVE SOME GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, BUT THEY ARE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED.
AND, AND, UH, MR. BODERS KIND OF SET THE BAR A LITTLE LOW.
HE SAID HE WANTS A 50 YEAR LIFESPAN ON A, UH, BUILDING COURTHOUSE IS 200.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE GOTTEN OUR MONEY'S WORTH IN A LITTLE MORE THERE.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, GOING BACK, IF IT'S GOING TO BE WITH US FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, I THINK IT IS A CANDIDATE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
AND I TAKE THE APPROACH ON LONG-TERM FINANCING BECAUSE AS WE PAY OUT OF CURRENT REVENUES, EVERY TAXPAYER TODAY IS BUYING AN ASSET FOR THE PERSON WHO MOVES HERE NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS FROM NOW.
THAT PERSON DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY A PENNY FOR THAT FIRE TRUCK.
UH, DOESN'T HAVE TO PAY A PENNY FOR ANY OF THOSE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE PUT ON THE TABLE.
AND I LIKE TO THINK THAT THE PEOPLE GETTING THE BENEFIT OF THOSE RESOURCES ARE GONNA HELP PAY THE PREY.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR LONGER TERM, UH, FINANCING FOR LONGER TERM ASSETS.
SO IF WE ARE PUTTING, UH, RESOURCES ON THE TABLE THAT ARE GONNA BE FINANCED OVER 15, 20 YEARS, THAT DEBT SERVICE IS GONNA BE PAID BY THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTY 15 YEARS FROM NOW.
AND IF SOMEBODY SELLS THEIR HOUSE AND MOVES OUT OF THE COUNTY, THEY AREN'T LEAVING A GIFT FOR THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT THE HOUSE AND MOVED IN BEHIND THEM.
'CAUSE UH, THE PEOPLE GETTING THE RESOURCE, I'M SORRY, THE SERVICES ARE THE ONES PAYING FOR IT.
I LOOK AT GOVERNMENT'S ROLE AS PUBLIC SAFETY, TRANSPORTATION, AND EDUCATION.
UH, WE DO NOT HAVE AS MUCH, UH, WHEREWITHAL ON TRANSPORTATION AS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US.
UH, THAT IS SOMEWHAT SHIFTING WITH THE CBTA MONIES COMING INTO US.
BUT I THINK THAT IF THERE'S THREE THINGS THAT I GET PHONE CALLS ON IS THE
I GET PHONE CALLS ON THE ASSESSMENTS, AND I GET PHONE CALLS ON TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER THINGS TOO.
UH, I GOT A CALL ABOUT PEOPLE UPSET THAT THE WILDFLOWERS WERE BEING SPRAYED WHEN THE BEES WERE STILL NEEDING THEM TO POLLINATE.
SO JUST, I TOOK ONE FOR THE TEAM ON THAT.
SO, UH, AND AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, WE NEED TO GROW THE PIE.
UH, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, THAT 28,000 POPULATION, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE, I KNOW WELDON COOPER SAYS WE'RE GONNA BE 40,000 IN 10 YEARS.
I, I HOPE THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO HANDLE THAT KIND OF EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.
BUT BE IT, AS IT MAY, 28,000 IS SORT OF THE SWEET SPOT.
WE'VE GOT ENOUGH CRITICAL MASS THAT WE CAN DO A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, BUT WE'RE NOT SO UNWIELDY THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TURNING MORE OF A, A PT BOAT PERHAPS THAN WE ARE A, A AIRCRAFT CARRIER.
UH, SO I'VE TALKED ABOUT TAX LESS SPEND, LESS GROW THE PIE.
UH, LONG TERM ASSETS WOULD BE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS.
IF WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SHERIFFS, UH, CRUISERS, I DON'T KNOW.
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EXPENSE THOSE.UH, AND I THINK HUMAN CAPITAL IS AN EXPENSE.
THEY SOMETIMES WE HAVE A SMALLER STAFF, NOT OFTEN, BUT ON OCCASION WE HAVE LESS STAFF THAN WE DO, UH, PREVIOUSLY.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S HELPFUL, BUT I, I'M NOW 22 MINUTES HALF TO GET.
SO I, I TOOK SOME TIME OFF THE BEGINNING, BUT THAT, THAT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
SO THANK YOU FOR HELPING, I THINK TO SET THE STAGE FOR THE WORK.
AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF YOU HAVE, HAVE SHARED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS, BUT THERE ARE COMMONALITIES IF YOU LISTEN.
I REALLY WORKED HARD TO TAKE NOTES OF SOME THINGS THAT WERE, WERE SHARED AMONGST ALL OF YOU.
AND THAT'S BEING THOUGHTFUL, THAT'S BEING DELIBERATE IN OUR WORK.
THAT'S PLANNING AHEAD, THAT'S LOOKING SHORT TERM, THAT'S LOOKING LONG TERM.
THERE MAY BE A RULE FOR FINANCING IN THE WORK TO MEET THE NEEDS OF, OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE FOR WHAT LENGTH, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
LIKE ALL THOSE VARIABLES NEED TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT THERE MAY BE A RULE FOR FINANCING POTENTIALLY IN OUR WORK.
UH, AND THEN THE NEED FOR EASTBOUND SERVICES WAS REFERENCED AMONGST A FEW OF YOU AS WELL.
SO THERE WERE COMMON THEMES IN, IN, IN YOUR WORK.
AND SO APPRECIATE THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM YOU, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT'S GOING TO INFORM TODAY'S WORK AND FUTURE WORK THAT WE AS STAFF ON YOUR BEHALF WILL, WILL CONTINUE TO DO.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, ONE OF THE TRANSITION INTO SOME OF THE, THE FINANCES OF THE COUNTY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE'LL TURN THIS OVER TO CARLA, WHO'S REALLY DONE SOME WORK TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL POSITION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BOARD AND FOR OUR PUBLIC WHO'S HERE TODAY AND WATCHING THE HOME.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, I DON'T THINK THIS WILL TAKE 30 MINUTES, SO THIS WILL GET US OUR TIME BACK.
WE ARE IN A VERY STRONG CASH POSITION RIGHT NOW.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE A HIGH LEVEL LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE IN THE BANK.
OUR FUND BALANCE IS OUR ASSETS MINUS OUR LIABILITY.
MY BEST PREDICTION AT THIS TIME, THIS IS UNAUDITED, BUT WE'LL HAVE ABOUT $65 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE AT JUNE 3RD.
UM, ONCE, SINCE OUR FOCUS IS CIP TODAY, I WANTED TO LAY OUT THE POTS THAT WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHERE THE FUND BALANCE WILL SIT.
UH, WE HAVE NONS SPENDABLE FUNDS, RESTRICTED FUNDS, COMMITTED FUNDS, AND THEN WHAT I WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON IS THAT ASSIGNED FUNDS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE $32 MILLION OF, UM, DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE.
AND WE KNOW WE'RE AWARE THAT THEY'RE OCCURRING, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FUND THEM.
UM, IN THE PAPERS IN FRONT OF YOU, EVERYONE'S SITTING AROUND THE TABLE.
UM, IT, I DO HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT IS WITHIN THAT ASSIGNED BALANCE, BUT THE MAIN FOCUS IS THERE'S $17 MILLION WITHIN THAT ASSIGNED THAT WE HAVE LAID OUT FOR FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO WE CAN FEEL SAFE SAYING IF WE NEEDED 17 MILLION TOWARDS ANY OF THESE PROJECTS, WE HAVE THAT SET ASIDE IN OUR ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
WE ALSO HAVE AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE THAT WE CAN SPEND AS WE NEED TO, UM, OF $29 MILLION.
THE WAY THIS IS LAID OUT, WE DO MEET OUR FUND BALANCE POLICIES, WHICH IS 25% OF THE FUTURE YEAR'S.
BUDGETED EXPENDITURES, UM, IS AN UNASSIGNED.
AND THEN BETWEEN UNASSIGNED AND ASSIGNED TOGETHER, WE HAVE A 35% AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE POLICY TARGET.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY SITTING HERE.
UM, WE HAVE MORE THAN $20 MILLION, THEN WE NEED TO JUST MEET OUR 35% AVAILABLE FUND BALANCE.
WE'RE SITTING AT 52% RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE IN GREAT SHAPE THERE.
THAT'S WITH THE LOWER TARGET FROM THE SHARE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
WE ADJUSTED DOWNWARDS HAD 60 AND THIS IS AT THE LOWER OF 35.
AND EVEN AT 35 BEING OUR TARGET, WE'RE STILL SITTING AT 52%.
ANOTHER THIS, THIS IS THE FOCUS ON GENERAL FUND.
ANOTHER PIECE OF MONEY THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND IN RELATION TO CIP PROJECTS IS OUR PROFFERS.
THESE ARE COLLECTED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THEY ARE PUT IN THE CIP FUND.
SO THEY'RE IN ADDITION TO GENERAL FUND MONEY.
UM, WE HAVE PROFFERS COLLECTED PRIOR TO JULY 1ST, 2016.
YOU CAN SEE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE ORANGE.
THEY HAVE NO GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITATIONS.
SO I WANTED TO FOCUS IN ON, SINCE WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT STATION SEVEN, A FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, OR A FIRE STATION, WE CAN USE THOSE OLD FIRE PROFFERS TOWARDS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY.
AND WE'VE GOT A LITTLE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND THERE.
AND THEN IN THE EAST END FIRE PROPERS, WE HAVE ALMOST 900,000 THERE.
SO BETWEEN THOSE TWO, WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS MORE JUST SITTING IN PROFFERS THAT WE COULD ALLOCATE TOWARDS A NEW FIRE STATION.
BUT ALSO TO KEEP IN MIND THAT BETWEEN SCHOOLS, PARKS, FIRE ROADS, WE DO HAVE THESE PROPER
[00:25:01]
MONIES AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, KEEP UP WITH THE BALANCE MONTHLY.SO EVEN THOUGH OUR FOCUS IS ONE GENERAL FUND, BECAUSE THE GENERAL FUND IS WHAT MAINLY FUNDS ALL OF OUR CIP CURRENTLY, UM, WE NEED TO ALSO FOCUS ON TCSD BECAUSE WE HAVE A PORTION OF OUR GENERAL FUND, THE AMOUNTS LISTED RIGHT HERE, THAT ACTUALLY BASED ON A REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT ANNUALLY GIVES ABOUT 2.8 TO $4 MILLION OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS TO THE TCSD FUND TO PAY OFF THAT DEBT.
THAT IS 55%, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, IT'S BASED ON A FORMULA.
SO IT'S 55% OF CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
UM, AND OUR ASSESSOR DOES A GOOD JOB OF A BIG SPREADSHEET THAT CALCULATES IT ALL, BUT YEAH, IT'S CALLED A 55% REVENUE SHARING FORMULA AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE RIGHT UNDER $4 MILLION RECENTLY.
UM, AND CURRENTLY WE HAVE $78 MILLION OF DEBT OUTSTANDING.
SO WHY DO WE WANNA PAY THESE OFF? EVERYONE WANTS TO PAY THESE OFF.
PAYING THEM OFF IS A WIN-WIN FOR BOTH THE TAXPAYERS AND THE TCSD DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL ELIMINATE THEIR AOR TAX, WHICH I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON WHEN ARE WE GONNA PAY THIS OFF.
UM, BUT IT WILL ALSO HELP THE COUNTY TO PAY THIS OFF EARLY BECAUSE WE WON'T HAVE TO KEEP FUNDING FROM GENERAL FUND THAT WILL FREE UP OVER $4 MILLION GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND THIS CONTINUES TO GROW BECAUSE THE ASSESSED VALUE GROWS WITHIN THE TCSD.
SO THAT'LL FREE UP A LOT OF MONEY ANNUALLY THAT THE GENERAL FUND CAN USE FOR OUR OPERATIONS.
BUT FOR CIP, IF WE CHOOSE TO, SO WHAT WE ARE DOING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IS LOOKING EVERY YEAR WE LOOK WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS OF HOW CAN WE DO AN EARLY PAYOFF? BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU GO BY JUST THE DEBT AMORTIZATION SCHEDULES OF THE DEBT WITHIN TCSD, WE WOULDN'T PAY IT OFF UNTIL 2042.
WE LOOKED AT CALLABLE DATES OF THESE OUTSTANDING BONDS AND IN DECEMBER OF 2024, WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO PREPAY $18 MILLION.
SO WE DID A DEFIANCE OF THIS DEBT THAT WHAT THAT DID IS BUMP UP THE EXPECTED PAYOFF DATE TO 2030.
SO WITHIN THREE MORE YEARS, WE SHOULD, I'M JUMPING TO 27 SINCE WE'RE ABOUT TO BUDGET FOR THAT, BUT REALLY WITHIN FOUR MORE YEARS, THIS AVALOR TECH SHOULD GO AWAY.
GENERAL FUND WILL HAVE MORE MONEY, TAXPAYERS WILL HAVE MORE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS.
SO THAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL, IS TO PAY THIS OFF EARLY.
UM, THIS IS BASED ON A FINANCIAL MODEL THAT OUR, UM, FINANCIAL ADVISORS HAVE WORKED WITH US ON.
IT'S BASED ON A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF GROWTH, BUT FROM WHAT IS GOING ON WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT EASILY COULD BE BUMPED UP AND, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD, THIS COULD ADVANCE EVEN MORE.
SO JUST FOR KICKS, IF WE WANTED TO PAY IT OFF EVEN EARLIER THAN 2030, THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF NEW ASSESSED VALUE THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR US TO BRING INTO THE TCSD DISTRICT.
KEEPING IN MIND THAT THIS WOULD ALSO, THESE PROJECTS WOULD'VE TO BE ON THE BOOKS AND PAYING TAXES.
NOT SURE HOW LIKELY THAT IS, BUT IF IT WERE TO HAPPEN, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE $2.8 BILLION IN TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE TO PAY IT OFF IN 2028, WE WOULD NEED DOUBLE THAT TO PAY IT OFF IN 2029.
WE WOULD NEED $700 MILLION OF NEW, NEW VALUE JUST AS AN FYI CARLA.
NEW VALUE, NOT INCREASED ASSESSMENT VALUE.
INCREASED ASSESSED VALUE ON THE BOOKS TO BE TAXED.
IS IT FAIR TO ASK HOW, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF ASSESSMENT INCREASES WE'VE BEEN SEEING OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS IN RUST CREEK OR IN THE TCSD? DO YOU KNOW WITHIN TCSD WHAT THE AVERAGES, MARYANNE? I KNOW IN GENERAL IT WAS 11%, BUT THAT WAS NOT JUST WITHIN TCSD.
NO, I IT'S USUALLY MORE, IT CAN RANGE BETWEEN 10 TO 15%.
WHEN WE GET ONE OF THESE PROJECTS THAT'S COME IN AND WE HAVE, SAY WE'RE GONNA GET $2 MILLION IN, UM, BUILDING PERMITTING FEES MM-HMM
HOW IS THAT MONEY ALLOCATED AS FAR AS WHO GETS THAT MONEY IN THEIR EXPENSE BUDGET? HOW IS THAT? SO WE GET, WE GET $2 MILLION MM-HMM
LAST YEAR THAT WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY EXPECTING.
HOW DID THAT MONEY GET DIVVIED UP? WELL, THE BUDGET IS ALREADY BUILT WHEN THAT MONEY COMES IN.
SO THAT MONEY GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND UNLESS WE NEEDED TO MAKE A MIDYEAR HIRE, WHICH
[00:30:01]
I DON'T THINK WE DID FOR AMAZON, BUT, UM, ULTIMATELY IT DUMPS BACK INTO OUR SURPLUS, INTO OUR FUND BALANCE AND THEN WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE FOR WHATEVER NEEDS WE NEED IN THE FUTURE.SO IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T COME IN AND IMMEDIATELY IT'S NOT GIVEN TO BUILDING INSPECTIONS OR GIVEN TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, I'LL LET THE GENTLEMAN THIS IMPACTS MOST, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IF IF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN THOSE AREAS ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THOSE, THEN THAT MONEY I FEEL SHOULD GO POTENTIALLY TO THE TCSD.
RIGHT? SO IF THAT'S COMING IN, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO DO? ASSUMING THE BOARD WOULD AGREE TO SAY, HEY, AS THESE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS COME UP, THE FIRST CUT OF THAT MONEY GOES TOWARDS PAYING THE T-C-S-D-A.
HOW DOES, HOW, HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? I THINK ULTIMATELY THAT WOULD BE A BOARD DECISION.
LIKE WE WOULD, FOR ANY REVENUE THAT WOULD COME IN, WE WOULD WANT TO USE THAT REVENUE WISELY, DELIBERATELY.
AND SO IT'D BE PART OF BUDGET CONVERSATIONS, BOARD MEMBERS.
WE EXPECT X DOLLARS TO COME IN AND ADDITIONAL REVENUE FROM THESE SOURCES.
ONE OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HERE'S A POSSIBILITY FOR HOW THOSE NEW DOLLARS COULD BE USED.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT WOULD BE A BUDGETARY DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD.
WOULD IT BE A BUDGETARY DECISION OR COULD WE MAKE ANY POLICY DECISION? IT COULD BE A POLICY DECISION COULD BE THERE, THERE IS ONE WAY THAT I'VE THOUGHT OF, BUT I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE SO PLEASE DON'T, UH, UH, SKEWER ME OVER IT.
UH, BUT IF WE ARE BELIEVING IN THE TOD AND BELIEVE IT IS THE ECONOMIC, YOU KNOW, A STRONG ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR THE FUTURE FOR THE COUNTY, AND WE UTILIZED OUR TRIPLE A RATING KNOWING THAT THE T-C-T-O-D IS AN ONGOING ENGINE THAT IS PRODUCING FUNDS TO PAY OFF SUCH FUNDS, YOU WOULD IMMEDIATELY TURN TCSD DEBT INTO DEBT OF ALL THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
AND THAT WOULD ALLOW US, NOW THAT IS A BIG ASK.
THAT'S WHY I THROW THAT OUT THERE AS AN IDEA, KNOWING THAT THAT, THAT TO ME PROVIDES AN ECU AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION THAT LEVERAGES OUR STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION AND ALLOWS EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT TO SAY WE BELIEVE IN WHAT THIS OVERLAY DISTRICT CAN PROVIDE FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR REVENUE GENERATION IN THE COUNTY.
AND WHAT, WHAT BETTER THING THAN A BOND ISSUANCE TO GO WITH THAT? BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TOD AS THE NEXT, I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE TOD IF IT WEREN'T FORWARD LOOKING IN EVERY WHICH WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEXT 25 TO 50 YEARS IN THIS COUNTY AND HOW CAN WE, UM, ENHANCE OUR REVENUE GENERATION CAPABILITIES.
AND THAT THAT WOULD ALSO SAY TOO, TO THESE RESIDENTS, LOOK, WE'RE DOING IT.
WE KNOW THESE, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO BE ON BOARD FOR, FOR REVENUE GENERATION, WE KNOW IS THREE TO FIVE TO 10 YEARS TO COME, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN THIS DONE.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOES ALLOW US TO HONE IN ON THAT, YOU KNOW, OR REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AAA RATING WE'VE GOT.
I WAS JUST, I'M SORRY MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, I LIKE THE IDEA THAT WE'RE A COUNTY AND NOT DISTRICTS.
AND SO WITH THE REVENUES THAT ARE COMING IN, I'M ALL FOR GETTING RID OF THE, UH, TCSD BONDS AND THE QUICKER THE BETTER, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT TO DO SO AT THE EXPENSE OF PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION OR TRANSPORTATION.
AND SO IF I'M, EXCUSE ME, SAY THE SAME THING.
IF THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO, UH, DO SOMETHING THAT STATION EIGHT I, I MEAN, I WOULD NOT WANT TO SAY, OH, STATION EIGHT, WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO DELAY THAT A LITTLE BIT.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS REVENUE TOWARDS RETIRING THE TCSD BONDS BECAUSE THE ACTIVITY WAS HAPPENING IN DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FIVE.
UH, AS CHIEF WILL EXPLAIN, HE'S MOVING PERSONNEL ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR BACKUP AND COUP SUPPORTING.
AND SO IT'S A TEAM EFFORT AND I, I I LOVE THE IDEA.
I WOULD NOT PROBABLY SAY NO TO IT, EXCEPT WITH A FULL UNDERSTANDING.
WE WOULD NOT BE DOING SO AT A DETRIMENT TO, UH, DISTRICT 1, 2, 3.
WHAT, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS THOSE NUMBERS OF ONCE THAT'S PAID OFF, ONE WAY IT DOES COME TO REST THE COUNTY.
SO I, WE COULD HAVE FIRE STATIONS.
WELL, ONE THING TO CONSIDER, AND I'LL ASK CARLA, NOT MISS KATE TO CHECK MY BOND MATH, BUT $78 MILLION ISSUANCE AT ROUGHLY THREE TO
[00:35:01]
THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT ON A 25 YEAR TERM ON SAFE TO SAY FIVE TO 6 MILLION OF SERVICING IN A YEAR.WE, THERE'S PROBABLY ON THE HIGH END.
SO I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT'S, DO WE THINK WE CAN GENERATE COMFORTABLY FIVE TO 6 MILLION IN ECONOMIC REVENUE TO SERVE ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC REVENUE TO SERVE SERVICE THESE BONDS? WELL, I THINK AND YOU GO AHEAD.
I THINK THESE, THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS SESSION BECAUSE AS WE START THINKING ABOUT INCENTIVES FOR BRINGING FOLKS HERE, I, I WANT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE NUMBER OF INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE OFFERING BECAUSE IT'S A PLAN TO GET US SOMEPLACE.
NOT A PLAN TO JUST GET SOMEBODY HERE.
I DON'T WANT TO BE, UH, A DARK CLOUD OVER ALL THIS SUNSHINE.
BUT THE WHOLE TCSD REFINANCING CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME VERY EVOLENT AND OPTIMISTIC PROJECTIONS AS TO WHAT GROWTH WAS GOING TO BE.
AND, AND, AND MY HOUSEHOLD BUDGET IS ALWAYS GOOD, BETTER, BEST.
AND I OPERATE ON GOOD, NOT BETTER AND BEST, BETTER AND BEST ARE CHERRY AND ICING AND ALL OF THOSE NICE THINGS.
BUT I WOULD, I I I'M NOT SURE WHAT MY APPETITE IS FOR ON THE, ON THE COMES SORT OF FINANCING, UH, ONCE FULL, TWICE CAUTIOUS, I GUESS IN, IN, OH, I THINK THE GOOD THING IS WE DON'T NEED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS TODAY, BUT CONCEPTUALLY THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE CONCEPTS THAT MAY HAVE MUTUAL BENEFIT TO EVERYBODY, EAST, WEST, NORTH, AND SOUTH WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, AND HOW WE CAN MAKE REALLY THOUGHTFUL, DELIBERATE ECONOMIC DECISIONS THAT WILL HAVE MAXIMUM BENEFIT TO EVERY RESIDENT HERE AND HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M NOT, THE MATH MAKES SENSE, CHARLIE, BUT ARE WE GOING TO, ARE WE GONNA FUND A, A, UH, A WELL CREW TO GO OUT AND DRILL WELLS FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S NOT IN THE TCSD IF WE'RE MOVING ALL OF THE, UH, ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE REST OF THE COUNTY? I MEAN, WELL WE'RE, I I WOULD USE THE TERM SPREADING IT OVER THE COUNTY AS AS OPPOSED TO MOVING.
BUT IT, IT JUST, YEAH, IT, IT, LIKE I SAID, IT MAKES SENSE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S, I FEEL IT WOULD BE INSULTING, YOU KNOW, TO EVERYBODY THAT'S NOT IN CSDI DO LIKE THE IDEA OF PAYING IT OFF EARLY WITHOUT A DOUBT.
BUT I'D, I'D LIKE TO DO IT WITH THE, UH, THE TOD AND THE TECHNOLOGY ZONE.
