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>> HELLO. WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 26, 2025.
[2. Public Session - 7:30 p.m.]
LET'S RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.NATALIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE REITERATE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION?
>> YES. WE MET TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION, SALE LEASE OR REAL PROPERTY.
>> THANK YOU. WELCOME TO THIS EVENING'S MEETING.
I FIRST OFF WANT TO START BY SAYING CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR REGENERON STS SCHOLARS WHO ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
THIS HONOR IS A TRUE TESTAMENT TO YOUR ABILITY TO FORGE YOUR OWN PATH TO EXCELLENCE WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR STELLAR PROGRAMMING LIKE OUR SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM.
WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT AGENDA THIS EVENING.
FIRST, WE'LL REVIEW THE NEXT ITERATION OF PLANS FOR FACILITIES WORK ACROSS THE DISTRICT FOR WHICH WE WILL NEED TO BOND.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PROVIDED CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON THE PLANS AND TOOK THE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT'S FACILITIES AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCESS.
A REMINDER THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN STUDYING FACILITIES FOR THE PAST YEAR.
RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN GUIDED BY THE BUILDING CONDITION STUDY, THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, AND FEEDBACK FROM ADMINISTRATOR, STAFF, THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SECOND, TONIGHT, WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRST PASS OF THE 2025/2026 BUDGET. WE ASK DR.
CHAMP AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE EVER-INCREASING BUDGETARY HEADWINDS AS WE LOOK TO PRESERVE THE DISTRICT'S ROBUST PROGRAMMING WHILE EFFECTIVELY MANAGING THE TAX IMPLICATIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AS YOU WILL SEE, I THINK THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW THE DISTRICT IS STAFFING UP AFTER MANY RETIREMENTS THIS YEAR TO ENSURE WE ARE PRESERVING RESOURCES WHILE PRESERVING PROGRAMMING AND APPLYING RESOURCES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED THE MOST.
THIS WAS A TALL ORDER FOR THE DISTRICT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET THIS EVENING AND IN MANY FUTURE MEETINGS THIS YEAR.
THANK THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS SO FAR.
THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE THE FIRST READING OF 13 POLICIES.
[LAUGHTER] SIDS NOT ON, WHOEVER IS GOING TO DO THIS.
>> WELL, I THANK WHOEVER WILL LEAD THE DISCUSSION ON THAT AND I THANK THE POLICY COMMITTEE FOR THE PACE BY WHICH WE'RE GETTING POLICIES UPDATED AND TO THE BOARD FOR REVIEW. READY TO GET GOING.
>> WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO MOVE OVER TO THE PODIUM FOR SOME WONDERFUL STUDENT RECOGNITIONS AS JACKIE ALREADY STOOD UP.
[3.1 Student Recognition]
>> WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE SOME GUESTS IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT FOR THIS RECOGNITION.
I'D LIKE TO START BY INVITING UP A COUPLE OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS, MR. LLEWELLYN, OUR PRINCIPAL OF PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS DR. CALLAHAN, OUR DIRECTOR OF MATH AND SCIENCE FOR THE DISTRICT.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST COMING UP AND JOINING ME FOR THIS. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
DR. CALLAHAN HAS A FEW COMMENTS THAT HE'S GOING TO ADD TO MINE AS WELL.
TO KICK OFF THE HONORS TONIGHT.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE RECOGNITIONS THAT, WHEN I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, YOU LEARNED, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE VERY RARE OCCASIONS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM, AND THERE'S ONE OF THE EXCITING ONES.
THEY HAPPEN SOMEWHAT FREQUENTLY HERE IN PELHAM, WHICH IS WONDERFUL, WHICH IS, AS YOU SAID EARLIER, REALLY THE DEMONSTRATION OF INSPIRING THAT STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR ALL STUDENTS.
WE'RE THRILLED TONIGHT TO BE HONORING TWO STUDENTS FOR THE REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE SCIENCE SEARCH.
THE SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE, THEY ANNOUNCED A LIST OF THE TOP 300 SCHOLARS IN THE REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH FOR 2025.
IT'S THE NATION'S OLDEST AND MOST PRESTIGIOUS SCIENCE AND MATH COMPETITION FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS.
THE 300 SCHOLARS ARE AWARDED $2,000 EACH, AND THEIR SCHOOLS WILL BE AWARDED $2,000 EACH FOR THE SCHOLARS.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM AND $4,000 WILL BE COMING TO THE PROGRAM.
REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH SCHOLARS WERE SELECTED FROM NEARLY 02,500 ENTRANTS FROM 795 HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, AMERICAN SAMOA, GUAM, WASHINGTON, DC, PUERTO RICO,
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AND 14 OTHER COUNTRIES, AS WELL AS THE US CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD ARE ALSO ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.SCHOLARS WERE CHOSEN BASED ON THEIR OUTSTANDING RESEARCH, THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, COMMITMENT TO ACADEMICS, CREATIVITY, AND ASKING SCIENTIFIC QUESTIONS, AND EXCEPTIONAL PROMISE AS STEM LEADERS, DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THE SUBMISSION OF THEIR ORIGINAL INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS, ESSAYS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE WERE THRILLED TO HEAR SOME OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS BACK ABOUT A MONTH AGO AS PART OF OUR SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM.
TONIGHT, WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THESE TWO STUDENTS.
AS THEY EXEMPLIFY THE MISSION VISION OF OUR SCHOOLS, THEY REALLY ARE THAT MISSION VISION BECOMING A REALITY.
TONIGHT, I AM PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE AND INVITE UP OUR TWO STUDENTS.
FIRST IS MADELEINE PACHELLA, WITH HER PROJECT ENTITLED ANALYZING B CELL CLASSIFICATION CHANGES AND, I THOUGHT I'D PRACTICE THIS ENOUGH, CEREBROSPINAL FLUID AND BLOOD INFLUENCED BY ACYLISM.
TREATMENT AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.
[APPLAUSE] WOULD YOU GIVE THE HONOR BY ACTUALLY SAYING YOUR TITLE AGAIN? I MASSACRED IT SO BAD. [LAUGHTER]
>> YES. ANALYZING THE B CELL CLASSES AS THEY CHANGE WITH THE OCRELIZUMAB TREATMENT USED FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. [APPLAUSE]
>> ALSO, TONIGHT, WE'RE SO PLEASED AND PROUD TO HONOR AXEL ROBINSON FOR HIS PROJECT, ENTITLED INSOMNIA PHENOTYPES IN THEIR ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS.
[APPLAUSE] A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS, AND THEN I'M GOING TO INVITE DR. CALLAHAN TO COME SPEAK AS WELL.
WE ARE OBVIOUSLY INCREDIBLY PROUD OF BOTH MADELINE AND AXEL.
THEY REALLY DO EXEMPLIFY THE BEST OF THE BEST OF PELHAM. CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT, WHO ARE THE SUPPORT AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND WHO HAVE BEEN JUST KEY SUPPORTERS IN HELPING THEM TO ACHIEVE AT SUCH AN INCREDIBLE LEVEL.
ALSO, I WANT TO EXTEND HUGE CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS TO THEIR TEACHERS.
I SEE MR. BELTECAS IS HERE TONIGHT.
MISS TORTORELLA IS THE OTHER TEACHER.
I DON'T THINK SHE COULD BE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT JUST INCREDIBLE THANKS TO THEM WHO REALLY HAVE SHEPHERDED THIS WORK OVER MULTIPLE YEARS WITH THESE STUDENTS SERVING AS MENTORS, GUIDES AND JUST DEVELOPING THEIR LOVE OF LEARNING AND THEIR SKILL AS THEY EXCEL THROUGH THE STEM WORLD.
YOU AS OUR TEACHERS, ARE THE EXAMPLE OF OUR MISSION AND OUR VISION.
AS TEACHERS, REALLY WE SEE YOU AS WELL AS THE EXEMPLIFYING OUR MISSION AS WELL, WHERE YOU REALLY DO TRULY INSPIRE THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE EVERY DAY FOR ALL STUDENTS.
[APPLAUSE] WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO INVITE DR. CALLAHAN JUST TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND PROBABLY OUR TEACHERS TOO.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE SOME PICTURES AND [BACKGROUND] >. THANK YOU. DR. CHAMP, YOU DIDN'T SAY A FEW WORDS EARLIER WHEN YOU ASKED ME TO SPEAK.
[LAUGHTER] THIS MIGHT BE MORE THAN A FEW WORDS.
BUT THANK YOU, DR. CHAMP AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR GIVING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO SPEAK. I THINK DR.
CHAMP KNOWS IT'S MY FAVORITE THING TO DO IS TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSES OF OUR KIDS IN SCIENCE AND MATH, AND TECHNOLOGY IN OUR DISTRICT, AND IT REALLY INSPIRES ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO DO.
CERTAINLY, WITH THESE TWO STUDENTS, WE HAD A NICE DINNER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND THEY ARE REMARKABLE INDIVIDUALS, AND SUCH A PLEASURE TO BE AROUND.
MADDY AND AXEL, ARE JUST PHENOMENAL.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SAY A FEW THINGS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR PROGRAM POSSIBLE.
STOLE MY THUNDER A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE PROBABLY BOTH IT'S WORTH REPEATING.
MISS BUCKLEY AND ALSO MISS CASIO IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL HAVE STARTED REALLY OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL VERSION OF THE STEM RESEARCH CLUB BUT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, REALLY MISS DEBOLLO WITH OUR SOPHOMORES.
DOCTOR TORTORELLA, MR. BELTECAS, ARE REALLY PHENOMENAL AND INSPIRING PEOPLE FOR OUR PROGRAM, AND OUR KIDS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY ARE ABLE TO DO WITHOUT THEM REALLY LEADING THE CHARGE.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR SCIENCE CREW IS PRETTY EFFECTIVE AT COACHING AT ALMOST ANYTHING, INCLUDING GIRLS' BASKETBALL.
MR. BELTECAS IS GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR WITH MR. PETROLI AND ALSO MR. JOHNSON,
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AND THEY WILL BE AT THE COUNTY CENTER THIS SATURDAY AT NOON FOR THE FINAL FOUR.[APPLAUSE] EIGHT GIRLS BASKETBALL.
MR. BELTECAS HAS NOT LEFT THE BUILDING SINCE MONDAY, I DON'T THINK.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. PART OF AXEL'S PROJECT IS ABOUT MR. BELTECAS BECAUSE HE DOESN'T SLEEP.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WORK THAT YOU DO.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION WHO REALLY PUT A LOT OF SID MONEY INTO OUR PROGRAM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
MORE RECENTLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN PELHAM FOR STEM AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PARENTS THAT ARE PART OF AMPLIFY BECAUSE THAT'S OUR SCIENCE RESEARCH BOOSTER ORGANIZATION, AND THEY DO SOME PRETTY INCREDIBLE THINGS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A HIGH SCHOOL DINNER HOSTED QUITE LIKE AMPLIFY DOES FOR OUR KIDS.
THEY DO A REMARKABLE JOB FOR SOME OF THOSE LATE NIGHTS THAT STUDENTS SPEND PRACTICING.
ALSO WANT TO THANK SOME OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE NEWEST NON-PROFIT IN PELHAM, WHICH IS MINDSET, AND THEY'RE WORKING TO INSPIRE OUR NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS.
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THEY REALLY MAKE THE WORK THAT WE DO POSSIBLE.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO GO UP TO REGENERON'S HEADQUARTERS IN TARRYTOWN TO CELEBRATE OUR TWO REMARKABLE STUDENTS. THEY ARE, AS DR.
CHAMP, SAID, TWO OF 300 IN THE COUNTRY.
WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR. IT WAS A PRETTY COOL SPEECH AND A PRETTY COOL STORY.
I'M GOING TO TELL A LITTLE BIT NOT A LONG STORY, DR.
CHAMP, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE STORY.
[LAUGHTER] DR. YANCOPOULOS IS BASICALLY THE FOUNDER CHIEF SCIENTIST OF REGENERON AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT GREEK PEOPLE AND SCIENCE RESEARCH, RIGHT, STEVE? HE'S FROM GREECE, AND THERE'S A REALLY COOL STORY BEHIND HOW HE GOT INTERESTED IN SCIENCE RESEARCH.
HE WAS PART OF THE SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH AND ISF PROCESS, INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR.
HE SUBMITTED A PROJECT VERY EARLY ON, IN HIS SCIENCE CAREER THAT WAS ABOUT REGENERATING NEURONS, WHICH, OF COURSE, IS WHERE THE NAME REGENERON CAME FROM.
HIS HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE PROJECT BECAME REGENERON, WHICH WE'VE COME TO KNOW VERY, VERY WELL, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID TIMES BECAUSE THEY WERE PART OF SOME OF THE THERAPEUTICS USED.
HE TOLD THE STORY. HE ENTERED WHAT IS NOW STS.
IT WAS ONCE CALLED SIEMENS WESTINGHOUSE.
THEY WERE THE SPONSOR, AND HE WAS A PARTICIPANT OF THIS COMPETITION THAT HIS COMPANY IS NOW IN CHARGE OF.
HE PRESENTED HIS PROJECT ON REGENERATING NEURONS.
HE WAS JUDGED. HE DID VERY, VERY WELL.
YEARS LATER HE TOOK ON THE MANTLE AFTER SOME OF THE SPONSORS LIKE INTEL, LET IT GO.
HE PICKED IT UP BECAUSE HE FELT A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THE PROCESS.
WHEN HE PICKED IT UP, HE WAS IN WASHINGTON, DC TO PRESENT SOME STUDENTS WITH PRIZES FOR I THINK IT WAS STS COULD HAVE BEEN ISF, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THAT PART OF THE STORY.
BUT A JUDGE THAT JUDGED HIS PROJECT, HE WAS 88 YEARS OLD, IF I REMEMBER THE STORY CORRECTLY, DROVE FROM BASICALLY OUT WEST TO WASHINGTON DC TO SEE DR.
YANCOPOULOS BECAUSE REGENERON CREATED A DRUG THAT RESTORED HIS SITE, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO DRIVE TO WASHINGTON DC AND CHANGE HIS LIFE.
AS AN 88-YEAR-OLD, HE WAS LOSING HIS SIGHT. HE NOW HAD HIS SIGHT.
THIS HIGH SCHOOL JUDGE BECAME SOMEONE WHOSE LIFE WAS REALLY IMPACTED AND CHANGED BECAUSE DR YANCOPOULOS'S PROJECT ENDED UP BECOMING A REGENERON FIRM BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY COOL STORY, AND IT MADE ME REALLY THINK OF OUR STUDENTS, LIKE OUR TWO STUDENTS BECAUSE I GOT TO TALK TO THEM AT THAT DINNER, AND THEY HAVE A SUPER COOL STORY.
SOMETIMES WE THINK ABOUT SCIENCE AS CONTENT AND A LOT OF THINGS TO MEMORIZE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO THINK OF NOW IN SCIENCE, AS WE LOOK FOR THESE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IS REALLY THINGS LIKE GRIT, DRIVE, PASSION, AND PERSEVERANCE, IN ADDITION TO THE CONTENT, WHICH IS STILL SUPER IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT OF WHEN I THOUGHT OF THE TWO OF YOU BECAUSE YOUR STORY IS SUPER COOL.
SCIENCE RESEARCH IS SOMETHING WE'RE TRYING TO EMBED IN ALL OF OUR CLASSES NOW, SO IT'S NOT JUST EXISTS IN OUR SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM.
LIKE GEORGE, OUR STUDENTS, I THINK, TWO OUT OF 300 EXEMPLIFIED A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND HERE'S HOW.
THAT'S SORRY ABOUT THE WORD PART, DR. CHAMP. BUT HERE WE GO.
HERE WE GO. YOU KNEW WHEN YOU ASKED.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT MADDY, AND HER STORY, I'M GOING TO SHARE A COUPLE OF PIECES THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T SHARE.
BUT SHE HAD A MENTOR AND THAT MENTOR DIDN'T WORK OUT.
SO THAT MENTOR HAD A BABY YOU WERE READY TO PUBLISH, AND RIGHT WHEN THEY'RE READY TO GET EVERYTHING DONE AND PUBLISH IT, WE HAD A CHANGE TRAJECTORY.
LOST THE FIRST MENTOR BECAUSE SHE GOT SUPER BUSY.
MADDY DIDN'T GIVE UP. SHE DECIDED TO PURSUE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
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SHE ENDED UP BEING THE FIRST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AT YALE'S HAFER LAB, WHICH DOES REALLY NEUROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, FIRST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT THERE.SHE HAD TO GET ON THE TRAIN TO NEW HAVEN, WHERE SHE WAS ANNOTATING RESEARCH ARTICLES ON THE TRAIN, WENT UP THERE, FIRST HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TO EVER DO THAT BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T GIVE UP WHEN HER FIRST MENTORSHIP DIDN'T WORK OUT, AND THAT'S HOW YOU GOT HERE.
I THINK RESEARCH IN B CELLS AND THE EFFECTS THAT DRUGS HAVE ON B CELLS AND THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE IS NOT WHAT SHE ORIGINALLY WAS DOING AND HAD TO CHANGE GEARS AND LEARN A WHOLE NEW SET OF SKILLS, INCLUDING THINGS THAT HAD TO DO WITH MRNA AND HOW IT WORKS IN A LAB AND HOW TO DO THE ANALYSIS THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK, WHICH SHE DIDN'T HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH PRIOR TO THAT.
SHE HAD TO TOTALLY CHANGE GEARS AND ENDED UP IN A LAB AT YALE BECAUSE SHE NEVER GAVE UP.
THAT'S THE PASSION, GRIT, DETERMINATION, AND THINGS THAT IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT THEY'RE AMAZING PEOPLE, YOU'RE SHOWING THE SKILLS THAT WE TELL OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE.
IT'S SO AWESOME TO CELEBRATE YOUR STORY TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME IN THAT.
AXEL HAS A REALLY COOL STORY TOO.
IN TENTH GRADE, HE STARTED READING ARTICLES.
HE HAS A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO SLEEP AND SLEEP STUDIES.
HE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT.
INITIALLY, HE HAD A VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP, BUT HE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE A VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP.
HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING IN PERSON.
HE WENT OUT TO HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA, I THINK FOR TWO WEEKS OR SO, WENT TO TWO WEEKS, DID SOME HANDS-ON FACE-TO-FACE RESEARCH AT HERSHEY BECAUSE THE VIRTUAL THING WASN'T DOING IT FOR HIM, SO HE ADVOCATED FOR IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE AND WENT TO HERSHEY AND DID IT.
ANALYZED A LOT OF DATA OUT THERE.
NOW AXEL IS LEAVING NEXT WEEK FOR THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION'S NEW ORLEANS CONFERENCE, WHERE HE'LL BE PRESENTING HIS RESEARCH.
>> HE'S GOING TO TRY TO GET BACK IN TIME FOR OLYMPICS FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
[APPLAUSE] AXEL STORY IS ALSO THAT SAME STORY OF GRIT AND PERSEVERANCE.
HE CAN'T GO BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE BEST TIME.
HE WAS ALSO INVITED TO THE SLEEP CONFERENCE IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON IN JUNE AND WAS ABLE TO TELL THEM THAT HE HAD A PASS UP ON THAT BECAUSE HE HAD A FEW OTHER THINGS ON HIS PLATE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR INSPIRING ALL OF US TO BE AMAZING AT WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE YOUR PASSION, GRIT, DETERMINATION, THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED REALLY SHINE THROUGH.
IT'S SO INSPIRING FOR ME AS AN ADMINISTRATOR IN THE BUILDING TO SEE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT MAKES US REALLY WANT TO DO OUR JOBS BETTER BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH YOUR WORK MEANS TO YOU.
I REALLY WANT TO ONCE AGAIN, THANK THE PARENTS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE TO CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENTS TO EXCEL AND TO SUPPORT THEM AND ALLOW THEM TO GROW.
IN COOPERATION WITH MR. BELTECAS IN THE ENTIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM AND MATH AND TECHNOLOGY PIECES, TOO.
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. THANKS FOR INDULGING THE STORY.
I'M JUST SUPER PROUD OF YOU GUYS, AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE] WITH THAT, I'LL DO SOMETHING.
I DON'T DO SOON ENOUGH SOMETIMES TO TURN MY PHONE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. CALLAHAN.
YOU PAINTED JUST A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF WHY OUR STUDENTS ARE. THANK YOU.
WOULD YOU WANT TO TAKE A QUICK PICTURE, AND THEN WE'LL IF FOLKS WANT TO COME UP AND TAKE PICTURES TO, WE'LL DO THAT TOO.
[LAUGHTER] DR. CALLAHAN, COME ON IN.
MAYBE CAN SQUEEZE TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT MORE.
>> YOU COME TO THE COUNTY CENTER.
>> WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE LOTS OF STUDYING TO DO AND OTHER THINGS, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
>> NEXT IS 3.2 FACILITIES DATE.
[3.2 Facilities Update - KGD and Triton]
>> WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TONIGHT TO WELCOME WALTER HOUSER FROM KG&D BACK TO START US OFF.
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WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER LATELY.JIM AND WALTER AND I AND THE TEAM.
WE HAVE ALSO SARAH DOSA HERE, IS ONE OF THE OTHER PRINCIPALS FROM KG&D WHO'S INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
WE'RE EXCITED TO SHOW THE BOARD A LOT OF UPDATES AND A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE HOPE IS GOING TO REALLY FURTHER OUR CONVERSATIONS AROUND BOND PLANNING.
JUST AS A REMINDER TO FOLKS TOO, TONIGHT IS REALLY A BIG UPDATE AND A LOT OF INFORMATION.
WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TONIGHT AS WELL, AND WE ALSO JUST A REMINDER HAVE A WORK SESSION PLANNED FOR NEXT MONDAY.
IT'S OFF CYCLE BECAUSE OF SCHEDULES, NEXT MONDAY.
THE HOPE IS ON MONDAY TO GET TO A DRAFT SCOPE DECISION.
PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY, PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR US.
IT'S A BIG ASK, BUT WE'VE GOT TO START MAKING SOME DECISIONS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS ON FINALIZING SOME DECISIONS BECAUSE A LOT IS STILL CONCEPTUAL, BUT ONCE WE CAN START MAKING SOME DECISIONS, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY GET DOWN TO SOME FINANCIAL IMPACTS SO THAT WE CAN FURTHER THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL.
WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, TURN IT OVER TO WALTER.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT. IT'S NICE TO SEE EVERYBODY.
THAT'S ALWAYS A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW THOSE WONDERFUL RECOGNITIONS.
I THINK I LEARNED SOME NEW WORDS. VERY EXCITING.
AS A SUPERINTENDENT SAID, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY SINCE OUR MEETING ON JANUARY 28.
OUR TEAM HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THE DISTRICT THROUGH A NUMBER OF INFORMATION SESSIONS, BUILDING TOURS, VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
I WOULD SAY IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY COLLECT FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY.
WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT FEEDBACK COME IN THROUGH THE INFORMATION SESSIONS BY WALKING THROUGH THE BUILDING AND ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE SPACES, PARTICULARLY AT SIWANOY ELEMENTARY.
WE'VE ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH PELHAM MANOR, WHICH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND A FACULTY MEETING AT SIWANOY.
ALL THOSE TOGETHER REALLY HAVE RESULTED IN QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION COMING BACK TO US, AND WE WANTED TO JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND GO THROUGH THAT BRIEFLY TO START THE EVENING.
THERE ARE A FEW SLIDES OF THIS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THOUGH TO GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE AND GO THROUGH IT.
IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER IN TERMS OF THE COMMENTS, WE JUST WANTED TO START WITH WHAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT THE PROPOSED SIWANOY OPTIONS.
THERE WAS A QUESTION OR A NUMBER OF COMMENTS ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE PROPOSED WORK.
IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE A MORE EFFICIENT ADDITION AND REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN THE EXISTING BUILDING.
THE SECOND ONE IS A REQUEST FOR AN ANALYSIS OF A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SIWANOY SITE.
THAT WAS REALLY SPEAKING TO HOW MUCH BUILDING AREA DO WE HAVE NOW, HOW MUCH PERVIOUS AND IMPERVIOUS SURFACES DO WE HAVE NOW? IMPERVIOUS ARE GOING TO BE THINGS LIKE ASPHALT WHERE THE WATER SHEET DRAINS OFF PERVIOUS OR SURFACES WHERE WATER CAN BE ABSORBED INTO THE NATIVE SOIL.
WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT VEHICLE ACCESS TO THE SITE IS JUST NOT DESIRABLE AT ALL.
WE'VE MODIFIED THE ADDITIONS, PARTICULARLY IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING, EXCUSE ME, THE OPTIONS AT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING TO TAKE OUT ALL VEHICLE ACCESS.
WE ALSO HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR THAT THE HISTORIC APPEARANCE OF SIWANOY RESONATES VERY STRONGLY WITH A LARGE CONSTITUENCY OF PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE PELHAM MANOR.
FIVE AND SIX ARE INTERESTING, THEY'RE CONFLICTING, MAYBE.
BUT WE HEARD FROM THE TEACHERS AT SIWANOY A VERY STRONG REQUEST TO MAKE THE REAR PLAY AREA MORE SECURE, SO FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE SOME ENHANCED SECURITY, NOT ONLY AT THE EDGE OF THE BUILDING, BUT AT THE PERIMETER OF THE PLAY ZONE.
WHILE WE ALSO HEARD CLEARLY FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY LIKE BEING ABLE TO TRANS TO GO THROUGH THE SITE, NOT ONLY FOR THEIR USE OFF HOURS, BUT FOR STUDENTS APPROACHING THE BUILDING.
STUDENTS THAT WALK TO THE BACK OF THE BUILDING NEED TO GET THROUGH TO THE FRONT TO GET TO THE FRONT DOOR.
WE HAD SOME COMPETING INTERESTS THERE, BUT THERE MAY BE A WAY TO HAVE A HAPPY MEDIUM.
WE ALSO HEARD FROM THE FACULTY THAT THE COAT STORAGE CLOSETS ASSIGNMENT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO HOW THEY OPERATE.
YOU'LL SEE WE'VE INTRODUCED THOSE INTO THE PROPOSED ADDITION.
THAT WAS I THINK A LEARNING MOMENT FROM THE HUTCHINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT THAT THAT WAS ONE TAKEAWAY IN LOOKING AT THAT BUILDING, HOW CAN WE MAKE THE NEXT VERSION BETTER IN TERMS OF ANYTHING ELSE WE DO? DO SECURITY UPGRADES WERE A BIG REQUEST AS WELL FROM THE FACULTY AT SIWANOY, AND THAT'S INTERIOR CLASSROOM DOORS AS WELL AS THE EXTERIOR DOORS WITH ACCESS CONTROL COMPONENTS.
WE HEARD THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM THE FOLKS IN PELHAM MANOR THAT I DON'T THINK WE
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UNDERSTOOD AT THE ONSET OF THIS STUDY HOW IMPORTANT THE OUTDOOR SPACE AT SIWANOY ELEMENTARY IS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.IT'S USED VERY FREQUENTLY, AND REALLY IT REPRESENTS THE LARGEST SINGLE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE OUTSIDE OF THE HOMES.
WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT AS WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER OPTIONS AS WELL.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IS A REOCCURRING THEME.
WE'RE UNDERSTANDING NOW THAT THE PELHAM MANOR HAS SOME STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE SHORTCOMINGS THAT RESULT IN SOME FLOODING, AND WE ARE POSITIONING THIS ANY POTENTIAL PROJECT AT SIWANOY TO HELP MITIGATE THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO EXPAND OUTSIDE THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CAMPUS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT STORMWATER STRATEGIES THAT CAN HELP REDUCE THE FLOW OF WATER OFF THE SITE.
I DIDN'T WANT ANY GARBAGE IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
THE GARBAGE RIGHT NOW, THE REFUSE THAT LEAVES THE BUILDING ACTUALLY GOES OUT IF YOU'RE FACING THE BUILDING ON THE FRONT RIGHT BY THE GYM, AND WE HEARD PRETTY STRONGLY THAT THAT'S THE DESIRABLE LOCATION FOR THAT REFUSE TO KEEP LEAVING THE SITE.
ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT CAME UP ACTUALLY DURING THE FACULTY MEETING AS WELL AS BUILDING TOUR IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO RECONSIDER THE KITCHEN ELEMENT IN ANY CAFETERIA CONFIGURATION TO BE MORE THAN A WARMING KITCHEN.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY A RESULT OF THE SIZE OF THE CURRENT FACILITY AT SIWANOY, THAT IT'S UNDER SIZE.
IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET MEALS OUT OF IT AND SERVE THE STUDENT POPULATION.
THE REQUEST WHEN WE CONSIDER A KITCHEN CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A SATELLITE LOCATION FOR HOT FOOD TO LAND.
THIRTEEN AND 14 HAVE TO DO WITH THE LOGISTICS OF THIS PROJECT AND THE SCHEDULE.
I THINK KEVIN WAS INTRODUCED PREVIOUSLY, MAY NOT TRY AND CONSTRUCTION THAT KEVIN IS AN OLD FACE HERE, MAYBE NEW TO SOME OF YOU, BUT HELP IMPLEMENT AND LEAD THE CONSTRUCTION PHASES OF ALL THE WORK OF 2018 PROJECT.
KEVIN WILL COME UP A LITTLE BIT AND TALK TO PHASING AND LOGISTICS AND CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.
WE HAD SOME GENERAL COMMENTS REGARDING A REQUEST TO CLARIFY SOME OF THE INFORMATION AROUND INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE PER STUDENT.
YOU MAY REMEMBER IN THE FALL, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE CAPACITY ANALYSIS, WE PRESENTED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT THAT IN A MINUTE JUST FOR CLARITY.
HAVE WE CONSIDERED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEMS? CURRENTLY, WE ARE NOT CONSIDERING THAT.
REALLY, OUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT HAS THERE ARE TWO ISSUES, BUT PRIMARILY, THE DELIVERY OF PHOTOVOLTAIC TYPICALLY CAN HAPPEN THROUGH AN ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACT.
IT'S TYPICALLY NOT SOMETHING THAT IS PURCHASED WITH CAPITAL DOLLARS UP FRONT IN A PROJECT LIKE THIS.
WE ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO DESIGN THE PROJECTS TO BE PV READY, BUT PROBABLY WILL NOT INCLUDE THE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM AS PART OF A PROPOSAL.
THEN THE LAST FEW HERE ARE REALLY ABOUT THE PROJECTED TAX IMPACT. WHAT IS THIS GOING TO COST? HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT AN INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER? HOPEFULLY WE COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AFTER THIS PRESENTATION.
A BUNCH OF INFORMATION CAME IN ONLINE.
DR. CHAMP, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO ANY OF THIS?
I KNOW THAT THE WE WERE HAPPY TO HAVE A GOOD COMMUNITY SUPPORT ON THAT.
I FORGET EXACTLY WHAT THE NUMBER WAS.
I THINK IT WAS CLOSE TO 300. SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LAST NIGHT AT THE INFO SESSION.
WHAT YOU SEE UP THERE ARE REALLY THE MAJOR THEMES THAT CAME OUT, AND I THINK A LOT OF THEM REALLY MIRROR WHAT WALTER SHARED FROM THE FEEDBACK SESSIONS.
NEEDING TO KNOW COSTS AND TAX IMPLICATIONS, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE HAD HOPED TONIGHT.
WE'VE GOT MAYBE A TEENY BIT TO SHARE, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING TO HAVE THAT FOR NEXT WEEK BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF THIS PUZZLE.
WHAT THE TAX IMPACT IS FOR FOLKS.
>> WHEN YOU SAY NEXT WEEK, DO YOU MEAN MONDAY'S MEETING?
>> MONDAY'S MEETING NEXT WEEK, YES.
THE SIWANOY SCHOOL CONCERNS, AGAIN, THOSE ECHO VERY SIGNIFICANTLY WHAT WALTER HAD MENTIONED ABOUT LOSS OF PLAYGROUND SPACE, IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SIZE OF ANY EXPANSION, ETC.
STRONG THEMES OF PRIORITIZING INFRASTRUCTURE AND NEEDS OVER WANTS.
INFRASTRUCTURE, I THINK WAS RESOUNDINGLY SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT THE SURVEY AND MULTIPLE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WAS DESIRED.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING MORE ENGAGEMENT AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO MORE ENGAGEMENT THAT IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HEAR FROM ALL VOICES SO THAT AS WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND ITERATE THESE PLANS, WHICH AS WE SAID, WE ARE IN THE FEEDBACK ITERATIVE PROCESS.
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US TO DO THAT.
I'M HOPING THAT YOU SEE SOME OF THAT REFLECTED IN TONIGHT'S REVISED RENDERINGS. ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS.
[00:30:02]
THAT WAS AN INTERESTING THINGS IN THAT CATEGORY.LOOKING AT STAGGERING PROJECTS OVER TIME.
RECONSIDERING THE AC BY MODIFYING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR THAT ACTUALLY HAD OVERLAPS WITH OUR CALENDAR SURVEY.
WE'VE TALKED SOME ABOUT THAT AND THERE ARE JUST SOME CONSTRAINTS IN THAT REALM THAT UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE FLEXIBILITY AROUND.
BUT I DO THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT IS SOME RECONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS TO THE BUILDING PROBLEMS THAT ARE CREATIVELY BEING USED TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS AND TRY TO ALSO AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESS MULTIPLE PIECES OF FEEDBACK.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS.
CERTAINLY WE SAW A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THINGS LIKE THE CAFETERIA.
ANYONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS KNOWS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPACE THERE.
THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AGAIN ABOUT CERTAIN NEEDS FOR CERTAIN RENOVATIONS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND IT COULD BE AN INFORMATIONAL PIECE.
FOLKS MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHEN WE SAY ROOM UTILIZATION AND THAT EVERY ROOM IS USED EVERY PERIOD.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THAT.
THAT'S A AN EDUCATION PIECE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
BUT AGAIN, THE FOCUS OF NEEDS VERSUS WANT CAME OUT STRONGLY THERE.
THEN FINALLY, THERE WERE REQUESTS TO LOOK AT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS.
CERTAINLY THE STORMWATER CONVERSATIONS, AS WALTER MENTIONED.
WE'VE HAD THOSE ONGOING AND WE'RE CONTINUING WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THIS DOES PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK WITH PELHAM MANOR AS THEY'RE STAGING OUT THEIR STORMWATER PROJECTS.
WE CAN DO SOME ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PROJECTS AND HOPEFULLY MEET THE GOALS OF BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG ONES AND CERTAINLY MINIMIZING CONSTRUCTION DISRUPTIONS.
I DIDN'T DO A FORMAL JOB OF INTRODUCING HIM.
BUT YES, KEVIN SAWYER IS HERE FROM TRITON CONSTRUCTION, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT WE BROUGHT ON FOR A BOND FEASIBILITY PORTION OF THIS.
KEVIN LED HIS FIRM THROUGH LEADING OUR LAST 2018 CAPITAL PROJECT, BUILDING THE NEW HUTCHINSON AND ALL THE RENOVATIONS THAT WENT ALONG WITH THAT.
VERY WELL ACQUAINTED WITH PELHAM WITH OUR EXPECTATIONS, WITH OUR FACILITIES, OUR COMMUNITY, AND SO HE'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST LEADERS IN HELPING TO DESIGN THAT PLAN.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE JUST SOME LOOSE IDEAS TONIGHT ABOUT TIMELINES, POTENTIAL STAGING, BUT ABSOLUTELY WE'LL BE WORKING AS A TEAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO STAGE OUT PROJECTS IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS, MAKE SENSE FOR THE STUDENTS, AND MAKE SENSE FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
>> ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT OF FEEDBACK WAS WE HAD A MEETING WITH LINDSEY LUFT, THE VILLAGE MANAGER, PELHAM MANOR, WHERE WE REVIEWED THE CONCEPTS FOR OPTION B AND C AT SIWANOY, AND WENT OVER THE PROJECTS IN GENERAL, BUT DID HAVE AN IN DEPTH CONVERSATION ABOUT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, STORMWATER CONCERNS, STORMWATER BEST PRACTICES, SOME OF THE APPROACHES THAT THE MANOR WOULD LIKE TO SEE US UNDERTAKE AND ALIGN WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WE'LL SEE THIS IN A MINUTE WITH THE SITE PLAN AT SIWANOY, BUT THERE ARE A FEW STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER WITH STORMWATER.
ONE IS SURFACE TREATMENT, SO WAYS TO COLLECT AND HOLD WATER ON THE SURFACE.
I THINK THEY STARTED THAT STRATEGY WITH THE MICROFOREST AT THE SITE.
BUT THE MANNER IS DEPLOYING THAT AS WELL AS A PURPOSEFUL STRATEGY.
THE OTHER ONE IS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, OR ALLOW THE WATER TO INFILTRATE STRAIGHT INTO THE GROUND INSTEAD OF BEING SHEET DRAINING ACROSS INTO A PIPED DRAIN OR INTO A SIDEWALK OR INTO A ROAD.
THE THIRD ONE IS TO CONTAIN THE WATER ON THE SITE.
YOU'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT OF THIS NOW USING UNDERGROUND DETENTION CONTAINERS.
THEY LITERALLY LOOK LIKE BARRELS CUT IN HALF.
YOU BURY THEM, THEY CAN FILL UP DURING A HEAVY RAIN EVENT AND LET THE WATER EITHER DISCHARGE SLOWLY INTO THE MUNICIPAL SYSTEM OR LEACH INTO THE GROUND.
WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE STRATEGIES AND SHE WAS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT, AND WE STARTED TO OUTLINE HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN ON THE SITE.
THAT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
IN FACT, THEY'VE SHARED SOME OF THEIR TECHNICAL DRAWINGS FOR PELHAM MANOR IN TERMS OF STORMWATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE AS WELL AS SOME THAT THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IMPROVING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING THERE.
I MENTIONED BUILDING METRICS, SPACE METRICS EARLIER.
THIS IS A VERY SIMILAR SLIDE TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE FALL, BUT WE DID ADD A NET SQUARE FOOT METRIC HERE.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THESE NUMBERS ARE SQUARE FEET PER STUDENT BY CATEGORY.
THE LIGHT BLUE BAR IS TOTAL NET SQUARE FEET IN BUILDINGS.
THESE ARE ALL THE USABLE SPACES.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE HALLWAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT OFFICES, CLASSROOMS, SUPPORT SPACES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT COLONIAL AND SIWANOY ARE PRETTY SIMILAR IN THAT REGARD,
[00:35:01]
HOVERING RIGHT AROUND 100 SQUARE FEET PER STUDENT.WHEN COMPARED TO PROSPECT HILL OR HUTCHINSON, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DATA THERE.
WHEN WE'RE HERE IN THE FALL, WE'RE FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON [OVERLAPPING].
>> WALTER, JUST REAL QUICK. CAN YOU TELL US 1, 02, 3 AND 4, WHICH IS WHICH?
>> OH, I'M SORRY. LOOKS LIKE WE'VE LOST A LABEL THERE.
YES. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
>> I'M GOING TO DO IT [OVERLAPPING]
>> I GUESS WE HAVE TO GO WITH THE CODE.
>> LOOKS LIKE THE CONVERSION FROM POWERPOINT TO GOOGLE SLIDES DROPPED THEIR LABELS.
>> YEAH. NUMBER ONE IS COLONIAL.
>> DOES EVERYONE WANT TO GUESS? [LAUGHTER] NUMBER ONE IS COLONIAL.
DOES ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS WHAT NUMBER 2 IS?
SORRY ABOUT THAT. WELL, GREAT CATCH.
WHEN WE WERE HERE IN THE FALL, WE WERE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE, SQUARE FOOT PER STUDENT, THAT'S PROBABLY A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT METRIC THAN THE NET SQUARE FEET PER STUDENT.
WE CAN SEE THAT REALLY SIWANOY, NUMBER 4 IS CERTAINLY THE LOWEST THERE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE SUPPORT SPACE ON A SQUARE FOOT BASIS PER STUDENT IS EXTREMELY LOW AT SIWANOY.
IF YOU WALK THE BUILDING, THE WAY THAT REFLECTS IS WE SEE VERY SMALL STUDENT SUPPORT AREAS.
I THINK IF ANYBODY ATTENDED THE BUILDING TOUR, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE HAVING A SMALL GROUP, INSTRUCTIONAL SPACES ARE LITERALLY RETROFITTED, SMALL CLOSET STORAGE SPACES WHERE VENTILATION HAS BEEN ADDED.
THEY'RE WOEFULLY UNDERSIZED AND INADEQUATE.
JUST IN TERMS OF THE QUANTITY AND EVEN THE TYPE OF SPACE, THE GUIDANCE SUITE IS AN ANTEROOM JUST OFF THE HALLWAY.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, GO LOOK AT IT.
REALLY THAT METRIC STANDS OUT WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THE BUILDING. I'M SORRY ABOUT THE LABEL.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THE METRICS? REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE SQUARE FEET PER STUDENT, AS WELL AS A SUPPORT SPACE ON A SQUARE FOOT PER STUDENT BASIS.
SINCE WE LAST TALKED, THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN ANY CHANGE ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WE DID HAVE AN ENGINEERING TEAM MEETING THAT INCLUDED THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT HERE AND DID AN IN DEPTH DIVE ON ALL OF THIS WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE HEATING PLAN COMPONENT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY THE LARGEST PIECE.
WENT THROUGH EVERY COMPONENT OF THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN HERE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALIGNMENT ON THE STRATEGY, AND SO WE FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT THIS.
THERE IS NO CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE OR BUDGET RELATIVE TO THE HIGH PRIORITY INFRASTRUCTURE WORK.
SAME WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING, THAT WAS A TOPIC OF THAT ENGINEERING MEETING AS WELL.
THERE IS NO CHANGE IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE AND STRATEGY FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
IF YOU REMEMBER, WE DID MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THAT.
THE PROPOSED AIR CONDITIONING METHODOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS ARE THE SAME AND THE ESTIMATED COST REMAINED AT 29.9 ACROSS THE DISTRICT WITH OBVIOUSLY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BEING SMALLER AND THE HIGH SCHOOL BEING A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LIFT TO AIR CONDITION, THE REMAINDER OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL SPACES THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.
THE GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP, GEOTHERMAL, NUMBERS HAVE NOT CHANGED EITHER.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE BASED ON THE CURRENT BID RESULTS ACTUALLY THAT WE RECEIVED IN CONJUNCTION WITH TRITON FOR ANOTHER DISTRICT.
I WILL SAY THESE ESTIMATES DO NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE POTENTIAL INVESTMENT TAX CREDITS.
THERE IS A POSSIBLE NET OFFSET, BUT THAT ONLY COMES WHEN THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE, AND IT'S A TAX FILING FOR A POTENTIAL DIRECT PAY CREDIT.
IT'S REALLY NOT ADVISABLE TO BANK ON THAT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THESE CAPITAL DOLLARS WOULD HAVE TO BE OUTLAID, AND THEN YOU MAY GET A RETURN.
WE HAVEN'T TAKEN THE POTENTIAL NET COST INTO ACCOUNT HERE.
>> WALTER, JUST BEFORE YOU GO ON, JUST FOR THE BOARD, AND I'M PROBABLY TAKING A LITTLE BIT KEVIN'S THUNDER, BUT PART OF THE ROLE OF THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT COMPANY IS ALSO TO DO COST VERIFICATIONS.
I KNOW THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE STARTED.
THAT DOES TAKE A FEW WEEKS, SO THAT IS IN PROCESS.
KEVIN WILL BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO US IN A FEW WEEKS WITH LOOKING AT THE SAME NUMBERS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK WITH WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE GET ONCE WE GET TO THE LATER PART OF THE CONVERSATION, I KNOW I'D GIVEN THE BOARD SOME SCENARIOS TO CONSIDER FOR US TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
I DID NOT INCLUDE GEOTHERMAL COSTS IN THOSE.
YOU PROBABLY REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK CLOSELY, SOME OF YOU EVEN ASKED.
I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO POINT THAT OUT AS YOU THINK ABOUT THESE.
I THINK EACH CAMPUS IS GOING TO HAVE PARTICULAR INTRICACIES THAT WE'LL HAVE TO THINK ABOUT DEPENDING ON WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE.
BUT THEN ALSO, AS WALTER SAID, THESE ARE AFTER WE HAVE DONE THE CAPITAL LAYOUT.
IF WE DO ADD GEOTHERMAL TO THE SCOPE IN ANY WAY, THAT'S ADDITIVE TO THE SCOPE.
[00:40:01]
WE CAN'T REDUCE WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FROM THE VOTERS ANTICIPATING THOSE TAX REBATES, SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO KNOW IN THE OVERALL COSTS.>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TAX REBATES, IS IT POTENTIAL UP TO 100%, 50%?
>> NO, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT WHAT IS ST. PAUL PARK.
>> IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE RANGE OF 30-40% OF THE GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM PLUS ANY SYSTEM THAT'S TIED TO IT.
THAT COULD IMPACT AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS OR HEATING PLANT SYSTEMS IF THEY'RE TIED TO IT.
IT WOULDN'T JUST BE 30% OF THE WELL COST.
IT COULD BE AS MUCH AS 30% OF THE TOTAL GEOTHERMAL PLUS HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING COSTS.
IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
THERE ARE COMPONENTS OF A HEATING SYSTEM THAT WOULD QUALIFY AND COMPONENTS THAT WOULDN'T QUALIFY.
IT'S NOT THAT IT WOULD BE 30% OF THE TOTAL HEATING UPGRADE COSTS, BUT IT COULD BE 30% OF THE GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP THAT PROVIDES HEATING TO THE BUILDING PLUS SOME OF THE DISTRIBUTION.
>> THANK YOU. WALTER, IS THAT STATE CREDIT?
>> YEAH. IT'S TAX CODE, AND IT'S A DIRECT PAY.
THERE WERE SOME CHANGES RECENTLY IN 2023, I BELIEVE, TO CHANGE THE TAX CODE TO ALLOW NON-TAX PAYING ENTITIES TO HAVE A DIRECT PAY UNDER THIS.
THIS USED TO BE FOR COMMERCIAL ENTITIES, BUT THEY'VE CHANGED.
READY TO TALK ABOUT SIWANOY? THIS IS THE EXISTING SITE CONDITION.
WE'VE COLORED A LITTLE COLORING OVER THE BUILDING, SO YOU CAN TELL WHERE IT IS AND IT'LL ALIGN WITH SOME OF OUR ADDITIONAL DRAWINGS.
BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THE LARGE ASPHALT PLAY AREA ON THE PLAN NORTH OF THE SITE BEHIND THE BUILDING AND THE TWO PLAY SURFACES.
THOSE ARE RELATIVELY NEW PLAYGROUNDS.
I THINK THEY'RE TWO YEARS OLD, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
THEY SIT ON RUBBERIZED PLAY SURFACE MATERIAL.
IT'S SOFT AND CUSHY, BUT IT'S NOT PERVIOUS.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OPTIONS ON THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES, THAT WHOLE BACK AREA IS NOT A GREAT SITUATION FOR STORMWATER, AND THAT WAS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION WITH THE MANOR, IS HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THAT CONDITION SO THAT WATER DOESN'T JUST SHEET DRAIN OFF IT.
FRANKLY, YOUR SITE COLLECTS A LITTLE BIT OF WATER FROM ACROSS THE STREET, FLOWS TOWARDS YOU, FLOWS THROUGH THE SITE AND EXITS DOWN BY THAT MICROFOREST.
THERE'S SOME DRAINAGE THERE, SOME STRUCTURES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT POTENTIALLY IN ANY CONCEPT.
THIS IS A REVISED AND UPDATED PLAN.
IN THIS VERSION OUR ADDITION IS BROWN, BUT HAVE BEEN BLUE IN PREVIOUS VERSIONS.
YOU'LL NOTICE THE ADDITION IS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TO THE RIGHT.
IT'S PULLED IN A LITTLE BIT, AND WE'VE PURPOSELY TRIED TO MOVE IT AWAY FROM THE PLAY AREA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND MOVE IT AWAY FROM THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE SITE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
STILL MAINTAINS A REASONABLE OFFSET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE TO THE RIGHT.