'CAUSE THEY ARE LIKE, AS NEIL SAID, THEY ARE THE ONES MORE DIRECTLY IMPACTED.
GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS WOULD REQUIRE REFERENDUM, WOULD IT? IT WOULD, YES SIR.
SO LET'S TRANSITION, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DEBT.
OUR CURRENT DEBT POSITION AND IT, IT, IT ALIGNS NICELY TO BE TRANSITIONED TO
SO JUST FOR REMINDER'S SAKE, UM, WE HAVE A DEBT POLICY THAT WE FOLLOW.
OUR TARGET IS TO STAY UNDER 10% OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S BUDGET, ANNUAL EXPENDITURES OF THE GENERAL FUND.
CURRENTLY WE ARE ONLY AT FOUR POINT A HALF PERCENT.
CARLA, JUST YOU SAID FOLLOWING YEAR, NOT SUBSEQUENT.
THE FOLLOWING ALL, I THINK WE MADE THAT CHANGE IN OUR POLICY TO MAKE IT SIMPLER.
UM, AND THIS CHART RIGHT HERE WILL SHOW THE, ALL THE BLUE THAT YOU SEE, THAT'S THE MOST RECENT GEO BONDS THAT WE JUST RECENTLY ISSUED.
WE HAVE TWO MORE YEARS OF PAYING OFF, UM, BPSA BONDS AND SEVERAL MORE YEARS OF PAYING OFF PRIVATE PLACEMENT NOTES.
AND WHAT ARE THOSE, WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY PAYING FOR THE VPSA BONDS WE BORROWED BACK IN 2006, 1.6 MILLION IS STILL LEFT TO PAY OFF.
THAT WAS FOR, UM, CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETION OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BEING SECONDARY COMPLEX.
UH, WE PAY THAT OFF VERY SOON.
UM, IN 2016, WE BORROWED DEBT FOR THE 9 1 1 COMMUNICATION CENTER AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE DID THAT THAT'LL BE PAID OFF IN 2031.
AND THEN THE GEO BONDS THAT WE RECENTLY ISSUED, THAT FINAL MATURITY ISN'T UNTIL 2042.
WE BORROWED 48.2 MILLION, OR I'M SORRY, WE HAVE 48.2 MILLION REMAINING TO PAY ON THAT.
THAT WAS TO FUND OUR FIRE STATION AND THE NEW RECENTLY COMPLETED FUTURE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO HERE OVER THE NEXT TWO SLIDES, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT WHERE ARE WE NOW, WHAT ARE WE ABOUT TO BE AT WHEN WE DRAW DOWN THE REMAINING REFERENDUM FUNDS, AND THEN HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE BORROW, WHICH CHARLIE LEFT THE CAT OUTTA THE BAG.
[00:40:01]
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THAT DEBT THAT WE'RE ALLOWED, UM, TO REMAIN WITHIN OUR DEBT POLICY.SO WE'VE, WE'VE SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE 48.7 MILLION OUTSTANDING.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE 46 MILLION THAT WE STILL NEED TO DRAW DOWN, THAT WE'RE AUTHORIZED TO DRAW DOWN THROUGH THE REFERENDUM.
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE LEGALLY BY JANUARY OF 2029.
SO THE AMOUNTS WILL GO TOWARDS HOPEFULLY THE CTE, THE BUILDING OF A CTE BUILDING, BUT IT CAN GO TOWARDS ANY SCHOOL PROJECTS.
18.2 MILLION AND THEN 27.8 MILLION WILL BE DRAWING DOWN TO GO TOWARDS OUR COURTHOUSE.
UM, SO BELOW ON THIS GRAPH YOU'LL SEE THE BLUE IS WHAT'S EXISTING.
AND THEN IF WE, WELL, ONCE WE BORROW THE REFERENDUM PROJECT MONEY, THAT WILL BUMP OUR PAYOFF OUT TO 2047.
UM, IT'LL INCREASE OUR ANNUAL DEBT PAYMENT BY ALMOST $3 MILLION.
IT'LL BUMP IT UP TO $7.6 MILLION THAT WE'RE PAYING EVERY YEAR OUT OF OUR OFF FUND TOWARDS DEBT SERVICE THAT'S PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST US.
SO IN TOTAL, WE WOULD HAVE $94.7 MILLION OUTSTANDING BEYOND THAT TO STAY WITHIN OUR POLICY.
SO LET ME RESTATE, 10% IS OUR TARGET.
WE DO HAVE A CLAUSE WRITTEN IN THERE THAT WE HAVE A CEILING OF 12% THAT WE WILL ALLOW OURSELVES TO GO UP TO.
IT'S NOT THE GOAL WE WANNA STAY AT 10, BUT, UM, IF WE WERE TO BORROW OUR MAX AMOUNT AND STAY UNDER THAT CEILING, WE COULD BORROW UP TO $79 MILLION IN ADDITION TO THE REFERENDUM.
THAT WOULD GIVE US A TOTAL BORROWING OF $173.7 MILLION.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT WE'D MAX OUT OUR POLICY AND OUR ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WOULD GO UP TO 13.5 MILLION.
AND WE'RE AT ABOUT FIVE RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S THE NUMBER TO KEEP IN MIND IF WE WANNA BORROW FOR ANY LARGE PROJECTS GOING FORWARD.
SO CARLA, YOU'RE GIVING US POTENTIALS.
YOU'RE NOT SAYING, UH, RECOMMENDING WE GO THERE.
AND MAX OUT ON EVERYTHING, JUST CORRECT.
WHAT IS, IF YOU WANTED TO GET VERY CRAZY, YOU COULD GET WOULD $79 MILLION OUT AND STILL BE, THAT WOULD BE WALKING ON THIN ICE, YOU KNOW RIGHT.
MORTGAGE THEIR FUTURE TO THAT EXTENT.
BECAUSE WE'D STILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE ANNUAL MONEY.
YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE TO PAY IT OFF EVERYWHERE.
NOT A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH, OTHER WORDS.
JUST, JUST A SCENARIO'S TO MR. WINFREY'S POINT.
WE HAVE, WE'VE ALREADY PUT THE POLICY IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT CAP IS SOUND AND THOSE CAPS ARE IN BETTER THAN COMPARABLE COUNTIES, UH, AROUND US.
SO, AND, AND BY BETTER THAN, YOU KNOW, IF LOW IS GOOD AND LOWER, IF HIGH IS GOOD, BUT HIGHER, UM, ON UH, ALL THOSE FRONTS.
SO YEAH, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE ON THIS TOPIC, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT INTEREST RATES WHEN WE LAST BORROWED OUR GEO BONDS IN 2022, INTEREST RATES WERE GREAT.
THAT'S ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT.
CURRENTLY ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT.
AS OF JUNE, THEY ARE AT FOUR POINT 13%.
UM, I KNOW EVERYONE LIKES TO WAIT UNTIL INTEREST RATES ARE LOWER, WHICH, YOU KNOW, MAKES THE INTEREST THAT WE PAY LOWER, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT I DID WANNA POINT OUT THAT WHEN WE BORROWED FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE FIRE STATION, WE REINVESTED THEM IN SNAP, A SNAP ACCOUNT.
SO A HIGHER INTEREST RATE, WHILE IT DOES MEAN WE'RE PAYING HIGHER INTEREST, WE'RE ALSO EARNING HIGHER INTEREST IN THAT SNAP ACCOUNT.
YES, CARLA, JUST FOR THE LISTENING AUDIENCE AT HOME YES.
SO WE'VE BORROWED MONEY, BUT IT'S NOT JUST SITTING SOMEPLACE IN A NO INTEREST ENVIRONMENT.
WE BORROW, IT DOESN'T GO INTO OUR WELLS FARGO WITH ALL OF THE REST OF OUR TAX MONEY AND ALL OF THAT.
IT STAYS IN A SEPARATE BANK ACCOUNT CALLED A STATE NON ARBITRAGE PROGRAM.
LOTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO THIS.
IT EARNS GREAT INTEREST AND WE DRAW IT DOWN AS WE SPEND IT.
ME WHAT GRADE IS, WHAT IS THE RECENT FIVE OVER 5%? I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL THERE BECAUSE IF, IF THE BOND RATE IS HIGH AND THE INTEREST RATE IN BOND ENVIRONMENT TANKS, RIGHT, THEN WE'RE NOT IN THE POSITION WE ARE TODAY.
SO YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME FORETHOUGHT ON THAT AS WELL, BUT I DON'T, YEAH, IT'S NOT A GRADE OUTTA MY MIND.
SO, SO CAR, DO YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE PAYING, LIKE HOW MUCH INTEREST ARE WE PAYING PER YEAR VERSUS HOW MUCH WE ARE GETTING IN INTEREST? SO WE BORROWED AT 2%.
SO WE'RE PAYING, THAT'S A SET AMOUNT LESS 2% RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE EARNING 5% OVER FIVE.
SO I MEAN, WE'RE DOING GREAT, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE 5% OF THE TIME, LET'S PUT IN ARBITRAGE FOR THIS.
NOW WHAT PAM IS SAYING, IF WE BORROWED AT FOUR AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PAYING INTEREST ON THAT AND THEN WE PUT IT IN SNAP
[00:45:01]
AND THEN THE INTEREST RATE TANKS, THEN WE'RE ONLY EARNING 2%.SO, SO YOU IT A BOTH WELL, WAS JUST THE REASON I WAS BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE SIGNED THOSE PAPERS IN 2021, SO WE BORROW ALL THAT MONEY AND IT'S JUST SITTING THERE.
SO ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE IS, IT'S GREAT IF WE GIVE YOU ALL THIS MONEY, WHEN CAN WE GET THESE PROJECTS GOING? MM-HMM
SO IT'S LIKE, WHICH MUTUAL ELEMENTARY ROLLED QUICK? AND THAT'S ALL DONE, THAT'S ALL DRAWN DOWN.
WE STILL NEED TO DRAW DOWN THE FUNDS FOR THE FIRE STATION.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS A FACTOR FOR US TO CONSIDER IS STAFF CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, DO WE CONTRACT ANY SORT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT, LIKE ALL OF THAT.
LIKE WE HAVE TO, IN ADDITION TO THE FINANCES OF THIS, WE NEED TO PLAN THE PROJECTS IN THE RIGHT ORDER WHERE IT IS MANAGEABLE, WE CAN DELIVER THEM WITH, WITH QUALITY EXPERIENCE FOR, FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, SO BOARD MEMBERS, BEFORE WE TRANSITION OUT OF THE FINANCIAL DISCUSSION, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE WE DIVE INTO CURRENT AND FUTURE PROJECTS FOR CONSIDERATION? STILL CIP STILL CIP.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA GO INTO THE ASSESS VALUES AND
BEING A NEW SUPERVISOR AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LEARNING ABOUT THIS, I SHOWED HER TO THINK IF WE HAD NOT DONE THE TTSD INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN WE DID, AND LET'S SAY WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TODAY,
ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BELONG TAX IS A NEGATIVE, UH, FOR THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY CITIZENS.
UH, THERE IS A BENEFIT DERIVED FROM THAT THAT I THINK IT SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED.
SO LET'S, LET'S DIVE IN A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT OUR CURRENT PROJECTS.
WHEN YOU ADOPTED THE BOS BUDGET IN APRIL, YOU APPROVED NEARLY $6 MILLION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR FIRE AND RESCUE SCHOOLS, IT EMERGENCY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.
AND SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE PROJECTS.
AND YOU ALSO APPROVED NEARLY $6 MILLION IN UTILITIES PROJECTS AS A PART OF YOUR CURRENT FY 2026 BUDGET.
AND SO THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES SHARE WHERE WE ARE IN THOSE PROJECTS AND REALLY JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL AS THE CURRENT STATUS.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE ON FIRE AND RESCUE THAT THE AMBULANCE AND THE BRUSH TRUCK HAVE BEEN ORDERED.
AND WITH THE FIRE ENGINE WE'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING SPECIFICATIONS AND WORKING TO IDENTIFY A STOCK UNIT, WHICH IS A STRATEGY BEING USED TO REDUCE COSTS AS WELL AS DELIVERY TIMES BEING REDUCED OVER TIME.
UH, YOU CAN SEE EVEN WITH THAT APPROACH, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT A LONG LEAD TIME ON, ON THAT UNIT AS WELL AS SOME WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AT OUR FIRE AND TRAINING CENTER.
I'M SORRY, BEFORE YOU GET TOO FAR INTO TO THIS, BECAUSE OF WHAT I DON'T SEE IN THE FUTURE IS I, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT STATION EIGHT, UH, FOLLOW THROUGH TO WHAT YOU AND I HAD.
SO, UM, I THINK I SEE ON ONE OF THESE THAT, UH, UM, 11 MILLION, 700 OUT 700,000 WAS, IS CURRENTLY EARMARKED TOWARDS STATION EIGHT.
AND WHEN THAT WAS TOLD TO ME, I ABOUT FELL UP MY SEAT AND I THINK A FEW EXCAVATED FLEW BECAUSE THAT IS NOWHERE NEAR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT I WAS ANTICIPATING FOR STATION SEVEN, FOR STATION EIGHT.
BUT WHEN IT GOT ROLLED IN, WE HAD ALREADY HAD MONEY SET ASIDE FOR STATION EIGHT.
THIS MONEY GOT ADDED ON TO IT.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE ANYWHERE NEAR AN $11 MILLION STATION AND STATION EIGHT.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT FUTURE UPCOMING PROJECTS.
IF WE DO DECIDE IT'S GONNA BE A $12 MILLION FIRE STATION, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION I ASK, I GUESS IT'S BEAUTIFUL, BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU BRINGING HERE? THAT'S LITERALLY THE EVERYBODY ON FACEBOOK SAID, HOW, HOW MUCH ARE YOU GROWING DISTRICT TWO TO SUPPORT THAT? SO I WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I, IN MY MIND, THERE'S STILL $4 MILLION, THREE AND A HALF TO $4 MILLION THAT'S ALREADY SET ASIDE FOR STATION SEVEN.
I I I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE'RE WANNA WORK THROUGH IS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR STATION EIGHT, STATION SEVEN, SOME OF OUR MAJOR PROJECTS.
AND SO JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AUDIENCE, WE'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE DESIGN PHASE ON STATION EIGHT.
WE'RE APPROXIMATELY 70% COMPLETE ON THAT DESIGN.
AND SO, UM, ONCE WE GO OUT TO BID FOR THAT, AND ULTIMATELY WE'LL KNOW WHAT PREVAILING MARKET VALUE IS ON THAT, THERE IS A BUDGET THAT WAS BUILT OVER TIME WITH MONEY FROM THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND
[00:50:01]
AS WELL AS SOME OTHER DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE PAST.AT THE CURRENT ALLOCATION RIGHT NOW IS, AS MR. SPOONER SAID, NEARLY $12 BILLION, BUT ONE STATION.
BUT THAT'S NEVER BEEN THE ALLOCATION, IS WHAT MY POINT IS.
LIKE, SO WE, THIS SHOULD BE NOT STARK.
LIKE WE, LIKE IF WE HAVE TO PAUSE BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S 50% MORE THAN WE EVER ANTICIPATE.
I CAN WE BRING IN CHIEF FERGUSON? SURE.
WHAT, WHAT IS A STATION THAT CHESTERFIELD OR HENRICO A COMPARABLE SIZE, DO WE HAVE ANY NUMBERS ON WHAT THEY SPENT ON THAT? SO LIKE MR. SPIN NOWER SAID, UH, WE CERTAINLY HOPE IT'LL COME IN FOR MUCH LESS, BUT UH, RIGHT NOW ALL WE HAVE TO GO BY IS WHAT THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE SPENDING AS WELL AS A COST ESTIMATOR THAT'S BEING PROVIDED BY THE A E FIRM.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT OUT TO BID, UH, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SOON.
UH, LOOKING, UH, LOOKING AROUND THE REGION, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO LOOK AT THE PUBLIC FACING INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND, UH, IF WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S BUILT INTO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE ON WEBSITES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT INCLUDES, UH, MOST JURISDICTIONS WOULD INCLUDE THE COST OF A FIRE ENGINE IN THAT OR AN AMBULANCE, UH, OR WE DON'T KNOW IF IT INCLUDES SITE PREPARATIONS OR ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS OR TRAFFIC SIGNALIZATION.
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
BUT LOOKING ACROSS THE REGION FROM U KENT TO IN CHESTERFIELD TO HANOVER, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FIND A RANGE OF ANYWHERE FROM SEVEN TO 14 MILLION UH, DOLLARS.
NOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UM, OUR, UM, OUR FIRE STATION DESIGN FOR FIRE STATION EIGHT IS, UH, IS MATCHING UP TO WHAT'S IN THE 2035 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT'S A, UH, THREE BAY GREEN DRIVE THROUGH BAY APPARATUS, UH, TYPE STATION.
AND ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, UH, ALSO IS THAT OUR INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED.
UH, WE WERE ALREADY ON A COURSE TO CHANGE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE OF, UH, DIVERSITY AND THINGS OF THAT SORT WITHIN THE FIRE SERVICE.
AND, UH, AND I'M GOING TO THE, UH, INDIVIDUAL BUNK ROOMS AND THEN THE PANDEMIC CAME ALONG AND WE HAD, UH, FIREFIGHTERS CO-SLEEPING IN DIFFERENT BEDS, BUT IN MULTIPLE, IN ONE ROOM.
AND THEN YOU HAD EVERYBODY WENT HOME, FIRE STATIONS WERE SHUT DOWN.
THAT WAS NOT JUST HERE, IT WAS ALL ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.
SO WHEN YOU START TO ADD IN, UH, THE COST OF INDIVIDUAL BUNK ROOMS, UH, THEN THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, YOUR SQUARE FOOTAGE GOES UP.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR FIRE STATION EIGHT IS JUST UNDER JUST UNDER 16,000 SQUARE FEET.
UH, FIRE STATION SIX AND HAYDENVILLE WAS OPEN NEW IN 2017, AND THAT'S LIKE 12,004 SOMETHING.
UH, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS, IS, UH, HAYDENVILLE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, DORMITORY TYPE ROOMS. SO SLEEP IN, WE DON'T HAVE INDIVIDUAL, UH, STATION BUNK ROOMS. SO I'M HOPING, UM, MR. SPOON, HOWER WOULD, UH, HBA HAS GIVEN US ON A, A COST ESTIMATOR, AND THIS IS, WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF THIS IS GONNA BE RIGHT OR NOT.
IT'S ABOUT, LOOK, IT'S LOOKING LIKE ABOUT $520 A SQUARE FOOT, POTENTIALLY, APPROXIMATELY.
AND THAT COULD ADD UP TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, 8.1, 8.2 MILLION.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, HANOVER JUST OPENED A STATION.
LAUREL MATTERS, UH, AND MECHANICSVILLE, SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT.
WE'RE TRYING TO DESIGN A BUILDING THAT'S, UH, WITHSTAND ELEMENTS OF TIME, 75 YEAR BUILDING, UH, 50 YEAR BUILDING HAS BEEN MENTIONED.
BUT, UH, THIS IS YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS YOUR COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE SCHOOLS ARE LIKE PU WATER FACILITIES AND SO FORTH.
AND LOOKING AT, UM, THE HISTORY OF THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT, FOUR OF OUR, UH, VOLUNTEER AND FIRE STATIONS WERE BUILT IN THE, IN THE FIFTIES AND EARLY SIXTIES OF COMPANY FIVE BEING BUILT NEW IN 1983.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A 75 YEAR BUILDING, IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME, BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE GOT, WHAT YOU'RE USING TODAY WITH THE RENOVATIONS AND CONDITIONS, AND YOU ALREADY, YOU ALREADY, UM, HAVE THAT.
SO WE'RE HOPING, UH, IT'LL COME IN, UH, LESS THAN THAT.
UM, ENRICO COUNTY IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THIS WAS SURPRISING TO ME, BUT MACO COUNTY'S, UH, MODEL IS A FOUR BAY, UH, STATION BECAUSE THEY BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.
THEY LOOK AT THAT AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE RESERVE APPARATUS AND THINGS THAT ARE SITTING OUTSIDE.
WE, WE WANTED TO SAY THREE BAY DESIGN AND BE AS CONSERVATIVE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, BUT YOU CAN FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IF YOU LOOK AROUND.
SO MY, MY MY POINT ISN'T SO MUCH TH THIS PIECE OF IT, MY POINT IS, EVERY YEAR I SAT ON THIS BOARD EXPECTING A SEVEN TO $8 MILLION FIRE STATION.
NOW WITH A STROKE OF A PEN, SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT SITTING ON THIS BOARD SAYS WE'RE BUILDING A $12 MILLION FIRE STATION.
AND IT SHOULD BE A PROBLEM TO ALL OF US.
SO WE'RE GONNA, I I'M, I'M GOING TO, UH, I I HAD NOT BY CHOICE TO GO THROUGH THE CAR BUYING PROCESS HERE, AND I HAD A BUDGET.
AND GUESS WHAT THIS NEW CAR DOES NOT HAVE.
UH, THEY HAVE WHERE YOU GET AIR CONDITIONING IN THE SEATS NOW.
I MEAN, SEAT HEATERS I'VE KNOWN ABOUT, BUT THE AIR CONDITIONING IN THE SEATS
[00:55:01]
IS LIKE, WHO THOUGHT OF THAT? I MEAN, AND, AND SO I WOULD SUBMIT WE HAD A BUDGET.IN OTHER WORDS, I WILL, WHERE CAN YOU BUILD US FOR $7 MILLION? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I, I LEARNED THAT FROM MR. RAIL, FROM DR.
WE'VE SAID ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED WAS GOING OUT AND SAYING, WE WANT TO BUILD THIS, WHAT'S IT GONNA COST? VERSUS WE HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY LIKE WE WERE DOING WITH THE COURTHOUSE AND SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU HAVE, WHAT YOU BUILD US FROM THAT.
AND THEN, THEN WE ADD ON FROM THERE AS WE SEE FIT OR OUR NEEDS.
BUT I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I'M JUST FLUSTERED THAT IT, WE WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S THAT THAT, THAT WITHOUT A CONVERSATION, IT JUST JUMPED UP LIKE THAT AND TWO FIRE STATIONS LUMPED INTO ONE AND WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
SO WILL, I'M, I'M NOT, OKAY, I'LL WORK.
THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THAT IS WE DO NOT CONTROL INFLATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
THE SECOND PIECE IS WE HAVE GOT TO COMMIT TO PROVIDING BETTER SERVICES THAN OUR NEIGHBORING.
SO IF, BUT, BUT IF I CAN TELL YOU A $7 MILLION FIRE STATION IS NOT UP TO PAR WITH WHAT ALL OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES ARE PROVIDING.
THAT IS PENNYWISE POUND FOOLISH.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE TAKING A 50 YEAR VIEW AND SAYING, WHAT, AND, AND THIS IS THE BIGGEST THING.
IT GOES BACK TO HUMAN CAPITAL.
WHAT IS GOING TO ATTRACT THAT FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL TO WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN THIS STATION TO MAKE IT A SECOND HOME, TO ENJOY GOING TO EVERY SINGLE DAY SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR JOB THE ABSOLUTE BEST.
I REALLY, I, I REALLY WINCED AT THE THOUGHT OF PENNY PINCHING ON THE INITIAL BUDGETS OF THESE PROJECTS.
I THINK THE SCRUTINY OF IT IS, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING THE BEST, I'M SAYING THAT WE, IT'S A DELIBERATE CONVERSATION WHEN SOMETHING GOES UP 50% AND SHOWS UP IN A BUDGET THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, AND IT'S THE FIRE STATION I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR SINCE BEFORE I GOT ON THE BOARD.
LIKE, I SHOULD KNOW THIS AND I'M NOT, I'M LIKE, HEY, YOU WANNA GIMME $12 MILLION BILL FIRE STATION? YEAH.
WHO I WOULD ADDITIONALLY SAY TO YOUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE SAYING, WHY ARE YOU BUILD, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU POTENTIALLY OVER BUILDING? I WOULD SAY FIRE AND RESCUE IS A NET, A COMPLEX NETWORK USED TO SERVE ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF GLAND COUNTY.