BUT IF YOU CAN PICTURE THE SITE, THIS GENERALLY SITS, IF YOU WALK OUT THE BACK DOOR TO THE RIGHT OF THE STONE WALL.
THERE'S A LARGE TREE RIGHT BEHIND THE GYM.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT WOULD BE IN THE FOOTPRINT OF THE TREE.
TREE WOULD HAVE TO COME DOWN TO ENABLE THIS, BUT IT LEAVES PRETTY MUCH THE ENTIRETY OF THE PLAY AREA ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE STONE WALL.
IT REALLY SITS BETWEEN WHAT IS CURRENTLY THE OUTDOOR PICNIC CAFETERIA SPACE AND THE STONE WALL.
THE WAY WE'VE MADE THAT HAPPEN IS PROPOSED TO MAKE A CONNECTION THROUGH THE GYM.
WE WOULD NEED TO RELOCATE THE UPPER RIGHT PLAYGROUND.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S THE LARGER PLAY STRUCTURE OF THE TWO.
THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE RELOCATED.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW THAT WILL HAPPEN IN A SECOND, BUT WE'RE PROPOSING TO THINK ABOUT A DIFFERENT SURFACE TO PUT IT ON EITHER A PERVIOUS RUBBER SURFACE OR EVEN A TURF TO ALLOW THE WATER TO PERMEATE THROUGH IT.
YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE UPPER RIGHT, WE'RE PROPOSING A LAWN OR TURF AREA AS WELL, SO REDUCE SOME OF THE PAVEMENT AND SOFTEN THE CORNER OF THE SITE A LITTLE BIT.
THAT COULD CERTAINLY BE AN AREA THAT'S USED FOR PLAY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT MATERIAL COULD ACTUALLY BE.
BUT TRY TO BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE ASPHALT, REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS ASPHALT ON THE SITE.
THEN WE CAN EXPAND THE PLAY AREA TO THE LEFT, THE SMALLER OF THE TWO PLAYERS.
THE ONE JUST NEXT TO THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM AND POTENTIALLY USE SOMETHING LIKE A PERVIOUS RUBBER SURFACE.
THEY MAKE RUBBER PLAY AREAS THAT ALLOW THE WATER TO GO THROUGH, AND THEN MOVE THE BASKETBALL PLAY AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS TOWARDS THE MIDDLE.
[00:45:01]
>> THE NEW LOCATION FOR THE LARGER PLAY AREA, WHICH IS NOW SORT OF DROPPED INTO THE BIG PLAY SPACE.
WHY DID YOU CONSIDER JUST MOVING IT UP A BIT SO THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE GREEN AREA AND THE TOP RIGHT?
>> WE COULD DEFINITELY DO THAT. THESE PIECES ARE ALL INTERCHANGEABLE TO SOME DEGREE.
REALLY JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE COULD TAKE AN APPROACH, BUT ABSOLUTELY.
>> BECAUSE MY INITIAL REACTION IS PUTTING IT THERE BREAKS UP THE NICE, BIG, BROAD PLAY AREA THAT CAN BE USED FOR FOOTBALL AND BIKE RIDING RIDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> THERE WOULD BE NO RESTRICTION TO LOCATE IT UP IN THAT UPPER RIGHT CORNER.
ABSOLUTELY. THEN YOU NOTICE TO THE RIGHT OF THE NEW ADDITION, WE'RE RESTORING THE OUTDOOR EATING AREA.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHY THAT LOCATION MAKES SENSE IN A SECOND.
BUT THE ADDITION WOULD MOST LIKELY FULLY DISRUPT WHAT IS CURRENTLY THERE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO RECREATE IT GENERALLY IN THE SAME PLACE.
THEN YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE PATHWAY THAT STARTS IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THE LOT DOES ALLOW SOMEONE TO WALK THROUGH THE SITE, AROUND THE NEW ADDITION, AROUND THE GYMNASIUM BY THE MICRO FOREST AND COME OUT IN THE DRIVEWAY.
>> [OVERLAPPING] POINT THAT OUT.
>> YEAH, I'LL GO UP TO THE SCREEN.
THE PATHWAY WOULD JUST BE ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SITE, WRAP AROUND THE ADDITION, AND COME OUT AROUND THE GYM.
WE'RE ALSO SUGGESTING A POTENTIAL OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACE AT THE MICROFOREST.
JUST A ROUND CIRCLE RIGHT NOW, COULD BE ANY SURFACE WE WANT IT TO BE.
THERE'S A LOT TO IMAGINE THERE.
BUT REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE, HIGHLIGHT IT, MAKE IT A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU STARTED AND GROW ON IT.
IN TERMS OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, YOU HAVE TO LOOK VERY CAREFULLY, BUT THERE ARE SOME DASHED BOXES.
WE THINK ON THE UPPER PART OF THE SITE, TOWARDS THE PLAY AREA, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE SOMETHING CALLED A RAIN GARDEN.
IT'S NOT MEANT TO HAVE STANDING WATER IN IT, BUT IT IS MEANT TO BE A PLACE FOR WATER TO COLLECT AND PERMEATE INTO THE GROUND.
IT'S REALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THE MICROFOREST.
PUT SOME PLANTINGS IN THAT ARE MADE TO ABSORB STORMWATER.
THEY'RE DURABLE. THEY LIKE IT WHEN IT GETS REALLY WET AND THEN THEY CAN MANAGE WHEN IT GETS A LITTLE BIT DRIER.
THAT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT IS LIKE A BEAUTIFICATION ELEMENT AS WELL.
THEN IN A COUPLE OF KEY AREAS JUST TO THE TOP OF THE ADDITION, AND THEN IN THE AREA OF THE MICROFOREST, WE'RE SUGGESTING OR THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO INTRODUCE MORE UNDERGROUND DETENTION, SO WAYS TO STORE PEAK FLOWS SO THAT THEY DON'T DISCHARGE IN MASS RATES OFF SITE.
THOSE ARE THE STRATEGIES WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF STORMWATER.
IT'S REDUCING THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, INTRODUCING SOME RAIN GARDENS, AND THEN SOME UNDERGROUND DETENTION, THE SLOW QUANTITY OF WATER THAT RUNS OFF THE SITE.
>> SORRY. WHAT ARE THE CIRCLES UNDER THE GREEN SHADED AREA ON THE RIGHT NEXT TO THE GYM> WHAT WERE THOSE AGAIN?
>> THAT'S MORE OUTDOOR SEATING TREES.
>> YEAH, THOSE ARE SHADED TREES.
I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS AT THE BEGINNING.
YOU'LL SEE A NEW LOGO ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HERE.
WE'VE ENGAGED A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
>> DOWN TO THE RIGHT OF OF THE NEW ROOF.
I THINK THE SEATING AREA WILL MAKE MORE SENSE ONCE WE START TO LOOK AT THE INSIDE FLOOR PLAN.
>> WE HAD THOSE FUNNY LOOKING ROUND DIAGRAMS ON THE SITE, THOSE ARE TREES.
THOSE ARE COURTESY OF OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS.
THEY'RE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, REALLY SPECIALIZING IN SCHOOL SITES.
THEY'VE WORKED WITH THE DISTRICT BEFORE.
THEY'VE HELPED WITH THE GLOBAL FIELD.
THEY'VE TAKEN A LOOK AT THIS, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY THEIR WORK PRODUCT.
WE WORKED SIDE BY SIDE WITH THEM TO GET THESE STRATEGIES IN PLACE, AND THEY'VE HAD SOME IDEAS ABOUT SOME OF THE PLAY AREAS.
>> WE TOOK A QUICK CONCEPTUAL LOOK AT THE QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE SITE.
THE EXISTING COLUMN IS WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS REALLY BASED ON LOOSE INFORMATION AERIALS AND SOME OLD SURVEYS THAT ARE SCANNED, BUT AREN'T QUITE THE SCALE.
WE DID THE BEST WE COULD, GETTING AS CLOSE AS WE COULD.
THESE ARE NOT SURVEY NUMBERS TO THE SQUARE FOOT.
[00:50:04]
YOUR EXISTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT IS ABOUT 14,500.THAT'S JUST LIKE THE ROOF AREA. THINK OF IT THAT WAY.
YOUR IMPERVIOUS ASPHALT AND RUBBER PLAY AREAS TOTAL ABOUT 35,000 SQUARE FEET, AND YOU DO HAVE SOME PERMEABLE PAVERS.
THE OUTDOOR SEATING AREA BY THE CAFETERIA IS ACTUALLY DESIGNED WITH PERMEABLE PAVERS.
THE IDEA THERE IS THE WATER CAN INFILTRATE THROUGH THE PAVERS DOESN'T RUN OFF.
WE THINK THAT SOME OF THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM HAS THAT AS WELL.
WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THAT, AND THEN YOU HAVE ABOUT 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF GREEN SPACE, TREES, LAWNS, THINGS THAT ARE NOT PAVEMENT.
OPTION B, WE CLEARLY HAVE AN INCREASE IN BUILDING FOOTPRINT.
WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND, GOES TO ABOUT 20,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE CONCEPT WE WERE JUST SHOWING REDUCES THE IMPERVIOUS ASPHALT FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 35,000-20,000 SQUARE FEET, BUT THAT'S OFFSET SOMEWHAT WITH AN INCREASE IN PERMEABLE PLAY AREAS.
THAT COULD BE THE LAWN, IT COULD BE THE PERMEABLE SURFACE BLOW PLAY STRUCTURE.
OUR LANDSCAPE AREAS INCREASE A LITTLE BIT PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE'RE INTRODUCING SOME STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AREAS LIKE THE RAIN GARDEN.
THAT'S WHERE WE CAN CAPTURE SOME ADDITIONAL GREENERY ON THE SITE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT INSIDE THE BUILDING.
AS I MENTIONED, THE BIG MOVE HERE FROM A LAYOUT PERSPECTIVE WAS TO SHIFT THE ADDITION TO THE RIGHT TO PRESERVE AS MUCH OPEN SPACE BEHIND THE BUILDING AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS ACHIEVED BY CREATING A CORRIDOR THROUGH THE GYM.
THE FOOTPRINT OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY THE KITCHEN AREA AND THE BALCONY AND TURN THAT INTO A HALLWAY.
MOVE THE KITCHEN OUT. I DON'T THINK THE BALCONY IS A HEAVILY USED AREA, CONVERT THOSE TO CORRIDOR SPACE, AND THAT ALLOWS US ACCESS TO THIS NEW ADDITION WITHOUT BUILDING INTO THE MAIN PLAYER AREA BEHIND THE BUILDING.
INSIDE THE ADDITION, WE'RE PROPOSING EIGHT CLASSROOMS. IT'S AT EIGHT CLASSROOMS WITH SOME SUPPORT SPACE, TOILET ROOMS, SOME IMPORTANT CLOSETS, AND FOCUSING ON THE RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING BUILDING TO CREATE THOSE SMALLER SUPPORT SPACES.
IF YOU REMEMBER, THE ELEVATOR IS GOING TO PRODUCE A NET LOSS OF CLASSROOMS, THE TWO ELEVATORS.
WE'RE GOING TO LOSE FOUR CLASSROOMS, JUST GONE FOR THE ELEVATOR.
WE CAN CONVERT THOSE SPACES TO READING RESOURCE, 08, 1, 2, SPECIAL ED SPACES.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE PERFECT FOR THE SMALLER SUPPORT SPACES, NOT PERFECT FOR CLASSROOMS. WE'RE FOCUSING ON A SIMPLIFIED CLASSROOM ADDITION AND FINDING ALL THOSE OTHER SO IMPORTANT SPACES IN THE EXISTING BUILDING.
THAT ALLOWS US TO MOVE LESS WALLS, TOO.
WE CAN KEEP THE HISTORIC CONFIGURATION, AND THEY'LL BE RIGHT SIZE FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
>> WALTER, BEFORE YOU MOVE OFF THAT, CAN YOU JUST COMPARE THE ORIGINAL OPTION B? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT MAYBE THE LENGTH OF THAT EXTENSION VERSUS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE? BECAUSE I REMEMBER THAT HAD THREE CLASSROOMS OUT.
CAN YOU JUST A LITTLE COMPARATIVE THERE?
>> I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER OFF TOP OF MY HEAD.
>> THAT'S OKAY. WE PULLED THE ADDITION IN AS WELL AS MUCH AS WE COULD, MOVED TO THE RIGHT.
THAT WAS THE BIG MOVE STRATEGY.
>> THERE'S CLEARLY NO CAFETERIA IN THAT FOOTPRINT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT?
>> THERE'S NO CAFETERIA THERE. WE'LL GET TO THE CAFETERIA.
>> NO. I KNOW. I THINK THE OTHER DIFFERENCE, IF I REMEMBER, AND I'M GETTING MY TERMINOLOGY BECAUSE I TRY TO LISTEN.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A DOUBLE LOADED CORRIDOR AS OPPOSED TO SINGLE LOAD.
>> DOUBLE LOADED CORRIDOR. THE PREVIOUS VERSION HAD A SINGLE LOADED CORRIDOR, BUT ON THE LOWEST LEVEL, CAFETERIA WAS ON THE DOUBLE LOADED SIDE.
IT WAS ACTUALLY A WIDER ADDITION ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.
THEN WE ACTUALLY DIDN'T FILL IT OUT.
WE DIDN'T BUILD ANYTHING ABOVE THE CAFETERIA ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE IN TERMS OF THE SIZE OF THE ADDITION AND THE BANG FOR THE BUCK BECAUSE WE ARE NOW GETTING RIGHT SIZE CLASSROOMS AND WE CAN RIGHT SIZE SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS INTO THE BUILDING.
FROM AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT, SEEMS TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE AS A STRATEGY.
THE ADDITION IS THE SAME THING ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
AS WE GO UP, AGAIN, FOUR CLASSROOMS, FOUR TOILET ROOMS, FOUR CLOSETS.
OBVIOUSLY, ON THE GROUND FLOOR, WE'D HAVE EXITS TO THE PLAY AREA AND OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
>> ONE MORE THING I'M SORRY TO KEEP GOING BACK ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE THOUGHTS ABOUT AN ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE?
>> YES. IT'S ACTUALLY ALL WAY IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR.
ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF THE BUILDING TOURS, CAN WE THINK ABOUT THE ENTRANCE OUTSIDE THE EXISTING KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE AS AN ACCESSIBLE ROAD? THAT MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE.
[00:55:02]
WE THINK THAT'S ACHIEVABLE.THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO STEPS GOING INTO THE BUILDING.
ONE IS ABOUT 6" AND ONE IS ABOUT 2".
WE THINK WITH A 6-8 FOOT LENGTH RAMP, WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT IN THE VESTIBULE SPACE BETWEEN THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS. WE COULD CREATE A NEW SECURE ADA-ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE ON THE LOWEST LEVEL, RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE.
>> THAT WOULD STILL BE ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE BUILDING AS OPPOSED TO HAVING FOLKS NEEDING ACCESSIBLE ENTRY HAVING TO GO AROUND BACK.
THEY COULD ENTER THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
>> THAT WOULD BRING YOU IN FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE ELEVATOR.
THE WAY THE ENTRANCE COULD FUNCTION WITH THE SECURITY OFFICE WOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT DOES UPSTAIRS.
WE CAN JUST REPLICATE THAT DOWNSTAIRS.
THAT WAS A REALLY SMART BIT OF INPUT WE GOT DURING ONE OF THE BUILDING TOURS, AND I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THE BIGGEST CHANGE OUTSIDE OF THE ADA ENTRANCE ON THE LOWER LEVEL IN THE RENOVATIONS IS WE ARE NOW THINKING ABOUT THE OPTION OF PUTTING A CAFETERIA UNDERNEATH THE GYMNASIUM.
THAT'S WHERE THE ART ROOM CURRENTLY IS.
THEN THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF AREA PROBABLY NEVER BEEN INTO.
WE THINK THAT THE ADDITION COULD ALLOW US TO HAVE A BASEMENT SPACE ADJACENT TO THAT CAFETERIA OR EXISTING BOILER ROOM.
WE COULD BUILD A NEW BOILER IN THERE TO DO THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF HEATING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, HYDRONIC HEATING.
THEN PHASE THE CHANGEOVER TO THE NEW BOILER, GET THE NEW BOILER SET UP AND IT ALLOWS US TO DO WORK AT A DIFFERENT PACE.
WE DON'T WANT TO DO ALL OVER THIS SUMMER NECESSARILY.
THEN ONCE THAT NEW BOILER PLANT IS UP AND RUNNING AND SERVICING THE BUILDING, TAKE OUT THE OLD BOILER PLANT, VACATE THE ART ROOM AND CREATE A CAFETERIA SPACE UNDERNEATH THE GYM.
IT DOES REQUIRE SOME FLOOR INFILL, THE BOILER ROOM IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER.
IF YOU TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL AT ILLINOIS, THEY ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF A SECOND GATHERING SPACE.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE ASSEMBLIES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO DO IT.
THIS WOULD GIVE THEM THE FLEXIBILITY.
IT WOULD BE A PHASED APPROACH.
IT PROBABLY COME ON OBVIOUSLY AFTER THE NEW EDITION IS COMPLETE.
BUT WOULD BE IN A REALLY NICE LOCATION.
THEN STUDENTS COULD GO DIRECTLY OUTSIDE THE CAFETERIA AND WALK OVER TO THE LITTLE SEATING AREA.
WE SAW JUST NEXT TO THE BUILDING THAT REPLACES WHAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
IT PUTS THE CAFETERIA IN THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
IT'S EASY TO GET TO IT'S EASY TO OPEN.
AS A DOOR THAT OPENS BASICALLY RIGHT UP INTO THE DRIVEWAY, IT SEEMS TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FROM A LOCATION, FROM A STAGING.
WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS VERY LARGE GATHERING SPACE WITHIN THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT WITHOUT INTRODUCING THAT BIG ELEMENT AND COMPLICATED PIECE OF CONSTRUCTION INTO THE ADDITION.
THE OTHER THING THAT AFFORDS US IS THE FOOTPRINT TO HAVE A BIGGER KITCHEN.
WE COULD, IN THEORY, HAVE A KITCHEN THAT DOES MORE THAN JUST WARMING.
THERE COULD BE SOME FOOD PREPARATION THERE.
THAT THAT GETS YOU A REALLY NICE SIZED CAFETERIA, SAME SIZE OF THE GYM ABOVE, A NICE BIG KITCHEN AND ALLOWS US TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT MAKES SOME SENSE IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND LOGISTICS, AND KEVIN, WE'LL SPEAK TO THAT IN A MINUTE.
THOSE ARE THE BIG SHIFTS, I THINK, FOR SIWANOY.
WE DID START TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THIS ADDITION COULD LOOK LIKE.
I JUST WANT TO CAVEAT THIS, THAT THESE ARE CONCEPTUAL, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF TIME SPENT ON ANY POTENTIAL PROJECT THAT GETS AUTHORIZED IN REALLY DETAILED DESIGN.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT HOW THIS ADDITION IS GOING TO FEEL IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING, SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO TAKE A PASS AT DOING SOME MASSING.
SOME OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE THIS AS GOOGLE EARTH.
THERE'S ACTUALLY 3D CAPABILITY IN GOOGLE EARTH.
WE TOOK A SHOT FROM GOOGLE EARTH AND THEN GENERATED A 3D MODEL OF WHAT THIS BUILDING COULD BE.
YOU'LL NOTICE IT SITS RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THE STONE WALL IS, THE RETAINING WALL IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
BASICALLY FITS BETWEEN THAT AND THE CURRENT OUTDOOR PICNIC AREA, AND IS REALLY MEANT TO MATCH THE SCALE AND VOLUME OF THE EXISTING BUILDING.
THE WINGS ARE A BIT NARROWER THAN YOU WOULD WANT FOR A DOUBLE LITTLE CLASSROOM.
THE WIDTH OF THIS PORTION IS SIMILAR TO THE MIDDLE SECTION.
BUT THE ARTICULATION OF THE BUILDING IS IMAGINED TO BE IDENTICAL OR MATCH AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.
WE THOUGHT OF, THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
THIS IS THE GOOGLE CAMERA THAT DRIVES AROUND, THE STREET VIEW CAMERA THAT DRIVES AROUND.
THEN WE INTRODUCED THIS 3D MODEL INTO THERE.
YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAINTAIN AS MUCH PLAY SPACE AS POSSIBLE BEHIND THE BUILDING.
WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHERE THE STRUCTURES GO, WHAT'S GRASS,
[01:00:01]
WHAT'S HARDSCAPE, AND KEEP THAT ADDITION AS FAR AWAY FROM AS THE ROAD AS POSSIBLE.REALLY TUCK IT INTO THE CORNER THERE AND MAKE IT LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S FAMILIAR WITH THE REST OF THE BUILDING, NOT SOMETHING THAT'S FOREIGN OR DIFFERENT.
THAT'S THE GENERAL STRATEGY AND APPROACH AND THOUGHT PROCESS THERE.
WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT THE ESTIMATES AGAIN, AND WE THINK THIS APPROACH, EVEN THOUGH IT HAS SOME MORE INVOLVED INTERIOR RENOVATION IS ACHIEVABLE WITHIN THAT $28 MILLION THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT SMALLER FOOTPRINT, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME BASEMENT AREA NOW, SO THAT OFFSET THE FOOTPRINT.
BUT WE THINK WE'RE IN THE $28 MILLION NUMBER.
WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY GOING.
WE BELIEVE THE ADDITION IS ABOUT A $14 MILLION ADDITION, 14.8.
WE HAVE ABOUT 2.5 MILLION DOLLAR WORTH OF SITE IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS PROPOSAL.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE EXCAVATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR THE BUILDING.
THAT'S REALLY DEDICATED TOWARDS THE STORMWATER, THE PLAYSCAPES, THE PLAY AREAS, THE SITE PROPER OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT.
THEN ABOUT $10.7 MILLION OF INTERIOR AND RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, REINVESTMENT INTO THE EXISTING BUILDING.
>> WALTER, THE EXCAVATION THEN FOR THE ADDITION WOULD BE INCLUDED WITHIN THE ADDITION BUDGET?
>> ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING RELATIVE TO THE LAYOUT OF THIS PROPOSAL FOR OPTION C, BUT JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU WHAT THE CONSIDERATION WAS.
THIS IS PROPOSING OUR CONCEPT TO TAKE DOWN THE TWO WINGS AND REPLACE THAT WITH ONE LARGER ADDITION.
WE HAVE NOT DEVELOPED THE PLAY AREAS, THE SAME LEVEL OF DETAIL YOU SAW ON OPTION B.
BUT JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD MEAN IN TERMS OF THE SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SITE.
THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT WOULD INCREASE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY TO 25,000 SQUARE FEET WITH A COMMENSURATE OFFSET OF IMPERVIOUS PLAY AREAS DOWN TO ABOUT 16,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE PERMEABLE PLAY SURFACE WOULD INCREASE FROM WHAT IT IS NOW.
AND WE'D PROBABLY SEE A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN PERMEABLE PAVEMENT SPACES BASED ON THE LOSS OF THE OUTDOOR CAFETERIA SEATING AREA, AND OUR LANDSCAPE AREAS WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE A LITTLE BIT WITH OUR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT APPROACH AND THE POTENTIAL GREENING OF SOME OF THE SPACES TO THE RIGHT OF THE ADDITION.
I KNOW THIS SKETCH SHOWS A DRIVEWAY, THAT DRIVEWAY IS NOT TO BE INCLUDED, BUT THAT THE ALLEYWAY BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE PROPERTY LINE WOULD MOST LIKELY BE GREEN SPACE.
YOU SEE A COUPLE THOUSAND MORE SQUARE FEET OF POTENTIAL GREEN SPACE FOR THAT CONCEPT.
JUST REALLY QUICKLY, THIS PROPOSED A NEW CAFETERIA FACING THE PLAYGROUND, A GYMNASIUM, A LIBRARY, AND THEN A HOST OF NEW CLASSROOM SPACES TO REPLACE THOSE THAT WERE GONE AND SUPPLEMENT THE ADDITIONAL PROGRAM NEEDS, AND A NEW BOILER ROOM IN THE BASEMENT OF THE ADDITION.