SO HONESTLY, AS A, AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FOUR, I WOULD SAY I WANT THAT STATION TO BE BUILT TO THE EXACT SAME STANDARDS THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD THE NEXT ONE ON THE EASTERN END.
BECAUSE IF THEY'RE FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT, GETTING TO SOMETHING IN THE WEST, THEY'RE NOT GONNA CALL THE, THE STATIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTY TO DRAW RESOURCES.
MUCH SO THAT NETWORK IS IMPROVED.
AND THAT'S, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S, WE'RE NOT BUILDING THE EXACT SAME STATION, THAT RIGHT STATION, I THINK BY POINT BEING MISSED.
I THINK THAT, I THINK WHAT NEIL'S POINTING OUT IS THAT THERE'S A DISCREPANCY OF WHAT WAS BUDGETED AND WHAT THE, WHAT YOUR BOARD VOTED ON VERSUS WHAT IS POTENTIAL.
AND HE, HE, I THINK WHAT HE'S SAYING IS HE FEELS THAT THAT INFLATIONARY COSTS SHOULD COME BEFORE THE BOARD AGAIN.
WELL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, ULTIMATELY ANYTHING WILL GO IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.
AND SO, JUST SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, WHEN THE BOND ALLOCATION WAS PROVIDED FOR INITIALLY STATION SEVEN, IT WAS $8.2 MILLION.
THERE WAS AN ACCOUNTING THAT WE HAVE FROM STAFF DATING BACK TO 2018 2019, WHERE THERE WERE FUNDS FROM THIS PROJECT TRANSFERRED TO THAT PROJECT.
AND, YOU KNOW, STARTUP DOLLARS FOR THIS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED TO THAT.
SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE ENTRIES DATING BACK TO 2019 FISCAL YEAR THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN A POT FOR A FUTURE FIRE STATION.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BOARD WILL DECIDE HOW MUCH THE BOARD WANTS TO, TO PAY ON ANY SORT OF FIRE STATION.
SO THERE'S CURRENTLY $12 MILLION SITTING IN A POT FOR STATION EIGHT.
NOW, WHETHER WE CHOOSE TO SPEND 8.2 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, THAT'S JUST A PLACEHOLDER FOR WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE BOARD WILL BE THE ONES WHO AUTHORIZE AND MOVE FORWARD IN IT ON ANY SORT OF CONTRACT.
I APPRECI MY EARLIER COMMENTS.
IF WE GIVE GOVERNMENT MONEY, WE SPEND IT.
THESE ARE DOLLARS THAT COULD BE USED NOT ONLY FOR THIS, BUT FOR ANY OTHER PROJECT.
WELL, HOW ABOUT STATION SEVEN? DR.
LEY, IF I MAY JUST START, WRAP THIS UP AND I'LL SIT DOWN, GET RIGHT UP HERE.
SO SOME OTHER NEWS THAT PROBABLY ISN'T WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR, BUT I'M GONNA ALWAYS BE FACTUAL AND TRUTHFUL WITH YOU AS MY COLLEAGUES.
MY PEER FIRE CHIEFS ARE TELLING ME, UH, THAT CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE COMING IN 25% OVER WHAT YOU PLAN FOR SCHOOLS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE WORKED OUT WITH
YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS THAT TO HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT.
THE OTHER THING I WILL SAY IS, UM, THERE'S BEEN A QUITE A BIT OF TURNOVER WITHIN OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
[01:00:01]
UM, WE'VE BEEN VERY CONSTANT WITH FIRE RESCUE AND WE HAVE, UH, WORKED BY THE SAME GUARD RAILS AND THE SAME PARAMETERS FROM DAY ONE ON THESE FIRE STATIONS.AND WE FOLLOW WHAT'S IN THE, THE 2035 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT'S MY JOB AS THE FIRE CHIEF TO TELL YOU WHAT I THINK THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
AND CERTAINLY, UM, BUDGET MATTERS.
BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT, UH, WHILE IT MAY APPEAR, AND CERTAINLY I'VE HEARD WHAT YOU'VE SAID, THAT IS, THAT IS NOT THE, THE GUIDE GUIDANCE THAT I'VE HAD, AND IT'S NOT THE TRACK THAT I'VE TAKEN.
WE HAVE CONTINUED TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT'S IN, WHAT'S BEING, UH, PORTRAYED IN THE THE 25 30 20 35, UH, CONFERENCE PLAN, WHICH HAS A VERY GOOD SECTION ON FIRE STATIONS AND DESIGN, AS WELL AS, UH, LOOKING AT INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND THE WAY THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS.
WE'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT US TO DO.
UH, WE'LL ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS AS HONESTLY AS WE CAN.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, TO WHAT EXTENT ARE YOU OVERBUILDING, UH, FOR THE FUTURE? AND I REALIZE WHAT IT GOES AGAINST WHAT I JUST SAID A MINUTE AGO THAT, YOU KNOW, PAM, WITH CURRENT DOLLARS, IT'S CERTAINLY CHEAPER THAN PAYING FOR FUTURE DOLLARS, PAYING SOMETHING WITH FUTURE DOLLARS WITH INFLATION AND EVERYTHING.
BUT, BUT, UH, DO YOU, I MEAN, HAVE YOU GOT AN EXTRA BAY THERE THAT YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS? OR YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S, HOW DID YOU BAKE IN THOSE? WHAT'S YOUR BUILDING? SO, SO THE THREE APP, THREE DRIVE THROUGH APPARATUS, UH, BAY IS A, IS A VERY STANDARD DESIGN.
UH, AGAIN, IT GOES BACK IN TIME.
UH, HONESTLY, SIR, UH, WE HAVE APPARATUS THAT SITS OUTSIDE TODAY, UH, THAT, UH, COULD CERTAINLY, UH, BE PUT ON THE ROOF, UH, IF WE HAD THE SPACE FOR IT.
IT'S THAT SOME OF IT STAYS IN THE TRAINING CENTER, UH, AROUND THE COUNTY.
AND ALSO THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE MISSING, UH, IN OUR ORGANIZATION IS A RESERVE THAT WE SAW.
WE'VE SEEN A 54% INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME IN FIVE YEARS AND A 56 INCREASE IN AMBULANCE TRANSPORT.
SO WE HAVE TO BUILD A RESERVE FLEET TO BE ABLE TO HAVE UNITS IN SERVICE WHEN OTHER UNITS ARE OUTTA SERVICE WITH MECHANICAL AND THAT TYPE OF THING SHE DID.
SO I DON'T THINK WE WILL, WE'RE OVERBUILDING IT.
CHIEF, WHEN YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS, I FEEL LIKE YOU HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING BEFORE, TWO BAYS VERSUS THREE BAYS.
YOU'RE BUILDING BASE SPACE AND THAT CONCRETE ISN'T CHEAP, BUT IT'S, UH, LESS EXPENSIVE WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT, UH, LIVING AREA, THE FIRE STATION.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR FIRE RESCUE.
I KNOW THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS MAYBE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
NO, THESE, THESE ARE CRITICAL DECISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, CAN WE GET, I MEAN, STATION EIGHT NEEDS TO GET DESIGNED, NEEDS TO GET THE FINAL BUDGET APPROVED AND NEEDS TO GET STARTED, RIGHT? CAN WE SAY THAT OUR FOCUS IS TO DO THAT AND TAKE THOSE LEARNINGS BEFORE WE APPLY 'EM TO THE NEXT STATION? WHAT I DON'T WANT IS CONCURRENT TO LEAD US TO BE NOT PRECISE AND NOT FOCUSED.
I, I THINK THAT'S, I WANT TO GET THERE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA LEAD TO IN THE CONVERSATION.
BUT JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF EVERYBODY, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CAN GO OUT TO BID BY NOVEMBER 1ST ON, ON STATION EIGHT.
SO, UH, WE HAD A MEETING TODAY WITH THE ARCHITECTS AND THE SITE ENGINEERS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING ALONG.
THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT STILL HAVE TO HAPPEN, BUT, UH, WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET THAT OUT IN THE MARKET NOVEMBER 1ST AND WE'LL KNOW MORE WHAT THE COSTS ARE, HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
UH, SO, SO MOVING ALONG A LITTLE BIT.
BOARD MEMBERS, COULD I JUMP INTO SOMETHING? PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I WANTED TO ADD, MR. SAUER, WHEN YOU SAID IT JUMPED UP 150% OR 50% WITHOUT ANY BOARD KNOWLEDGE, I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE IT DID START WITH 8.2 MILLION.
THAT WAS THE BOND AMOUNT, BUT TWO AMOUNTS THAT JUMP IMMEDIATELY INTO MY HEAD THAT WERE, I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT WAS ADDED TO IT WAS A BOARD DECISION.
SO YOU HAVE SEEN IT, YOU MIGHT JUST NOT RECALL IT, BUT THERE WAS EVEN 1 MILLION SPECIFICALLY FOR STATION A WHEN IT WAS GONNA BE THAT TEMPORARY BANK APPARATUS.
SO THERE'S A MILLION THAT WENT ON TOP OF THE BOND.
AND THEN THE YEAR THAT WE WERE LEARNING, I GUESS IT WAS FISCAL YEAR 2024, I BELIEVE, UM, THAT WE WERE LEARNING HOW MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE JUST THE SCHOOL ALONE WAS.
I KNOW WE PUT CLOSE TO $1 MILLION OF LOCAL FUNDS.
THAT WAS WITH THE ORIGINAL ADOPTED BUDGET, WHICH WE DID HAVE A CIP WORK SESSION ON WHERE WE DISCUSSED, WE'RE GONNA PUT THIS TOWARDS STATION SEVEN IN CASE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS WITH THAT.
SO THAT'S $2 MILLION JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT I KNOW WE'RE DISCUSSED IN GREAT DETAIL, THAT WOULD BRING US UP TO 10.2 MILLION.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING, AGAIN, IT'S PROBABLY FLAWED.
AND WE HAD, HAD, WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS DEPTH OF A MEETING IN A RIGHT.
[01:05:01]
LONG TIME.MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THAT MILLION WAS COMING OUT OF, SO IT WAS ADDITIONAL, WE, WE ALLOCATE, WE, WE APPROPRIATED IT TO USE YOUR WORDS MM-HMM
BUT THAT, THAT 8.2 WOULD THEN GO DOWN TO 7.20 YEAH.
NOT THAT WE HAVE INCREASING THAT.
I, THAT WAS NOT, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND IT AS WE WERE CONTINUING.
NOW, AGAIN, TO MR. BAR'S POINT, I UNDERSTAND THINGS ARE GONNA COST MORE.
I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS NOT GONNA BE $8.2 BILLION STATION.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GONNA BE 13 MILLION OR $12 MILLION.
I DIDN'T WANNA IMPLY, I JUST WANT IT TO BE KNOWN THAT NONE OF THIS WAS, OH, WE'LL JUST MOVE SECRETLY, MOVE MONEY HERE TO GET US TO A $13 MILLION STATION.
THIS ALL DID GO IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.
UM, AND THIS IS MORE FOR LIKE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE TOO, BUT WE HAVE GOTTEN THERE.
BUT LIKE EVERYONE HAS SAID, THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO SPEND THIS AMOUNT.
IT'S JUST THERE IF WE NEED IT.
OBVIOUSLY TOGETHER, WE ALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD FROM HERE, CHART A PATH FORWARD AND DECIDE WHAT WE WANT WITH THESE DECISIONS AND FUTURE DECISIONS.
AND WE'LL CERTAINLY DO ALL THAT TOGETHER AS A, AS A TEAM MOVING FORWARD.
UH, MOVING WELL BEFORE YOU DO, I AM INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'VE GOT.
AND MY EARLIER COMMENT IF IS IT GOT A SHELF LIFE FOR FIVE YEARS OR MORE AND ARE WE REALLY CAPITAL IMPROVING $123,000 VERSUS OPERATIONALLY SPENDING IT? YEAH.
I I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PHILOSOPHICAL DECISION AS WE GO FORWARD IN BUILDING FUTURE BUDGETS.
THESE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT AS WE BUILD THE FY 27 BEYOND, I CERTAINLY THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT AS WE'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, MAYBE THAT'S NOT A CAPITAL EXPENSE.
MAYBE THAT IS SOMETHING WE BUILD IN OPERATIONS WHERE WE PAY FOR PAY FOR OTHERWISE.
UH, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE WORK OF OUR, OF OUR TEAM WHO IDENTIFIED A WAY TO ACCOMPLISH A GOAL WITH OUR A ED REPLACEMENTS AND USING CURRENT RESOURCES AND SAVING THE COUNTY ULTIMATELY $500,000 THAT WE CAN THEN FREE UP FOR OTHER LONG-TERM CAPITAL NEEDS.
SO, HUGE KUDOS TO THE TEAM FOR THINKING CRITICALLY CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO AND THINKING HOW WE CAN MAYBE, UH, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY AND SAVE SOME DOLLARS.
THEY DO HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LEAD TIME THAT'S IN DESIGN STAGE WITH THEIR ENGINEERING FIRM.
UH, THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, DECISION MADE.
THESE OTHER PROJECTS ARE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF BEING ORDERED AND BEING COMPLETED, BUT JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW BOARD MEMBERS THAT THIS WORK IS HAPPENING.
STAFF IS ON TOP OF ALL OF THESE PROJECTS AND MOVING THEM FORWARD WITH DELIBERATE SPEEDS SO THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS.
AND SO YOU CAN CERTAINLY SEE WHERE WE ARE ON THE STATUS OF THOSE PROJECTS NOW, INCLUDING THESE PROJECTS FOR OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED AND PURCHASE ORDERS BEING ISSUED.
AND YOU CAN SEE ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIMES THERE FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
AS WELL AS, UH, SOME GENERAL SERVICES PROJECTS INCLUDING A GENERATOR, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT MID-NOVEMBER, POTENTIALLY FOR INSTALLATION UPON ARRIVAL.
AND THEN SOME SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS TAKING PLACE WITH UTILITIES.
AND AS YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF TRANSITION RIGHT NOW WITH OUR UTILITIES TEAM.
SO WHEN OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC UTILITY STARTS ON MONDAY, THESE ARE SOME THINGS WE WILL TRANSITION TO HER AND SUPPORT HER AS SHE'S WORKING THROUGH THAT PROJECT.
BUT SOME THINGS HAVE STARTED, UH, ALTHOUGH MAYBE NOT AS, UH, IN DEPTH AS SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE REFERENCED.
THERE IS SOME WORK HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES TO PREPARE FOR THESE PROJECTS WHEN SHE COMES ON SITE STARTING ON MONDAY.
JUST CLARIFICATION, THIS IS UTILITY YEAH.
SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE, MR. LYLE, UH, IS THE UTILITIES BUDGET.
HOW, HOW IS THAT I I GUESS WHAT WE WOULD SAY WORKING BUDGET OR HOW, HOW MUCH R AND R MONEY IS IN UTILITIES? I MEAN IF GOING BACK TO SLIDE, WE'RE TAPPING IN UH, 4 MILLION, 3 MILLION, 700,000.
I MEAN, IS THAT DEPLETING THAT FUND? NO, THE, SO THE UTILITIES ACTUALLY HAS FOUR DIFFERENT FUNDS.
THEY'VE GOT THEIR OPERATING FUND, THEY'VE GOT THEIR CIP FUND, WHICH THIS WILL FUND, WHICH IS CONNECTION FEES THAT FUNDS ALL THIS.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT OUR TCSD FUND ON ITS OWN WITH JUST DEBT AS THE ONLY EXPENSE.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT OUR R AND R FUND, WHICH WAS BASICALLY FOR THE, UM, THE RECENT PUMP STATION AND COMBINED.
SO ON THE AUDIT, THEY ARE ALL COMBINED AND THEY HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, BUT EVEN WITHIN EACH INDIVIDUAL FUND, YEAH, THIS IS ALL, THEY HAVE A FUND BALANCE THAT ROLLS FORWARD YEAR TO YEAR.
AND THIS WILL BE IN GOOD SHAPE.
I, I DO WANNA BRING THE BOARD'S ATTENTION TO THE TOP QUADRANT THERE, THE RICHFIELD WATER BOOSTER STATION AND STORAGE TANK.
AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURE THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE PAID FOR SIMPLY WITH THE TAP FEES AND THE ONGOING OPERATIONS FEES.
THAT'S GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT THAT WE NEED TO TALK TO PROBABLY OUTSIDE OF THIS SETTING, JUST AS A MATTER OF TIME.
AND THAT TIES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE EAST END MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS ON THE EAST
[01:10:01]
END.SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DECISION THAT WE PROBABLY NEED A LOT MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT.
BUT WE NEED, I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR AWARENESS THAT THAT, UH, MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN A WHOLE LOT OF ATTENTION IN THE PAST FROM ME.
THERE ARE THREE ITEMS I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT IN THE AMBULANCE.
EXPECTED COMPLETION, 24 MONTHS, FIRE ENGINE 24 TO 36 MONTHS CHILLER, 36, 38 WEEK LEAD TIME.
UM, WE'VE APPROVED THE CIP BUDGET.
ARE THOSE ORDERS BEING MADE WELL IN ADVANCE? ARE THEY ALIGNING WITH WHEN THESE ARE COMING INTO THE BUDGET? I HOPE WE DO HAVE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES GLOBALLY AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE NOT FINDING OURSELVES IN A, UM, UNPREPARED SITUATION FOR THOSE WHERE 20, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S IN OUR CIP BUDGET GETS PUSHED JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN'T MAKE THE ORDER IN TIME.
I THINK IF WE VOTED ON THE CAP BUDGET, THAT IS A STAMP OF APPROVAL, GET THAT ORDER IN IF IT'S NECESSARY SO THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, BURDENED BY THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES IN THIS, UH, COUNTRY.
AND SO I THINK, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S HAPPENING.
THOSE ARE BOTH FIRE AND RESCUE RELATED.
SO MR. FERGUSON, PLEASE, PLEASE, YES, SIR.
UH, WE ARE ORDERING AS SOON AS WE CAN.
UM, WE DID PLACE THE ORDER FOR THE AMBULANCE, UH, LAST WEEK.
UH, CHIEF GORDON, UH, BRUSH STRUCTURES, UH, BEING ORDER, UH, THIS WEEK, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
BEFORE PICKUP TRUCK CONVERTED TO A BRUSH TRUCK, UH, THE FIRE ENGINE, UH, WE'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY IDENTIFYING A STOCK UNIT IN IN LINE.
SO WE'RE GOING DOWN ANOTHER PATH TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A, UM, A LESS CUSTOM APPARATUS THAT CAN COME IN UNDER THIS, THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH.
JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, CHIEF JONES ABOUT THAT PRIOR TO COMING OVER.
SO WE ARE, UH, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE TWO FIRE ENGINES ON ORDER, I BELIEVE.
UH, ONE WAS ORDERED IN JULY OF 2022.
WE ORDERED ONE, UH, ANOTHER ONE LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THIS ONE WE'RE TRYING TO BUY NOW.
SO IT'LL BE THREE FIRE ENGINES IN ORDER.
UH, SOME OF THE, UH, DELIVERY TIMES ARE STARTING TO TO REEL IN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT SEVERAL OF THESE FIRE TRUCKS COULD SHOW UP RELATIVELY, UH, CLOSE TOGETHER LIKE YOU SAW, UH, THE LAST DELIVERY.
IF WE CAN USE THE 2022 ENGINE ORDER AS AN EXAMPLE THOUGH, THAT WAS IN THE, WHICH YEAR'S BUDGET DO YOU THINK THAT WAS IN? WELL, IT WOULD'VE BEEN THAT YEAR.
WE DIDN'T MAKE THE ORDER UNTIL 2023 OR 2022.
SO OUR BUDGET IS NOT MATCHING THE NEEDS.
WITH THE TIME, YOU KNOW, UH, DELIVERY TIME, I GUESS WHEN DO WE PAY FOR THESE THINGS? DO YOU PAY YOUR ADD ORDER OR? SO WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO, WE LIKE TO DO A LARGE PREPAID.
WE GET A LARGE DISCOUNT, A LARGE PREPAID DISCOUNT BY PAYING, WE'LL PAY THE FULL AMOUNT.
BUT, UH, TYPICALLY THAT HELPS US STAY UNDER BUDGET.
WE GET THAT COMMITMENT OF, UH, PAYMENT IN AS SOON AS WE CAN.
WE CAN'T DO THAT UNTIL THE NEW FISCAL YEAR ROLLS AROUND.
BUDGET MAY BE APPROVED IN APRIL AND WE START WORKING ON IT.
BUT THE, THE MONEY ISN'T AVAILABLE TILL JULY 1ST.
IF YOU GUYS RECALL BOARD MEMBERS THAT, UH, YOU DID ALLOW US TO DO A STOCK UNIT THAT WAS, UH, PURCHASED EARLY, THAT WAS DELIVERED IN THE YEAR, IT WOULD'VE BEEN, WHICH IS THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S WORKED OUT VERY WELL.
AND THAT TANKER HAS BEEN IN SERVICE, UH, SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR AND WE'RE USING IT EVERY DAY.
ALRIGHT, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME, UH, SOME HIGH PROFILE PROJECTS THAT CURRENTLY, UH, REQUIRE SOME FUTURE FUNDING DECISIONS.
AND WE CERTAINLY ARE NOT EXPECTING ANY DECISIONS TODAY, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHARE FOR TRANSPARENCY THAT, UM, WHERE WE ARE AND SOME DECISIONS THAT WILL NEED TO MADE IN THE FUTURE.
THOSE THREE MAJOR PROJECTS ARE THE NEW COURTHOUSE, WHICH WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EARLIER.
UH, OLD
AND SO AS CARLOS SAID, WE CURRENTLY HAVE $27.8 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AVAILABLE TO US.
RESIDENTS HAVE ALREADY VOTED ON THAT.
UH, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GOING OUT TO THE MARKET AND RECEIVING THOSE DOLLARS.
AND SO THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE COURTHOUSE 27.8 AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO ANY SORT OF FUTURE FUNDING FOR BOTH THE NEW COURTHOUSE SEVEN SEVEN OR GES COULD COME FROM A FUTURE BOND OBLIGATION, A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND THROUGH A REFERENDUM OF VIRGINIA RESOURCES AUTHORITY DIRECTLY THROUGH A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION OR BY PAYING CASH OR PROFFERS.
SO THERE ARE SOME OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO US, UH, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE PROJECTS.
UH, THAT'S ULTIMATELY A FUTURE DECISION BASED ON HOW THE COUNTY WANTS TO APPROACH THAT.
AND SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEW COURTHOUSE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THAT, THOSE DOLLARS AVAILABLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UH, WE HAVE THE FIRST ITERATION, UH, IT'S VERY EARLY IN
[01:15:01]
DRAFT PHASE FROM THE ARCHITECTS AND THE CONSULTANTS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THE SPACE STUDY FOR THE COURTHOUSE.AND SO I HAD A CALL WITH THEM WITH STAFF EARLIER TODAY JUST TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT VERY EARLY DRAFT.
AND I ASKED MANY, MANY QUESTIONS, GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND PUSH BACK ON THINGS ALREADY THAT I WANTED GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF.
AND SO ULTIMATELY WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK AS STAFF WITH, UH, OUR, OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS TO WORK THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND MY GOAL BOARD MEMBERS IS TO HAVE THE ARCHITECT AND THE CONSULTANT BE HERE IN OCTOBER TO GIVE YOU A PRESENTATION ON THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND SPECIFICALLY THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS ON THAT SO THAT YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAD BEEN DONE.
YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEM.
UH, SO PENDING THAT PRESENTATION IN OCTOBER, OUR GOAL IS STAFF IS TO COME BACK TO YOU IN NOVEMBER TO TALK ABOUT ADDITIONAL PROCUREMENT OPTIONS AND LOOKING DIFFERENTLY POTENTIALLY AT HOW WE MAY WANT TO PROCURE THE FUTURE COURTHOUSE.
THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS AVAILABLE, SOME TRADITIONAL, SOME NOT TRADITIONAL.
UH, ALL OF THEM HAVE THEIR PROS AND CONS AND DIFFERENT NUANCES.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD WHO, UH, IS AVAILABLE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THIS GREATER AND PRESENT THIS TO THE PUBLIC AND FOR YOUR CONSUMPTION AS WELL.
AND SO POTENTIALLY PENDING THE RECEIPT AND FINAL REVIEW OF THAT SPACE STUDY AND HAVE CONVERSATION ABOUT PROCUREMENT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH AUTHORIZING STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GOING FORWARD WITH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, WHETHER THAT'S ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING OR THAT PROCESSING BRINGS THE CONTRACTOR AND THE ARCHITECTS TOGETHER ON THE FRONT END.
SO MANY PROS AND CONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FUNDING DECISIONS DON'T NEED TO BE MADE NOW OR EVEN IN DECEMBER.
THOSE FUNDING DECISIONS CAN BE MADE LATER, BUT ULTIMATELY TRYING TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD WITH GETTING INFORMATION TO YOU AND TO THE PUBLIC, BOTH ON NEEDS AS WELL AS PROCUREMENT SO THAT POTENTIALLY WE COULD HAVE THIS OUT ON THE MARKET BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
CAN I REITERATE SOMETHING JUST TO, TO MAKE SURE WE ARE CLEAR TO EVERYBODY.
THE 27.8 MILLION IS NOT MONEY SITTING AROUND IN SURPLUS.
IT IS ADDITIONAL BORROWINGS FOR WHICH WE WILL BEGIN PAYING INTEREST ON IMMEDIATELY AND ADDING TO OUR DEBT.
SO EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE CLEAR ENOUGH THINKING ON THAT.
CAN I, I'D LOVE WE GET A COUPLE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER HERE THAT THE SIT BACKS I'D WANT TO HEAR FROM BEYOND GOING JUST WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE AS WE MOVE INTO THIS? UM, UH, MY CONCERN APPRAISES APPRAISES
MY CONCERN IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS ONE THE FINANCIAL UP.
WE'VE TOURED SEVERAL DIFFERENT COURTHOUSES.
I WAS TALKING WITH SHERIFF, UH, GILES FROM KING GEORGE, WHERE ACTUALLY GOING UP TO SEE HIS COURTHOUSE.
UM, WE'VE SEEN HIM ONCE BUT IT WAS NOT OPERATIONAL.
AND HE'S LIKE, YOU GOTTA COME BACK UP HERE 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE JOINING THAT THANKS THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER.
I KNOW DR IS GOING FOR THIS TODAY AND THERE'S GOT A FEW OTHERS.
UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE COURTHOUSES THAT WE'VE GONE TO AND SOME OF 'EM THE SAME SIZE THAT WE PROBABLY WOULD MEET HERE AND WITH THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF IT.
'CAUSE WE WANT IT TO BE AS SECURE AS AS CAN BE.
IT'S GONNA BE DO YOU HAVE A BALLPARK? YEAH, UM, I ACTUALLY JUST SENT HIM A EMAIL WHILE I WAS HERE ON WHAT HIS, UH, COURTHOUSE COSTS, BUT I WOULD SAY PROBABLY ABOUT 40 MINUTES.
YEAH, I, I THINK THE, THE NEEDS WILL DRIVE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AND THE SQUARE FOOTAGE WILL DRIVE THE COST.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED THE TEAM TO DO TODAY IS LET'S LOOK AT THIS SQUARE FOOTAGE NEED RIGHT NOW AND SEE TRULY WHERE, WHERE THAT NEEDS TO LAND.
AND THEN YOU CAN GO FROM THERE.
BUT I LOVE THE PERSPECTIVE OF MR. LUMPKINS OR ANYONE ELSE.
UM, I MEAN WE'RE, I'M GONNA GO ON THAT TOUR OR TWO WEEK.
I'VE DONE SEVERAL OF THE TOURS AND YEAH, THE SENSE IS THAT 27.8 DOESN'T NEED IT.
BUT AGAIN, GOING BACK TO WHAT ARE THE NEEDS, WE HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FOLKS AT THE COURTHOUSE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH THE POTENTIAL ARCHITECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A REAL GOOD DISCUSSION AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF SIT DOWNS.
I HAD ONE LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO AND REALLY PEELING AWAY AND I, I FEEL GOOD THAT WE'RE, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RESPECTIVELY AS I CAN FIGURE OUT.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT POPULATION'S GONNA BE 40,000, YOU HOPE IT DOESN'T GET TO THAT, BUT THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT THE WELDING COOPER DATA AND, AND I QUESTIONED IT, I'LL JUST TELL YOU, AND ALONG WITH WHAT THE SHERIFF JUST SAID, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT IT LIKE, OH, WE, YOU KNOW, EVERY ONE OF 'EM WE'VE GONE TO LIKE, OH, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE DONE THIS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AND, AND
[01:20:01]
AND THE LIKE, BUT THE STORY THAT I'VE HEARD SEVERAL TIMES IS, I MEAN, IT HAPPENED IN HA HANNER WHERE I THINK IT'S UP IN LOUDOUN COUNTY, THESE PLACES, THEY BUILD IT WITHIN TWO OR THREE YEARS, THEY'RE HAVING TO FIND OTHER SPACE IN THE COMMUNITY TO PUT DIFFERENT GROUPS.SO I KNOW WHEN WE TALK ABOUT KEEPING COURTHOUSE A LONG TIME, WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
THEN THE QUESTION IS, AND THAT'S THE QUESTION I ASK THESE FOLKS, HOW DO YOU REALLY BUILD, HOW DO YOU BUILD SOMETHING FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS? AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET A REAL CLEAR ANSWER, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME DATA AND OBVIOUSLY THEY SAY LIKE IN HANOVER, THEY JUST BUILT ANOTHER FLOOR ON TOP OF THE BUILDING.
LIKE IF YOU GIVE 'EM MONEY, THEY'LL SPEND IT.
I THINK IF YOU GIVE 'EM SPACE, THEY'LL USE IT.
SO IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF YEARS THEY BUILT, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID, LET'S GO AHEAD AND FINISH UP THAT UPPER FLOOR AND START USING IT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I I LIKE, I DIDN'T AT THE BEGINNING NECESSARILY WASN'T SURE ABOUT THE PROCESS, BUT THE MORE RECENT MEETINGS HAVE, I FELT THEY'VE BEEN, UH, THEY'VE BEEN SERIOUS IN ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS AND TAKING OUR INPUT, THEY'LL FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING THE WORK.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ASK THEM TO DO IS, COULD WE BUILD SOMETHING IN, IN PHASES POTENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT SHORT TERM VERSUS LONG TERM THE SCOPE OF THE WORK.
JUST SO WE ARE SET ON THE SAME STANDARD AS A 40 YEAR PLAN.
SO THIS BUILDING MOST LIKELY WOULD BE AROUND FOR LONGER THAN 40 YEARS, BUT THAT'S HOW THEY'RE FORECASTING POPULATION NEEDS OF THE COURT AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS.
ONE THING I WOULD STRESS IS WE HAVE A ENTRY POINT TO OUR COUNTY COURTHOUSE AT THIS SPOT WHERE THIS COURTHOUSE BUILDING IS.
I THINK WE REALLY DO HAVE TO PLACE A VALUE ON MEET COMMON MEETING SPACE AREAS THAT WE CAN SHOW OFF OUR COUNTY TO OTHERS WHO COME HERE FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS SO THAT WE PUT THE BEST FOOT FORWARD.
AND WHAT I DO THINK IS WE HAVE A COURTHOUSE VILLAGE PLAN.
IF YOU TALK ABOUT HOW DO YOU GET THE COURTHOUSE VILLAGE PLAN TO BUILD OUT, YOU START AT THE ENDS AND YOU, OR, OR VICE VERSA, YOU START IN THE MIDDLE AND YOU WORK OUT.
BUT I REALLY DO THINK THE BENEFITS TO THE RIGHT CONSTRUCTION ON THAT SITE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT GOING THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE AREA IF IT'S DONE RIGHT AND, AND IT'S NOT, IT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
WE HAVE A 200 YEAR OLD BUILDING TO REPLACE, LET'S HONOR THAT 200 YEAR OLD BUILDING WITH THE ARCHITECTURE THAT WE CHOOSE, WITH THE BUILDERS THAT WE CHOOSE AND THE CRAFTSMEN, I HATE TO SAY IT, THOSE COME WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS, SIGNIFICANT FUNDS ON THE FRONT END, BUT NOTHING PAINS ME MORE THAN SEEING NEW COURTHOUSES THAT LOOK LIKE THAT BLOB THEY PUT IN SOLDIER FIELD.
YOU KNOW, LIKE A BEAUTIFUL HISTORICAL STRUCTURE.
ALL ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORY BE DAMNED.
LET'S JUST BUILD WHAT WE HAVE TO.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE REPRESENTATION OF LIN WE WANT TO HAVE, AND IT THAT COMES WITH A PRICE, BUT I THINK IT'S HUGE VALUE.
CARL, DIDN'T WE ORIGINALLY BUDGET FOR MORE THAN A 27.8 MILLION FOR REPORT OUT? IS THIS A, THIS? I DON'T THINK SO, RIGHT ON THE AMOUNT WE BUDGETED.
YEAH, THIS IS A AND THAT'S WHAT THE AMOUNT THAT'S LEFT OVER.
WELL WE CURRENT, YEAH, WE WENT, WENT IN FISCAL YEAR 27, SOME OF THAT MONEY SOMETHING.
SO WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN JUST THIS BASE AMOUNT IN 27.
SO WE CAN ALWAYS ADD TO IT WHEN WE COME UP ON THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
I I THINK THAT THE FUNDING DECISION WE WILL NEED TO REALLY ROLL OUR SLEEVES UP ON ONCE WE DETERMINE NUMBER ONE, WHAT WE WANT TO PUT OUT THE BID, WE GET THE BIDS BACK, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE WANT TO FUND THAT? IT'S GONNA BE AN ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL DECISION.
BUT, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL TRAJECTORY OF THE SHERIFF HAS GOT SOMETHING I TO SHARE? I JUST, ONE QUICK THING FOR BOARD MEMBERS, IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, YOU CAN RIDE WITH US.
YOU CAN GO IN THE FRONT OR THE BACK.
MR. CHAIRMAN MAY, I'LL WEIGH A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THANK YOU CHARLIE, FOR WHAT YOU SAID.
I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THESE COURTHOUSES AND A COUPLE OF 'EM HAVE LEFT ME TO IMPRESSION.
YOU WALK IN AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING NICE.
YOU KNOW, YOU WALK IN AT FIRST AND, AND THEN YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT AND I WON'T NAME THE COUNTY, BUT ONE OF 'EM.
THERE'S SOME KIND OF THEME THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND THEN YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT, RIGHT? AND YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT AND YOU SEE INDUSTRIAL STAIRWELL.
I MEAN, IT JUST IS SO OUT OF PLACE.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S A, THAT'S A DECISION THAT YOU GUYS WILL MAKE ON BEHALF OF THE CONS THE COUNTY.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR SENTIMENT
[01:25:01]
BECAUSE THIS IS THE VILLAGE AREA THAT WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOES WAY BACK.YOU'RE ASKING, AND I'M, I'M NOW DRAWING SOME OF MY EXPERIENCE.
I MEAN, WHEN PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO AND WE PROVE THOSE, WELL I'M POINTING THAT WAY TOWARDS RE MARSH AND ALL THAT.
PEOPLE ARE COMING INTO THIS COMMUNITY PAYING THAT KIND OF MONEY FOR THESE HOMES.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, I THINK IT COMES WITH AN EXPECTATION THAT WE'LL NOT GONNA PUT A, YOU KNOW, A GRAY CONCRETE BUILDING WITH TINY WINDOWS AND YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST SAVE MONEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
I'VE TALKED TO ARCHITECTS, ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT JEFFERSONIAN LOOK, YOU KNOW, THE SERPENTINE WALLS AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO JUST LIKE START OUT AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, YOU, YOU LOCK IN, OH, THIS IS BE FUND.
YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AND YOU SEE, OH, THEY RAN OUTTA MONEY OR, OR, OR THEY TRIED TO CUT CORNERS.
BUT THAT'S, THOSE ARE NOT EASY DECISIONS.
AND TOM, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THAT BEING ALL THE MONEY, I, I'LL SAY THIS IS FROM MY TIME ON THE BOARD IN HINDSIGHT ABOUT, ABOUT THE BOND REFERENDUM.
THERE WAS SO MUCH GOING ON, SO MUCH FOCUS, BUT WE DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB ON REALLY PLANNING WHAT THESE THINGS ARE GONNA REALLY COST.
WE MISSED, WE MISSED THE MARK.
AND I SAID I WAS ON THE BOARD AND IT WASN'T, I DON'T THINK IT WAS ANY MALICE OR ANYTHING, IT JUST LIKE, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
WE HADN'T DONE A BOND ISSUANCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT GETTING THIS DONE, THE WHOLE PROCESS OF BOND.
AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THIRD, THIRD IN LINE OF PRIORITIES WAS LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT THESE THINGS ARE GONNA COST AND WE CAN REALLY TELL WITH THE SCHOOL.
SO THAT, THAT NUMBER COMING IN WHEN WE HAD TO, THAT WAS ONE OF MY LAST VOTES WAS TO BITE THE BULLET AND COME UP WITH SOME MORE MONEY FOR THE, FOR THE SCHOOL.
BUT MY VIEW IS WE MISSED, WE, THE POWER BOARD MISSED THE MARK BY NOT REALLY DIGGING MORE.
BUT IT TAKES TIME AS WE SEE IT'S TAKING TIME, IT TAKES TIME TO DIG IN.
SO WE HAD A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT YOU, JEREMY WILL REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT IT AND WE'RE LIKE, WE MISSED THE, OH, WE NEED TO GET WATER AND SEWER THERE, YOU KNOW, AND SO THERE WAS A MILLION DOLLARS SOMETHING LIKE, WHAT THE HECK? SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE'VE GOTTA FIX IT NOW, RIGHT?
AND, AND SO, SO I WOULD JUST SAY WE'RE STUCK AT THAT NUMBER.
I JUST REMEMBER THE HISTORY OF THAT NUMBER.
UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T REALLY REFLECT A REALITY AND WE QUICKLY FIGURED IT OUT SIX MONTHS INTO IT.
WE'RE LIKE, BUT UH, SHOULD WE HAVE SPENT, YOU KNOW, MORE DIGGING ON THAT NUMBER? SO THAT'S JUST A REALITY.
WE HAVE AN INFLATION, BUT JUST SHARING THE, THE PROCESS AND THE TIME CONSTRAINTS WE HAD WITH A LOT GOING ON.
AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT LANDED US HERE.
I HAVE SOME POSITIVE NEWS TO ADD TO THAT MR. WINFREY, YOU JUST ASKED.
UM, IS THAT ALL WE HAVE? AND IT, I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS, BUT THIS 25 YEAR PLAN SHOWS ANY LIKE, MAJOR FUNDING WE'VE GIVEN TOWARDS THESE PROJECTS AND THERE IS 3.5 MILLION OF LOCAL MONEY THAT I GUESS WE HAD SOME FORETHOUGHT TO PUT TOWARD OVER THE YEARS.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO ADD, LIKE MR. LUMPKINS WAS SAYING, TO GET READY FOR HOW TO ASK FOR HOW MUCH WE ARE GONNA BORROW.
THESE WERE PROBABLY ESTIMATES IN 2019 IT WERE, SO THIS IS SIX YEARS LATER SURE.
AND COST AND THAT IT WILL BE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
SO, SO, SO CHARLIE, I I AGREE WITH YOU ON PHILOSOPHY.
AND, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO PLAN FOR THINGS LIKE INDOOR PLUMBING AND
SO, SO MORE, MORE TO COME ON THAT BOARD MEMBERS NEXT STEP IS FINALIZING THIS SPACE STUDY AND OUR GOAL IS STAFF IS TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU IN OCTOBER SO WE CAN CONTINUE ON A TRAJECTORY AND, UH, MOVE SOME THINGS FORWARD.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FIRE STATIONS.
AND SO, UH, AS WE DISCUSSED MONEY THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED FOR STATION SEVEN IS NOW IN THAT POT FOR STATION EIGHT AND SO ON PAPER AND REALISTICALLY, THERE ARE NO DOLLARS CURRENTLY ASSIGNED TO STATION SEVEN.
AND SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS FOR US TO, TO THINK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH PUTTING SOMETHING OUT ON THE MARKET FOR A AND E SERVICES FOR THIS STATION? GRANTED, NO FUNDING DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE, BUT DO WE WANT MOVE THIS WORK FORWARD AND PUT SOMETHING OUT ON THE PUBLIC MARKET TO GET BIDS TO DETERMINE, DETERMINE HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT PULLING OUT THE BID FOR CONSTRUCTION.
WE STILL ARE, DON'T KNOW THE BUDGET ON THIS, BUT DO WE WANT TO START TO DESIGN STATION SEVEN, STATION EIGHT OR SEVEN? SEVEN SEVEN.
CAN I ASK CHIEF A QUESTION? IS THERE ANY BENEFIT OF GETTING A TWOFER, YOU KNOW, PUT TWO OF 'EM OUT AT ONCE? I THINK DR.
I CAN, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT MR. WINFREY.
AND SO THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT DOES EXPECT COMPETITION.
AND WE HAVE BEEN ASKED THAT QUESTION MANY TIMES BECAUSE, UH, ONE WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO DO THAT.
BUT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ITS INFINITE WISDOM HAS NOT ALLOWED US TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT.
[01:30:01]
TO HAVE COMPETITION.WE DO NEED TO PUT, UH, THE PROCUREMENT OF THIS OUT ON THE PUBLIC MARKET SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE ULTIMATELY WE GET COMPETITION AND BETTER PRICING.
SO, UM, WE DO NEED TO PUT IT OUT.
SO JUST TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SHORT RUN OF OUR TIME.
YEAH, I HAVE NO PROBLEM MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE THE LEARNINGS FROM EIGHT AND APPLY THEM.
SO THERE MAY NOT BE PARALLEL PATH, BUT STAGGERED PATHS SHOULD BE ABLE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO GET THIS GOING.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT'S, IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
US TO CONSIDER THIS AS ONE PROJECT WHERE WE ARE PUTTING 'EM OUT COMPETITIVELY AND GIVING EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON TWO INSTEAD OF ONE.
THE ARCHITECTURE, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
PART OF THIS HAS TO BE DONE BID SEPARATELY.
WE MAY CONCEIVABLY PUT THE CONSTRUCTION OUT TO BID TOGETHER, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO LINE UP AS FAR AS TIMING GOES.
I I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCES WERE AT AT VILLAGE BANK, BUT BACK THAT CENTURY WHEN I WORKED AT SOUTHERN BANK, WE HAD A TEMPLATE FOR EVERY BANKING CENTER AND IT WAS THE SAME.
EVERY BLESSED BANKING CENTER WAS THE SAME.
UH, NOW I'M SEEING THIS, IT SAYS THAT EIGHT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UH, WHAT OTHER DESIGN? OH, OKAY.
WHAT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM USING THIS DESIGN FOR SEVEN? SO THE WAY THE RFP CURRENTLY IS WRITTEN IS THAT WE WOULD, THAT DESIGN CURRENTLY IS PROPRIETARY.
AND SO WE HAVE WRITTEN THE RFP IN A WAY THAT SAYS THAT ESSENTIALLY DESCRIBES THAT WITHOUT SAYING DESIGN IT JUST LIKE THIS THREE BAYS WITH THIS CONSTRUCTION OF X AMOUNT OF LIVING QUARTERS AND PLACE TO WORK OUT.
LIKE WE HAVE BUILT THAT INTO THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE WOULD WANT FOLKS TO DESIGN WITHOUT EXACTLY SAYING THAT WE WANT THAT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A WAY THAT WE FEEL THAT WE CAN BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PROCUREMENT ACT AND STILL ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECTIVES OF WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT FOR EFFICIENCIES.
RAIL, IF I MAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SAVED, UH, STAFF HOURS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT'S BEEN INVESTED ALREADY IN STATION EIGHT, UH, WHATEVER THE A AND E FIRM THAT MOVES FULL WITH STATION SEVEN, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS SAVINGS IN STAFF HOURS AND THINGS THAT WE'VE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO VET AND, AND WE'RE BASICALLY DESIGNING, UM, INDUSTRY STANDARD STATIONS.
WE WE'RE NOT, DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THE STATION THAT'S UNUSUAL OR, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, ONE OTHER BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROJECT AT SEVEN AND EIGHT IS, UH, BUILD A MECHANICS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, STATION EIGHT AND SAN DIEGO IS OPERATING OFF OF A WELL SYSTEM AND A ELABORATE SEPTIC FIELD VERSUS THE WEST CREEK STATION WILL BE ON COUNTY WATER, COUNTY SILVER.
AND SO THAT, THERE'S, THAT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL FULL PLAN.
COULD BE SIMILAR EXTERIOR COULD BE, OR IT COULD BE DIFFERENT BASED ON ARCHITECTURE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUILDING MECHANICS, UH, THAT'S A PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCE TO GOOD POINT.
LEY, UH, MENTIONED, UH, I, SOMEBODY MENTIONED ABOUT THE SEW LINE.
YEAH, WE, THERE'S MONEY FOR SEVEN THAT WE DON'T SPEND AT EIGHT, BUT WE DROVE OVER WELL AT SEVEN THAT WE WON'T DRILL IT.
I'M SORRY, EIGHT THAT WE DROVE.
IT'S JUST, AND I LINE, BUT LET ME, IS THIS GOING DO IT FOR US FOR A WHILE? STATION SEVEN, ONCE IT'S COMPLETED, YOU HAVE IN YOUR MIND LONG RANGE.
SO, SO YES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES.
UH, WHAT I'LL TELL YOU, UH, THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THAT IN THE 25 YEAR CIP PLAN, UH, THERE ARE FUTURE FIRE STATION LOCATIONS FOR UM, WELL I'LL COME BACK TO CROZIER.
UH, I'M AWARE OF CRO BEING, YEAH.
UM, FUTURE LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
ONE IS MATTHEW MATTHEWS ROAD AND THE OTHER IS, UH, ROCK CASTLE BEING THE VERY FURTHEST LONGEST, UH, OUTLAYING THAT 25 CIP.
UH, BUT YES, BUT YES, CROZIER COMPANY TO, WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR PROPERTY ALONG, UH, CARDWELL ROAD, UH, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE SOUTH OF, UM, OF GENITAL OR TAYLOR ROAD, UH, TO REBUILD FUTURE REBUILD OF FIRE STATION TWO ENCLOSURE AND THEIR FIRE STATION TWO ENRO HAS A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT AND WE HAVE, UH, SEPTIC FIELD CHALLENGES AND NOT ENOUGH ROOM THERE FOR EXPANSION TO AFFECTS THE NUMBER OF STAFF THAT WE COULD HAVE ON DUTY HERE AT STATION TWO.
HOW, HOW FAR OFF ARE WE FROM KNOWING WHAT WE EXPECT STATION EIGHT TO COST? OH GOSH, NOVEMBER CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS PROBABLY OUT TO BID BY NOVEMBER ONE IS OUR GOAL.
THEN YOU LET IT SIT ON THE MARKET FOR 30, 45 DAYS, ROUGHLY MID-DECEMBER, JANUARY.
I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER SO WE CAN DIGEST IT AND SAY GET MOVING, YOU KNOW, UH, AND, AND WE KNOW STATION
[01:35:01]
EIGHT IS IN PROCESS BEFORE WE TAKE ON ANOTHER PROJECT.AND JUST SO WE KNOW THE SCALE, THE SCOPE AND HAVE THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS OF 8 MILLION VERSUS 13, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHAT THOSE COULD BE AND WHAT THEY ENTAIL.