THE ESTIMATES FOR THIS OPTION HAVE NOT CHANGED.
THEY'RE JUST UNDER $40 MILLION, 39.95 WITH A VERY SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THAT GOING TO NEW ADDITION, ABOUT $30 MILLION, AND THAT DOES INCLUDE THE DEMOLITION COMPONENT OF THE WINGS.
THE RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, YOU'LL SEE THE DOLLAR VALUE DECREASES BECAUSE WE HAVE LESS BUILDING TO RENOVATE AT THAT POINT.
THAT GOES DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MILLION.
TO NUMBERS HAVE NOT CHANGED SINCE OUR LAST PRESENTATION.
THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL IDEA AT SIWANOY.
I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD SEGUE TO KEVIN IN A SECOND, BUT THE IDEA TO COME UP, COULD WE TEMPORARILY MOVE THE PLAYGROUND THAT GETS DISPLACED ACROSS THE STREET AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE DISTRICT'S PROPERTY THERE.
IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE THE FRONT DOOR OF SIWANOY, AND TEMPORARILY LOCATE A PLAYGROUND THERE.
>> DURING CONSTRUCTION, SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THE TEMPORARY LOSSES NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT THE BUILDING.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF VIEWS OF THIS.
I THINK THIS PARTICULAR VERSION SITS IN THE FOOTPRINT OF A VERY LARGE TREE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES ON THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY.
WE'D WANT TO DO THIS IN A WAY THAT DIDN'T DISRUPT THOSE TREES.
THERE MAY BE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO THINK ABOUT IT.
WE COULD LOCATE IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT ONE THING I WOULD WANT TO POINT OUT IS TO DO THIS, WE WOULD SUGGEST THE INTRODUCTION OF BOLLARDS TO THE PATHWAY THAT GOES THROUGH THERE.
WE DID HEAR SOME RUMORS OF MAYBE SOME AMAZON PRIME DELIVERIES GOING THROUGH THERE OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
WE WANT TO SAFE IT OFF, MAKE SURE NO VEHICLE ACCESS GET THROUGH, AND POTENTIALLY USE THAT AS A SUPPLEMENTAL OUTDOOR SPACE DURING CONSTRUCTION.
[01:05:02]
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT CONCEPT.I THINK MAYBE IT'S A GOOD TIME TO HAVE KEVIN COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW HE COULD ACTUALLY DO THIS WORK AT SIWANOY.
I'M JUST GOING TO PUT HIS PRESENTATION ON.
>> WE STILL HAVE HIGH SCHOOL TO GET TO, TOO?
>> FEEL WELCOMED BACK, KEVIN. THANK YOU.
>> IT'S REALLY REALLY GREAT TO BE BACK HERE IN PELHAM IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.
AS DR. CHAMP MENTIONED EARLIER, FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE COMMUNITY AND ON BOARD, THAT MAY NOT KNOW WHO WE ARE.
MY NAME IS KEVIN SAWYER WITH TRITON CONSTRUCTION.
WE WERE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE ARCHITECT THAT YOUR LAST BOND ISSUE, IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS ON SITE SERVICES TO HELP IN THE COORDINATION OF ALL THE CONSTRUCTION THAT TOOK PLACE OVER MANY BUILDINGS OVER MANY YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO COME IN, AND WE'VE JUST IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, REALLY TRIED OUR BEST TO GET UP TO SPEED.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MEETINGS AND A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE BOARD TO GET UP TO SPEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WE WERE PRIMARILY CHARGED WITH DOING A NUMBER OF THINGS, TAKEN AN INDEPENDENT APPROACH AND SUPPORT WITH THE ARCHITECT BASED ON THE SCENARIOS THAT YOU HAVE, WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES COULD POSSIBLY BE.
THAT WAS THE FIRST THING. THE SECOND THING WAS TAKE A VERY GOOD LOOK AT THE SABINOI SITE AND START TO DEVELOP LOGISTICAL PLANS OF HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THE PROJECT DONE, MINIMIZING THE AREA WHERE PHYSICAL WORK HAS TO TAKE PLACE, MAXIMIZING THE AREAS THAT PLAYGROUND STRUCTURES AND ACCESS POINTS NEED TO BE SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH YOUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS.
THEN TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE EXPOSURES OF THE CONSTRUCTION AND ENTRY AND VEHICLE TRAFFIC FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS.
WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT WHEN WE DID PROSPECT, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT'S IN A VERY CLOSE NEIGHBORHOOD TO YOUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, AND I THINK THAT WENT PRETTY SUCCESSFULLY.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A COUPLE FEW SLIDES, THREE OR FOUR SLIDES.
THEN WE'LL GET THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.
THE THIRD THING THAT WE WERE ASKED TO HELP DEVELOP WAS AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF WHAT THE TOTAL COST OF THE BOND SHOULD BE.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE DOING AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THE COSTS BASED ON THE SCENARIOS THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN SO THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND SEE IF THE NUMBERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING SHOWED ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, OR IF SOME ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT'S PROVIDED AT THIS POINT.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS GRAPH.
THIS IS A BRIDGE VERSION OF A VERY LARGE SCHEDULE THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER.
WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO START TO SHOW YOU IN THE COMMUNITY HERE IS THAT WE ARE TAKING A FINER LOOK AT THE IMPACTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL SCENARIOS, OVERALL, BEST CASE.
THEN I WANT TO DISCUSS ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY BE INDIVIDUALLY AND HOW THAT COULD EXPAND OR CONTRACT YOUR ENTIRE TIMELINE.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE MAKING SOME BASE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED AS WE GO, THAT COULD IMPACT SOME OF THIS INFORMATION.
SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD BEAR.
WHAT WE CAN DO ALL AT THE SAME TIME THAT WILL NOT AFFECT YOUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OR MAY NEED TO BE DIVERTED IN SOME WAY, TAKING MORE ADVANTAGE OF SUMMER TIMES TO DO HIGH IMPACT WORK IN AREAS THAT WE CAN'T ACCESS DURING A REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
ALSO FOR BUILDINGS LIKE SIMON OR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THE ADDITION PROJECTS, IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO TRY AND DO THE ADDITIONS FIRST.
THEN DO THE RENOVATIONS AFTER IN THE EXISTING BUILDINGS, THAT ALLOWS US SOME ROOM FOR SWING SPACE BETWEEN THEM AND POTENTIALLY OTHER TYPES OF ACCESS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR DOING SOME HIGH IMPACT CONSTRUCTION LIKE MECHANICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, CONVERTING HOT WATER SYSTEMS TO STEAM, WHICH WE HAVE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH.
WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW IN YONKERS ON PS32.
[01:10:05]
THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT TYPE OF WORK THAT WE HAVE TO INTRODUCE AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT.WHAT I WANTED TO GET OUT OF THIS IS THAT THERE'S BASICALLY AND YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN A GRAPH OF SOME SORT IN THE PAST, A BAR CHART INDICATING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE SCHEDULE.
WE'RE NOW IN A COMMONLY CALLED PRE REFERENDUM, PRE BOND.
WE MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE BOARD IS CONSIDERING MAY FOR THE BOND VOTE, UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT COULD CHANGE.
BUT FOR TODAY, THE SNAPSHOT MAKES THAT ASSUMPTION.
HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO DO THE PHYSICAL DESIGN, WHICH WE'RE BASICALLY ANTICIPATING TO BE ABOUT A YEAR.
THEN HOW LONG WILL SED TAKE TO REVIEW ALL THESE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS, HOW WE'RE GOING TO PACKAGE IT, HOPEFULLY TO MINIMIZE THE PACKAGES SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO SEND TOO MANY THINGS UP TO THE STATE.
HOPEFULLY IN A YEAR'S TIME, THE TIMELINE FOR THAT REVIEW PROCESS STILL REMAINS LOW BECAUSE IT HAS ADJUSTED LONGER AND SHORTER OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS.
THEY DID REINTRODUCE A THIRD PARTY REVIEW.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF THAT.
BUT SINCE THEY HAVE, THE TIMELINES HAVE SHRUNK A LITTLE BIT.
WE COULD TALK ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF STRATEGIES AS WE GO ALONG.
ABOUT A YEAR TO REVIEW, ABOUT FOUR, FIVE MONTHS TO GET SD APPROVALS, DEPENDING ON HOW WE PHASE THE DESIGN AND SUBMISSION TO THE STATE, THEN WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A BID PROCESS.
USUALLY IT TAKES ABOUT START TO FINISH FROM WHEN WE GO OUT TO BID TO WHEN WE ASK THE BOARD TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN WEEKS.
WHICH PUTS SUSPEND FROM 2026 SUBMISSION OVER THE SUMMER INTO THE FALL BID IN THE FALL OF 2026 BRINGS US INTO THE SPRING OF 2027 AND THE POTENTIAL START OF CONSTRUCTION.
YOU CAN SEE THAT YOU'RE PLANNING NOW TODAY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S STILL REALLY FAR OFF.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.
WE AS A WHOLE, MAKING CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS ON WHAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN BEAR, IF YOU WERE TO TRY AND ATTEMPT TO TAKE ALL OF THE PROGRAM TOGETHER, THE BEST CASE SCENARIO WOULD BE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION.
SOME WOULD BE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR ADDITIONS AND THINGS.
A LOT OF THINGS WOULD BE DURING THE SUMMER.
BUT THEN THINGS HAVE TO BE PRIORITIZED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
BUT ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
PROBABLY GOING TO BE ADJUSTED A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
ONCE WE START REALLY GETTING INTO WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH WITHIN EACH ONE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU STILL CAN CONTINUE WITH YOUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE THINKING IT'S ABOUT 41 MONTHS TOTAL, 42 MONTHS, TOTAL THREE AND A HALF YEARS. BEST CASE SCENARIO.
YOU CAN SEE THE SCENARIO HERE FINISHING THE CONSTRUCTION, STARTING AND BASICALLY CALL IT JUNE OR THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER IN 2027, WHICH ALSO FALLS IN LINE WITH SOME OF YOUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW YOU ARE PAYING FOR IT AND SOME TAX, SOME RETIRED DEBT THAT WOULD BE COMING OFF AT THAT TIME, TO MAKE SOME OF THE NUMBERS WORK MORE FAVORABLY FOR YOUR BOND BOOK.
THEN FINISHING SOMETIME AROUND THE FALL OF 2030.
THEN, THERE'LL BE SOME CLOSEOUTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WILL BE DONE SOME AFTER HOURS, BUT MOSTLY BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET THE PROJECTS CLOSED OUT.
WE'RE STARTING TO HONE DOWN ON THIS LITTLE MORE.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'LL GET MUCH MUCH MORE DETAILED AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL SCHEDULE AND THIS PARTICULAR SCENARIO.
A QUICK SYNOPSIS OF WHAT I JUST DISCUSSED WITH YOU, ASSUMING A BOND VOTE FOR MAY 2025, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION THROUGH MAY 2026.
AWARDS THROUGH JUNE OF 2026, CONSULTANT AWARDS, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE THIRD PARTY ENVIRONMENTAL, BORING ANALYSIS.
[01:15:05]
A LOT OF THINGS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DESIGN IS WE UNDERSTAND THE SITE AND THE SURROUNDINGS IN THE GO.UP TO SED, MAY TO AUGUST, PREPARATION OF BIDDING, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER BID AWARD, OCTOBER THROUGH JANUARY.
SUBMITTAL COORDINATION IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO, SO WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT START ANYTHING OVER THE SCHOOL YEAR.
MOST LIKELY, WE'LL START IN THAT FIRST SUMMER OF 27.
THIS MAYBE SOME ROCK REMOVAL AGAIN THAT YOU MAY NEED TO DEAL WITH SIMILAR LIKE WE DID HUTCH.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AGAIN WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> TOO SOON, [OVERLAPPING] KEVIN [LAUGHTER]. TOO SOON.
>> BUT THAT'S THE OVERALL PRE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE THEN THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE, DEPENDING ON THE SCENARIO.
ONE, 2, AND 3, APPROXIMATELY 29 MONTHS, 4, 05, 6, 7, APPROXIMATELY.
WELL, 4 IS 31, 5, 6, 7 IS 41, AND THAT WILL RANGE.
PRIMARILY, SOME OF THOSE ARE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THE WORK HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN AREAS THAT WE CANNOT DISTURB DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE ARE TAKING IN VERY CLOSE CONSIDERATION THE IMPACT OF WHAT CONSTRUCTION DOES LONG TERM TO YOUR STUDENTS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO TRY AND MINIMIZE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH.
THERE'S GOING TO BE A BALANCE THERE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE AS WE GO FURTHER.
THE NEXT THING THAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO IS TAKE A DEEPER DIVE AT LOGISTICS, BASED ON THE CLASSROOM ADDITION IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SET IN STONE.
THIS IS JUST AN ANALYSIS BASED ON THE CURRENT INFORMATION WE HAVE.
IF THE BOARD OF COMMUNITY MAKES OTHER DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THINGS GO, WE WILL ADJUST.
WE DO NEED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPACE IN ORDER TO PHYSICALLY BUILD THE BUILDING.
THERE WILL BE SOME FENCING, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE IN ORANGE WITH THE LITTLE XS AROUND.
AGAIN, THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, SO NONE OF THIS IS SET IN STONE.
WE NEED A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE IN ORDER TO GET AROUND THE BUILDING, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DOES ENCROACH A LOT ON YOUR CURRENT PLAYGROUND AREA.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK VERY HARD TO BRING THIS BACK CLOSER TO WHERE THE CURRENT RETAINING WALL IS, SO YOU CAN MAXIMIZE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE THERE, BUT STILL GET ACCESS ON THE SITE AROUND THE BUILDING FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE HAVE A CRANE ON THE SITE TO INSTALL THE STRUCTURAL STEEL, PUT UP SCAFFOLDING AND RUN MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AROUND TO MOVE MATERIALS LIKE MASONRY, BRICK AND BLOCK AND STONE AROUND.
THEN LOGISTICS FOR STORAGE AND MATERIALS AND CONTAINERS, STORAGE COMPARTMENTS, TOILET FACILITIES, AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK TO TRY AND MINIMIZE CONSTRUCTION TRAILERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY GOING TO END UP BEING VERY VERY TIGHT FOR US TO PHYSICALLY DO THE CONSTRUCTION IN.
WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT MOVING THE CONSTRUCTION ENTRANCE FARTHER AWAY SO THAT THERE WON'T BE SO MUCH ACTIVITY TAKING PLACE ALONG YOUR FENCE LINE WHERE YOU HAVE A NOTICEABLE CLOSE NEIGHBORS.
WE WANT TO BE CONSCIOUS OF THAT AS WELL.
I'M LEARNING THAT THERE COULD POTENTIALLY BE SOME OTHER SITE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WITHIN THE TOWN.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
>> [INAUDIBLE] ALL THESE EVIDENCES LINE AREA.
THE ORANGE OUTLINED AREA, THAT'S THE CONSTRUCTION SETUP SPACE.
THAT IS IN THIS JUST PROPOSING, BUT THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE MOVING AROUND.
THAT WILL BE A STATIONARY SITE FOR THE WHOLE 26 MONTHS, OR IS THAT SHIFTING AS THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS?
>> THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT QUESTION, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BECAUSE WE MIGHT NEED TO DO SOMEWHAT OF A TRADE OFF.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUSH THESE THINGS BACK DURING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE WORK TO ALLOW YOU TO HAVE MORE ASPHALT PLAY SPACE.
BUT THEN AT CERTAIN IMPORTANT TIMES, MAYBE THREE WEEKS HERE, TWO WEEKS THERE, WE MAY NEED TO PUSH THAT FENCE OUT, TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF YOUR PLAY SPACE TO FINISH CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE WORK, AND THEN WHEN IT'S DONE, BRING IT BACK.
WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT THE OTHER DAY.
THAT COULD VERY WELL WORK. GOOD OBSERVATION.
[01:20:03]
>> FOLLOW UP. IF THAT IS HAPPENING PUSHING THE SPACE OUT, BRINGING THE SPACE BACK IN, WE WOULD KNOW IN ADVANCE WHAT THAT TIMELINE IS SO WE COULD MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT AND MAKE EVERYBODY WELL AWARE OF WHEN THE PLACE SPACE WOULD BE CHANGING SIZE.
>> ABSOLUTELY, YES. WELL IN ADVANCE.
ONCE WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR ON BOARD AND WE ESTABLISH THE OVERALL SCHEDULE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH YOUR ADMINISTRATION, AS WELL AS YOUR BUILDING PRINCIPLES, WHO WHEN WE'RE ON SITE, WILL COMMUNICATE MUCH MORE WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO THEY'LL UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
THEY'LL KNOW WELL IN ADVANCE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
>> THEN FOR THE PERIMETER, AND THIS MIGHT JUST BE A CONCEPTUAL QUESTION RIGHT NOW VERSUS A REAL QUESTION.
BUT WHAT DO WE DO TO MINIMIZE SOUND DISRUPTION AND NOISE DISRUPTION FOR THE NEIGHBOR SPECIFICALLY ON THIS RIGHT SIDE BECAUSE IT DOES ABUT PROPERTIES VERY CLOSE?
>> REAL CHALLENGES BECAUSE IT'S A BALANCE.
THE REALITY IS THAT SOME OF THE WORK, THERE MAY NOT BE AS MANY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP MINIMIZE THOSE THINGS.
VISUALLY, YOU COULD DO SOME THINGS.
BUT IN TERMS OF SOUND, THAT BECOMES A LOT MORE COMPLICATED.
THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDELINES THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW UNDER CODE 155.5, I BELIEVE IT IS IN THE GENERAL BUILDING CODE, WHICH TALKS ABOUT NOISE LEVELS, AND HOW LOUD WE CAN DO CERTAIN WORK IN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE CAN DO IT.
THERE COULD BE SOME PARTS OF THIS WORK THAT WILL BE LOUDER THAN OTHERS.
AS YOU GET FARTHER ALONG WITH THIS PROJECT, YOU'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IN DETAIL AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION MORE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AS IT BECOMES MORE REAL BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE ISSUES THAT YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS THAT MIGHT CREATE THOSE TYPES OF NOISES.
[OVERLAPPING] BUT RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT WE START THINKING BIG PICTURE PLAN OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO OPERATE YOUR SCHOOLS, NUMBER 1.
NUMBER 2, HOW THE CONSTRUCTION AFFECTS YOUR NEIGHBORS AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO MITIGATE THOSE THINGS, AS YOU SAID.
WE'LL START LOOKING AT THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
THEN NUMBER 3, PHYSICALLY BUILDING IT AND TRYING TO GET IT DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL TIMELINE HERE SAYS 29 MONTHS FOR THE WORK.
THAT'S ALL THE WORK IN TOTAL FOR THIS BUILDING, BUT WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT THE ACTUAL EXPOSURE IS PROBABLY ABOUT 14 MONTHS ON THE NEW ADDITION.
IF WE START THAT SAY, JULY 1 OF 2027, IT WOULD BE THE END OF AUGUST 2028.
>> THE ADDITION WOULD BE DONE, AND THEN YOU NO LONGER HAVE ANY OF THIS ISSUE AFFECTING THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING OR YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, 14 MONTHS IS A PRETTY GOOD AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE, BUT YOU CAN GET IT DONE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THAT'S A GOOD TIMELINE. I THINK YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
>> I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT. YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
WHAT WE DID WITH HUTCHINSON WE TRIED TO KEEP AS MUCH DIRECT LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
THAT'S OUR GOAL ALWAYS TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, TO TRY TO MINIMIZE TO THE DEGREE THAT WE CAN.
I MEAN, THE REALITY IS IT'S CONSTRUCTION.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT TO STAY IN COMMUNICATION AND TRY TO BALANCE.
>> ACTUAL YOU KNOCKED ON DOORS, SAT DOWN WITH SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.
>> COFFEE AND TEA WITH SOME OF THE TIME TO TIME.
IT WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT. I THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT.
THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN FANTASTIC THAT WAY ABOUT TAKING THE APPROACH OF KEEPING VERY OPEN ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WITH MY EXPERIENCE AT HUTCH.
I THINK WE JUST SUPERINTENDENT HERE, IT'LL BE NO DIFFERENT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HIS PROJECT AS WELL.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING GREAT IN HOW YOU'RE NOTIFYING YOUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS THING SO EARLY ON BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS THEORETICAL AND PRELIMINARY AS IT USUALLY IS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO TOO MUCH BEFORE YOUR BOND VOTE.
>> COULD YOU JUST A QUICK QUESTION, IF YOU COULD BACK UP MAYBE TWO OR THREE SLIDES.
>> THE SED REVIEW YOU HAVE THERE IS LIKE THREE MONTHS.
>> IS THAT ASPIRATIONAL? I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT'S THE CURRENT SORT OF DELHI TICKET DOWN COUNTER TICKETS.
[01:25:04]
>> AS OF LAST WEEK, MECHANICALS WERE 2-4 WEEKS, REGULAR SED REVIEW.
ARCHITECTURAL WAS 12-14 WEEKS.
THAT WAS DOWN 2-4 WEEKS FROM ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO.
EITHER THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW HELPED IT OR PROJECT SLOWED DOWN.
I DON'T KNOW, OR THEY'RE JUST MOVING QUICKER.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO WHY THAT HAPPENED.
BUT RIGHT NOW THE TIME PERIOD IS PRETTY GOOD.
THAT WILL PROBABLY RANGE IF ALL THE PROJECTS WERE SENT TO SED AT THE SAME TIME, A REVIEW OF THREE MONTHS PLUS, THE PART THAT'S REALLY HARD TO PREDICT IS THE PROJECT MANAGER FINAL FISCAL REVIEW, WHICH USED TO TAKE DAYS AND NOW TAKES WEEKS, WHICH IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT WILL BE.
BUT THAT MOSTLY WILL INCREASE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEND THE PROJECTS IN ONE AFTER THE OTHER INSTEAD OF ALL AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE IF YOU DO ALL OF IT AT ONCE, IT'S A LOT OF DESIGN WORK THAT KGD IS GOING TO BE DOING FOR YOU IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
THAT'S A VERY AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
CHAMP HAD MENTIONED, THE THIRD AND FINAL THING THAT PRIORITY ITEM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS THE REVIEW AND DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET.
ON THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'VE SEEN, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A COUPLE MORE WEEKS TO DO THAT.
BUT IT'S OUR PLAN TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO WEEKS TO TELL YOU WHAT OUR RESULTS ARE.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO.
>> YOUR DATA OF SED WAS PERFECT.
AS THE EXACT REVIEW TIMES RIGHT NOW. GOOD JOB.
THE HANGUP IS THE FISCAL ASSOCIATES.
BUT THE SED IS BROUGHT BACK THIRD PARTY REVIEWS.
THEY ACTUALLY HIRE OTHER DESIGN FIRMS TO REVIEW FOR A FEE, CAN HAVE AN OUTSIDE AGENCY REVIEW IT AND INSTEAD OF SED.
THREE MONTHS PROBABLY GO RIGHT NOW.
IF THE Q IS GOOD, WE CAN USE A STANDARD REVIEW, IF NOT, WE CAN GO A THIRD PARTY.
WE'RE ACTUALLY UP TO OPTION E1 WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I KNOW THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME.
BUT WE'VE RANGED EVERYWHERE BETWEEN SIX NEW LABS TO 12 NEW LABS, RENOVATING THE ANNEX FOR DISTRICT OFFICE.
BEEN QUITE A FEW VARIABLES, BUT WE'VE GOT AN OPTION NOW THAT IS EIGHT NEW SCIENCE LABS, A NEW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COMMONS IN THE MORE EFFICIENT FOOTPRINT.
THE THEME OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS HAS BRING SOME EFFICIENCY INTO THIS.
IT CONNECTS THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, WOULD RUN PARALLEL TO THE ANNEX.
THESE ARE THE THREE FLOORS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE LEFT SIDE, THE LOWEST FLOOR, SECOND FLOOR, AND THIRD FLOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
THE FIRST FLOOR HAS THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COMMONS.