'CAUSE I DO BELIEVE, I DO BELIEVE IF WE DO A RIGHT, WE ARE BENEFITING THE ENTIRE NETWORK OF OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SYSTEM.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A KEY FOCAL POINT TO A SENSE.
WE ARE PUTTING ONE BEFORE THE OTHER CHRONOLOGICALLY BECAUSE WE PAUSED SEVEN, UH, AND IF WE NOT DONE THAT, THAT WOULD BE UNDERWAY BY NOW.
PROBABLY, OH, AHEAD OF EIGHT, IS THAT CORRECT? PROBABLY BE DONE.
SO WE DID GET SIDEWAYS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAD CERTAIN EXPRESSIONS FROM CITIZENS AND WE DID GO OUT AND TRY TO FIND OTHER LOCATIONS AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
UH, AND WE PAUSED IT AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T WANTED WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE
EVEN WITH THE PLANNING ON CHIEF, CORRECT ME HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE REALIZE THE BENEFIT OF A, AS MUCH AS WE DO UNTIL WE PUT AN ANGLE ANGLES THERE DURING WHEN THE, THE ROUNDABOUT.
SO I THINK, I THINK THAT SORT OF REALLY SORT OF HELPED SH RESHUFFLE SOME OF THE PRIORITY AS WELL BECAUSE RESPONSE TIMES ARE GOING FROM 15 MINUTES TO FOUR.
IT'S, IT'S MADE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE.
UH, TEMPORARY QUARTERS SINCE APRIL OF 2023, RUN OVER A THOUSAND CALLS.
UH, I WAS SHOCKED IN JULY THAT EIGHT RAN 74 AMBULANCE CALLS AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE AR AUGUST NUMBERS YET, BUT I DON'T EXPECT THEM TO BE QUESTIONING.
SO, MR. LYLE, MR. CHRISTIE, ANY THOUGHTS ON PUTTING THIS OUT TO BID FOR DESIGN SERVICES NOW OR LATER SICK PEOPLE? MY ONLY CONCERN WOULD BE IS IF WE END UP WITH TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE THEM TO BE THE DESIGNS AND EVERYTHING TO BE COMPARABLE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, UH, THAT'S IN QUESTION HERE.
WELL ULTIMATELY, IF THE DECISION WOULD BE TO AT LEAST PUT IT OUT FOR PROCUREMENT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO EVEN AWARD A CONTRACT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT THE DESIGN.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE, LIKE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK THE QUESTION IS DO WE AT LEAST WANT TO SOLICIT FROM THE MARKET A AND E SERVICES RIGHT NOW OR DO WE WANNA WAIT? WHAT? I'M INDIFFERENT TO IT.
I JUST, I'M BLOWN AWAY WHEN I GO UP ASHLAND ROAD AND I SEE HOW MUCH PROGRESS THEY'RE MAKING ON AMAZON AND STRICKLAND, THAT THE MORE SERVICES WE HAVE DOWN THERE, THE BETTER AND THE SOONER ONE THING, UH, IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR, WITH STEPS, I REALLY DO WANT IT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TOPOGRAPHICAL CHALLENGES OF THAT SITE AND THE FACT THAT IT IS NEAR A CURVE AND NOT, NOT GO INTO IT THINKING THAT THE DESIGN AND BUILD IS GONNA BE SIMILAR TO A FLAT PIECE OF LAND THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN, WILL, WILL BE MUCH EASIER TO CONSTRUCT.
AND I JUST, IF IF WE GO IN EYES WIDE OPEN, THEN THAT'S FINE.
'CAUSE THAT IS GONNA BE MATERIAL THAT IS GONNA MATERIALLY IMPACT THE BUDGET.
UM, THIS IS ANOTHER TOPIC THAT I WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE TIME THAT WE WERE TOGETHER IS OLD
AND SO WE HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE WE TURN IT OFF OVER TO THE SCHOOLS.
AND SO YOU ALL HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO WALK, SEE, FEEL, EXPERIENCE THIS SPACE.
AND SO, UH, ULTIMATELY WE HAVE 29,000 SQUARE FEET FOR AVAILABLE USE.
WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF A SPACE STUDY FOR NON-JUDICIAL PURPOSES.
AND SO OUR HOPE IS THAT BY MID-FALL WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THAT.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, MANY OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SPACES AND OTHER SPACES WITHIN, YOU KNOW, COUNTY GOVERNMENT HERE AND ELSEWHERE.
AND SO ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, THE ASK WOULD BE HERE IS ONCE WE GET THIS SPACE STUDY COMPLETED, WOULD WE WANT TO SOLICIT BIDS FOR THE SERVICES OF CHOOSING AN ARCHITECT WHO ULTIMATELY WOULD MAKE A DESIGN OF HOW WE POTENTIALLY COULD USE THE OLD G-E-A-G-E-S MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR, OF OUR ADMINISTRATION MOVING FORWARD.
AND SO, UH, IF THE DESIRE IS TO MOVE FORWARD, WE CAN START TO DO SOME WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, START TO BUILD THAT RFP AND START TO GET THIS READY.
SO BY THE TIME THE SPACE STUDY WOULD
[01:40:01]
BE COMPLETED, WE WOULD HAVE AN RFP READY TO HIT THE MARKET.SO WE, WE WOULD JUST BE KIND OF GETTING SOME THINGS OUR DUCKS IN A ROW, SO TO SPEAK, SO THAT WHEN THE TIME WOULD COME WE COULD LEVERAGE THAT AND MOVE THAT FORWARD.
BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS, THE SENSE OF URGENCY THAT MAYBE THE BOARD HAS OR DOES NOT HAVE IN MAKING SOME MORE FORWARD MOMENTUM ON, ON THIS TOPIC.
SO BY YOUR STATEMENTS AND THE QUESTION, IT APPEARS THAT A DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE ON THE USAGE OF THIS, YOU SAID MEET THE NEEDS OF ADMINISTRATION AND I'VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, IF WE JUST MAKE THIS MORE GOVERNMENT OFFICES, WE HAVE CATEGORICALLY FAILED.
WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT IN ANYTHING UNIQUE TO GLAND.
WE'VE NOT BROUGHT IN ANYTHING TO US.
BUT I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, LIKE THIS IS TO GO TO DESIGN FOR MORE GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY A DECISION POINT, RIGHT? YEAH, WELL, YEAH.
I, I'VE EXPRESSED TO MYSELF, I THINK THE CURRENT CONDITIONS THAT OUR STAFF WORKING IN ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.
THERE'S SHOEHORNED IN THIS AREA LIKE SARINE CAN, AND YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED FOR OUR PEOPLE TO LOOK FORWARD TO COMING TO WORK IN THE MORNING AND WE NEED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH, UH, WITH GOOD WORKING CONDITIONS, PHYSICAL WORKING CONDITIONS.
SO I'M SUPPORT, BUT ALONG WITH YOUR THINKING, NOT, NOT JUST TO BUILD STUFF AND FILL IT UP.
WELL, FOR THREE YEARS I THINK WE HAVE THE EXISTING NEED FOR THREE YEARS.
WE WERE TOLD WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T LAND HERE.
AND NOW WE'RE TOLD, HEY, WE WANNA GO DO THIS.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST, HOW MUCH IS THIS GONNA COST? IT'S THE TOTAL RENOVATION.
THE BID FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES TO PREPARE THE BID DOCUMENT STAFF TIME BEHIND THE SCENES, WE WOULD JUST PREPARE THE DOCUMENT TO BE READY TO PUT ON THE PUBLIC MARKET.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO ACTUALLY OPERATIONALIZE THE DESIGN.
I'M JUST SAYING TO, TO GET THE, THE, GET THE BIDS, GET THE, YOU KNOW, GENERAL DESIGN GET, GET THE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM DOG AND PONY SHOW FROM THE, THE DEVELOP POTENTIAL DEVELOPER.
AND I'LL, I'LL GIVE YOU THE REASON.
LET'S JUST SAY, LET'S JUST SAY FOR ARGUMENT, UH, FOR ARGUMENT'S SAKE, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
IF WE IN THREE MONTHS TIME CAN SAY WE HAVE THIS OPTION AND IT COSTS US, YOU KNOW, IT COSTS US A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO GET HERE.
AND THEN IN THREE MONTHS TIME WE HAVE WHAT IS THE MARKET WILLING TO GIVE US FOR THIS SITE AND DO, DO BEST ECONOMIC USE, WHICH IS A VALID, YOU KNOW, A VALID, UM, RECOMMENDATION FOR IT, THEN I THINK WE CAN MAKE THAT HAVE BETTER HAVE THAT DECISION.
CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, CHARLIE? YEAH.
SO I FEEL LIKE TO YOUR POINT, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON STUDIES.
I'VE NOT SEEN A RESULT OF A STUDY OF THE SPACE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED, THE, THE, THE CURRENT PROCESS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS I HAVE ASKED THEM TO CHANGE THEIR SCOPE WHEREBY THEY CAN GIVE US A DRAWING THAT SAYS, HERE'S HYPOTHETICALLY HOW YOU COULD PUT STAFF IN THIS SPACE, BUT NO OTHER OPTIONS.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME WORK THAT WAS DONE BY STAFF A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND AND SARAH CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, THERE WERE SOME OPTIONS OF COMMERCIAL USAGE AND, AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, THAT WORK HAS BEEN DONE INFORMALLY.
I HAVE HEARD SENIOR LIVING, I'VE HEARD BOUTIQUES, UH, KIND OF WEWORK, YOU KNOW, INCUBATOR SPACE, UH, C-T-E-C-T-E.
I'VE HEARD THAT, UH, VIRGINIA FILM MAYBE COULD USE IT INSTEAD OF REYNOLDS.
I I WHERE WHERE ARE THOSE OPTIONS? 'CAUSE I'M WITH MR. SAUER, IT'S LIKE, WE'RE GONNA USE IT FOR ADMINISTRATION.
AND I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY OF THE WORK THAT SARAH HAD COMMISSIONED.
I THINK THEY SPENT SOME EDA MONEY ON IT, DID THEY NOT? OR SOMEBODY'S WELL, RESOURCES WERE INVESTED.
AND SARAH, YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? YEAH, SURE.
SO, UM, WE DID, UM, CONTRACT WITH A, AN ARCHITECTURAL FIRM AND WE DO HAVE SOME POTENTIAL MOCKUPS OF, UH, WHAT THE FORMER
NOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE SEPARATE, ALMOST FOUR SEPARATE BUILDINGS OVER THERE THAT YOU HAVE THE CTE BUILDING, WHICH IS STILL UNDER UTILIZATION FOR THE NEXT FIVE OR SO YEARS.
YOU HAVE THE, THE TWO STORY CORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU HAVE THE OCTAGONAL BUILDING, AND THEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE, WHAT IS THE OLD SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, IF YOU WILL.
IT'S GOT KIND OF A KITCHEN INTO IT AS WELL.
SO THEY TOOK ALL OF THOSE AND UM, MADE SOME, UM, ESTIMATES AS TO USES THAT COULD GO IN THERE.
WE LOOKED AT THINGS LIKE A HOTEL.
A HOTEL WOULD TAKE THE ENTIRE, ALL FOUR OF THOSE TO MAKE IT WORK.
I'VE TALKED TO TWO HOTELIERS, THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED.
[01:45:01]
THEY, THEY, THEY DID SOME ECONOMIC ANALYSIS SAID OF THE AREA AND THEY JUST SAID THAT A CO THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH HOTEL ROOMS THAT THEY COULD GET TO MAKE THE MONEY WORK FOR THEM.THEY ALSO LOOKED AT DAYCARE CENTERS.
SO THERE ARE OPTIONS AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A PUZZLE PIECE.
SO YOU CAN DO THE TWO CORE, THE, THE CORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INTO GOVERNMENT OFFICES AND STILL HAVE ROOM FOR CHILDCARE CENTER POTENTIALLY IN THE CTE BUILDING.
YOU COULD STILL DO POTENTIAL RESTAURANTS AND THE, UH, OLD KITCHEN AUDITORIUM.
YOU COULD DO POTENTIAL RESTAURANT AND THE CTE BUILDING.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS A LOT OF OPTIONS THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN PRESENTED BEFORE WE ARE ASKED TO MAKE A DECISION.
I JUST GOING IN WITH ONE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS.
I I I, SOMETHING JUST COMES TO MY MIND TOO IS WE JUST TALKED EARLIER ABOUT BUILDING 65,000 ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOT, UH, BUILDING IN THE COURTHOUSE AND WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA TEAR ANY TEAR ANYTHING DOWN THAT I KNOW ABOUT, IS THAT CORRECT? SO, BUT WE, AND THEN I KNOW THE TIMING IS DIFFERENT.
SO WE HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED, AS I'VE SAID, I I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD GETTING SOME RELIEF FOR OUR PLANNING, UH, FOLKS.
UM, BUT WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO BE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OFFICE SPACE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS AVAILABLE TO US, WHICH WILL FREE UP, YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF THE COURTHOUSE.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THIS IS PROBABLY TOO PREMATURE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UM, SO AT A HIGHER LEVEL, LIKE BASICALLY THIS MEETING CFP MEETING, UM, WE WERE DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD WE, HOW SHOULD WE FUND THE CFP, WHICH SHOULD FALL UNDER THE CFP? THIS DEFINITELY FALLS UNDER THE CFP.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT WITH ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, THE FIRE STATION'S COURTHOUSE, UH, INFLATION, YOU KNOW, BRIDGING THE GAP AND THE OLD SCHOOL WOULD BE AN, AN ACCEPTABLE THING FOR A BOND ISSUANCE.
AND, AND IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL OF THESE GOING OUT TO BID, THEN WE GET THOSE NUMBERS SOONER AND WE GET ALL OF THESE PROJECTS POTENTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH ONE, I I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE BOND ISSUANCE PROCESS, BUT POTENTIALLY A ONE AND DONE BOND ISSUANCE.
RIGHT? BUT, BUT TO WHAT DOCTOR REALLY IS SAYING, IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC FOR A VERY SPECIFIC NEED THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOT.
SO GIVEN, GIVEN THAT THIS, I THINK THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE FOR US TO RECEIVE THE SPACE STUDY, WHICH IS GOING TO INCLUDE THE USAGE OF THIS CURRENT FACILITY.
THAT OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.
YOU COUPLE THAT WITH THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY THE STAFF PRIOR TO NOW, AND THEN WE HAVE PRESENTATION ON POTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR WHAT THE OLD GES COULD BE USED FOR OR NOT BE USED FOR.
WE DELIBERATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT AND DETERMINE SOME NEXT STEPS.
SO, UM, THIS'S PROBABLY, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN JUST TO PINCH ON THIS, I MEAN, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS, UH, LINE OF DISCUSSION IS MR. WINFREY AND I HAD A SITUATION PROBABLY IN THE LAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS WHERE A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WAS TASKED, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT THIS TO LOOK LIKE? AND THE MESSAGING TO THEM WAS MAKE IT DISTINCT TO GLAND.
AND THEN THEY SAID, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU RESPONDED TO THEM AND MAKE IT DISTINCT TO GLAND? AND THE ONLY ADD-ON TO THAT WAS I SAID, IF YOU GIVE ME SOMETHING THAT IS 500 YARDS ACROSS THE LINE IN OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTY, I WILL BALL IT UP AND THROW IT IN THE TRASH CAN.
AND IT WAS FUNNY, ABOUT 80% CAME BACK WITH WHAT I WOULD'VE LIKED TO BALL UP AND THROW IN THE TRASH CAN.
BUT THEY WERE LIKE TRUMP, UM,
AND IT WAS, BUT IT WAS SIMPLY FROM THE VERY START SENDING THAT MESSAGE, IF YOU COME WITH WHAT WORKED IN X, Y, AND Z, JUST BECAUSE WE WILL CALL YOU OUT ON IT AND WE WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND I, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I REALLY THINK OF A MESSAGING, HEY, THIS IS IN OUR COURTHOUSE, THIS IS IN OUR MASTER BEDROOM OR KITCHEN, WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL IT.
[01:50:01]
A STORY, IT BETTER KNOCK OUR SOCKS OFF.AND, AND I JUST, I THINK THOSE ARE, UM, THOSE TYPE OF FRONT END, THAT'S THE TYPE OF FRONT END MESSAGING THAT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD HISTORICALLY.
AND, UM, NOTHING, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS PROJECT, ESPECIALLY JUST GIVEN WHERE IT IS TO THE HEART OF THIS COUNTY, UM, REALLY SEEMS TO SOMETHING ONE OF A KIND.
WELL, UM, WITH SOME, SOME TIME THAT WE HAVE LEFT BEFORE WE TRANSITION TO SCHOOLS, WANTED TO AT LEAST FORECAST SOME OTHER THINGS.
WE TALKED ABOUT A LOT HERE TODAY, AND I KNOW IT CAN CERTAINLY BE OVERWHELMING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A 25 YEAR PLAN.
AND JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE AUDIENCE, YOU KNOW, OUR 25 YEAR PLAN WAS CREATED IN ORDER TO INFORM OUR CAPITAL IMPACT MODEL, WHICH PLAYS A ROLE IN THE PROPER PROPERS THAT ARE OFFERED, UH, AS FAR AS NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO 25 YEARS CAN BE A LOT TO, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND AND, AND INTERNALIZE, BUT FIVE YEARS IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
YOU CAN KIND OF GET YOUR, GET YOUR HANDS AROUND THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO WE JUST WANTED TO START TO FORECAST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT PLAN IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH CONVERSATION HAS BEEN HAD IN PRIVATE OR PUBLIC SETTINGS.
MAYBE SOME MORE THAN MORE THAN OTHERS, BUT AT LEAST WANTED TO SUMMARIZE SOME OF THESE THINGS SO YOU COULD ALSO SEE SOME OF THE OTHER NEEDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DISCUSSED HERE TODAY, EVERYWHERE FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, NEEDS THAT THE SCHOOL DIVISION MAY HAVE, AS WELL AS ENSURING THE SECURITY OF OUR NETWORK AND OUR DATA THAT WE HAVE AS AN ORGANIZATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE RESCUE, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME TECHNOLOGICAL NEEDS AS WE CONTINUE TO BE A HIGH FUNCTIONING MODERN ORGANIZATION.
SO, UM, SO AT LEAST WANTED TO GET SOME VISIBILITY ON THESE FOR YOU SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THOSE THINGS.
WE DO HAVE A FEW MINUTES AND WE HAVE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM IN CASE YOU WANTED TO ASK ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THESE PROJECTS MIGHT BE.
SHOULD WE LOOK TO THIS AND TO THIS FOR THE FIVE YEARS TO KIND OF SURE.
AND IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS IN THE FIVE YEARS THAT YOU WANTED TO, TO DIG IN ON, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT.
WE ARE SHOWING FUNDING RESOURCES ON THIS.
THESE ARE FORECASTED, UH, PLANNED FOR NOT YET FUNDED.
AND THEN IT, THAT, WHAT IS THAT? STORAGE AS A SERVICE.
WHERE'S DAN? SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE.
DAN, CAN YOU HELP US OUT ON THAT? YES, SIR.
YEAH, HE, MR. WINFREY IS ASKING ABOUT THE DETAILS ON THE TYLER UNI STORAGE AS A SERVICE MIGRATION.
IT'S, UM, PROJECTING THE START, UH, LATE THIS WINTER, THIS FALL, AND IT'S BASICALLY GOING FROM ON PREM TO THEIR CLOUD SERVICE, WHICH THEY'RE ROLLING OVER TO ALL THEIR CLIENTS.
EVERYBODY WHO'S USING THE TITLE EVENTUALLY ONE OF THEIR, THEIR CLOUD SYSTEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, MUNI IS OUR FINANCIAL SOFTWARE THAT'S ALSO TIED TO HR FUNCTIONS IN A VARIETY OF THINGS.
IT'S PRETTY POOR SERVICE FOR US.
IS THAT A RECURRING COST? NO, I MEAN, THIS IS A MIGRATION, BUT THIS IS A TOTAL, I I WAS JUST ABOUT TO POINT THAT OUT.
THAT 1.2 IS THE TOTAL FOR THOSE FOUR YEARS.
SO WHY WOULDN'T WE EXPENSE THOSE TO MAKE THOSE OPERATIONAL INSTEAD OF CIP? UM, BECAUSE IT'S A ONETIME, I THINK OF OPERATIONAL AS A RECURRING EVERY YEAR PURCHASE.
AND THIS IS A ONE TIME BIG PROJECT.
ARE WE GONNA HAVE BACKUPS ON THIS? I MEAN, LIKE ON OUR OWN HARD DRIVE, WE GET NERVOUS ABOUT PUTTING ALL OUR ACCOUNTING STUFF ON A CLOUD.
SO DAN, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? UH, WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT CAPABILITY, BUT THEY WILL BE DOING RESPONSIBLE FOR BACKING UP AND ALL BACK STORE CAPABILITY.
IS THIS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO DRIVE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL DATA CENTERS IF EVERYBODY'S LOADING UP THE CLOUD? EXACTLY, YES.
A LOT OF VENDORS ARE MOVING AND WE'RE PROBABLY A DROP IN THE BUCKET COMPARED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE.
YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS A COST OF HAVING SOFTWARE ON SITE AND SERVERS ON SITE.
THE MAINTENANCE OF ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A COST.
SO IT'S A COST BENEFIT OF ON PREMISES VERSUS ON THE CLOUD THAT, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE'LL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH IN THE FUTURE.
SO DR. RILEY JUST GOT A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, CARLA, WHERE, SO FOR COUNTY VEHICLES, I DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT IN HERE.
IS THAT OPERATIONAL OR WE'RE JUST, YES, IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD THIS BIG DISCUSSION WHEN WE WERE ADOPTING THE FY 26 BUDGET, UM, REPLACEMENT VEHICLES AND EVEN NEW VEHICLES.
THOSE ARE ALL, UM, RECURRING EVERY YEAR WE
[01:55:01]
WOULD PUT THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR SHERIFF'S REPLACEMENT VEHICLES, FOR COUNTY REPLACEMENT VEHICLES FOR SERVER UPGRADES.IT WAS ALWAYS FOR, UM, MAKE GENERAL MAINTENANCE THINGS BECAUSE THEY WERE HAPPENING EVERY YEAR AT ABOUT THE SAME COSTS.
SO, UM, NOT TO BE SELFISH, BUT WE DO SEE A TON OF USAGE OF CENTRAL HIGH COMPLEX AND, BUT HALF OF THAT BUILDING HAS, UH, CAN BE UTILIZED.
UM, I THINK WE HAD SOME, PUT SOME MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO DO, UH, TO DEMOLISH THE AUDITORIUM POTENTIALLY.
UM, BUT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS THAT DOING ANYTHING IN THAT SPACE.
YEAH, I SEE THE LINE ITEM BECAUSE THERE'S NO MONEY, BUT THAT, THAT DOES BRING UP IT IS, WELL, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
IT'S IN FISCAL YEAR 29, 300 $50,000.
IT'S CERTAINLY IN UNDER GENERAL SERVICES.
IT'S THE, UM, IT'S ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE PAGE.
OH, I WAS LOOKING AT PARKS AND REC, SO, OKAY.
PARKS AND REC WOULD MAKE SENSE SINCE THEY'RE OVER THERE, BUT THAT'S UNDER GENERAL SERVICES.
AND THEN THE LAST THING, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE THIS, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT UTILITY CIP RIGHT NOW.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, UM, IT WAS KIND OF SURPRISING TO ME THAT WE ONLY HAVE UTILITIES ON HALF OF THE SIDE OF THIS ROAD AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
RIGHT? SO I'D LOVE TO SEE AT SOME POINT, MAYBE THIS IS A TWO BY TWO DISCUSSION, BUT WHAT IS THE PLAN TO EXPAND THE UTILITIES HERE IN THE COURTHOUSE TO MAKE, JUST GET ACROSS THE STREET? YEAH, SO THERE IS WORK ON, ON A COUPLE OF THINGS I THINK THAT HELP TO INFORM SOME FUTURE DECISIONS.