THEN YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE ANNEX, WE ARE PROPOSING SOME RENOVATIONS.
THIS IS NOT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY TO RENOVATE THE EXISTING LABS THAT ARE THERE, TO SPRUCE THEM UP, SO TO SPEAK, AND RELOCATE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TECH SPACE, THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE ANNEX, BECAUSE WE ARE PROPOSING TO CARVE OUT THE CURRENT MIDDLE SCHOOL TECH SPACE TO BE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SPACE.
LET'S LOOK AT EACH FLOOR. THIS IS THE LOWER FLOOR OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THE LIGHT BLUE BLOCK IN THE ADDITION IS ENVISIONED TO BE THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COMMONS.
THERE WOULD BE FOOD AVAILABLE, WOULDN'T REALLY BE A DEDICATED CAFETERIA.
IT'D BE SOMETHING FAR MORE DYNAMIC THAN THAT.
SOMETHING BETWEEN A LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER AND A CAFETERIA.
IT COULD BE PROGRAMMED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL USE, COULD BE USED FOR GROUP SETTINGS, COULD BE USED FOR ASSEMBLIES, EVENTS.
IT COULD BE CONFIGURED IN A WAY THAT CLASSES COULD USE IT.
WE COULD HAVE SOME DEMOUNTABLE PARTITIONS.
THIS IS ENVISIONED TO BE SOMETHING MUCH MORE DYNAMIC AKIN TO A COLLEGE STUDENT CENTER.
THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT WITHIN THIS FOOTPRINT.
WE HAVE HINTED AT SOME CO-LABS BASIS.
THOSE WOULD BE THE BREAKOUT ROOMS THAT COULD BE USED FOR GROUP MEETINGS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE BACK OF HOUSE FACILITIES, TOILET ROOMS, THAT THING ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
[01:30:01]
THE PURPLE AREA IS A MIDDLE SCHOOL TECH SPACE BEHIND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OFFICE, AND WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT THAT COULD BE CONVERTED TO DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SPACE.IT HAS REALLY GOOD PROXIMAL ENTRANCE TO THE FRONT DOOR.
FOLKS WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE BUILDING TO GET TO IT.
SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY GOOD GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION IN THE BUILDING FOR THAT ACTIVITY.
AS WE MOVE UP IN THE PROPOSED ADDITIONS, FOUR SCIENCE SLABS ON EACH FLOOR, DOUBLE LOTTER CORRIDOR, LOVE THE TERMINOLOGY, SCIENCE ROOMS WITH PREP SPACES, SOME STORAGE, WE HAVE TWO STAIRWELLS, AND ON THE SECOND FLOOR, A BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I SHOULD NOTE ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
THERE'S ACTUALLY NO HARD WALLED CONNECTION TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'D BE MORE OF LIKE A BREEZEWAY GOING THROUGH.
ON THE UPPER FLOOR, WE HAVE A BRIDGE THAT GOES ACROSS, CONNECTS IN, AND A BRIDGE OR A CONNECTION INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY.
IT WRAPS AROUND THE STAIRCASE, CONNECTS IN SIWANOY, END UP WITH A FULL CIRCULATION KIND OF DONUT THROUGH THE ANNEX TO THE HIGH SCHOOL BACK TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HOPEFULLY THAT WOULD HELP WITH SOME CIRCULATION AND LOCATES THE SCIENCE MOST OF IT IN A CORE CENTRAL AREA ON THE SECOND FLOOR HERE.
>> WELL, JUST A QUICK QUESTION, IT MAYBE A DISCUSSION FOR A DIFFERENT TIME, WHICH IS FINE.
IS THERE A REASON STRUCTURALLY THAT THERE COULDN'T BE A CONNECTION ON THE GROUND FLOOR? I'M GOING TO ASSUME YES, SINCE YOU DIDN'T PUT IT IN THERE.
>> THE ONLY REASON WE DIDN'T SHOW IT THERE IS THE COURTYARD POSES SOME ISSUE.
IT JUST RUNS SECURITY AND ACCESS THROUGH IT.
WE COULD LOOK AT THAT, BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE'S FREE ACCESS FROM THE COURT AREA THROUGH THE BUILDING THERE. WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
>> THEN ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE ANNEX, WE JUST LABELED ONE OF THE ROOMS AS MIDDLE SCHOOL TECH, BUT THE IDEA IS TO SPRUCE UP THAT EXISTING SCIENCE SUITE SO THAT AT THE END OF THIS PROJECT, THERE ARE 13 REALLY NICE SCIENCE LABS.
EIGHT NEW ONES AND THEN FIVE RENOVATED ONES IN THE ANNEX ALLOWS YOU TO GET OUT OF THE UNDERSIZED SPACES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, REPURPOSE THOSE FOR CLASSROOMS, SO YOU GAIN GENERAL CAPACITY AND REALLY BOLSTER THE SCIENCE FOOTPRINT WITHIN THE BUILDING.
THIS ADDITION FALLS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THAT SIX LAB VERSION WE SAW AND THE 10 LAB VERSION WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, $38.85 MILLION.
THAT INCLUDES A $34 MILLION ADDITION.
I KNOW ON THE SCREEN, IT LOOKS LIKE THE SAME SIZE AS THE SIWANOY ONE.
THIS IS SIGNIFICANTLY BIGGER THAN SIWANOY.
THERE IS SOME RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING BUILDING THAT INCLUDES THE SCIENCE LABS, BUT THERE'S ALSO WHERE WE POKE IN THE BRIDGES AND THE CORRIDORS TO THE BUILDING.
WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT RENOVATING THE VACATED ROOMS, THE ROOMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED THE SCIENCE.
WE THINK THAT COULD BE HANDLED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, BUT THAT'S AS WHOLE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL EDITION.
THEN WE'RE ESTIMATING ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS TO CREATE THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SPACE.
THERE'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE PROGRAMMING INVOLVED TO REFINE THAT NUMBER.
WE THINK THAT'S THE UPPER END OF WHAT THAT WOULD TAKE TO RENOVATE THAT INTO LARGE ROOM INTO DEDICATED OFFICE SPACE, INDIVIDUAL OFFICES.
THE PRIMARY FACTOR THERE IS BUILDING WALLS, VENTILATION, AND THEN CIRCUITRY FOR LIGHTING, FIRE ALARMS. EVERY TIME YOU BUILD A ROOM, PUT A LIGHT SWITCH, LIGHTS HAVE TO GO ON, THERE NEEDS TO BE A SEPARATE FIRE ALARM IN THERE AND NEED DEDICATED VENTILATION.
THAT'S THE DRIVER OF THE COST.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A FEW TIMES.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR CODING, AND NOT IT'S TOUGH TO READ HERE.
BUT WE'VE GOT FIVE NEW OPTIONS.
>> I CAN SPEAK TO THIS A LITTLE BIT, AND I SHARE THESE WITH THE BOARD JUST AS SOME STARTING POINTS.
OPTION 1, I WOULD SAY IS ALL IN ALTOGETHER, FULL PACKAGE.
AGAIN, WHAT I SAID EARLIER, MINUS GEOTHERMAL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDED.
BUT IF WE WANTED TO CONSIDER ALL OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT, I TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF A LEAP OF FAITH AND MADE AN ASSUMPTION THAT GIVEN MORE ENERGY AND HAS BEEN AROUND OPTION B AT SIWANOY AS OPPOSED TO OPTION C. I ASKED WALTER TO LOOK TO PUT THAT BUDGET INTO THIS.
IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER EVERYTHING, THAT'S OPTION A AS ONE REFERENDUM PACKAGE.
OPTION 2 WAS AGAIN, EVERYTHING ALL IN, BUT SPLIT POTENTIALLY INTO TWO DIFFERENT PROPOSITIONS LIKE WE DID IN THE 2018 BOND, WHERE YOU'D HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ELEMENTARY COMPONENT, MEANING SIWANOY.
ALL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SIWANOY IN PROPOSITION 1 WITH EVERYTHING HIGH SCHOOL RELATED IN PROPOSITION 2.
THERE'S A REALLY THE SAME COST, SAME BUDGETS FOR BOTH, BUT SPLIT INTO TWO PROPOSITIONS.
OPTION 3 STRUCTURED SIMILARLY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TAKING THE AIR CONDITIONING AND WINDOWS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL OUT.
[01:35:06]
THE THINKING BEHIND THAT WAS NOT THAT I DON'T LOVE THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND WANT THEM TO BE COMFORTABLE.THE THINKING WAS, AND I SHARED THIS WITH THE BOARD.
THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF AIR CONDITIONING IN DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOPPY COPY MAP, BUT WE'VE GOT FROM BEST COUNT, JUST TALKING ABOUT CLASSROOMS, 12 CLASSROOMS ON THE TOP FLOOR OF THE HIGH SCHOOL WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING, WHICH WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE PUTTING AIR CONDITIONING IN BEFORE SEPTEMBER THROUGH WINDOW UNITS.
THE MIDDLE LEVEL HAS 10 CLASSROOMS, AND THE GROUND FLOOR LEVEL ONLY HAS SIX THAT ARE ON AIR CONDITIONED AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
>> THAT ARE NOT AIR CONDITIONS.
>> THAT ARE NOT AIR CONDITIONED.
>>DO YOU KNOW OUT OF HOW MANY?
>> NO, I DIDN'T COUNT THAT FAR.
>> TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT, THERE SO MUCH OF THIS.
>> I CAN COUNT BUT SHE IS MORE COVERED THAN THAT.
I WILL COUNT AND GET THAT FOR YOU.
BUT THE POINT IS THAT'S REALLY 28 ROOMS. WE COULD POTENTIALLY JUST USE A DIFFERENT STRATEGY FOR THAT.
AGAIN, BY SEPTEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 12 OUT OF 28 AIR CONDITIONED ANYWAYS.
IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE TO THINK THAT MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD PULL OFF OFF THE PLATE.
I KNOW WE TALKED IN A PRIOR MEETING ABOUT IT AIR CONDITIONING AND WINDOWS MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO PAIR THAT WORK TOGETHER FOR THE EFFICIENCIES AND COST SAVINGS.
BUT I WOULD SAY WITH THAT AND THE BOARD MAY REMEMBER THIS, IN ORDER TO CONSIDER GEOTHERMAL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOTH HEATING AND COOLING.
IF WE DON'T MOVE AHEAD WITH AIR CONDITIONING FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE ALSO THEN COULD NOT MOVE AHEAD WITH GEOTHERMAL.
I JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT.
OPTION 1, OPTION 2 WAS ALL IN.
WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD GEOTHERMAL TO WHATEVER DEGREE THE BOARD WANTED TO CONSIDER THAT.
OPTION 3 IS EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE HIGH SCHOOL AIR CONDITIONING AND WINDOWS.
OPTION 4, JUST A VARIATION ON A THEME.
OPTION 4 WAS, I BELIEVE THE ELEMENTARY PACKAGE, SO BASICALLY JUST THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SIWANOY PROJECTS.
OPTION 5 WAS JUST INFRASTRUCTURE AND HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT ONLY.
THAT ONE DOES NOT RECONCILE THE ADA ISSUES AT SIWANOY BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T TOUCH SIWANOY, BUT THOSE ARE SOME DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. TO PRESENT THOSE.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT I WOULD PUT OUT THERE BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE HEARD THE TERM JAW DROPPING FOR SOME OF THESE DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
THE REMINDER THAT 65 MILLION OF THIS CAN BE DONE IN A DEBT NEUTRAL WAY.
THOSE BUDGETS -65 MILLION IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR WHEN WE CONSIDER WHAT'S THE TAX BURDEN GOING TO BE.
>> WALTER, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE HIGH SCHOOL PICTURES?
>> THAT ONE'S FINE. WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OFFICES, HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE? DO YOU KNOW?
>> I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I KNOW THERE WAS A CRITICAL NUMBER AND I KNOW WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT.
I JUST DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE NUMBER WAS.
>> THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS THE HIGH SCHOOL COMMONS AREA, AND THIS MAY BE GETTING AHEAD OF OURSELVES AND INTO DETAIL.
I KNOW THE THE BAND, AND THIS IS GETTING VERY SPECIFIC, BUT IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION SOMETIMES, WOULD LOVE A SPACE THAT'S MORE ACOUSTICALLY FRIENDLY? I'LL SAY, COULD IT BE DESIGNED TO BE MORE ACOUSTICALLY FRIENDLY FOR A BAND TO PERFORM THAN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GYM, WHICH IS WHERE THEY CURRENTLY PERFORM.
>> THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT IS YES, OF COURSE.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH THINKING ABOUT 21ST CENTURY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LARGER OPEN SPACES, THINKING ABOUT LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS WHERE IT'S NOT A PLACE YOU GO READ A BOOK AND THE LIBRARIAN COMES AROUND AND SHIES YOU.
IT'S A COLLABORATIVE SPACE, WHERE THERE'S GROUP WORK HAPPENING, THERE'S DISCUSSION, THERE'S INTERCHANGE OF IDEAS, THERE'S INTERACTION WITH DIGITAL MEDIA.
ACOUSTICS ARE AN ISSUE IN THOSE SPACES.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CREATING A STUDENT COMMONS, WE'RE CERTAINLY GOING TO WANT TO MAKE THEM FRIENDLY FOR ACOUSTICS, BECAUSE WE WANT A VIBRANT SPACE WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE WORKING, EXCHANGING IDEAS.
BUT TRYING TO DO THAT IN A SPACE LIKE THE GYM, WHERE IT'S BONE RATTLING SOMETIMES WITH THE ECHOING.
I WOULD ANTICIPATE THIS IS GOING TO BE SUPERIOR FOR ACOUSTICS FOR THAT PERSPECTIVE.
NOW, ACOUSTICS FOUR BANDS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
>> NO. I KNOW I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT.
BASICALLY A STEP UP FROM THE GYM.
>>IT'S LIKE TALK ABOUT THE STUDENT COMMENT,
[01:40:03]
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE LIBRARY AND THE CAFETERIA.THE ACOUSTICS WILL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE GYM AND THE THEATER.
>> ANNEMARIE, JUST SUPER QUICK THUMBNAIL, PROBABLY NOT TOTALLY ACCURATE.
TOP FLOOR, 12 OUT OF 32 ROOMS SO 20 OUT OF 32 ARE AIR CONDITIONED, 32 OUT OF 42 ARE AIR CONDITIONED ON THE NEXT FLOOR, 20 OUT OF 26 ARE AIR CONDITIONED ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
>> IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
THE HALLWAY NO, SOME OF OUR LARGE SPACES LIKE SOME OF THE GYMS NO, IN ADDITION TO THOSE.
BUT AGAIN, THERE COULD BE SOME STRATEGY AROUND THAT THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT IN SMALLER SCALE IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU.
>> HI. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SAFETY.
>> THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY SAFETY DOORS, LIKE ENTRANCES TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED IT IN THE PAST OF HOW DO WE MAKE THAT MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE.
THERE'S NO DISCUSSION HERE ON HAVING A DOOR.
>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE A SPECIFIC INTERVENTION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF STRATEGIES ABOUT HOW TO ACCOMMODATE THAT AND THINK ONE OF THEM WAS A CONSIDERATION FOR OPERATIONAL CHANGE ABOUT WHEN THAT FRONT DOOR IS USED.
>> I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THAT NATALIE, THE 18 FRANKLIN PLACE ENTRANCE.
IF THERE WAS A WAY TO CONSTRUCT SOME DOUBLE DOOR ENTRY THERE, THEN WE COULD DO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO AT PROSPECT HILL, PROBABLY WHAT WE WOULD THEN DO AT SIWANOY, WHERE MAIN ARRIVAL IS THROUGH THE MAIN DOOR, BUT THEN ONCE SCHOOL STARTS, WE GO TO A SINGLE-POINT ENTRY, THAT'S AT A DIFFERENT POINT OF ENTRY.
YOU COULD GO TO THE FRANKLIN PLACE.
>> TO BE FRANK, ADDING A SECURE VESTIBULE DOOR TO THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT BASED ON THE SIZE AND SCALE OF IT WOULD BE INSIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET.
WE DO HAVE A FAIRLY ROBUST DESIGN CONTINGENCY JUST TO PICK UP ADDITIONAL PIECES OF SCOPE THAT MAYBE ARE NOT FULLY ARTICULATED AT THIS MOMENT.
I THINK ADDRESSING A SECURE ENTRANCE, AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT CREATING A NEW ADDITION OR SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT RECONFIGURATION OF THE MAIN ENTRY, I THINK ADDING A VESTIBULE AND SOME CONTROL ACCESS POINT WOULD EASILY FIT WITHIN THE SCALE AND SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT.
>> OTHER QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK ON WHAT YOU'VE SEEN TONIGHT FROM THESE REVISIONS?
>> I LIKE THE NEW SIWANOY DESIGN AND THE CREATIVITY AROUND PUTTING THE CAFETERIA BENEATH THE GYM.
I THINK THAT'S GREAT, AND THE IDEA THAT THERE COULD BE ADA ACCESSIBILITY RIGHT THERE, I THINK IS FANTASTIC.
>> YEAH. I HAVE TO SAY, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE INFO SESSIONS, AND TOURS, AND ASKED QUESTIONS, THERE WERE SOME REALLY GREAT IDEAS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT EXCHANGE, AND HOPEFULLY WE'VE CAPTURED MOST OF THE CONCEPTS AND TRIED TO REFINE.
I THINK IT'S RESULTED IN A DESIGN APPROACH THAT SEEMS TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
THE REFINEMENTS ARE ALL FOUNDED IN THE ONES WE GOT BACK AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF THOSE.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, YOU NOTICE THE ADDITION HAS EIGHT CLASSROOMS AND BEFORE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX.
THE CAFETERIA MOVE DOES ELIMINATE THE ART ROOM, SO WE HAVE A NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL NET GAIN.
BUT WITHIN THAT SAME BUDGET, WE ARE GETTING AN ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM OUT OF IT.
WHERE WE NEED TO REPLACE FIVE, NOW WE GET THREE NEW ONES, IN ADDITION TO THAT.
THERE'S SOME NET BENEFIT COMING OUT OF THE EFFICIENCY, THE ARRANGEMENT IN ADDITION AS WELL.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THANK YOU.
>> I ALSO FOUND THE ARTISTIC RENDERINGS ARE HELPFUL TOO.
>> ALSO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW, WELL, WHEN YOU ASK, CAN THE PLAYGROUND BE MOVED, THOSE ARE NOT DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ALREADY.
>> IF THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTS MORE BLACKTOP SPACE OR PERMEABLE OPEN AREA SPACE, THEN IT CAN BE DESIGNED THAT WAY.
YOU ARE SHOWING US A PICTURE OF A POTENTIAL LAYOUT WHERE THE PLAY SPACES COULD BE.
>> THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I THINK IT'S HARD BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE THE PICTURE AND THINK WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THAT SPACE FOR RIDING BIKES, OR PLAYING FOOTBALL, OR WHATNOT, BECAUSE IF YOU DIDN'T PUT IT SOMEWHERE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO VISUALIZE IT.
WELL, I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT.
>> WELL, ONE, I JUST WANT TO ECHO YOUR SENTIMENT.
IT WAS REALLY ACTUALLY IMPRESSIVE GIVEN ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF FEEDBACK TO REALLY BRING IT TOGETHER AND TO ADDRESS THEM.
[01:45:05]
I THINK IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD.I DO THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DID ALSO HEAR THE COMMUNITY USES IT FOR ACTIVITIES OR EVENTS, AND THEN THERE'S THE PLAYGROUND NEED, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL NEED TO WORK OUT, RELATE WHAT ARE THE COMMUNITY'S AND THE SCHOOL'S PRIORITIES AND HOW TO BEST USE THAT OPEN SPACE, BUT THOSE ARE DOWN THE ROAD.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION JUST IN REGARDS TO LOSING AN ART ROOM.
CHAMP, WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS TO THAT? I KNOW SIMILAR TO SCIENCE ROOM, ART ROOM IS NOT A CLASSROOM. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS TO THAT LOSS AND HOW DO YOU THINK WE'LL ADDRESS THAT?
>> I DON'T THINK RIGHT NOW IT WOULD FEEL LIKE A LOSS.
THE ROOM IS VERY UNDER-SIZE. I KNOW YOU'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH.
IT'S GOT A GIANT PILLAR IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, SO THERE'S VISIBILITY ISSUES, IT'S VERY SMALL, NO STORAGE, VERY CROWDED.
ANY OF THE ROOMS THAT WE WOULD BE BUILDING, AS WALTER SAID, INITIALLY, I FORESEE THE EXTENSION WILL BE SWING SPACE AT FIRST.
MOST LIKELY WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THE ART ROOM OUT OF THERE AND WHETHER IT'S INTO ITS PERMANENT HOME OR TEMPORARILY INTO THE EXPANSION, WE'D HAVE TO WORK THAT OUT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM.
BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY WHAT WE WOULD DO WHEREVER WE DECIDED IT WAS GOING TO LAND PERMANENTLY, THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT DESIGNING CASEWORK THAT'S SPECIFIC FOR AN ART CLASSROOM.
>> THEN IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE IN WHAT I DID SEE TOO, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A DOWNGRADE.
>> NO, IF ANYTHING WILL BE AN UPGRADE.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY NOT NECESSARILY A LOSS, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF A RELOCATION.
>> I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY. [OVERLAPPING]
>> SORRY FOR THAT TERMINOLOGY, WE'RE NOT USING IT. IT'S JUST [INAUDIBLE] [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT'S OKAY BUT I WANT TO HONE IN ON THAT TOO. [OVERLAPPING]
>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT BECAUSE I KNOW EVEN ONE OF THE INITIAL DISCUSSIONS, PEOPLE THOUGHT WE WERE LOSING THE LIBRARY.
>> SOME OF ITS LABELING, SOME OF IT'S JUST EARLY PRELIMINARY DESIGN.
I THINK ANY MOVES THAT WE MAKE WITH HAVING THAT WHOLE SECTION IN PURPLE BEING SLATED FOR FUNDING FOR RENOVATIONS, IT'S GOING TO GIVE US THE ABILITY TO UPGRADE REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE MOVE THAT ART ROOM TO.
>> PURPOSELY NOT LABELED THE CLASSROOM USES.
WHAT WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE FACULTY, PEOPLE WHO USE THE BUILDINGS, THEY HAVE VERY IN-DEPTH THOUGHTS ABOUT WHERE CERTAIN SPACES SHOULD BE, THE ADJACENT PROGRAMS FOR THOSE SPACES.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR IS THE KINDERGARTEN ROOMS NEED TO BE NEAR THE NURSE.
THE NURSE COMES IN AND HELPS WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM IN THE CLASSROOM, PARTICULARLY IN THE KINDERGARTEN LEVEL, MAYBE IN THE TOILET ROOM.
THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO IN TERMS OF FLESHING OUT WHERE EACH CLASSROOM LANDS AND WHO'S IN THAT CLASSROOM, BUT RIGHT NOW WITHIN THE SAME FOOTPRINT, WE'VE ACHIEVED MORE SPACE, USABLE SPACE FOR THE SCHOOL, SO THAT'S I THINK THE REAL BIG TAKEAWAY THERE.
>> WELL, I GUESS I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD TO THINK ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE AT A POINT OF BEING ABLE TO ANSWER THEM TONIGHT, BUT I KNOW WE ALSO WANT TO FOCUS OUR ENERGIES IN THE RIGHT PLACES GOING FORWARD BECAUSE TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND TIME IS LIMITED.
I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION IS, HAVING BEEN TO ALL OF THE ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS, SEEING THE REVISIONS, SEEING THE DISCUSSIONS EACH OF YOU I KNOW HAVE HAD, AND HEARING FROM THE FEEDBACK, WHAT IS YOUR THINKING AROUND CONTINUING TO FOCUS ENERGIES ON BOTH OPTION B, AND OPTION C, OR DO FOLKS HAVE A SENSE THAT MAYBE WE WANT TO FOCUS THAT ENERGY IN ONE DIRECTION AT THIS POINT?
>> I SAY OPTION B. I DON'T THINK EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY IS A REAL DESIRE TO KEEP THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE SCHOOL AND NOT ELIMINATE THE WINGS.
MY VOTE, SORRY, NOT A VOTE, [LAUGHTER] MY FEELING, MY OPINION IS THAT WE FOCUS ON OPTION B.
>> [OVERLAPPING] NO. GO AHEAD.
>> I WAS BIG PROPONENT FOR OPTION C. [BACKGROUND] SURE.
BIG PROPONENT OF OPTION C, HOW I STARTED, THE REASON IS BECAUSE I KNOW HOW CROWDED SIWANOY HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I'VE SAT ON THIS BOARD.
EVEN YESTERDAY WHEN I WENT THROUGH ONE OF THE WALKTHROUGHS AND I WAS JUST COUNTING THE DESK, AND THE NUMBER OF NAMES, AND IT WAS 24 KIDS IN ONE CLASSROOM, AND ON MY HEAD, I'M ALWAYS, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF THESE TWO 24 CLASSROOMS COULD BE CONVERTED TO THREE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION, BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE PHYSICAL SPACE.
THE MORE PHYSICAL SPACE WE COULD PROVIDE FOR THAT SCHOOL, THE BETTER WOULD BE FOR ALL THE KIDS AND ALL THE TEACHERS.
FOR ME, TAKING DOWN ONE OF THE WINGS WILL ALLOW TO
[01:50:04]
RELOCATE THE OUTDOOR SPACE JUST IN ANOTHER PLACE IN THE CAMPUS.WE WILL TAKE IT FROM ONE SIDE, BUT THEN PUT IT ON THE OTHER.
TO ME, THAT'S HOW I WENT IN THINKING ABOUT THIS WHEN WE FIRST HAD THE PROPOSALS.
LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY REALLY WANTED TO USE THIS SPACE AND UNDERSTANDING THE ATTACHMENT THEY HAD TO THIS BUILDING, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM MY ATTACHMENT BECAUSE MY KIDS NEVER WENT THERE, I'M A PROSPECT HILL MOM, SO JUST UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THAT AND REALLY LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALMOST EVERYTHING IN THE NEW VERSION OF B.
I'M NOW FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF CONTINUING TO REFINE OPTION B, JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT GIVES US EVERYTHING.
I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPY IF OPTION B DID NOT INCLUDE ANOTHER COMMON SPACE LIKE A CAFETERIA.
>> BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO HAVE ALL THE KIDS USING ONE SMALL PLACE ALL THE TIME. [OVERLAPPING]
>> FOR THREE DIFFERENT THINGS.
>> RIGHT. LIVING IN PELHAM AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A CURTAIN TO SEPARATE KIDS THEY EATING VERSUS DOING EXERCISE IS UNHEARD OF, EVERYBODY KNOWS MY BACKGROUND, I CAME FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY, I'M A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY AND STARTED MY SCHOOLING IN A VERY DIFFERENT SETTING, AND TO ME, THAT IS NOT WHAT AMERICA REPRESENTS TO ME IN TERMS OF EDUCATION AND WHAT WE IN THIS COMMUNITY COULD PROVIDE OUR CHILDREN.
I THINK JUST HAVING THAT EXTRA CAFETERIA SPACE WAS A NOT DEAL BREAKER FOR ME, THE SAME AS THE ADA COMPONENT.
IT JUST TO ME IT WAS SOMETHING WE HAD TO DO.
HAVING THIS OPTION NOW IN OPTION B, IT REALLY REPRESENTS EVERYTHING WE WENT IN FOR, AND IT STILL PROVIDES WITH THAT GREAT OUTDOOR SPACE, A LITTLE LESS, BUT IT STILL GIVES US THE OUTDOOR SPACE. I WILL FULLY SUPPORT IT.
>> DO YOU CONVERTED TO OPTION B?
>> I'M GOING TO SECOND THAT. I ACTUALLY INITIALLY C FELT LIKE THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR CLASSROOM, AND EDUCATION, AND WORK, AND THE COMMUNITY HAS OTHER NEEDS AS WELL AS FAR AS THAT.
I THINK THAT RANG VERY LOUD AND CLEAR.
I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH THAT AND LISTENING TO THAT, SO B IS THERE.
I JUST WANT TO ALSO REITERATE THE A WAS NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE WE LOST SO MUCH SPACE.
I KNOW THAT THAT CAME UP A LITTLE BIT TOO.
THERE WAS AN A WHERE IT WAS JUST ADA, BUT IT ACTUALLY WAS NOT A NOT A VIABLE CHOICE, IT LEFT THE OPTION EARLY ON AND I JUST WANTED TO GO ON THE RECORD JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REITERATED THAT AS WELL.
>> KATHERINE, ANY THOUGHTS ON C VERSUS B? JUST WANT TO BE SURE ALL VOICES ARE HEARD.
>> I KNOW. I'M INTIMIDATED BY THIS MIC NOW BECAUSE I'VE NEVER USE IT PROPERLY.
I THINK MY OPINION FROM THE START, I'VE ALWAYS LEANED TOWARDS OPTION B BECAUSE IT DID SEEM TO FIT MOST OF OUR NEEDS WHILE STILL MAINTAINING MOST OF THE USABILITY.
I THINK OPTION C WAS LIKE ALWAYS A DREAM.
IF WE HAD UNLIMITED OUTDOOR SPACE AND IF OUR COMMUNITY WAS A COMMUNITY THAT HAD LOTS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR LOTS OF THINGS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, YOU WANT TO PLAN FOR THOSE CLASSROOMS, YOU WANT TO MAXIMIZE THE INDOOR SPACE, THE TEACHING SPACE, THE LEARNING SPACE, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE WHAT OPTION B LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
THE RENDERINGS WERE SO HELPFUL BECAUSE FOR ME, I AM A VISUAL LEARNER, AND A KINESTHETIC LEARNER, I NEED TO SEE IT, I NEED TO FEEL IT TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS BECAUSE NUMBERS ONLY MEAN SO MUCH TO ME ON A PAGE, SO THAT WAS SO HELPFUL TO SEE.
I LOVE HOW YOU TOOK THE GOOGLE EARTH IMAGES AND OVERLAID WHAT THE PROPOSED SIWANOY COULD LOOK LIKE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THE NEW ADDITION OR THE PROPOSED B SIWANOY PLAN AS CLOSE TO WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE AS POSSIBLE AND PRESERVING THE FEEL OF THE COMMUNITY SPACE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE CLOSE TO IT.
THEN ALSO AS YOU'RE WALKING THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A HUGE LANDSCAPE CHANGE, WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BE A MORE EASILY DIGESTIBLE OUTCOME.
I THINK THAT B GIVES US THE FORWARD-THINKING USABILITY THAT WE NEED FOR SIWANOY,
[01:55:05]
AND THE FUTURE OF THE KIDS, AND WHAT THE TEACHERS NEED TO BE ABLE TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN PROPERLY.>> I THINK OPTION B IS PROBABLY THE BEST COMBINATION OF TRADE-OFFS AT THIS POINT.
>> I AGREE. I THINK I THINK I'M THE ONLY FORMER SIWANOY MOM ON THE BOARD, AND I UNDERSTAND THE BEAUTY OF THE BUILDING, AND EVEN GOING ON SOME OF THE TOURS AND STANDING OUT WITH THE NEIGHBORS, AND LOOKING AT THE ARCHITECTURE, IT'S MEANINGFUL TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE SURROUNDING AREA, SO I THINK B IS THE BEST APPROACH.
>> I THINK WE HAVE CONSENSUS ON A PRETTY BIG DECISION HERE TONIGHT. THAT'S GREAT.
>> DO WE WANT TO HEAR FROM SID?
>> OH, I'M SORRY. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S STILL THERE.
>> WALTER AND SARAH, I HOPE THAT HOPES HELPS, AND KEVIN TOO, I HOPE TO CONTINUE AND GO FORTH WITH DEVELOPING B.
>> INFRASTRUCTURE, WE KNOW HASN'T CHANGED MUCH AT ALL.
GEOTHERMAL HASN'T CHANGED, AIR CONDITIONING HASN'T CHANGED.
TONIGHT, WE SAW ANOTHER VIEW, ANOTHER EVOLVED OPTION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, I KNOW WE WERE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF GOLDILOCKS, DON'T WANT TOO BIG, DON'T WANT TOO SMALL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT JUST RIGHT, SO JUST MAYBE IS THERE A SENSE OF CONSENSUS AROUND THIS BEING SOMETHING THAT FEELS LIKE A RIGHT-SIZED APPROACH? ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS? THANK YOU. YOU CAN JUST MAKE IT QUICK YES, THAT'S FINE.
WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD WITH CONTINUING THAT.
THE CURRENT, I FORGET WHAT IT WAS, E17?
>> THANK YOU. THEN I GUESS, REALLY TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS.
WE'VE GOT SOME SCOPE SUGGESTIONS UP HERE, POTENTIAL OPTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GO THROUGH DECISION ANALYSIS INDIVIDUALLY.
I KNOW I'VE TALLIED THAT AND SHARED THAT ALL WITH THE BOARD.
MAYBE TOO LATE TO ASK THIS QUESTION SO IF YOU SAY TOO LATE, LET'S REVISIT THIS ON MONDAY, THAT'S FINE.
IS THERE ANYTHING FROM THAT PROCESS THAT YOU THINK MAYBE IS WORTH AGAIN TAKING OFF THE TABLE AND NOT SPENDING MORE ENERGY ON SO THAT WE CAN HONE IN ON THOSE MORE VIABLE OPTIONS? I WILL SAY FROM TALLYING THINGS UP, I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO GO QUITE THIS ORDER, BUT IN LOOKING AT THE SCORES, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS HERE WAS OUR CRITERIA, HERE'S HOW WE THINK EACH OF THESE OPTIONS ARE RATED AGAINST THOSE CRITERIA.
OPTION 1 SCORED THE HIGHEST, OPTION 2 SCORED THE NEXT.
OPTION 5 CAME BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.
ACTUALLY, OPTION 4 WAS ELEMENTARY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ONLY, OPTION 5 WAS INFRASTRUCTURE AND HIGH SCHOOL ONLY.
>> ARE YOU ASKING, ARE THERE ANY OF THESE OPTIONS TO TAKE OFF?
>> I THINK WE SHOULD [OVERLAPPING] FOUR AND FIVE
>> THE ONLY BIT THAT'S MISSING FOR ME IS STILL WHAT THE ACTUAL TAX IMPACT WAS.
>> I CONCEPTUALLY THINK THE OPTION 5, WHICH IS NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH SIWANOY, THAT'S A HARD NO FOR ME.
BUT IN TERMS OF ANY OF THE OTHERS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER, I JUST DON'T.
>> WHICH IS WHY WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FULLY MAKE THAT.
JIM, I KNOW YOU TRIED TO GET SOME INFORMATION TODAY.
CAN YOU JUST SHARE A BRIEF UPDATE.
>> I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AND WHERE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AS [INAUDIBLE] HAS WORKED ON THEIR DESIGN AND THE REFINEMENTS, THEY'VE ALSO SHARED WITH US THE CHANGE IN THOSE COSTS AND THE MIX OF THOSE COSTS.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT SIWANOY, IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH OF THAT COST IS RELATED TO ADDITION VERSUS HOW MUCH IS RELATED TO RENOVATION BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT REIMBURSEMENTS THAT THE DISTRICT WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT.
ALSO, DEPENDING ON THE MAJORITY OF THE COST, THAT COULD DETERMINE WHAT OUR TERM IS, WHETHER IT'S A 15-YEAR OR A 20-YEAR TERM.
THESE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT FOR US.
IF WE TAKE US BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, WE SPOKE TO OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR.
THEY SAID, YOU HAVE TWO OPPORTUNITIES OF $55,010 MILLION TO LOOK AT A RELATIVELY TAX-NEUTRAL IMPLICATION, MEANING IT KEYHOLES TO RETIRING DEBT.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S 54275,
[02:00:05]
AND THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS SHARED WITH US THAT WE COULD EXPECT A LOCAL SHARE OF ABOUT $2.4 MILLION THERE.IF YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT, OUR LOCAL SHARE FOR NEUTRALITY WAS ABOUT $2.8 MILLION A YEAR.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE WORKING THESE NUMBERS OUT.
AS YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU COULD LOOK AT INFRASTRUCTURE AS NEUTRAL, A GOOD PORTION OF SIWANOY, IF YOU WERE TO DO SIWANOY TAX-NEUTRAL, [OVERLAPPING] IN ADDITION TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THERE WOULD BE A TAX IMPLICATION.
RIGHT NOW, THAT LOOKS BETWEEN ADDITIVE AND WE'RE WERE TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR.
WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE MONDAY NIGHT, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE HOPEFUL [OVERLAPPING] UPDATE ABOUT IT.
>> BUT IN THE 1-1 1/2% ADDITIVE RANGE.
BECAUSE AS YOU LOOK AT THINGS, ON OUR TAX RULES, $750,000 EQUALS ABOUT 1% ON YOUR TAXES.
>> IF WE HAVE A DEBT PAYMENT OF $750,000 A YEAR, OUR LOCAL SHARE, THAT EQUATES TO 1%.
>> JIM, THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF OUR TAXES COME OFF IN 27, 28 OR 28, 29?
>> THE THE SECOND [OVERLAPPING] DROP-OFF, 30, 31 I THINK IS THE OPENING OF THAT TIME PERIOD FALLS OFF IN 29, 30, I BELIEVE. THAT'S THE LAST.
>> THEN GIVEN THE TIMELINE WE HEARD TODAY, CONSTRUCTION IT'S DUE TO START WITHIN PROBABLY A TWO-YEAR MARK IF WE VOTE ON IT AND EVERYTHING'S APPROVED FROM THIS TIME, SO WE WILL HAVE TO BORROW.
>> THERE BE SOME ONE-YEAR BORROWINGS, AND KEVIN AND I, WE SPOKE LAST WEEK.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TIMELINE.
I SAID, KEVIN, WE'VE GOT STRATEGY THAT WE WANT TO EMPLOY.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW FOR A PRESENTATION TO THE FOLKS, JUST GIVE EVERYBODY THE TIMELINE OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF YOU START ON EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY AND WHAT YOU SAW THIS EVENING IS THAT PROCESS.
YOU STAGE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, YOU DO ONE-YEAR BORROWINGS, YOU MAY NOT FEEL THAT IMPACT.
YOU'RE GOING TO WORK YOUR WAY UP TO THAT AMOUNT, YOU STEP UP TO THAT.
BUT WE WOULD WANT TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN SO THAT IT'D BE A LITTLE BIT MORE VISIBILITY FOR THE GROUP TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE GETTING US UP TO THAT YEAR WHEN WE HAVE THAT BIG DROP OFF IN THAT DEBT THOUGH.
>> THEN SAID DIFFERENTLY, WITH THE CURRENT INITIAL NUMBERS, WHICH AGAIN WE HAVE TO BE VERIFIED, INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD BE TAX-NEUTRAL, PLUS SIWANOY OPTION B THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE WOULD BE PARTIALLY TAX-NEUTRAL, A LITTLE BIT ADDITIVE AT ABOUT 1% TAX INCREASE.
>> I'M GIVING MYSELF ROOM, I WANT TO SAY, SO I WANT TO SAY BETWEEN 1 AND 1/2. [OVERLAPPING]
>> ONE TO ONE-AND-A-HALF PERCENT TAX INCREASE, SO SOMETHING LIKE AN OPTION 2 AND OPTION 3 THAT COVERS THE FIRST PROPOSITION, INFRASTRUCTURE IN SIWANOY.
>> BOTH OPTION 2 AND OPTION 3, ABOUT A 1-1 1/2% TAX INCREASE ON THE FIRST PROPOSITION.
>> HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE ADDITIVE ABOVE THAT.
GEOTHERMAL WOULD BE ADDITIVE ABOVE THAT.
AIR CONDITIONING AT HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE ADDITIVE ABOVE.
[OVERLAPPING] I'M SORRY, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, AIR CONDITIONING AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
BUT ACTUALLY, IT'S PRETTY WELL SPLIT, 15 ELEMENTARY, 15 HIGH SCHOOL.
>> IT WOULD BE ADDITIVE THOUGH.
>> WE'LL HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER ADDED IN. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I'M CLARIFYING WHAT I SAID BEFORE.
THE OPTION 2 AND OPTION 3 PROPOSITION ONE DID INCLUDE ELEMENTARY AIR CONDITIONING, SO THAT 1-1 1/2% WILL GO UP ONCE WE ADD IN. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THAT PORTION WOULD NOT BE NEUTRAL.
I THINK AS WE LOOK AT IT AND WE COME BACK MONDAY, AND YOU LOOK AT THE ESTIMATED TOTAL PROJECT COSTS, HIGH SCHOOL ADDITION WOULD HAVE THE GREATER IMPACT, JUST IT'S THE MOST EXPENSIVE PROJECT. IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
>> WHAT WE DO THEN, YOU THINK WE CAN GET THAT?
>> WE'RE GOING TO KEEP PUSHING.
>> KEEP PUSHING, AN WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET THEM BROKEN DOWN SIMILAR TO THESE SCOPE PACKAGES.
>> GOT IT. JUST SO I'M CLEAR TOO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET IS THAT 5%, 1%, AS WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT [OVERLAPPING] ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO DO THAT.
I WONDER, ONCE WE GET A LITTLE CLOSER, IF THERE IS A VARIATION WITHIN THE OPTIONS.
[02:05:06]
I'M JUST MAKING THINGS UP.OPTION 1, NO WINDOWS OR A CHANGE THAT GETS US CLOSER [OVERLAPPING] TO WHERE WE WANT TO.
>> THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS, OR IF WE CAN COME TO AN INITIAL DECISION NEXT WEEK.
WE'VE ALREADY MADE A COUPLE TONIGHT, WHICH IS GOING TO HELP.
SO MAKE AN INITIAL DECISION NEXT WEEK, THAT'S THE THIRD.
THEN WE'VE GOT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS COMING UP, WE'VE GOT THE WORLD CAFE, IN PARTICULAR, WE'LL DO ANOTHER ROUND.
WE'VE GOT BOARD MEETINGS, WE'LL DO ANOTHER ROUND OF INFO SESSIONS TO GET FEEDBACK TO ASSESS THAT TAX BURDEN PIECE TO PEOPLE'S VALUES OF THESE PROJECTS THEN ALIGN WITH THE [OVERLAPPING] TAX EFFECT.
>> I THINK JUST TO ECHO WHAT WE ALL SAID, BUT THINKING OF IT IN DIFFERENT VARIATIONS.
OPTION 5, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE SIWANOY IN IT, IT JUST THE WAY THAT IT'S DESIGNED THAT IT'S NOT AT ALL INCLUDED, IT ALMOST LIKE IT HAS TO BE LEFT OFF THE TABLE IN MY OPINION. [OVERLAPPING]
>> ESPECIALLY IT WAS NON-NEGOTIABLE.
>> EXACTLY. HOWEVER, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT OPTION 5 AND SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO PULL ONE OR TWO ELEMENTS INTO FIVE, MAYBE IT WOULD COME BACK TO LIFE.
I DON'T KNOW. I'M JUST WONDERING.
>> I GUESS THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE IS, ARE WE AT A POINT OF BEING ABLE TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE ENOUGH TWEAKS TO BE READY TO MOVE FORWARD NOW OR DO WE NEED MORE TIME? THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER OPTION AS WELL.
THEN THE OTHER THING, I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT TONIGHT, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS I WILL PUT OUT ANOTHER SHARED GOOGLE DOC FOR FOLKS.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU NEED KEVIN AND WALTER TO COME BACK WITH NEXT MONDAY, WE'D LOVE TO GIVE THEM THAT INFORMATION.
I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE TIME TO BRAINSTORM THOSE TONIGHT.
BUT AS YOU THINK ABOUT AND DIGEST EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO GET THAT.
ONE THING I WOULD ASK A QUICK, WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN THINKING AROUND GEOTHERMAL JUST RIGHT OFF THE TOP HERE? BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE DON'T DO AIR CONDITIONING AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION.
BUT WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF THINKING ABOUT, WE HAD THE OPTION OF HIGH SCHOOL IF WE DO THE FULL PROJECT THERE, OPTION OF PROSPECT HILL, OPTION OF SIWANOY AS WELL? DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION AROUND THAT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? I KNOW THAT, WALTER, WE TALKED ABOUT AT ONE POINT DOING A SITE MAP OF POTENTIAL WELLS, THAT COULD BE USEFUL INFORMATION TO HELP.
>> WE CAN DO THE SITE MAP. ON THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE ACTUALLY DID SHOW WHAT THE WELL FIELD WOULD LOOK LIKE, A LOT OF WELLS.
>> INGALLS FIELD IS FULLY COVERED IN WELLS.
>> I DID ASK THE QUESTION EARLY IF THAT COULD BE COVERED IN A TURF FIELD WHEN IT WAS RESTORED.
>> I DID ASK IF WE WANTED TO TWEAK SOME IDEAS.
>> I THINK THIS IS THE SITE WHERE-
>> YEAH, THE TOUGHEST BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO TAKE UP THE PLAY AREA.
IT COULD BE DONE IN THE SUMMER, BUT IT'S DISRUPTIVE, CERTAINLY.
IT'S PROBABLY LOGISTICALLY THE TOUGHEST ONE.
WE ALSO HEARD PRETTY CLEARLY FROM LINDSEY LUFT IN PELHAM MANOR THAT THIS IS MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE ROCK DRILLING, SO IT'D PROBABLY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN A NORMAL GEOTHERMAL WELL.
IF IT HELPS, WE CAN SHOW THEM ON THE SITE PLAN, BUT THE NUMBER OF WELLS IS REALLY MAXIMIZED. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I THINK IT'S MORE OF UNDERSTANDING THE COSTS BECAUSE MY SENSES WERE PUSHING OUR LIMIT AND WHAT WE CAN PUT FORWARD TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> I HAVE HEARD FROM FOLKS, SO THEY LIKE US TO THINK LONGER TERM AND SUSTAINABLY.
[OVERLAPPING] I AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT THE NUMBERS ARE JAW-DROPPING, BUT I DO THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO AT LEAST CONSIDER IT BECAUSE THAT TICKS THAT BOX AROUND THE SUSTAINABILITY, THE LONGER TERM REALLY THINKING OUT, SO WE'RE NOT ALWAYS BEHIND OURSELVES.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO HAVE A POINT OF VIEW OF REALLY PUSHING IT, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE DO OWE IT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO OURSELVES TO EXPLORE IT AND TO SEE WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES.
[OVERLAPPING] SORRY. I WAS GOING TO SAY I DO AGREE.
LOOK, FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS I'VE SAT IN THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE, AND WE'VE ALWAYS HEARD ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND THINKING VERY FAR OUTSIDE OF OUR REMIT, SITTING ON THE BOARD, REALLY PREPARING THIS BOARD TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AND PROVIDING THE MOST SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR BUILDINGS AND
[02:10:01]
THE WAY WE ARE DOING THINGS AND THINKING ABOUT THINGS.IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST CONSIDER.
HOWEVER, KNOWING EVERYTHING I KNOW NOW ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AROUND YOU KNOW SIWANOY, IT IS GOING TO BE MORE OF A HASSLE TO BUILD THAT IN THAT COMMUNITY VERSUS IF YOU BUILD IT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL OR EVEN AT PROSPECT BECAUSE THE OPEN FIELDS AT PROSPECT WOULD JUST GIVE YOU MORE SPACE THAN YOU WILL HAVE IN THE IN THE TRIANGULAR CORNER OF SIWANOY.
I WILL BE WORRIED ABOUT THE DISRUPTION IT WILL CAUSE EVEN THOUGH, I THINK, IF YOU'RE ALREADY DOING A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, THAT SIWANOY WILL ONLY MAKE SENSE, BUT I DO WORRY ABOUT TO DIGGING UP MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH CONSTRUCTION.
I DO THINK IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS OUR BIGGEST BUILDING AND IT WILL SET IT UP FOR YEARS TO COME, IT MAY MAKE SENSE TO EXPLORE AT LEAST IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, MAYBE AT PROSPECT HILL.