NUMBER ONE IS THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WILL GET A LOT OF ATTENTION IN THE FALL AS WELL AS THE UTILITIES MASTER PLAN.
SO THAT WORK HAS BEEN HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES AND IT'S GONNA BE PUBLIC HERE IN THE COMING MONTHS AS WELL.
AND SO, BOARD MEMBERS, I NEGLECTED TO SHOW THIS SLIDE.
AND SO THERE'S ALSO SOME IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT, UM, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT YET EITHER, WHICH ARE RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, UH, UTILITIES.
I, I DO HIGHLIGHT AGAIN, RIDGEFIELD PUMP STATION CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL AS MR. SPOON, HOWER MENTIONED.
AND THEN, YES, STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THE COUNTY'S ROLE IN FUTURE LAND ACQUISITION.
AND WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND BEING, HAVING A PLAN FOR HOW WE WOULD WANT TO ACQUIRE LAND IN THE FUTURE.
SO I BROUGHT THAT FORWARD AS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION JUST QUICKLY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD POSITION US WELL IN THE FUTURE FOR OVERALL SUSTAINABILITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK ON ANOTHER WORK SESSION MAYBE LIKE THIS, OR THROUGH THE BUDGET SEASON BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT JUST ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
BUT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS AS WELL.
I WOULD, UH, I WANT TO RECALL MR. SPOONER'S COMMENTS EARLIER ABOUT THAT LEARN TAX AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UM, LETTING IT BE KNOWN THAT THAT JUST SIGNIFICANT REVENUE GENERATION IS LARGELY CENTERED IN, UH, DISTRICT FOUR.
AND, AND I, IT, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TIES TO THIS IN THAT UTILITIES RIDGEFIELD PUMP STATION THAT IS LARGELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO OUR NEEDS IN THE WEST CREEK AREA.
TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS TO ASHLAND ROAD, ATTRIBUTABLE TO ROCKY AND OTHER, NOT ROCKY, AMAZON AND ANYTHING LAND ACQUISITIONS FOR STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS.
I'VE, I'VE SEEN SEVERAL IN DISTRICT FOUR PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN PROJECTS WILL CERTAINLY HAVE THAT NINE 11 COMMUNICATIONS TOWER IN EASTERN GOOCHLAND.
SO THESE ARE COMING DOWN THE PIPE AND, AND I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN THE BENEFITS WE ARE GONNA SEE, YOU KNOW, WE WON'T COUNT OUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEIR HATCH, BUT THEY, THERE IS A STRONG LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE AND, AND, UH, DESIRE TO SEE THE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION THEY CAN MAKE.
BUT, UM, THESE ARE THE TYPES, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WILL BE COMING DOWN THE PIPE WITH FUNDING NEEDS THAT ARE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THOSE PROJECTS.
CHIEF AND I HAD AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION COMING BACK LOOKING AT THE FIRE STATION IN MATOKA CHESTERFIELD, YOU KNOW, AND I, I READ THIS SENSE, AND, UH, MR. SLOAN IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING US UP TO DATE WITH A LOT OF BUSINESS.
HE STILL OKAY, A LOT TO READ FOUR ARTICLES.
BUT IT'S INTERESTING THAT HOW MANY OF THESE PROJECTS CONTRIBUTE TO THESE THINGS THIS PROJECT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, BILL GIVING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CTE, THIS PROJECT'S BUILDING A FIRE STATION, THIS PROJECT'S DOING THIS.
SO HOW DO WE BUILD THE SKILLSET THAT, LIKE, WE'RE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHO'S COURTING WHO AT SOME POINT.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE POINT CHARLIE'S, UH, COMMENTS.
IF WE, IF WE CONTINUE TO GROW GLAND AND
[02:00:01]
INFRASTRUCTURE EXCELLENTLY, LIKE WE'RE PLANNING TO, WE CAN BE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO SAY, OKAY, WELL WHAT ARE YOU KICKING IN TO COME HERE? RIGHT? SO HOW DO WE BUILD THAT SKILL SET OF, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS BEGGING PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING MUTUAL BENEFIT OUT OF THEM COMING IN AND PROVIDING SOME OF THESE THINGS.WELL, I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY BEFORE WE TRANSITION IN THE, TALK TO THE SCHOOLS, TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
CAN WE TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND MAYBE GET BACK HERE ABOUT, UH, FIVE MINUTES AFTER TWO? ALRIGHT, SO LET'S COME BACK FOR A BREAK IN FIVE MINUTES.
[02:07:06]
WE FIX THAT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.DR. ARMSTRONG, GOOD AFTERNOON.
RAILING ON BEHALF OF MS. MOSES, WHO I THINK IS ON THE WAY BACK IN.
AND MS. ROBINSON, I JUST WANT TO FIRST THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PARTICIPATE TODAY.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR FACILITIES, OUR CATHOLIC DEPARTMENT PLAN, JUST LIKE FOR THE COUNTY, IT IS THE, I LIKE TO SAY THAT THE TANGIBLE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT OF EVERY CITIZEN, THIS COUNTY, WHETHER YOU ARE A PARENT OF A CHILD IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION OR NOT, UH, WE WANT OUR FACILITIES TO BE SAFE, INVITING, COMFORTABLE, AND EFFICIENT.
AND, UM, JUST EXCITED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
REALLY A 10,000 FOOT BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF SOME OF OUR NEEDS.
OF COURSE, THE BOARD WILL, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER THIS FALL TO REFINE ANY OF OUR REQUESTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO REVISE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
EVERYTHING WE DO GOES BACK TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS GROUNDED IN THAT.
AND ONE OF OUR GOALS, AND THIS IS FROM OUR 20 20 26 STRATEGIC PLAN, WE'RE GONNA BE REVISING THIS FOR THE CLOSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, BUT WE AGAIN, PRIORITIZE MAINTENANCE AND CREATION, SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND MAKING SURE OUR FACILITIES ARE SAFE ON BEHALF OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, OUR STAFF, AND OUR FAMILIES.
JUST LISTEN TO YOUR CONVERSATION.
IT'S A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, BUT IT'S ALSO ENCOURAGING THAT A LOT OF OUR GOALS ARE ON CAPITAL PLANNING ARE, ARE ALIGNED WITH, WITH YOUR VISION AS WELL.
UM, AND WE WANT, I KNOW FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN GOON, I'M CONDITIONED TO BE VERY EFFICIENT, UH, TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN HOW WE SPEND AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR EVERY SINGLE PENNY.
I LEARNED THAT FROM SOMEONE IN MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE,
BUT ALSO IT'S GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE BEST IN CLASS FACILITIES.
UM, OUR FACILITIES ARE A RETENTION TOOL.
OVER HALF OF OUR EMPLOYEES DO NOT WORK IN, OR DO NOT LIVE IN UCHIN COUNTY.
THEY DRIVE PAST OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS COME HERE EVERY DAY.
SO PART OF WHAT KEEPS THEM HERE IS THE FACT THAT, THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES.
WELL, THEY'RE COMFORTABLE, THEY'VE GOT SMALL CLASSES, THEY'VE GOT THE RESOURCES THEY NEED, BUT IT'S ALSO SYMBOLIC WHEN THEY SEE THIS COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER TO BUILD A NEW GUC AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT, IT SYMBOLIZES TO OUR STAFF THAT, HEY, WE, WE MATTER HERE AND THAT MEANS SOMETHING TO OUR STAFF.
I DO WANT TO GO THROUGH JUST BRIEFLY OUR, OUR PROGRESS HIGHLIGHTS SINCE 2020.
SOME OF THOSE, WHAT I CALL ZERO TO TWO YEAR SHORT TERM PRIORITY PROJECTS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN FUNDED, ENCUMBERED.
UM, OTHERS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT MORE THIS FALL.
AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE BIG TICKET ITEMS, WHICH I THINK WOULD INCLUDE, UH, THE SECONDARY COMPLEX IMPROVEMENTS, THE CT EDITION AS WELL AS WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS. AND LET'S TAKE A MINUTE.
I WANT TO, I WANT EVERYONE TO INTERRUPT ME AT
[02:10:01]
ANY TIME.TALK ABOUT THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF BIRD AND RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SPREADSHEET, YOU'LL SEE THOSE BOLDED, UH, THOSE ARE HIGHLIGHTS, LOOKING OUT TO FISCAL YEARS 2035 AND 2040.
I DO WANNA TAKE A MINUTE THOUGH.
I I, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT MY FIRST DAY ON THE JOB WHEN I CAME TO GUCCI IN 2016, LESS THAN 10 YEARS AGO, DR.
PUT ME IN A CAR AND DROVE ME AROUND THIS ENTIRE DIVISION.
AND AT THAT TIME WE HAD GRAVEL PARKING LOTS AT BOTH BIRD AND RANDOLPH.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY AUTOMATION FOR OUR, UH, COMFORT HVAC SYSTEMS IN THE DIVISION.
AND THAT WAS INTERMITTENTLY FUNCTIONING IN SOME PLACES.
UM, WE HAVE MADE INCREDIBLE PROGRESS, I THINK, UH, IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, I JUST PUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT, THAT I, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT IN, IN APPRECIATION FOR THIS BOARD, UM, AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD, THEIR WORK IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UM, IT MEANS A LOT PARKING LOT EXPANSION IN THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
WE JUST REP PAVE OUR STADIUM PARKING LOT BEHIND THE HIGH SCHOOL THIS SUMMER.
YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE THAT IF YOU DRIVE DOWN BULLDOG WAY.
AND OF COURSE, THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE WANNA TACKLE RIGHT NOW ABOUT VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT DURING LAST YEAR'S DISCUSSION, WE WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING TOWARD MAKING VEHICLE REPLACEMENT MORE OF AN OPERATIONAL COST THAN A CAPITAL COST.
AND, UM, AND I, I'M GETTING SOME NODS OF THE HEADS AND, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE WOULD DO, WE WOULD SPLIT THAT BETWEEN BOTH OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL REQUESTS, BUT I KNOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TOWARD MAKING THAT MORE OF A CONSISTENT OPERATIONAL REQUEST.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HIGHLIGHTED THAT AS WELL.
WHEN YOU'RE REFERENCING VEHICLE REPLACEMENT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR, YOUR WHITE FLEET, YOUR VANS, YOUR SEDANS, AND YOUR YELLOW WORKED AT THE WHOLE.
AND I WANT TO LOOK BACK AT MY TEAM, SORRY.
THIS IS STEPHANIE WHITE, OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, DR. WAGNER, ASSISTANT STUDENT ADMINISTRATION, GLEN FORBES, DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE.
AND, UH, YES, THAT REFERS TO OUR ENTIRE FLEET.
SO I BELIEVE IN FISCAL YEAR 2026, WE PUT AN EVEN 500,000 TOWARDS OPERATIONAL.
WHICH MAYBE, PROBABLY DIDN'T COVER AS MUCH AS WAS NEEDED, BUT THAT WAS WHAT WAS IN 26.
RIGHT? RIGHT NOW, UH, ZERO TO YEAR PROJECT.
SOME OF THESE WERE IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW WE ALREADY MENTIONED THE CHILLER PROJECT.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CIP, IT'S USUALLY NOT THE, UH, THE SEXIEST PART OF THE WORK YOU DO.
YOU'VE GOT THE WIRING AND THE WALLS, YOU'VE GOT THE PLUMBING.
UH, THE CHILLER IS ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS, BUT IT'S NOT A, A CHEAP ONE EITHER.
BUT WE ARE IN THE DESIGN FACING THAT, ANTICIPATING HOPEFULLY BY FIRST OF THE YEAR 27TH THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT PROJECT COMPLETE.
UM, BUT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT NOW.
AND THEN SOME OTHER, UH, PROJECTS WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH AND THAT ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS IN THE NEXT YEAR, INSTALLING NEW SCHOOL ZONE FLASHING LIGHTS.
IT SOUNDS REALLY SIMPLE, BUT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES ON THAT, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO SEND ONE OF OUR TECHNICIANS, CHRIS RICHMOND, WHO HAS TO MANUALLY GET TO THE LIGHT INTO THE BOX TO CREATE THE TIMERS AND WHEN THE TIME CHANGES AND YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY DO THAT.
WE HAVE SOFTWARE NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR JUST THAT CAN CONTROL THAT REMOTELY, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL BE A BIG BENEFIT FOR HIM IF IT'S ANY CONSTELLATION.
HE ALSO DOES THIS FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO HE'S, HE'S TRANSFERRING HIS SKILLS MULTIPLE WAYS.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM IN OUR DIVISION.
BUT, UH, THE HEAT, UH, RECOVERY UNIT REBUILDS THAT'S ONGOING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE DONE A TON OF WORK IN OUR HVAC AND ROOF SYSTEMS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND, UH, RIGHT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE OF THE SUMMER AT THE SECONDARY COMPLEX, WE WERE KIND OF FOLLOWING BEHIND WITH THE CUSTODIAL STAFF, UH, BEHIND THE WORK THAT WE WERE DOING, THE ROOF.
WE GOT ALL THAT DONE AND STILL WORKING THROUGH THE LAST FEW PHASES OF THAT, OUR FIRE PANEL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN REPLACING SOME HOT WATER HEATERS AT, UH, THE GTECH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BUILDING.
SO THESE HAVE ALL BEEN ENCUMBERED AND FUNDED.
BE ON AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE GOT GOING ON, UH, AS WE SPEAK.
SOME IDEAS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT, UH, PRIORITY PROJECTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE REQUESTED AND, AND REALLY REFINED BY OUR BOARD, AGAIN, SOME VERY SYSTEMS, TECHNICAL TYPE PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD SEE BEING NEEDS IN THE NEXT YEAR.
THERE'S A MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM THAT AUTOMATES, UM, THE, THE CHILLER AND BOILER SYSTEMS THAT IS REALLY CRITICAL TO INCLUDE IN THAT PROJECT.
AND ALSO COMES AT A, A FAIRLY DECENT 300 K PRICE TAG REPLACING THE BOILER.
UM, AT THE MIDDLE HIGH COMPLEX WILL BE NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THEN ONE ITEM I I WANNA TALK ABOUT MORE SEPARATELY IS OUR WEAPONS DETECTION.
I BELIEVE, UH, THE BOARDS HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST YEAR.
I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT LOUISA AND TO SEE SOME OF THE WORK THEY'VE BEEN DOING WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN A, IN A SLIDE THAT'S COMING UP.
I KNOW SOMETIMES THE BOARD MEMBERS ROLL ROLL THEIR EYES WITH ME ON THIS, BUT I I, I DO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY JUST TO
[02:15:01]
MENTION, UM, AFTER TALKING TO MR. CO AS WELL ABOUT HIS MASTER PLAN WITH PARKS AND REC, UM, FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION.UM, BUT THINKING ABOUT ATHLETIC FIELD IMPROVEMENTS AT THE JUDE GUCCI HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM, UM, RIGHT NOW I'D SAY WE'RE THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE RULE WHEN IT COMES TO THE SURFACE THAT OUR ATHLETES PLAY ON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, MOST SCHOOLS IN OUR NEIGHBORS SCHOOLS HAVE ADOPTED AN ARTIFICIAL TURF FIELD.
UH, WE STILL MAINTAIN OUR GRASS FIELD AND I KNOW, UM, THERE'S NOSTALGIA FOR THE GRASS.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY AS WELL, BUT I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS ANTIQUATED NOW.
UM, THERE'S AN ONGOING COST OF MAINTAINING A GRASS FIELD TOO.
WE HAVE TO CROWN IT, WE HAVE TO IRRIGATE IT, WE HAVE TO MOW IT, WE HAVE TO OVERSEE IT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PART TOO IS THAT WE'RE NOW PLAYING OUR SPORTS MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AT FIVE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
UM, NOW TURFING THE FIELD, YOU SAY, WELL THAT DOESN'T GIVE ANY MORE FIELD SPACE, BUT IT DOES MAKE THAT FIELD MORE USABLE FOR LACROSSE OF LACROSSE, FOOTBALL.
THERE'S DIFFERENT SPIKES, DIFFERENT NEEDS.
HAVING A HER FIELD, JUST FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF EFFICIENCY, UH, WOULD HELP.
AND IT WOULD ALSO, IT WOULD JUST LOOK GREAT.
I'M JUST, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, I SIT THERE AT GRADUATION, LOOK OUT IN THAT FIELD, I'M THINKING TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, THAT BEAUTIFUL GREEN FIELD, THE RED END ZONES WITH THE GOLD GOLAND, IT WOULD LOOK GREAT.
BUT THAT'S WAS MY, MY PERSONAL, UH, PIECE OUTTA OF THAT.
SO IT'S NOT, NOT INSIGNIFICANT.
I KNOW I'M ASSUMING THAT WITH MOTOR CONTROL ON THE BOILER AND CHILLERS, WE'RE GONNA SEE EFFICIENCIES AND THE ENERGY BILL MIGHT BE, MIGHT DECREASE.
I MEAN, I, I THINK YOU'LL SEE EFFICIENCIES NOT JUST FROM MOTOR CONTROL, BUT FROM UPGRADING ALL THOSE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS AS WELL.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY THEY'RE GONNA PAY FOR THEMSELVES.
A BUT, UH, IT, IT, IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT OFFSET.
AND THEN WITH THE WEAPONS DETECTIONS, UH, GIVEN SOME OF THE FOCUS ON THAT, ARE THERE GRANTS AVAILABLE FEDERALLY OR STATE THAT MIGHT OFFSET SOME OF THAT? THERE ARE, AND WE HAVE APPLIED FOR SAFETY GRANTS.
HOWEVER, WE, WE TEND TO NOT SEE TOO MUCH COME WITH THAT BECAUSE OF OUR HIGH LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX AND GOLAND.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME APPLICATIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE VIEWING BOXES RIGHT NOW TO HELP FORM THAT.
BUT I'M NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC ON HOW MUCH WE WOULD RECEIVE, BUT WE'LL NOTE.
SO, UM, BUT THE LAST THING ABOUT THE STADIUM, IT'S THE CENTERPIECE REALLY.
WE HAVE FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES, GRADUATIONS PROBABLY THE MOST, I WOULD SAY THE MOST POPULATED GATHERINGS IN THIS COUNTY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND OTHER THAN THE FIREWORKS I WOULD SAY, WHICH ALSO TAKE PLACE IN THE COMPLEX.
AND, UM, WE, WE ALSO FORESEE HAVING GRADUATION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE DUE TO COST INCREASES IN SOME OF THE OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND.
SO JUST WANTED TO PUT IN THAT.
SO, SO FOR FACILITIES, I MEAN, A GRASS TURF YOU'RE SPENDING HOW MUCH A YEAR KEEPING THAT IN TURF? WELL, THE UPKEEP IS, IS MINIMAL.
IT'S, IT WOULD NOT BE AS MUCH AS A GRASS FIELD, WHICH REQUIRED ALL, NO.
HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON GRASS? UM, ON GRASS FIELD? IT DEPENDS.
WE HAD A YEAR, I GUESS IT WAS PROBABLY FIVE YEARS AGO, DR.
RAIL, WHEN WE HAD TO DO EXTENSIVE WORK WITH THE IRRIGATION AND CROWNING, WE HAD TO SINK HOLE.
SO THERE WERE SOME YEARS WE SPENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND HAD TO GO OUT TO PROCUREMENT FOR IT.
THE, THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE, AND I CAN GET A NUMBER FOR YOU ALL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE SEATING MOWING STAFF TIME.
UM, I, I WOULD TAKE A GOOD GUESS HERE, BUT I WOULD THINK PROBABLY FIVE TO $10,000 A YEAR.
I THINK PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE.
IT'S NOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.
JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT IN THERE.
UH, DIVE ARMS. CAN WE, UH, AS WE'VE GOT THIS LARGE PROJECT IN THE FOREFRONT IN 2027, UM, CAN YOU ADDRESS PLANNING FOR THAT ALREADY? RESOURCES AVAILABLE? ARE WE GONNA BE STRETCHED? 'CAUSE I DO REALLY THINK, AND AND SO I MAKE SURE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME BUILDING.
SECONDARY BUILDING IS THE ONE BEHIND SCHOOL IS IS WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION SITS RIGHT NOW.
EFFECTIVELY BEHIND SETBACK, BEHIND THE SHERIFF'S AND THE COURT.
YOU KNOW, SECONDARY IS A GOOD
UM, IF WE'RE DOING A LARGE PROJECT AND WE ALSO HAVE A COURTHOUSE PROJECT COMING VERY SOON THEREAFTER, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE A MISUSED BUILDING.
I THINK IT COULD GET USED BETTER SERVING LAW AND, UH, THE COURTS AND ALL THAT.
AND YOU HAVE A BIG PROJECT ON THE FOREFRONT YOURSELF COULD DO.
WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE STAFF TO MANAGE IT
[02:20:01]
IF THAT PROJECT WERE TO BE MADE LARGER, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE OF BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, UM, WHILE BUILDING IS TAKING PLACE.AND JUST BE CLEAR, YOU'RE REFERRED TO THE ANNEX BUILDING WHERE OUR, OUR CURRENT OFFICE IS OCCUPY YES.
AND I WANNA BE CAREFUL THAT'S A COUNTY BUILDING, SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TOO MUCH ON ITS BEHALF.
BUT, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE SPACE STUDY.
THEY CAME OUT AND TALKED US A FEW WEEKS AGO AND, UM, WE, AND AND I, I WANT TO LOOK BACK AT MY TEAM HERE.
DO WE HAVE THE SPACE RIGHT NOW TO OPERATE WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN OUR CENTRAL OFFICE? WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE SCHOOLS WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A, I WOULDN'T CALL OUR OFFICE A HIGH TRAFFIC WHEN IT COMES TO OUTSIDE VISITORS TYPE OF SPACE.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY WHEN ON CHIEF FERGUSON'S BEHALF, I SEE HIM BACK THERE, UM, I BELIEVE CHIEF FERGUSON IS BUSTING AT THE SEAMS DOWNSTAIRS.
AND, UM, WE, WE WERE, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH EM, GIVE HIM SOME MORE OFFICE SPACE, THE STORAGE NEEDS THEY HAVE THERE.
UM, SO IDEALLY IF YOU WERE TO WAVE A LAWN, WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR OUR OFFICES TO BE SOMEWHERE MORE CENTRAL, MORE CLOSER TO THE SCHOOLS TO SAY, UM, OR TO IMPROVE THAT FACILITY? SURE.
UM, BUT I WANT TO BE COGNIZANT OF KIND OF THE BIGGER NEEDS IN COUNTY AS WELL.
I THINK IT DOES SPEAK TO OUR EARLIER CONVERSATION, THOUGH, AS WE THINK WE ZOOM OUT, THINK ABOUT TOTAL COUNTY NEEDS, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE SPACE STUDY INFORM YOU? SO THAT ANNEX BUILDING THE OLD GES, THE JUDICIAL COMPLEX, LIKE WHERE ARE ALL, HOW DO ALL THE DOMINOES FALL IN, IN THE BIG PICTURE? DO YOU, I MEAN, DO, AND HONESTLY, SECONDARY.
SECOND QUESTION, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD HAVE MORE CONNECTIVITY WITH YOUR STAFF TO BE MORE CENTRALLY LOCATED? ABSOLUTELY.
I JUST, I, I'D LOVE TO SAY, YEAH, OUR SUPERINTENDENT IS ON SITE AND IT'S, YEAH, WE, WE JUST GET IN THE CAR, WE GO.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I GET IT, UM, IF I, DR. WAGNER, MS. WEISER, I HAD SOME SPACE THAT WAS CLOSER TO THE SECONDARY COMPLEX OR EVEN ATTACHED TO THE SECONDARY COMPLEX, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU'VE GOT CRITICAL MASS OF STUDENTS THERE EVERY DAY.
BUT WE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING BE ON THE ROAD NO MATTER WHAT, GOING FROM, FROM BURR TO RANDALPH, NEVER IN BETWEEN.
BUT I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION.
OTHER, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE WEAPONS DETECTION.
WE'LL GET INTO THAT IN A MINUTE.
AND I JUST WANT TO MENTION THE CT EDITION AND THE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS.
NOW, I'M CAREFUL ABOUT MY VERBS THERE BECAUSE I THINK, UM, WHEN I LOOK BACK AT THE LANGUAGE FROM THE ORIGINAL BOND, I, I WENT LAST NIGHT AND REVISITED THAT AND REMEMBERED TAKING THE ROAD TO BACK IN 2021, UH, WHEN WE WERE DOING THAT.
AND, AND IT, IT, IT TALKS ABOUT IT NOT JUST THE CT EDITION, BUT, BUT, AND OR, UH, INTERIOR RENOVATIONS TO MODERNIZED CLASSROOMS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR FINE ARTS AND OR IN OUR AUXILIARY GYM, IN WRESTLING ROOM.
AND I THINK BOTH BOARDS HAVE HEARD FROM OUR WRESTLING TEAM AND THAT COMMUNITY, THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE OLD BOOTS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WHICH HAS BEEN GOOD FOR THEM.
BUT LONG TERM, OF COURSE, AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT FACILITY, THEN THAT'S NOT GONNA BE AN OPTION ON THE TABLE.
UM, BUT CT EDITION'S GONNA BE THE, THE LARGEST, UH, PORTION OF THAT BOND FUND PROJECT.
AND WE KNOW THAT AS IT SITS NOW AT 18.2 MILLION, KIND OF LIKE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE COURTHOUSE, GIVEN WHAT, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT SIMILAR CONSTRUCTION BEING DONE IN THE REGION WITH A CT EDITION, UM, THAT, THAT WON'T COVER THE PRICE.
I DO THINK THAT IF WE LOOK AT ADDING IT TO THE EXISTING SECONDARY COMPLEX, LAND PREPARATION COSTS SHOULD BE MINIMAL.
YOU CAN SEE YET SIDEWALKS AND INSERT PLACES.
IT WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE SOME, SOME EXPANSION.
UM, WHEN WE BUILT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I FEEL LIKE WE PUT SO MUCH MONEY IN HERE IN PREPARATION THERE, AND I DON'T THINK WE WOULD REALIZE THE SAME, UM, FOR THIS ADDITION.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, EVEN THAT OUT OF THE QUESTION, IT WILL EXCEED THE 18.2 MILLION JUST FOR THAT CT CONDITION.
AND THE THING I'LL MENTION ABOUT IT, UM, AND ALL THESE THINGS TIED TOGETHER.
SO NEXT WEEK OUR BOARD'S GONNA CONSIDER SIGNING THE LEASE FOR, UH, LEASING BACK THE GTECH FACILITY FROM THE COUNTY.
AND RIGHT NOW AT GTECH, WE HOST OUR HEAVY EQUIPMENT PROGRAM, OUR CULINARY PROGRAM, NURSE AID, EMT CARPENTRY, BRUCE ZERO, I THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYBODY THERE.
UM, SO WITHIN FIVE YEARS, THEORETICALLY WE NEED TO HAVE A SPACE FOR ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT WE'RE ALSO, RIGHT NOW, UH, LOOKING TO EXPAND INTO SOME WORKFORCE DEMANDED PROGRAMS AROUND ROBOTICS, MECHATRONICS AND LOGISTICS, AS WELL AS EXPAND OUR AGRICULTURE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
SO IDEALLY, THIS FACILITY THAT WILL BE ON SITE AT THE
THE SPACE NEEDS ARE VERY DIFFERENT FOR WHAT YOU NEED FOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT VERSUS WHAT YOU NEED FOR ROBOTICS VERSUS WHAT YOU NEED FOR AGRICULTURE.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A FLEXIBLE SPACE.
IT'S GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF VERY DELIBERATE PLANNING, I THINK, TO, TO, TO DESIGN THAT WELL.
UM, IT'S GONNA SAVE US EFFICIENCIES AND TRANSPORTATION.
[02:25:01]
WE SHOVEL KIDS BACK AND FORTH RIGHT NOW FROM THE MIDDLE HIGH COMPLEX, AND WE HAVE TO PAY A DRIVER TO DO THAT AND GET A BUS ON THE ROAD AND DO THAT EVERY PERIOD, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR 180 DAYS A YEAR.SO WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, THE DUST HAS LITERALLY JUST SAID WE WANT THE NEW GES PROJECT, BUT WE'RE EXCITED AND WE'RE JUST WANT TO GET BOTH BOARDS TO START TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT'S OUR NEXT STEP? IS IT GOING OUT TO, UM, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN? WE KNOW THERE'S AN EXPIRATION DATE ON THE USE OF BOND FUNDS.
WE, WE KNOW THAT, AND WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT MOVING THESE FORWARD EXPEDITIOUSLY.
UM, IT'S JUST HARD FOR ME TO GET A REALLY GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT THE COST OF THIS GONNA BE WITHOUT GETTING SOME EXPERTS IN TO REALLY, SO YOU DON'T HAVE A BALLPARK.
I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, IN LOUISA, I TALKED TO MR. STRALEY, I BELIEVE THEIR CT EDITION, WHICH IS A LOT BIGGER, BUT MIND YOU, THEY HAD A, A, LIKE A SKYWALK FROM THEIR SCHOOL.
WHAT IS THE SIZE THAT YOU ANTICIPATE? UH, SQUARE, SQUARE FOOTAGE.
I THINK WE, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT WE, WE HAD IN YESTERDAY.
AND, AND I THINK LOUISE WAS IN THE, THE MID THIRTIES THAT THERE WAS A 35, 30 6 MILLION PROJECT.
OURS I DON'T THINK WOULD, WOULD COST THAT MUCH, BUT 20.
BUT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE IT BEST OF THE REGION? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S I'M COMPLETELY SERIOUS.
AND AND IS IT FORWARD LOOKING? YOU SAID IT WAS, UH, ROBOTICS, MEDTRONICS LOGISTICS, ET CETERA.
WHAT ABOUT OTHER, WOULD IT HAVE THE AVAILABILITY OF OTHER, OTHER INDUSTRIES? IDEALLY, YES, BECAUSE WE MAY WANNA LOOK AT BIOMEDICAL.
UM, WE'VE GOT OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA LAND IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WANTED TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THAT.
I WANTED TO BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO WHERE AND ADAPT TO THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO FIND OUT.
MR. SAUER IS SOMEONE TO TELL US, WELL, IT'S MY FIRST EVER SIT DOWN WITH DR.
RAIL WAS IN THAT ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF THE FIRST THINGS I TALKED ABOUT WAS HOW DO YOU MAKE G AND THE BEACON OF CTE? YEAH.
SO I'M NOT WAVERING FROM THAT ONE BIT.
I I, I SAY IT ALL THE TIME, I DON'T THINK THE BORDER'S GONNA TAKE DOWN AMERICA.
I DON'T THINK CHINA'S GONNA TAKE DOWN AMERICA, BUT PENNSYLVANIA'S GONNA TAKE DOWN AMERICA'S LACK OF SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AND, AND ONE THING I'VE SAID, MR. SPOON, HOWER, EVEN FROM MY, MY PAST EXPERIENCES, YOU COMING INTO THIS JOB, AND I I'VE TALKED TO THE BOARD ABOUT THIS.
I DON'T WANT ANY STUDENT WHO GRADUATES TO WALK ACROSS THE STAGE ON SATURDAY NIGHT, WAKE UP SUNDAY MORNING, NOT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO NEXT DAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S A, A FAILURE IN OUR PART.
WHETHER THAT IS GOING THROUGH A STRAIGHT TO THE WORKFORCE WITH A HIGH DEMAND CREDENTIAL, WHETHER YOU'RE GOING INTO A TWO YEAR COLLEGE IN THE SAME THING FOR YOUR UNIVERSITY STRAIGHT INTO THE MILITARY.
THAT'S THE WAY WE'VE GOTTA RECONFIGURE OUR THINKING AROUND THE SERVICE TO PROVIDE OUR KIDS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THAT.
SO I HAD A MEETING WITH A SECRETARY OF LABOR LAST MONTH TALKING JUST LATER.
UM, JUST LAST MONTH TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALL THIS STUFF COMING TO THE REGION AND WE'RE JUST, WE'RE NOT PREPARED FROM IT FROM A, A WORKFORCE PERSPECTIVE NOR HOUSING PERSPECTIVE.
SO TWO PROBLEMS WE HAVE TO SOLVE.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, LOT OF INTEREST IN HOW DO WE PARTNER, HOW DO WE WORK WITH YOUR SCHOOLS TO BUILD THE PROGRAMS NECESSARY AND GET THE FUNDING FROM THESE CORPORATIONS THAT ARE COMING TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA NEED ROBOTICS PEOPLE.
LIKE, WE'LL HELP, HELP FUND SOME OF THAT.
AND, AND THEN BREAK DOWN THE SILOS RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO ENHANCE OUR WORKDAY SORTING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE WANT INCENTIVIZE LOCAL BUSINESSES TO PARTNER WITH US, TO GET OUR KIDS APPRENTICESHIPS, TO GET 'EM THESE CREDENTIALS.
UM, POSTSECONDARY AS WELL, OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST IN PREPARING FOR A FOUR YEAR COLLEGE TRANSFERABLE CREDIT, BUT ALSO FOR GETTING A CTE CREDENTIAL, UH, THAT YOU CAN GET THROUGH JS SAR OR
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE CALL IT A WARM HANDOFF.
YOU WALK ACROSS THE STAGE AND THE NEXT DAY YOU'VE GOT A JOB THAT'S GONNA PAY THE BILLS.
AND THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S GOTTA BE A PRIORITY FOR US AND DO THAT.
KIDS EVEN KNOW HOW TO READ IT.
THEY GOTTA HAVE COMPUTATIONAL LITERACY.
WE GOT HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO BE EXPOSED TO THIS.
BUT, UM, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, TO MAKE THAT VERY, VERY REAL AND VERY TANGIBLE.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, UH, SO AGAIN, JUST THE DISCUSSION POINT.
I THINK WE KIND OF ADDRESSED THIS AND THEN WE'LL WORK, UH, WITH OUR BOARD.
BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO JUST THINK ABOUT OUR NEXT STEPS FOR WE GOING OUT TO GET SOME FURTHER ANALYSIS AROUND WHAT THIS'S LOOK LIKE, WHAT IT'S GONNA COST, UM, WHERE THE NEED'S GONNA BE.
AND, UH, I'M EXCITED TO GET THIS OFF THE GROUND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
COR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? DR.
TRO, ARE YOU, ARE YOU THINKING THAT YOUR FOCUS WOULD BE ON THE CT SPOT OR YOU REFERENCED ON THAT SLOT SLIDE THAT YOU HAVE, OTHER THINGS RELATED TO AUXILIARY GYMNASIUM AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT, OF THOSE PROJECTS, WHICH ONE WOULD BE THE PRIORITY? WOULD IT BE THE CTE CENTER? UM, THE CT CENTER WOULD BE THE PRIORITY, BUT I THINK THAT IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN CONCERT WITH SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
SOME OF OUR FINE ARTS FACILITIES, SPECIFICALLY THINKING ABOUT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND ROOM, WHICH WHEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNED, WAS NOT
[02:30:01]
INTENDED TO BE A BAND ROOM.UH, IF YOU ALL KNOW MR. SYKES, HE DOES AN AMAZING JOB OVER THERE, BUT THE SPACE THAT HE WORKS IN IS ODDLY SHAPE.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE PLACES WHERE, AND WE'VE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS, UM, WITH OUR CERAMICS FACILITIES.
WE'VE DONE THAT, YOU KNOW, ON OUR OWN FOR SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCES.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT HAD NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN CONCERT WITH, WITH SOME OF THAT AS WELL.
IDEALLY, I KNOW RESOURCES ARE FINITE, LET'S BE HONEST.
BUT, UM, THAT WOULD BE OUR WISH.
THE, UH, AUXILIARY GYM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A GYM NOW AT THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL GYM, BUT THE WRESTLING PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW.
UM, COACH AMPLER, HIS STAFF DID AN AMAZING JOB WITH THAT.
YES, IN A PERFECT WORLD, IF WE COULD GET THE FIRST IN CLASS CT EDITION, THE BEST IN THE REGION, BEST IN THE STATE, IF WE CAN GET A BETTER BAND ROOM, FINE ARTS FACILITIES, AND THEN WE GET AN AUXILIARY GYM THAT CAN SERVE THE WRESTLING ROOM, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CHECKING OFF EVERYBODY.
BUT, SO YOU'D BE AROUND FOR EVERY YEAR OR TWO THAT, THAT'S AMBITIOUS
THAT DOES RAISE A GOOD POINT IS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THEN I'M RELYING ON YOUR EXPERTISE WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT INVEST MORE IN A CORE AREA RATHER THAN HAVING TO SPLIT ALL THESE DIFFERENT RESOURCES ACROSS DIFFERENT CAMPUSES.
DO YOU SEE ENHANCEMENT IN DOING THAT TO THE STUDENTS IN DOING THAT, OR, ABSOLUTELY.
TO ME, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE YOU GET THE, YOU REALLY DO GET THE CHANCE TO HAVE THOSE BEST IN THE REGION WHEN YOU DON'T SPREAD IT OUT.
AND WE HAVE THE BENEFIT THAT OUR CORE CAMPUS IS RIGHT THERE.
I'M NOT A GEO GEOGRAPHY EXPERT.
I DO THINK YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT THOUGH, BUT BECAUSE I THINK YOUR BOARD'S GONNA HAVE TO DECIDE, DO WE WANT TO BE SORT OF A JACK OF ALL TRADES OR DO WE WANT TO GO DEEP ON CERTAIN THINGS IN A REGIONAL VIEW OF, OKAY, LUIS IS GONNA FOCUS ON THIS ASPECT OF IT.
WE'RE LIKE, ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
BUT SMART BOARD, SO THEY'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
AND THAT'LL BE PART OF STUDENT PLAN WORK AS WELL.
THAT WE'LL DOING IN A, ON THAT NOTE, IS IT, HAS IT EVER BEEN DONE THAT, UH, SAY ONE CTE PROGRAM FROM ANOTHER LOCALITY SPECIALIZES IN X AND THEN ANOTHER LOCALITY SPECIALIZES IN Y IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT KIND OF PROGRAM? WE DO IT NOW.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, HAVE A
IT'S, WE HAVE TWO STUDENTS FROM PALATAN TO COME, EXCUSE ME, AND, AND TAKE OUR EMT CLASSES, WHICH THEY DON'T OFFER.
THERE'S A TIME WHEN WE WOULD SEND STUDENTS TO PAAN, I BELIEVE, FOR, FOR COSMETOLOGY, UH, SEVERAL YEARS BACK.
AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN REALLY STRENGTHEN THOSE REGIONAL COLLABORATIONS.
THINK ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING ALL THESE FACILITIES, THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S NEEDED FOR THAT.
NOT JUST WITH, WITH K 12 DIVISION TO K 12 DIVISION, BUT K 12 WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A DIESEL, UH, LAB AT, AT THE OLD J SARGE.
YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE ARE PLACES THAT WE CAN FIND THAT NOW? PART OF IT'S LOGISTICS, THE TRANSPORTATION TIME TO GET A KID FROM LIVING ON SHANNON HILL, WHO'S GOT TAKE A BUS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN SOMEHOW GET TO POWER TAN AND DO IT.
UM, SO YOU DO RUN INTO SOME CHALLENGES THERE, BUT IT'S DOABLE AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT.
UM, SHIFTING, PIVOTING A BIT TO, TO WEAPONS DETECTION.
UM, KIND LIKE A TURF FIELD WHERE WE'RE BECOMING THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE RULE WITH THIS AS WELL.
I DON'T WANT US TO, TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TOPIC, UH, WHERE WE'RE FALLING SHORT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM WHEN IT COMES TO SCHOOL SAFETY.
LEY AND I, UH, IN 2018, I BELIEVE THE PARKLAND SHOOTING HAPPENED IN FLORIDA.
WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A LOT OF RESOURCES TO MAKE SOME TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THIS DIVISION OF SAFETY.
UM, NOT JUST WITH OUR FACILITIES AND IN SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE DID THERE PHYSICALLY, BUT WITH OUR PROCESSES, WITH OUR STAFFING, UM, AND APPRECIATIVE OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TOO.
WE HAVE SRO IN EVERY SINGLE BUILDING, WHICH, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME DIVISIONS THAT DON'T EMPLOY US R SUPERIOR.
UM, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS HAVE COME A LONG WAY.
IT'S NOT PROBABLY WHAT YOU IMAGINE IF YOU, YOU KNOW, WATCH AN EIGHTIES MOVIE OF THE SCHOOL THAT HAD METAL DETECT METAL DETECTORS.
IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THEY'RE PORTABLE, THEY'RE DESIGNED INTELLIGENTLY TO DETECT, YOU KNOW, GUNS AND KNIVES.
IT'S NOT GONNA ALERT ON EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF METAL THAT YOU HAVE ON YOU.
UM, AND, AND THEY'VE BEEN USED NOW FOR A WHILE.
SO IF WE HAVE GRADUATION, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP THESE MOUNTED AT THE STADIUM EVERY DAY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING GOING ON NOW FOR GAMES AND EVENTS.
BUT WHEN WE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT VALUE OF THIS AND THE POTENTIAL RISK, I THINK IT'S A WISE INVESTMENT.
IT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO BE STAFFED.
SO I KNOW THERE'S TALK EARLIER ABOUT THE SYSTEMATIC FORMULA WAY OF, OKAY, WHAT'S THE THRESHOLD WHEN IT COMES TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR THAT HUMAN CAPITAL PART OF THIS? AND THEN THAT WOULD BE NEED
[02:35:01]
THAT WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT FOR THIS.WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE, UM, EITHER ADDITIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY OFFICERS OR CURRENT STAFF AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE IT TO DUTY TO MAN THESE, UH, UNITS AS WELL.
SO, 'CAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF USELESS SO YOU DON'T HAVE SOMEONE STANDING THERE WITH IT.
UM, SO $500,000 AND THEN I'LL, I'LL LET DR. WAGNER SPEAK UP.
SHE'S DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THIS EVEN PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL.
BUT THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE COST OF EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION, NOT JUST ONE PER SCHOOL, BUT THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR, FOR SEVERAL OF THESE UNITS AT DIFFERENT ENTRANCES, ESPECIALLY IN OUR MIDDLE, HIGH COMPLEX REHAB, VARIOUS PLACES.
ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD ON THAT? GREAT.
I RARELY DO THAT, SO THANK YOU.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
HAS THE, HAVE THE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE OFFERED THE VENDORS WHO HAVE, UH, PITCHED TO YOU OFFERED DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS FOR SECONDARY LEVEL EDUCATION VERSUS PRIMARY LEVEL EDUCATION? AND I, AND I, I SAY THAT BECAUSE I ALWAYS WINCE WHEN A KINDERGARTNER IS HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT.
IF, IF NOT, IF WE'RE ONLY THE INNOCENCE OF WHY AM I DOING THIS? YES.
UM, BUT I I, I DON'T WANNA RISK THEIR SAFETY ONE BIT.
I MEAN, I, BUT I DO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEY DONE IT WHERE THEY'RE A DISGUISED OR, YOU KNOW, UTILIZED BETTER AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? SO IT'S NOT QUITE THE IT'S IN YOUR FACE.
AND I HAVEN'T, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT ANY DEMOS OF HAD ANY VARIATION LEVEL, LEVEL.
I KNOW STATISTICALLY, REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, A LOT OF THE SCHOOL VIOLENCE INCIDENTS THAT TAKE PLACE AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE ONES YOU HEAR ABOUT THE NEWS DON'T, BUT STATISTICALLY ARE MORE DOMESTIC IN, IN NATURE IF YOU KNOW, PARENT CUSTODY ISSUES AND WHEREAS SECONDARY ISSUES, IT WOULD BE MORE OF WHAT YOU'D CALL AN ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATION.
NEWPORT NEWS WOULD PROBABLY DIFFER WITH YOU.
THEY WOULD, AND THAT'S JUST IT.
I MEAN, AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT RISK.
COULD WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT WAS MAYBE MORE THOUGHTFUL? UM, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW ANYTHING IN YOUR DEMOS.
SO YOU'VE REALLY PARTNERED WITH LOUISA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OVER THE PAST YEAR TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW THEY IMPLEMENTED THEIR WEAPONS PROTECTION SYSTEM.
THEY WERE SUPER INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW THEY DID IT.
UM, AND SO WE COULD LOOK AT IMPLEMENTING WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS IN MANY WAYS.
THEY COULD START WITH JUST WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS LIKE THAT AT OUR FOOTBALL STADIUMS DURING FOOTBALL GAMES, AT GRADUATION.
WE COULD CONSIDER JUST DOING WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS IN THE MIDDLE AND HIGH COMPLEX.
LISA COUNTY HAS GIVEN US ALL OF THEIR MATERIALS FROM HOW THEY ROLLED OUT.
I'M SURE DR. ARMSTRONG IS GOING TO GET JEN A SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE, WHICH IS A WAY THAT WE CAN GAIN SOME COMMUNITY BUY-IN BEFORE WE START PUTTING THESE TYPES OF SYSTEMS IN OUR SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THE STORY.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA THINK, WE DON'T WANT THE COMMUNITY TO THINK THAT WE HAVE UNSAFE SCHOOLS.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER LAYER OF PROTECTION IN A MUCH BROADER SAFETY PLAN.
AS FAR AS THE EQUIPMENT GOES, I DON'T THINK IT VARIES.
I THINK IT'S THAT UNIT, THAT UNIT, THE DECISION, LIKE JEN SAID, IS WHETHER OR NOT WE, HOW WE STRATEGICALLY INSTALL THESE AND WHERE WE DO IT.
THE DILEMMA WITH BRINGING UP A GREAT COMP CLOSE TO US IS YOU NOW HAVE TO PROVIDE US AT LEAST FOUR REASONS WHY OURS IS WAY BETTER THAN MELISSA'S WHEN I ASK YOU IN SIX MONTHS TIME.
SO PLEASE BE READY IN CONDITION TO THAT TOO.
UH, IS THE SHERIFF GONNA LOOK INTO THESE AND MAKE SURE THAT HE'S BEEN ALONGSIDE US ON THIS? ACTUALLY, UH, SERGEANT LEE CAME WITH US TO THAT SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE AND WE'VE MET WITH HIM A FEW TIMES AND, AND HE'S, UH, I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TOO FAR OUT TO SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF WHERE HE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF, OF, OKAY.
I I KNOW WHEN, UH, MS. ROBINSON HAD ME READING AT, UH, RANDOLPH THE DOGS PROGRAM, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO GET RETIRED MILITARY RETIRED, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, THE THE WATCHDOG PROGRAM? YES, SIR.
AND THAT'S TO, TO, UH, NOT ONLY INCREASE THEIR PRESENCE RIGHT IN INTERACTION, BUT THEY GET TO GREET THE KIDS EVERY DAY AS THEY COME IN.
WE GOT THIS QUESTION YESTERDAY IN OUR, IN OUR TWO ABOUT TOO, MS. ROBINSON.
AND, UM, WE KNOW OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND I WAS A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
AND YOU, THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT MR. LOW'S REFERRING TO THE WATCH STAR PROGRAM BRINGS IN, UH, ADULT ROLE MODELS.
TYPICALLY PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS ARE JUST GONNA COME AND VOLUNTEER AND BE AROUND THE SCHOOLS AND FREE KIDS OFF THE BUS AND THEN BE A PRESENCE.
AND WE ARE ABSOLUTELY OPEN TO EXPANDING THAT WHEREVER WE CAN.