I DON'T THINK EVERY SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE EITHER OPEN OR COULD SEE SOME WINDS GIVEN THE FACT THAT, YES, SOME OF THE REBATES COME ON AND WE WILL SEE SOME SAVINGS, BUT THAT'S VERY LONG TERM.
I THINK AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE WILL START REALLY SEEING MORE SAVINGS JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE.
>> I'VE BEEN IN FACILITIES COMMITTEE AND WANT TO CONSIDER GEOTHERRMAL.
I JUST HAVE CONCERNS, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENT.
GIVEN THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WE CAN RELY ON THAT HAPPENING, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT.
>> I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING IS MAYBE IF WE CAN COME NEXT TIME WITH SITE MAPS OF WELL DRILLING, SOME LOGISTICAL THOUGHTS ON WHAT THAT WOULD BE, UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME SITES ARE GOING TO MAKE MORE SENSE THAN OTHERS, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
>> I THINK SOME OF THE LENGTH OF THE WORK WAS IN KEVIN'S PRESENTATION, SO JUST ANY ADDITIONAL WORK THERE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A SHEET FOR QUESTION.
I'LL TRY TO GET THAT OUT TO YOU TOMORROW, AND BY THE END OF THE WEEK, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT'D BE NICE FOR WALTER NOT HAVE TO WORK ALL WEEKEND.
I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING WE HAD TO COVER ON THIS TONIGHT.
>> CAN WE MOVE ON PUBLIC COMMENT?
>> [OVERLAPPING] PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS ON THE HORIZON IN TERMS OF [OVERLAPPING] INFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT QUICKLY.
>> I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS IT.
>> JUST VISIT THE PELHAM PROJECT WEBSITE.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED OR HAS QUESTIONS, COME SEE US AT THE INFORMATION SESSION.
I WILL SAY IT'S VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RESPONSIVENESS.
I'M IMPRESSED AT THE CREATIVITY THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, AND YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT THEM TOGETHER.
>> DO WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC?
[4.1 Communications and Comments from the Public (Agenda Items)]
NO.>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. ADAM ILKOWITZ, 498 MANOR LANE FOR TRADITION.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PROJECT C. I THINK YOU SAW THAT AT ONE OF THE INFO SESSIONS WHERE SOMEONE SET UP SOME CAUTION TAPE.
TAKING THAT OFF THE BOARD IS CLEARLY THE RIGHT MOVE, RIGHT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK WHAT I CAN SAY FOR MYSELF IS THIS IS A GOOD INDICATION OF WHERE THE BOARD IS THINKING AND HEARING US.
I THINK THE DESIGN YOU PUT UP IS, HERE'S A LOT, SO THANK YOU.
I WILL SAY THAT I'M RECEIVING A BUNCH OF TEXTS BECAUSE PEOPLE KNOW I'M HERE, AND THERE'S LOTS OF PLUSES, LOTS OF MINUSES, BUT I'M GOING TO LET PEOPLE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY'LL HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT OVER THESE SESSIONS.
BUT I WROTE DOWN A FEW THINGS TO COMMENT, JUST AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS, I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FIFTH GRADE SHOULD BE HERE, THE ART ROOM SHOULD BE THERE, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE'RE AT.
SOME OF THE STATISTICS YOU WERE SHOWING AROUND STUDENTS, SQUARE FOOTAGE PER STUDENT, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T SHOW IS OUTDOOR SPACE PER STUDENT.
I THINK WE ALSO DIDN'T SEE WHAT DOES THE WORLD LOOK LIKE POST OPTION B.
I'M CONCERNED WITH THE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION WE'RE DOING RELATIVE TO THE DIFFERENCES THAT YOU'RE SHOWING BETWEEN SIWANOY AND SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS EVEN PROSPECT.
SUPPORT SPACE, FOUR SQUARE FEET PER KID,
[02:15:04]
THAT'S LIKE 1,000 SQUARE FEET, AND CLASSROOM SPACE, TWO SQUARE FEET PER KID, THAT'S LIKE 600 SQUARE FEET.THAT'S LIKE 2,000 SQUARE FEET AND YOU'RE BUILDING 6,500.
I THINK UNDERSTANDING WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM IS REALLY GOING TO BE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE REDUCTION IN OUTDOOR SPACE I THINK IS GOING TO BE VERY TELLING ONCE YOU DO THAT MATH.
I ALSO DON'T KNOW WHAT DENOMINATOR YOU'RE USING, BUT AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, YOUR ENROLLMENT FORECASTS ARE ENTIRELY TOO HIGH.
SOMETHING I'M HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND MY FIRST REACTION TO NEW PROPOSAL B IS IT'S STILL TOO BIG.
THE WAY THAT IT'S STILL TOO BIG IS IT'S WAY TOO CLOSE TO THE PROPERTY LINE.
THAT WOULD VIOLATE IN SOME WAYS PELHAM MANOR ZONING, AND YOU GUYS CAN DISCUSS THAT ON YOUR OWN, BUT IT'S STILL TOO BIG.
I THINK IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO BE THINKING ABOUT THINGS.
I THINK GOING BACK TO ORIGINAL OPTION B WAS SIX CLASSROOMS, LIKE YOU SAID, NOW, IT'S EIGHT.
I THINK THE SIZE OF IT CAN BE REDUCED FURTHER.
I THINK THAT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE NEXT THING.
THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK I'VE HEARD THIS A LOT FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, COLUMNS IN CLASSROOMS, THE CAFE GYMATORIUM.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO, ESPECIALLY FOR A BOARD THAT LARGELY NEVER WENT THROUGH SIWANOY, AND FOR PEOPLE WHOSE KIDS AREN'T GOING THROUGH SIWANOY.
IF YOU ASK ANY OF THE CHILDREN, AND THEY'RE NOT VOTERS, I GET IT, THEY'RE NOT PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW MONEY WORKS, BUT IF YOU ASK ANY OF THE CHILDREN, IF I GIVE YOU X BUT I TAKE AWAY Y, WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER? THEY ENJOY THE SETUP TODAY.
I LOVE THAT THERE'S A CAFETERIA IN THE NEW THING.
I THINK THAT CREATIVITY IS WONDERFUL.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THERE'S A COLUMN IN THE ROOM BECAUSE THE KIDS DON'T CARE.
IT'S NOT GREAT, BUT THE KIDS DON'T CARE, AND IT HASN'T AFFECTED THEIR PERFORMANCE.
SIWANOY SCORES PRETTY MUCH BEST IN THE DISTRICT, RIGHT UP THERE WITH COLONIAL YOUR OTHER SMALLEST SCHOOL.
IT'S NOT BEEN AN ISSUE FOR PERFORMANCE.
LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT ACTUALLY AFFECTS CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE RATHER THAN, I WISH THERE WASN'T A COLUMN THERE EITHER, BUT BUILDING WAS BUILT 100 AND WHATEVER YEARS AGO.
ANOTHER CONCERN THAT I'VE HEARD FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY CONSISTENTLY IS IF WE VOTE IN MAY, FIVE OF THE SEVEN OF YOU WILL HAVE BEEN UP FOR REELECTION BY THE TIME YOU PLAN ON STARTING CONSTRUCTION.
HOW CAN WE TRUST THE COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD TO DO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO DO BY MAY? BECAUSE MAY, THREE OF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION, AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR, TWO MORE OF YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE'RE TALKING TO YOU AND WE'RE BUILDING TRUST WITH YOU, BUT FIVE OTHER PEOPLE CAN COME ON BY THEN.
THERE'S SOME AMOUNT OF CONFUSION AND CONCERN AND I DON'T THINK THE COMMUNITY FULLY UNDERSTANDS THAT IF YOU VOTE FOR A BOND THAT'S $30 MILLION FOR SIWANOY, THAT'S A BLANK CHECK UP TO $30 MILLION TO SPEND AT SIWANOY.
WE'RE GIVING YOU THAT ALLOWANCE TO SPEND THAT MUCH.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHO ARE WE ALLOWING TO SPEND THAT MUCH AND WHAT RELATIONSHIP WILL THEY HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH TODAY VERSUS THE 12 MONTHS OF DESIGN.
I'VE HEARD THAT A LOT FROM PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I DON'T MEAN TO ACT LIKE I'M A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
>> ADAM, COULD I JUST SO YOU KNOW TO THAT POINT, WE ARE ONLY AUTHORIZED TO BUILD WHAT GETS APPROVED TO BUILD.
THERE ARE SOME CONSTRAINTS AROUND THAT.
OBVIOUSLY DESIGN THINGS WILL CHANGE, AND I HEAR WHAT YOUR CONCERN IS THERE.
BUT IF WE'RE APPROVED FOR $30 MILLION FOR SIWANOY, WE CAN'T THEN TURN AROUND AND SPEND IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THERE ARE SOME CONSTRAINTS AND PARAMETERS AROUND THAT.
JUST SO FOLKS KNOW THERE IS A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> THE CONCERN IS WHAT THAT $30 MILLION CAN BUY AT SIWANOY.
BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, AND THIS IS NOT A DETAILED PLAN, I COULD PROBABLY DRAW SOMETHING SOMEWHAT SIMILAR ON PAINT BECAUSE I DID, I TOOK OFF A COUPLE OF CLASSROOMS FROM B MINUS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WHICH I WOULD REALLY LOVE YOU GUYS TO RECONSIDER THE NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS, SHRINK IT DOWN, BUT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT A $30 MILLION BUDGET FOR ANYTHING CLOSE TO WHAT THAT WAS LOOKING LIKE.
THE OTHER THING IS THE TAX NEUTRAL STUFF.
I HAVEN'T REALLY COMMENTED ABOUT THIS, BUT IT'S BEEN BUGGING ME.
JIM, I SAT ON THE AUDIT BOARD A FEW YEARS AGO, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE REMEMBERS BUT THAT WAS FUN, BUT WHEN YOU SAY TAX NEUTRAL,
[02:20:04]
IT'S THEORETICALLY TRUE BUT PRACTICALLY WRONG.THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE WORLD'S GOING TO WORK.
YOU HEARD SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS FROM SOME MEMBERS ON THE BOARD TODAY.
THERE'S GOING TO BE OVERLAP WHERE YOU START BORROWING MONEY BEFORE YOU PAY OFF THE FIRST BOND.
ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS I THINK YOU GUYS REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT BESIDES TAX NEUTRALITY, IS YOU HAVE A TAX CAP ON YOUR BUDGET AND IF YOU BORROW $100 MILLION AND YOUR BORROWING COSTS AND YOUR BUDGET INCREASES 3% IN ONE YEAR AND YOUR TAX CAP'S 2%, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? I THINK IT'S FUN TO TALK ABOUT TAX NEUTRALITY, BUT REALISTICALLY, I THINK YOU AS A BOARD SHOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS BETWEEN 2025 AND 2030, ARE WE GOING TO BREAK THE TAX CAP DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU PAY OFF AND WHEN YOU BORROW AND WHAT ARE RATES LOOKING LIKE AT WHEN YOU BORROW? BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE TAX NEUTRAL MEANS A 3% INCREASE IN THE YEAR THAT THAT'S BORROWED, THEN YOU PAY IT BACK.
WHAT'S THAT DO TO YOUR BUDGET, AND WHAT'S THAT DO WITH THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE TAX CAP? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE NOT JUST THE HOMEOWNER IN A PERFECT WORLD, WHERE WE PAY THAT OFF OR WE TAKE THIS OUT, IT GOES UP 1.5%.
THAT'S PRACTICALLY NOT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY DESERVES TO KNOW WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY PRACTICALLY OCCUR OVER THE SCOPE OF THAT FIVE YEAR WINDOW WHERE WE START PAYING OFF AND START TAKING OUT NEW.
THEN ONE OTHER THING IS THE PACKAGING THAT YOU HAD PUT UP, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEPARATE INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL IN SIWANOY OR HIGH SCHOOL IN SIWANOY SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ACCURATELY LOOK AT THINGS THAT THEY VIEW DIFFERENTLY.
I THINK INFRASTRUCTURE IS SOMETHING EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WAS READY TO RALLY AROUND.
SOME OF THOSE OTHER BIGGER PROJECTS, I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINION SEPARATELY AND I THINK THAT THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY.
FINALLY, IN MY LAST COMMENT, WILL BE THE COLOR RUN WAS JUST ANNOUNCED FOR MAY 18.
I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL COME, COME SEE WHAT SIWANOY LOOKS LIKE WHEN ALL OF PELHAM COMES, BUT ALSO COME IN JUNE TO SPRING FLING.
IT WILL BE AFTER THE BOND VOTE, SO IT'S REGARDLESS OF ANYTHING RELATED TO THE BOND.
BUT COME SEE WHAT OUR PTA, I THINK PTA PRESIDENT, IS PUTTING ON.
THE SIZE OF SPRING FLING HAS GONE UP LIKE WHAT 50% IN THE LAST THREE YEARS? IT'S TREMENDOUS.
WE HAVE EIGHT BOUNCE CASTLES. COME LOOK AT WHAT WE DO.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU WHETHER WE PASS IT OR DON'T PASS IT.
IF WHEN WE GET TO THE DESIGN PHASE, IF THAT'S STILL HAPPENING, COME LOOK AT WHAT WE DO FOR SPRING FLING BECAUSE I THINK IT'LL BE INSTRUCTIVE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TAKING AWAY JUST 1,000 SQUARE FEET CAN DO TO THE COMMUNITY.
AS YOU MAKE THE DECISIONS OF HOW BIG THAT BUILDING IS, OR WHAT YOU MOVE WHERE, OR PUTTING GRASS, WHICH AGAIN, IT'S NOT A FINAL DESIGN, BUT MY FIRST REACTION WAS, GOD, THE MUD.
YOU'LL SEE WHAT 1,000 SQUARE FEET OF PAVEMENT IS USED IN SIWANOY AND HOW PRECIOUS THAT IS TO THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME TO THOSE TWO EVENTS IF YOU COME TO NOTHING ELSE AND SEE US IN ACTION. THANK YOU.
>> THANKS, ADAM. JUST ONE CLARIFICATION I WANTED TO MAKE TO, AND JIM IS PROBABLY ARTICULATE THAN ME ON THIS.
BUT AS FAR AS THE OPERATING BUDGET IS SEPARATE FROM THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE, THE WAY THE CAP WORKS, AND YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THIS, I'M SORRY, IF IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT THE WAY THAT IT WORKS, THERE'S CAPITAL EXCLUSION, SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE OPERATING BUDGET.
I THINK THERE'S SOME FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY I KNOW ARE CONFUSED.
THEY'RE THINKING DON'T DO THE BOND, SAVE TEACHER POSITIONS OR ADD TEACHER POSITIONS, AND THEY'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FUNCTION OF THE TAX CAP.
>> IT MAY NOT BE VIOLATING THE TAX CAP THAT IS ACTUALLY THE CONCERN THEN.
IT'S MORE OF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A 6% INCREASE ONE YEAR, FOLLOWED BY A 3% DECREASE?
>> RIGHT. THAT'S THE FAIR. ABSOLUTELY. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I THINK UNDERSTANDING THAT THE GYMNASTICS AROUND THAT AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO ASK US TO PAY OVER THE COURSE OF EACH YEAR WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW AS YOU CONSIDER THE SIZE OF SOME OF THESE PACKAGES AND THE TIMING OF THESE PACKAGES.
>. WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT FOR SURE.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.
>> [INAUDIBLE]. HI. I'M MADDIE MERCER.
I'M THE PTA PRESIDENT AT SIWANOY.
I HAVE A SECOND GRADER AND I HAVE ONE WHO'S GOING TO BE IN KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR.
MAYBE THIS WILL END FOR HER FIFTH GRADE YEAR, AND SHE'LL GET SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
ONE, I REALLY LIKE THE NEW OPTION B.
TWO, SORRY, I'M THE ONE THAT'S BEEN COUGHING AND MESSING UP YOUR SOUND FOR THE WHOLE DAY.
THE ONE THING I WANTED TO CLARIFY IS, I KNOW THE TEACHERS HAVE ASKED A LOT AND I RUN THE SCHOOL PLAY,
[02:25:04]
SO I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE GYM CONSTRAINTS.IS THE GYM NOW WITH OPTION B, COULD THAT HOLD THE WHOLE SCHOOL?
>> THAT'S AN OCCUPANCY QUESTION WHICH WALTER CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT.
>> WE DID GET THAT QUESTION ABOUT THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY OF THE GYM, AND WE STILL OWE AN ANSWER ON THAT.
TO BE DETERMINED. IT IS AN OCCUPANCY ISSUE HAS TO DO, I THINK WITH EXITING. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
>> THAT WAS THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK IS RIGHT NOW, YES, THERE'S LOTS OF ISSUES WITH ALL OF THE SPACES THAT WE USE, ALL THE ENTRANCES AND EGRESSES FROM THE GYM, EXITS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE NORMAL WORD TO SAY, SO WE ARE ABLE TO USE DOWN THE BACKSTAIRS TO THE ART ROOM, THERE COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GET ANOTHER INTERNAL WAY INTO THE GYM.
OH, THAT'D BE SO FANTASTIC BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES.
I'VE SEEN NOW HOW MUCH OF A DELICATE DANCE IT IS THAT THE TEACHERS DO TO GET EVERYONE IN AND OUT OF THE GYM, SO IMPRESSIVE.
I'M REALLY GLAD THAT IT FUNCTIONS THAT WAY BECAUSE EVERYONE IS SO GOOD AT THEIR JOBS.
I WANT IT TO BE EASIER FOR THEM AND I WANT IT TO BE EASIER TO HAVE BIGGER EVENTS AT THE SCHOOL THAT MY KIDS CAN GO TO, AND BENEFIT FROM, AND SEE ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT DOING THINGS LIKE THE PLAY AND THE CONCERTS IS MY YOUNGER, I ONLY HAVE A SECOND GRADER, BUT WATCHING HER BE INSPIRED BY WHAT THE OLDER KIDS CAN DO IS REALLY GREAT.
THERE USED TO BE TOWN HALLS WITH THE WHOLE SCHOOL AND THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYMORE.
IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF WE COULD HAVE A SPACE WHERE WE COULD HAVE EVERYONE ALL TOGETHER, AND I'M AN ARTS PERSON, SO SHOWING OFF YOUR TALENTS OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S MY ONE QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, BUT I LIKE OPTION B. ESPECIALLY REVISED.
>> WITH THAT WE'RE GOOD TO TRANSITION.
I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THE CABINET WITH THE CABINET GO AND VALERIE, ALEX TAKE OVER AS PRO TEM.
THANK YOU ALL WALTER, KEVIN, SARAH.
THANK YOU. GOD BLESS, GOD SPEED. GO HOME. [OVERLAPPING]
>> JIM, I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE YOU OUT OF THIS ONE, BUT I'M GOING TO INVITE THE CABINET, VALERIE, ALEX.
IF YOU GUYS WANT TO GO HOME, I CAN TAKE OVER AS CLERK PRO TEM.
IT'S AFTER 10:00, AND WE STILL HAVE TO DO THE BUDGET, AND WE HAVE TO DO ALL THE BUSINESS FOR THE EVENING.
I KNOW YOU'RE ALL LOOKING AT EACH OTHER, WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE.
>> YOU'VE BEEN RELEASED. WE NEED YOU SPRY AND READY TO LEAD TOMORROW MORNING, SO DO FEEL FREE.
>> WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION TO THE BUDGET OVERVIEW,
[3.3 Superintendent's Report - Budget Overview]
AND I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO GO AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO TO GIVE JUSTICE TO THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.>> [BACKGROUND] VALERIE, IF YOU DO WANT TO GO, LET ME KNOW AND WE CAN APPOINT ME AS [INAUDIBLE].
WE LOST A COUPLE OF BOARD MEETING, SO MEMBERS, SO I THINK WE WILL WAIT A MINUTE.
WELCOME BACK. JUST TOOK A QUICK BIO BREAK THERE.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE GREAT CONVERSATION AND GREAT WORK.
TONIGHT, JUST PROVIDING A VERY HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET TO LAUNCH OUR BUDGET SEASON.
THANK YOU TO JIM RICKY IN HIS OFFICE.
JACKIE V. HILL, IS AMAZING, THE BUSINESS OFFICE JUST DOES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO ASSEMBLE THIS OVER THE COURSE OF MONTHS.
THANKS TO OUR ADMINISTRATORS WHO ALSO DID A BIG LIFT ON BUDGETING AT THE BUILDING LEVEL, THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL. PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER.
A LOT OF HARD WORK AND TIME WENT INTO THIS TO MAKE IT AS STREAMLINED AS POSSIBLE AND TO BALANCE ALL THE DIFFERENT NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE THAT WE DO EXPECT FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
WE START ALWAYS WITH WHAT WE DO WITH OUR GOALS AND THOSE ITEMS THAT GIVE US OUR NORTH STAR FOCUS.
THE BOARD GOALS FOR THIS YEAR, I KNOW THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THESE, WE'RE IN THE AREAS OF FINANCE, FACILITIES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THE BOARD HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THOSE ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR.
[02:30:04]
IN FINANCE, OBVIOUSLY, NOW, FOLLOWING OUR BOND CONVERSATION EARLIER, WE TURNED TO THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE YEAR.FACILITIES, CORE FOCUS OF THIS YEAR, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AS WE GO THROUGH ALL THOSE PROCESSES.
I KNOW THE BOARD REMEMBERS BACK IN OCTOBER, YOU GAVE US GUIDANCE TO THINK ABOUT AS WE WENT INTO THE BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS.
THESE WERE THOSE ITEMS. WE DID OUR BEST TO ACHIEVE THEM.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AS WE GO THROUGH SOME WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE.
SOME WE HAD SOME STRUGGLES WITH AS MANY DISTRICTS ARE UNDER THE TAX CAP ENVIRONMENT, WE CAN'T ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING THAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT PLACES AND TARGETING THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS ACROSS THE SYSTEM IN WAYS THAT WILL MEET OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AGAIN, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITY AREAS, PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT, BELONGING AND WELLNESS, FACILITIES AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
WE'RE DOING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TOWARDS THOSE THIS YEAR.
WE HAD A MID-YEAR UPDATE BACK IN JANUARY, AND WE'LL BE BRINGING, OF COURSE, A YEAR-END UPDATE THERE.
WE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS SUPPORTED DIRECTLY BY THESE RESOURCES.
WHEN WE CONTEMPLATE THE BUDGET, AND I KNOW JIM HAS DELIVERED HIS HOLIDAY GIFT TO YOU ON THE TABLE IS YOUR BUDGET BINDER, WHICH IS ALL THE INFORMATION YOU'RE GOING TO NEED AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE LINE-BY-LINE BUDGET PROCESS.
WE DO ASK THAT YOU BRING THAT BINDER BACK FOR ANY BUDGET DISCUSSION EVENINGS BECAUSE IT'S GOT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN IT.
AS YOU DIG INTO THAT AND AS WE DIG INTO THAT TOGETHER FOR BUDGET DISCUSSION MEETINGS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING A LOT MORE DETAIL ON THESE AREAS.
OUR EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES GENERALLY FALL IN THESE AREAS, WITH INSTRUCTION BEING THE LARGEST AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
STAFF SALARY BENEFITS ARE THE LARGEST IT'S USUALLY ABOUT 75-ISH PERCENT.
WE'RE AT ABOUT 70, 80% IN WHAT WE SEE HERE ON INSTRUCTION AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
GENERAL SUPPORT IS OTHER STAFF OUTSIDE OF INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, INTER-FUND TRANSFERS, OR SOME OF THE ACCOUNTING MECHANICS OF HOW WE MOVE MONEY AROUND.
DEBT SERVICE IS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR EXPENDITURES, BUT IT IS THERE.
PEOPLE TRANSPORTATION IS A GROWING PART OF OUR EXPENDITURES, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT A BUSING DISTRICT, WE DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO BUS PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS, SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ATHLETICS.
THOSE ARE THE GENERAL MAIN CATEGORIES THAT YOU WILL SEE EXPENDITURES IN OVER TIME.
REVENUE CATEGORIES ARE A SMALLER LIST.
THE BULK OF OUR REVENUE DOES COME FROM PROPERTY TAXES, A LITTLE OVER 77%.