AND WE WELCOME ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COME AND VOLUNTEER, GO THROUGH A BACKGROUND CHECK THAT WE REQUIRE EVERY VOLUNTEER AND I TOOK MINE.
DOGS STANDS FOR DADS OF GREAT STUDENTS WITHOUT, WAS ORIGINALLY TERM AN ACRONYM FOR GETTING PARENTS INTO THE SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT THE CAUSE.
SO WE'RE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE THIS, UM, AND THE BOARD AND I WILL WORK TOGETHER
[02:40:01]
TO, TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION, JUST GIVE YOU ALL A REAL QUICK PICTURE OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND THE COST AND, AND HOW WE WOULD PROPOSE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.UM, IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I WANTED TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'LL BE SEEING AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BURDEN OF RANDOLPH PROJECTS KIND OF NEAR EACH OTHER AND, AND NONE OF THESE ARE KIND OF HAVE MAJOR COSTS, BUT I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL MAJOR COSTS, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S SEVERAL COMPONENTS TO EACH OF THESE ROOF REPLACEMENTS, BATHROOM UPGRADES, WINDOWS LIGHTING, ELECTRICAL, A LOT OF NUTS AND BOLTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN AN AGING FACILITY.
UH, BY AND RANDOLPH WERE BUILT ORIGINALLY IN 1959.
UH, THEY BOTH HAVE GONE THROUGH TWO OR THREE PHASES OF RENOVATION SINCE THEN.
THE MOST RECENT ONE HAPPENING AT BYRD IN 1997, I BELIEVE.
SO WE'RE GETTING TOWARD 30 YEARS, UM, SINCE THE LAST RENOVATION OF BUR IN, IN A SCHOOL THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, APPROACHING 70 SOME YEARS OLD.
SO THAT'S JUST GONNA BE WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO EXPECT, UM, RIGHT NOW FOR THE UPKEEP.
NOW, GUHA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE SOLAR PANELS AND, AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER, WE, WE DID A LOT OF WORK A FEW YEARS BACK TO SEE IF THIS WAS AN EFFICIENT, UH, PROPOSAL FOR ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND WE REALLY FOUND AT THAT TIME IT WASN'T BECAUSE YOU'VE GOTTA BE GENERATING A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, AMOUNT OF WATTAGE COMING OFF THE SOLAR PANELS TO JUSTIFY THE COST.
AND WE WEREN'T SEEING THAT IN OUR FACILITIES AT THEIR AGE, THEIR ORIENTATION PHYSICALLY AND GEOGRAPHICALLY.
HOWEVER, WE, WE WERE TOLD, AND WE HAVEN'T GONE TOO FAR DOWN THIS ROAD THAT GES WE COULDN'T REALIZE SOME EFFICIENCIES THERE THAT WE COULD REALIZE SOME COST SAVINGS IF WE WOULD CONSIDER INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANELS.
HOW YOU DO THAT IS, UH, WAS A TOPIC OF GREAT DISCUSSION IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, DO YOU DO ON THE ROOF? DO YOU DO IT OUT IN THE FIELD? AND WE HAD SOME PRETTY STRONG OPINIONS AROUND THAT IN THE COMMUNITY, SO WE WANNA BE SENSITIVE TO THAT IF WE DID PURSUE THAT.
BUT I WANTED TO PUT THAT, UM, ON THE RADAR FOR, FOR EVERYBODY AS WELL.
AND THEN STORM WATER FILTERS ARE, UH, NEW TECHNOLOGIES CALLED JELLYFISH FILTERS.
UM, WE ARE REQUIRED TO INSTALL THOSE, UH, AT THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CORRECT? CORRECT.
I'M SORRY, THERE'S 34 OF 'EM AND IT'S $28,000 TO PURCHASE A SET.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
THE SCHOOL'S SO NEW, WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GET THREE OR FIVE OF, IT'S AN ANNUAL INSPECTION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PERFORMING.
SO THAT'S A COST THAT'S GONNA BE ONGOING.
SO THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, I MEAN, IS THAT A CAPITAL OR AN OPERATIONAL EXPENSE? UM, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD YOUR DISCUSSION TODAY, JUST, UH, MAKE ME THINK OF THAT AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY CHEMICALS ASSOCIATED? IT'S, IT'S FILTERS THAT HANG DOWN, LIKE JELLY FISHES.
THEY'RE VERY CREATIVE WITH THE NAME.
IS IT SEAWEED
AND AND WHAT IS IT? FILTER STORM WATER.
AND SO IT IS BEEN MANDATED BY THE FEDS OR, OR STATE, I'M SURE THIS IS SOME TYPE OF BOPA TRICKLE DOWN UPA OR DE Q1 OR THE OTHER.
BUT THEY'RE NOT FUNDING IT, ARE THEY? OF COURSE NOT.
NEVER KNEW WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF THEY WERE
UH, THIS MIGHT BE A SUBJECTIVE, UH, ANSWER, BUT HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE GETTING TO THIS LIST THAT ARE, THOSE LIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY OUT OF DATE.
THAT ELECTRICAL PANEL IS DANGEROUS, THAT THOSE BATHROOMS ARE REALLY THAT VERSUS YEAH, THAT'S THE USEFUL LIFE.
AND WE KNOW WE'VE KNOWN FOR EIGHT YEARS, THAT'S WHEN THOSE ARE GONNA NEED TO BE REPLACED.
WE, WE HAVEN'T, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE CONDITIONING FACILITIES WHEN I CAME HERE IN 2016, WE'VE GOTTEN OUR FACILITIES TO THE POINT WHERE I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA WALK AROUND ANY PLACE.
YOU MAY SAY, WOW, THAT TILE IS, UH, 1950S TILE, BUT IT'S CLEAN.
YEAH, THAT BATHROOM, UM, YOU KNOW, IS DEFINITELY TRADITIONAL LOOKING, BUT AGAIN, IT'S CLEAN.
SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S IN A STATE OF KIND OF LIKE IT THAT'S TO BE DONE.
THIS IS MORE OF JUST, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE ANTICIPATING ALL OF THIS THAT'S GONNA NEED SOME TYPE OF WORK.
I MEAN, FLOOR TILES, YOU'RE SEEING THINGS, YOU KNOW, HERE AND THERE, BUT NOTHING YOU WOULD PROBABLY NOTICE YOU JUST HAPPENED, BE COMING TO THE BUILDING ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
SO PUTTING, PUTTING, I I, I GUESS THE POINT I'M GETTING TO IS PUTTING THESE ON FIVE YEARS DOESN'T DETERIORATE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
IT'S MORE THERE'S ENOUGH PRO PROACTIVITY IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T BEING, THERE'S A CONSTANT FEELING OF REACTIVITY.
LET ME JUST, CAN I ADD SOMETHING? SURE.
THE, THE ROOF REPLACEMENTS, UM, THAT'S JUST, UH, AN AGE HISTORICALLY THE ROOFS START TO FAIL, SO WE START HAVING TO PUT MONEY INTO THAT OUT OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET TO FIX LEAKS AND CEILING
[02:45:01]
TILES AND CARPET THAT GETS WET.THE BATHROOM UPGRADES, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH AESTHETIC.
YOU GO INTO BIRD AND RANDOLPH, THOSE BATHROOMS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE 70 SOMETHING YEARS OLD.
SO THAT GETS INTO WHAT DO WE GET IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN THE PARENTS COME THROUGH THE WINDOW REPLACEMENTS, THEY'RE EXTREMELY OLD.
A LOT OF 'EM ARE ORIGINAL, SO THEY'RE STARTING TO FAIL AGAIN.
THAT'S MORE MONEY THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS TO PUT INTO THAT ANNUALLY WITH REGLAZING WINDOWS OR CAULKING REPLACING WINDOW PANES.
UH, THE LIGHTING UPGRADES ARE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE THINGS WITH THE LIGHTS AND THE ELECTRICAL PANEL AS WELL.
THEIR REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE OBSOLETE.
SO YOU, YOU WE'RE APPROACHING THAT ON A LOT OF THESE ITEMS FROM RANDOLPH.
AND BY, UH, SAME WITH THE MOTOR CONTROL CENTER THAT DR. ARMSTRONG WAS SPEAKING ABOUT EARLIER WITH THE CHILLER PROJECT AND THE BOILERS.
UH, THE MOTOR CONTROL CENTER IS A, IS A LARGE ELECTRICAL PANEL LIKE YOU'D HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE, BUT IT'S YOUR 600 AMP BREAKERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT FEEDS THE POWER TO THE CHILLERS AND, UH, COOLING TOWERS AND LARGER ASSETS.
SO THOSE, THAT MOTOR CONTROL CENTER IS STARTING TO FAIL AND WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE FINDING REPLACEMENT PARTS.
SO IT'S, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO YEAH.
PLAN FOR GOING FORWARD WITH SOME OF THESE ITEMS ON HERE.
THE REPAINT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S COSMETIC AS WELL.
IT NEEDS IT, IS IT OKAY, THAT'S, UH, YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION ON THAT.
LIKE DR. ARMSTRONG SAID BCT, IT'S IN GOOD SHAPE.
WELL, IT'S A STRIP AND WAX, IT'S, IT'S MAINTENANCE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT HAS LONG OUTLIVE WITH LIFE EXPECTANCY TO, TO THE JUST ONE THAT WE ALL KNOW.
LED LIGHTING HAS A STUDY BEEN DONE ACROSS SCHOOLS ON THAT JUST BECAUSE RANDOLPH AND BUR PROBABLY STILL HAVE SOME, THEY DO OUR ANTIQUATED SYSTEMS. UM, OUR AMAZING ELECTRICIAN ACTUALLY SINGLE HANDEDLY, UH, MADE SOME OF THOSE.
CHRIS RICHMOND, UH, REPLACEMENTS.
I JUST MENTIONED 'EM EARLIER, BUT HE'S, HE'S GONE AROUND AND DONE SOME OF THAT WORK ON HIS OWN.
UM, AND HAS MADE EVEN IN THE, I THINK IN THE GYM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE REPLACE THOSE EARLY ON.
YEAH, RANDOLPH AND BIRD EXTERIOR LIGHTING.
UM, SO SOME OF THAT WORK'S BEEN DONE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE IN A PLACE WHERE WE WOULD NEED A WHOLESALE CHANGE OUT BECAUSE A LOT OF IT'S BEEN DONE PARTIALLY OKAY.
JUST HAVING SOME HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE.
MANY OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN ON CIPS NOW.
THEY'VE WORKED THEIR WAY FORWARD TO NOW THEY'RE IN THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW WHERE THEY WERE INITIALLY 10 YEARS OUT.
BUT SOME OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN ON PLANS FOR A WHILE.
I JUST, BEFORE WE THE STREET GO, I JUST HAD A THEORETICAL.
HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE CIP NUMBERS? LIKE WHAT, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH EACH YEAR? WE DON'T FUND, THIS GOES TO OUR, THE ORIGINAL QUESTION YOU ASKED IS OF HOW SHOULD WE FUND OUR CIP WE DON'T FUND OUR CIP NOW.
SO HOW DO YOU START TO KNOW LIKE, OKAY, I'VE GOT THIS MUCH TO WORK WITH AS WE'RE GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT NOW? YEAH, I MEAN YOU, STEPHANIE, YOU'VE BEEN ON THE FRONT LINE OF THAT, UM, MORE THAN ME OR RECENTLY.
I KNOW THERE WAS A TIME WHEN DR.
BILLY AND I DID THAT WORK AND THEN WE WOULD TAKE AND DO AS MUCH RESEARCH AS WE COULD WITH OUR CAPACITY TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WHAT'S THE REASONABLE COST THIS GONNA BE? WHAT'S GONNA REALLY
WHAT ARE THE NEEDS BASED? IT'S RECOGNIZING, OKAY, WE WANT BE REASONABLE.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES.
WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE REALLY WANT TO ELEVATE NOW WHAT CAN WE WAIT ANOTHER YEAR? JUST IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT HAS, HAS BEEN THAT APPROACH, IF I MIGHT, UM, WE HAD A STUDY DONE BY BERRY SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT DID A FACILITY ANALYSIS OF A LOT OF THESE NEEDS AND ADDRESSED KIND OF LIKE WHAT TIMEFRAME, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND SO SOME WORK WENT INTO THE COST, YOU KNOW, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO APPLY, UM, INFLATIONARY, YOU KNOW, PRESSURES TO ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS, WHICH WE HAVE HISTORICALLY KIND OF LOOKED AT THAT AND UM, TRIED TO PRICE IT OUT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS IN A CONSTANT SENSE OF FLU.
AND THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS OUR ASSESSMENTS CONTINUE TO CRUSH PEOPLE AND THE INCREASE IN THEIR TAXES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I COME INTO THESE SESSIONS GOING, I REALLY WANT TO OFFER SOME SORT OF TAX RELIEF.
WHETHER IT'S LIKE WE ONLY ASSESS ON THE FIRST 85% OF VALUE OR WHATEVER.
THEN I LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS, I'M LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE IT.
WE NEED A LOT MORE DIMES THAN WE HAVE.
SO HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT? I THINK, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A CRITICAL YEAR FOR US.
'CAUSE IF YOU'VE LOOKED SINCE 2020 ON HOW MUCH WE HAVE SPENT VERSUS THE PREVIOUS 20 YEARS, WE'VE GOT SOME RECKONING TO DO AND YOU KNOW, I HATE TO BE THAT GUY, BUT WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW TO MEET THESE NEEDS WHILE HOPEFULLY GIVING SOME SORT OF
[02:50:01]
RELIEF.LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS, AGAIN, FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD A BIT, BUT IN 2017 WE COMMISSIONED A LONG TERM FACILITIES PLANNING STUDY.
NOW MIND YOU, CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FINANCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY, UM, EVERYWHERE ELSE SINCE 2017.
BUT IT, IT WAS A WELL DONE STUDY AND, AND IT CAME AWAY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING.
AND SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS I THINK ARE POPULATING WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE CIP AS WELL.
UM, BUT IT LOOKED AT HISTORIC ENROLLMENT, STUDENT POTENTIAL CAPACITY, FACILITY CONDITIONS.
WE HAD THE FACILITIES CONDITION INDEX AND ALL OF OUR FACILITIES AND THAT REALLY DROVE THE STEERING COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH CONSISTED OF CITIZENS FROM THE, FROM THE DIVISION, UH, BOTH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARENTS.
WE REPLACED THE NEW GO, UH, GOON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON A NEW SITE.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE TIME WERE TO RENOVATE AND PARTIALLY REPLACE A BIRD ON ITS SAME SITE.
UM, AND THEN TO REPLACE RANDOLPH ON A NEW SITE, UM, COMPLETELY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THESE WERE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE TIME, BUT AS WE GET, AS WE CREEP CLOSER, UH, TO THAT TIME, I, I JUST FIGURED IT WAS A GOOD MOMENT WITH BOTH BOARDS AND AND STAFF HERE TODAY TO THINK ABOUT WITH ALL THOSE CHANGES, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE THOUGHTFULLY PLAN FOR THAT, UH, LOOKING FORWARD? THE ONE THING I DID SAY IS THAT I, I DON'T CARE IF WE'RE MAINTAINING A SCHOOL FOR ONE MORE DAY OR ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS, NO STUDENT IN THE COUNTY SHOULD BE IN A FACILITY THAT ISN'T SAFE, INVITING, COMFORTABLE, THAT THEY SHOULD BE GETTING AS GOOD EXPERIENCES AS THEY WOULD GET ANYWHERE ELSE IN THIS DIVISION.
SO I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT.
HOWEVER, IS IT PRUDENT FOR US TO ADD ON A, YOU KNOW, A BRAND NEW AESTHETIC, UH, SOME KIND OF OUTCROPPING ON THE FRONT OF RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RIGHT NOW? PROBABLY NOT.
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A REALLY GOOD USE OF OUR FUNDS.
SO WE WANNA MAINTAIN THESE AS BEST WE CAN, UM, AS FAR AS WE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT US TO BE SENSITIVE TO JUST HOW FAR WE TAKE THAT.
IF WE'RE THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW, IN 10 YEARS POTENTIALLY WE COULD BE IN A DIFFERENT BROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN 15 YEARS BEING IN RANDOLPH, A NEW, A NEW SCHOOL.
I MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT IT, JUST PUT IT IN THESE PERSPECTIVE THAT THAT MEANS THE KIDS WHO ARE KINDERGARTNERS RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE, BE BARELY OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL WHEN ALL THIS REALLY STARTS TO HAPPEN.
SO IT'S NOT THAT FAR DOWN THE ROAD.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR, FOR DISCUSSION TODAY.
DO YOU USE, UH, COOPER WELDON, OR HOW, HOW, I MEAN OUR TPO WE DO, AND I SEE SOME HIGHLY SUSPECT NUMBERS.
THEY, YEAH, THEY, THEY REALLY, I MEAN, 40,000 PEOPLE IN SIX YEARS OR ONE OF THEIR PROJECTIONS.
AND IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, A HOT TOPIC, UM, WITH US.
AND RECENTLY WE WE'RE RIGHT NOW, UM, LOOKING AND WE'RE GETTING BIDS ACTUALLY TO DO ANOTHER ENROLLMENT YIELD STUDY.
I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT'S PART OF, THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO SOME COUNTY'S NEEDS AROUND DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.
WE WANNA HAVE GOOD NUMBERS TO INFORM SOME OF YOUR WORK ON THAT.
UM, THE ENROLLMENT PIECE IN GLAND SCHOOLS IS, IS TRICKY.
UM, AND WE'VE TALKED WITH THIS FROM DAY ONE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, OKAY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THREE, 3000 KIDS IN YOUR DIVISION.
BUT THAT STUDY THEY DID IN 2017 NEVER PREDICTED THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY THOUGHTFUL AND FAIRLY WELL DONE.
UM, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT OUTFIT THAT DID THAT, BUT NO LONGER IS, IS WORKED.
BUT YOU'LL SEE PEAKS AND VALLEYS THIS YEAR WE SAW LOOKING AT OUR A DM AND WE'RE, WE DEFINITELY SAW LITTLE, THE PEAK, BUT SOME OF THAT WAS A COHORT EFFECT WITH THE POTENTIAL BABY BOOM FROM COVID THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND, UM, IT, IT PEAKS AND VALLEYS.
BUT THE OTHER THING WITH GOIN WAS THAT I REMEMBER MY FIRST YEAR HERE, WE HAD 250 SCHOOL AGED KIDS IN GOIN COUNTY.
CHRIS, ONE PRIVATE SCHOOL, REALLY TWO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
UM, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, THE DIVISION OF 2,500 KIDS, THAT NOT, THAT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT.
SO I DON'T THINK YOU CAN TAKE A REAL GENERAL BROAD STROKE APPROACH TO GIVING ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS IN THIS DIVISION.
I THINK WE SAW THAT WHEN WE DID THIS WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A DELICATE AND VERY NUANCED TESTAMENT.
YOU'VE GOTTA GET, UM, WE HAVE A, A SIGNIFICANT HOMESCHOOL POPULATION AS WELL IN OUR DIVISION.
SO, UM, BUT WE ALSO, AND WE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, WE HAVE FAMILIES WHO ARE PAYING GOOD MONEY FOR HOMES IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY.
THEY'RE NOT SENDING THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOL BECAUSE THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE LOGISTICALLY TO SEND YOUR KIDS TO COLLEGIATE VENING.
IF YOU'RE LIVING 25, 30 MINUTES AWAY, SOMETHING DO, I'M NOT SAYING THEY DON'T, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY THOSE FAMILIES ARE GONNA BE MOVING THEIR KIDS TO COME TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I'VE MET AT LEAST TWO FAMILIES WHO HAVE PURCHASED, UH, PROPERTY IN THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY IN THE LAST WEEK WHO ARE MOVING FROM RIK COUNTY, MAINLAND BUSINESS SCHOOLS.
SO IT'S A TRICKY CALCULATION, BUT WE'RE WORKING TO, TO GET SOME BIDS ON UPDATING THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GONNA NEED IT FOR A LOT OF WORK BETWEEN MOVING FORWARD.
ANYTHING I'M MISSING OR Y'ALL ARE WONDERING ABOUT THAT I CAN HELP WITH, DO THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANY CONVERS THEY SHARE? OH,
[02:55:01]
SO MANYI, I'VE GOT A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE THIRD ELEMENTARY.
UM, SO THE, THE ORIGINAL ADVICE WAS TO RENOVATE IT, I'M GUESSING OVER THE SUMMERTIME OR HALF OF IT.
THAT DEMOLISH PART OF IT REBUILD, BUT MAINTAIN THE NEWER WING, I THINK THE COMMUNITY ROOM, RIGHT? IT'S NOW THE NEED TO BUILD IT.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE BUILT A NEW ONE? LIKE HOW, HOW WOULD THAT, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? WOULD IT BE ON EVEN ON THE SAME PROPERTY OR THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE QUESTION.
I THINK PART OF THAT, PART OF THAT CALCULUS AT THE TIME WAS THAT THERE WASN'T AS MUCH AVAILABLE LAND THAT WAS EITHER COUNTY OR SCHOOL OWNED, IF ANY, IN THAT AREA TO BUILD ONE.
SO WHEREAS RANDOLPH AND THE EASTERN GROVE, THE COUNTY, I KNOW THERE WAS ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOCKETT ROAD PROPERTY, WHICH I THINK IS STILL IN PLAY FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, SO I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'D BUILD IT IF YOU DID A NEW SCHOOL AND A NEW SITE FOR BIRD.
THE OTHER PART TOO IS THAT BIRD IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE DONE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS STUDENT ENROLLMENT THAN WE'VE SEEN AT RANDOLPH.
SO THE USE HASN'T BEEN QUITE AS GREAT.
SO YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE USEFUL LIFE THERE THAN YOU WOULD, SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT ENTIRE REPLACEMENT.
IT WOULD BE, UH, WORTHWHILE TO CONSIDER TRYING TO FIND PLACE ON HOCKEY.
THEY ACCOMMODATE FIRE STATION AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, ARE THEY COMPATIBLE? A QUESTION I GUESS FIRST I DON'T THINK THEY'RE, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT ARE DEFINITELY WITHIN THE STRIKING DISTANCE OF SOME OF OUR FIRE STATIONS.
I THINK I'M GOING BACK TO YEARS, OUR DISCUSSION WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT ONE THING TO TALK VERSUS WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE, UM, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SHEPHERD TOWN CARDWELL, WHERE RANDOLPH SCHOOL IS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THAT HEAT MAP OF WHERE YOUR POPULATION IS, THINK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCIES AND WHAT'S CONVENIENT FAMILIES.
UM, THERE WAS EVEN TALKS ABOUT DO YOU NEED ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT, BUT, UM, SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY IMPORTANT.
BUT, UM, DOES IT MONUMENT FARM? IS THAT IT'S GOT A EASEMENT ON IT.
DOES THAT CONCLUDE US FROM IT DOES THE SCHOOL MANNEQUIN FARMS? UH, THERE'S A PIECE OF PROPERTY, UH, ACROSS FROM REALLY CLOSE GRAND OFF.
IT TRULY HAS A MONUMENT ON, IT'S REALLY US.
I, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR WORK HERE.
AND THE PREPARATION THAT EVERY, ALL THE STAFF HAS PUT INTO THIS.
REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF OUR TEAM AND THANKFUL FOR OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE SCHOOLS.
'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM.
WE'RE ALL JUST WEARING DIFFERENT POSITIONS, DIFFERENT NUMBERS ON, ON THAT SAME TEAM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, IS YOUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR GRATEFUL FOR YOUR THOUGHT PARTNERSHIP HERE TODAY? UH, THERE'S SOME THINGS FROM STAFF THAT WE NEEDED TO HEAR FROM YOU TODAY, AND WE DID.
AND GRATEFUL FOR YOUR, YOUR APPROACH TO THE WORK.
AND ULTIMATELY, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROVIDING GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AS WE GO FORWARD AND MAKE REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK TODAY.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CALLS FROM ANYONE? NO.