WE HAVE STATE AID AT ABOUT 14% THIS YEAR.
WE'VE SEEN GROWTH IN STATE AID OVER THE SEVERAL YEARS, WHICH HAS ENABLED US TO GROW SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR, WE WERE FORTUNATE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT WHEN WE GET INTO DETAIL.
THANKFULLY, THE STATE DID FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THEIR COMMITMENT TO FOUNDATION AID, WE DID SEE GAINS IN THE STATE AID CATEGORY.
I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A 4.7% GAIN IN STATE AID, WHICH IS LARGER THAN WHAT WAS EXPECTED THIS YEAR BY ANY DISTRICT.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES, MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS, THINGS LIKE TUITION, SALES TAX, ETC.
AND APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE.
THOSE RESOURCES THAT WE USE FROM OUR DIFFERENT RESERVES AND FUNDS TO OFFSET BUDGET CATEGORIES.
THE BIGGEST DRIVERS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, THE INS AND OUTS, WHERE THE MAJOR THINGS DRIVING INCREASES OR DECREASES, SALARIES AND BENEFITS, WHICH ARE ALIGNED TO OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONTRACTS, THAT'S THE BIGGEST GROUP TO BEGIN WITH.
THAT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST NUMBERS BUDGET YEAR TO YEAR.
CONTRACTUAL AND ANTICIPATED SALARY INCREASES FOR EXISTING EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH CLERICAL UNIT THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE TO BUDGET WITHIN CONTINGENCIES FOR POTENTIAL AGREEMENTS AND SETTLEMENTS THERE, AS WELL AS THOSE OBLIGATIONS WE'RE ALREADY COMMITTED TO.
WE HAVE SEEN INCREASING HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS AS WELL, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAIN DRIVERS THIS YEAR.
I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A 14% INCREASE. JUST UNDER 10.
SORRY. THE OVERALL CHANGE IN THE BUDGET, THE NUMBER I'M THINKING OF.
AS I SAID BEFORE, WE'RE INCREASING TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
AS WE PROVIDE THOSE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, WE DO REGULARLY GO OUT FOR BID ON THOSE, BUT THE COSTS CONTINUE TO GO UP.
WE ALSO SEE INCREASES IN BOCES EXPENDITURES FOR THINGS LIKE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND ARTS AND EDS PROGRAMS, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A STRATEGY IN THERE, AND THAT THE MORE WE SPEND WITH BOCES, THE MORE WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON EXPENSE-BASED BOCES AID IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IT'S USUALLY A GOOD MOVE FOR DISTRICTS TO MOVE MORE TOWARDS SPENDING IN THE BOCES AREA, AND THE STATE HAS MAINTAINED THAT AS AN EXPENSE-DRIVEN AID.
CONTINGENCY FUNDS, WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN AT 2%,
[02:35:01]
THAT'S BEEN WHAT WE BELIEVE IS REASONABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR BUDGET.ONE THING THAT'S SHIFTING THINGS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION IS WE ALSO HAD THE SAME DIRECTION OF SHOWING UP AS REDUCED REVENUE.
WE DID HAVE A DROP IN STATE BUILDING AID.
I KNOW FOLKS ASK ABOUT THE STABILITY OF BUILDING AID AND HOW THAT FLOWS.
THERE'S A SCHEDULE AND AMORTIZED SCHEDULE FOR THAT, AND WE DID HAVE PROJECTS COMING TO AN END FROM SOME TIME IN THE PAST.
THAT WAS A DECREASE IN JUST OVER $850,000 IN BUILDING AID THAT THEN IMPACTS HOW OUR BUDGET IS CONSTRUCTED.
OTHER RELATED BUDGET DRIVERS THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR, AND WE KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM, WE'LL BE HONORING THEM IN JUNE.
WE'VE HAD 13 TEACHER RETIREMENTS AND A TEACHING ASSISTANT.
BUT IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY, AS WE ALWAYS DO TO SCRUTINIZE WHICH ARE THOSE POSITIONS.
WHERE THE STUDENT NEEDS, HOW DO THEY FIT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN? WHICH ARE THOSE? WHAT DOES THE ENROLLMENT LOOK LIKE? WHERE DO WE REPLACE THOSE POSITIONS, AND WHERE MIGHT WE FIND SOME SAVINGS THROUGH NOT REPLACING THROUGH ATTRITION, WHEN WE DON'T BACKFILL POSITIONS, AS WE CALL IT THROUGH ATTRITION? WE WENT THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT PROCESS TO STRATEGICALLY DECIDE WHERE SOME REDUCTIONS MIGHT BE MADE THERE TO HELP US STAY WITHIN THE TAX CAP CONSTRAINTS.
AS WELL, WE'VE SEEN CONTINUED INCREASES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, SO WE NEEDED TO INCREASE STAFFING, ESPECIALLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
WE'VE DONE A VERY CAREFUL REVIEW OF OUR STAFFING AT ALL THE LEVELS BECAUSE OF THOSE.
WE LOOKED AT PROJECTED ELEMENTARY ENROLLMENTS.
WE BELIEVE WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE TWO RETIREMENTS THERE JUST THROUGH NORMAL EBBS AND FLOWS OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
THAT'S NORMAL FROM YEAR TO YEAR THAT WE MIGHT GO UP OR DOWN ONE OR TWO SECTIONS, WE ARE PROJECTING AT THIS POINT TO BE DOWN TWO SECTIONS NEXT YEAR.
AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, STILL WITHIN BOARD GUIDELINES.
THEN WE'VE BEEN LOOKING ACROSS THE SECONDARIES AS WELL TO SEE WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE MIGHT BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR USE OF STAFF IN THE PAST WHERE WE MAY HAVE ALLOWED CERTAIN CLASSES TO RUN BELOW BOARD GUIDELINES, OR MAYBE IT'S SPLIT LARGER SECTIONS INTO SMALLER SECTIONS, STILL WITHIN THE GUIDELINES.
WE ARE LOOKING TO TRY TO FIND GREATER EFFICIENCIES THERE.
LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE SOME COURSES BEING OFFERED IN ALTERNATING YEARS.
JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT YOU CAN USE TO TRY TO MAKE THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF STAFFING AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE WERE ABLE THEN TO IDENTIFY SEVERAL REDUCTIONS THROUGH ATTRITION.
AGAIN, NOBODY IS LOSING A JOB.
THIS IS NOT LAYOFFS BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO HOW TO REDUCE STAFFING AND MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENTLY USED.
AS I SAID, THROUGH ATTRITION, SCHEDULING EFFICIENCIES, ADJUSTING STRATEGIES TO SOME COURSE OFFERINGS LIKE THE ALTERNATING YEARS TYPE OF APPROACH.
THEN REALLOCATION OF STAFFING.
ONE EXAMPLE IS, I THINK WE HAVE A FIFTH GRADE ICT PROGRAM THAT'S GRADUATING OUT.
WE HAVE STAFFING THAT CAN NOW BE REPURPOSED FOR OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. WITHIN THE TAX CAP, I KNOW WE'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT JUST A COUPLE OF REMINDERS.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS THEN BUILT BASED ON NEED, AS WE ALWAYS DO EACH YEAR, AND THIS BUDGET THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TONIGHT IS COMPLIANT WITH THE TAX CAP.
THE TAX CAP, AS YOU KNOW, SETS THE ALLOWABLE GROWTH AT EITHER 2% OR CPI, WHICHEVER IS LOWER.
CPI WAS WELL OVER 2% THIS YEAR, SO THAT CAPS AT 2% GROWTH BEFORE ADDING IN DIFFERENT GROWTH FACTORS AND EXCLUSIONS.
ONCE ALL OF THAT IS CALCULATED IN, AND ONCE WE ADD IN THIS BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE APPLIED DEBT SERVICE FUNDS AGAIN.
OUR PROPOSED ALLOWABLE TAX CAP, SORRY, IT'S LATE MY MOUTH IS DRY.
OUR ALLOWABLE [LAUGHTER] TAX-COMPLIANT TAX LEVY PROPOSED IS 3.69%.
THAT'S THE ALLOWABLE LEVY, AND THAT WOULD REQUIRE A 50% PLUS ONE VOTE.
HERE'S THE OVERVIEW ALTOGETHER.
THE TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THIS BUDGET ARE 96 MILLION, 290,000, WHICH REPRESENTS A BUDGET-TO-BUDGET INCREASE OF JUST OVER $2.7 MILLION, A YEAR-TO-YEAR BUDGET INCREASE OF 2.9%.
WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THAT NUMBER DOWN AND REASONABLE.
THE ALLOWABLE TAX LEVY INCREASE IS 3.69%, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU TONIGHT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO US, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACILITIES CONVERSATION WE JUST HAD, TO REPRESENT WHICH PORTION THAT IS COMING FROM OPERATING BUDGET VERSUS WHICH IS CAPITAL BUDGET BECAUSE THE TAX CAP DOES ALLOW FOR CAPITAL EXCLUSIONS BECAUSE YOUR BONDING DOES NOT NECESSARILY IMPACT YOUR OPERATING BUDGET.
[02:40:01]
ALTHOUGH, YES, THERE IS AN OVERALL TAX IMPACT.BUT WITHIN THIS BUDGET, 2.4% OF THAT IS RELATED TO THE OPERATING BUDGET INCREASES, AND THEN 1.29 IS RELATED TO CAPITAL COSTS.
AGAIN, NOTING THAT THAT IS WITH APPLICATION OF DEBT SERVICE FUND RESERVE, WHICH WE HAVE DONE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WITHOUT THE APPLICATION OF THAT DEBT SERVICE, WE WOULD HAVE A TAX ALLOWABLE TAX LEVY INCREASE OF 6.57%.
WE USE THAT DEBT SERVICE RESERVE STRATEGICALLY TO BRING THAT DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
JUST A REMINDER THE RICH PROGRAM OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR STUDENTS ARE THINGS WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
WE HAVE A ROBUST CORE CURRICULUM THAT'S BEEN OVERHAULED IN THE LAST 5-10 YEARS.
MATH IN FOCUS, SCIENCE 21, OUR ADVANCED LITERACY THROUGH TC.
THESE ARE THINGS WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, RESOURCES, AND SUPPORT OF OUR TEACHERS, AND THEY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB AND OUR KIDS ARE EXCELLING.
WE PHASED IN THE FLES PROGRAM SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THIS SAYS K-2 THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY BE GRADES 2-5.
WE'LL GET THAT RIGHT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT THAT'S AGAIN, A ROBUST PROGRAM THAT'S NOW WELL ESTABLISHED AND THRIVING RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH FIVE COHORTS, CONTINUING NOW TO INVEST IN A COACHING MODEL TO ASSESS OUR PROGRESS AND CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR SKILLS THERE.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN THE ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SUPPORT THAT WE HAD BEEN INCREASING SINCE I CAME TO THE DISTRICT, BUT ESPECIALLY FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC, TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE ROBUST SUPPORT THAT OUR STUDENTS NEED AND CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THE RIGOROUS IB PROGRAM AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
ADDITIONALLY, AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
MOVING UP TO SECONDARY, WE CONTINUE TO OFFER OUR FOUR WORLD LANGUAGES, FRENCH, SPANISH, ITALIAN, AND MANDARIN, STILL I'M INVESTING IN THERE TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SUCH A UNIQUE COURSE, AND SO FEW TEACHERS TO TEACH IT, WE'RE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THE TEACHER IN THAT PROGRAM SUCCESS.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR AP AND DUAL ENROLLMENT AND CONTINUING TO EVENTS AS WE GOT TO SEE TONIGHT IN A SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM.
LAST YEAR, WE PILOTED THE SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS.
IT'S FULLY LAUNCHED THIS YEAR.
I DON'T HAVE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS ANTICIPATED, BUT WE SHOULD SEE A LARGE NUMBER OF SENIORS GRADUATING THIS YEAR WITHOUT SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS AND CONTINUE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, MANY OF YOUR CHILDREN ARE IN THESE FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS, CONTINUE TO EXCEL AND TO REALLY GIVE OUR STUDENTS PLACES TO SHINE.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE HIGHLIGHTS, ONE SMALL ITEM I WOULD ADD.
IT'S NOT AN ADDITIVE COURSE, BUT IT'S A CHANGE TO THE COURSE CATALOG THAT WE'RE HOPING TO PICK MORE STUDENT INTEREST.
IN THE PAST, YOU PROBABLY REMEMBER, WE HAD A HUMANITIES RESEARCH COURSE THAT WE LAUNCHED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE'RE TRANSITIONING THAT THIS YEAR INTO THE AP SEMINAR CLASS.
IT'S BASICALLY A SIMILAR PHILOSOPHY, SIMILAR APPROACH.
IT'S REALLY A RESEARCH-BASED COURSE.
STUDENTS CAN COME INTO THAT COURSE WITH PERSPECTIVE IN ANY TOPIC.
IT'S ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM, BUT IT IS CONNECTED TO THE AP.
THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS THERE.
MS. COMERFORD CAN SPEAK TO THAT MORE AT ANOTHER MEETING IF THE BOARD HAS QUESTIONS ON THAT.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE CONTINUING TO EXPAND SPECIAL EDUCATION AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
WE ARE CONTINUING, OF COURSE, TO MAINTAIN THE ICT PROGRAM AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
NEXT YEAR, WE'RE PROJECTING GRADES K-2.
WE ARE LOOKING TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS, WHICH TRACY HAS MENTIONED TO US EARLIER.
DO SOME INCREASED NEEDS. THAT'LL BE A NEW 8-1-2 PROGRAM.
>> THAT WILL BE FOR, I THINK IT'S AN 812 OF ALL KINDERGARTNERS.
THAT WILL BE STARTED. WE'RE EXCITED TO BRING THAT CLASS ON BOARD FOR NEXT FALL.
ACROSS THE BOARD, WE ARE MAINTAINING ALL CLASS SIZES AT OR BELOW BOARD GUIDELINES WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
WE WILL BE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER THIS YEAR ON STAFFING.
THAT IS GIVEN THAT WE HAD NUMBER OF REDUCTIONS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A NUMBER OF INCREASES, BUT AS YOU SAW EARLIER, THE OVERALL NUMBER THROUGH ATTRITION IS A LITTLE BIT OVER 4.0 TOTAL FTES.
IT'S A CULMINATION OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT CHANGES.
THINGS WILL BE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER, BUT WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS IN PARTICULAR AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL TO TRY TO MAKE SOME REALLY SMART AND STRATEGIC CHOICES ABOUT HOW TO DISTRIBUTE THAT STAFFING SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR BEST TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS.
I FORGOT TO MENTION BULLET THERE, IT'S NOT PROGRAMMATIC, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED TONIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO A LOT OF FACILITIES WORK AS WELL WITHIN THIS BUDGET.
WE DO A LOT IN HOUSE AND WAS ALREADY MENTIONED EARLIER THIS EVENING, BUT I WILL SAY JIM AND JOHN CONDON HAVE BEEN TAKING THE LEAD.
I'M PREPARING FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE AC UNITS AT THE TOP FLOORS OF ALL THE BUILDINGS FOR THE FALL.
WE SHOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE GOVERNOR'S NEW REGULATIONS.
THEN TO CONTINUE, OF COURSE, TO DO FLOOR REPLACEMENTS, HVAC, PAINTING, MASONRY, WE'RE SLATED STILL TO DO THE HVAC REPLACEMENT OF THESE UNITS THIS SUMMER.
A LOT OF WORK WILL BE GOING ON IN THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT.
WITHIN TECHNOLOGY, CONTINUING OUR REFRESH CYCLE FOR OUR ONE TO ONE CHROMEBOOKS,
[02:45:03]
CONTINUING TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT TEACHING AND LEARNING ACROSS THE BOARD AND CONTINUE TO DEEPEN OUR WORK AROUND DIGITAL FLUENCY.CONTINUING STRENGTHENING OUR MTSS PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO BE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON OUR MARCH 14TH CONFERENCE DAY, SPECIFICALLY, TRAINING TEACHERS ACROSS THE BOARD ON THAT.
THEN ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS, DR. FITZGERALD HAS IDENTIFIED A NEW HR TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM THAT TO BRING ON BOARD, THAT'S GOING TO HELP BRING MORE GREATER EFFICIENCIES, AND I THINK MORE OF A SEAMLESS CONNECTION BETWEEN HR AND THE BUSINESS OFFICE.
GIVEN THAT WE WORK ON PRETTY SKELETAL CLERICAL SUPPORT, IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE EFFICIENT SYSTEMS, AND THOSE ARE JUST TWO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AREAS THAT WE GET THINGS RIGHT.
FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS. THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT IN.
WE WANTED TO ALWAYS HIGHLIGHT THOSE JUST TO KEEP THEM ON THE RADAR.
PART OF THE GUIDANCE I KNOW THAT THE BOARD HAD ASKED US TO CONSIDER AT THE FRONT END OF THIS IS, IS THERE A WAY TO ACCELERATE OUR ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEM? MS. COMERFORD HAS BEEN ASSESSING THAT AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION.
WE USE THAT AS A GOOD DIPSTICK OF WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ENROLL AN ENTIRE GRADE LEVEL, AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM THAT IS IT NEEDS MORE CLERICAL SUPPORT.
WITH THIS BUDGET, GIVEN THAT WE WERE REDUCING POSITIONS OVERALL THROUGH ATTRITION, WE DIDN'T WANT TO THEN ADD TO THAT, AND WE STRUGGLED TO FIND A WAY TO ADD TO THAT WITHOUT CUTTING MORE, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO THAT FAR.
ALSO, WE'VE BEEN EXPLORING WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO BRING ON THIRD PARTY UPK.
AS WE KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE SPACE TO DO IT, BUT WE CAN USE THE FUNDS TO CONTRACT WITH A THIRD PARTY VENDOR.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED A POTENTIAL VENDOR, BUT AGAIN, TO MANAGE THAT WORK, YOU NEED ADDITIONAL CLERICAL SUPPORT AND ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT.
THERE COULD BE SOME FUTURE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO ITEMS INTO A CLERICAL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SERVE BOTH PURPOSES.
WE COULD LOOK INTERNALLY FOR POTENTIALLY ADMIN SUPPORT, BUT THOSE ARE TWO AREAS THAT WE REALLY LOOKED HARD AT AND RIGHT NOW ARE NOT ABLE TO DO IT.
I WILL ADD WE ARE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S INITIAL BUDGET ALLOCATIONS, NORMALLY, THE BUDGET PROCESS.
SHE'S SUPPOSED TO SET HER BUDGET BY APRIL 1ST.
OFTEN THAT COMES WITH ADDITIONAL STATE AID, SECOND TIME AROUND NOT SURE.
OUR BIG THEORY WAS THAT CONGESTION PRICING WAS SAVING THE DAY FOR NEW YORK STATE.
FUTURE, THAT'S UP IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW I LOVE DRIVING NOW DOWN INTO MIDTOWN BECAUSE IT'S TRAFFIC'S WAY BETTER, BUT IT'S JUST MY OWN SELFISH ENJOYMENT OF THAT.
ANYWAYS, IF WE WERE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER SOME OF THESE ITEMS. AGAIN, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE JUST ALWAYS ON OUR LIST OF THINGS THAT WE'D LOVE TO DO AT SOME POINT IN TIME, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF FOR THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSES.
OF COURSE, CONTINUED PROGRAMMING GROWTH.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ARTS.
I KNOW WE CONTINUE TO WANT TO BUILD AND STEM LOTS OF DIFFERENT AREAS WE COULD BUILD IN THE FUTURE IF THE RESOURCES COME THROUGH.
THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC THINGS IN ATHLETICS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
SOME NEW TEAMS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE ARE HOPING TO EVENTUALLY BUILD TOWARDS AN ATHLETIC COORDINATOR.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FRIENDS OF PELHAM ATHLETICS ON ADDING A STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH TO HELP SUPPORT THE NEWLY RENOVATED FITNESS ROOMS. THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE BUDGET YET, BUT THANKS TO THE FRIENDS OF PELHAM SPORTS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT AND HELPING US WITH THAT STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING POSITION FOR THE TIME BEING.
THEN LONG TERM, THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS FOR OUR ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT LEADERS THAT COULD REALLY AGAIN, MAKE MORE EFFICIENCY MORE SUPPORT SO THAT OUR LEADERS CAN BE MORE AT FUNCTIONING AT THE STRATEGIC LEVEL AND NOT AS MUCH AT THE TACTILE AND OPERATIONAL LEVEL.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE GO FORWARD.
JUST TO END IT OUT, ROUND IT OUT WITH WHERE WE STARTED IS JUST THE OVERALL BUDGET AT A GLANCE.
AGAIN, JUST A $96.9 MILLION BUDGET.
EXPENSE BUDGET-TO-BUDGET, $2.7 MILLION.
THE ALLOWABLE TAX LEVY INCREASE BEING PROPOSED TO YOU TONIGHT AND TO CONSIDER THROUGH THIS PROCESS IS 3.69%.
THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
MARCH, WE'LL BE OVERLAPPING A LITTLE BIT WITH SOME OF THE UPCOMING BOND WORK, BUT WE'LL START OUR LINE BY LINE REVIEW ON MARCH 12TH.
THOSE THREE MEETINGS IN A ROW, WE'LL HAVE DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATORS COMING THROUGH GOING LINE BY LINE THROUGH, WHAT'S IN YOUR BINDERS.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR QUESTIONS.
THEN WE'LL HAVE JUST ONE NIGHT FOR JUST OPEN BUDGET DISCUSSION.
IF THERE'S ANY ADJUSTMENTS, CHANGES, DIRECTION THE BOARD WANTS TO PROVIDE US BEFORE WE COME TO ADOPT THE BUDGET ON THE 22ND, WE'VE GOT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, AND THEN CERTAINLY OUR MANDATED PUBLIC HEARING.
THEN FINALLY, OUR BUDGET VOTE AND SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION ON MAY 20TH.
I WILL OFFER IT ON HIS BEHALF.
I KNOW JIM, HE AND JACKIE ALWAYS MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE IF ANYONE WANTS TO SIT.
NOW THAT YOU'VE GOT THE BINDER AND GO THROUGH THINGS, ASK QUESTIONS.
THEY'RE WONDERFUL TO SIT WITH.
THEY'LL TAKE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED SO THAT YOU REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYTHING FROM STAFFING TO EXPENDITURES,
[02:50:02]
REVENUES, CONTINGENCIES, ETC IN THE BOARD.THE BOARD IS AWARE OF WHERE ALL THE CONTINGENCIES IN THE BUDGET ARE, THAT'S IN YOUR BINDER AS WELL.
THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION GIVEN THE NATURE OF THAT.
THEY'RE THERE FOR YOU, ANY QUESTIONS ANY TIME.
I WILL STOP THERE AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR US TONIGHT.
>> I HAVE JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
IT'S VERY TOP LINE AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DIG INTO THIS, BUT IT WAS CLEAR AROUND SOME OF THE THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO AND THE NEEDS AROUND SPECIAL EDUCATION AND ALL OF THAT AND IT WAS ALSO CLEAR THINGS WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO.
THE INCREASE IS A SMALL INCREASE AND IT'S TIGHT.
WERE WE ABLE TO DO THOSE OTHER INCREASES DUE TO PERSONNEL? IS THAT TOP LINE, LIKE SOME OF THE PERSONNEL SAVINGS.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. I'M JUST TRYING TO BALANCE OUT LIKE WE DID SOME NEW GOOD THINGS.
WE'RE HOLDING IN SOME OTHER AREAS, BUT THAT WAS A SMALL INCREASE [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY THAT'S ALWAYS A BIG HELP, IN THE RETIREMENTS, THERE'S USUALLY WHAT WE CALL BREAKAGE.
WHEN TEACHERS RETIRE, THEY GENERALLY RETIRE AT A HIGH SALARY, AND WE REPLACE THEM AT A LOWER SALARY.
>> NOTHING WAS REALLY TAKEN AWAY.
>> RIGHT. FROM THERE, IT WAS SAVINGS FROM THOSE RETIREMENTS, WHICH WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, I THINK OVER $400,000 RIGHT THERE, AND THEN IN ADDITION, THEN WE LOOKED AT WHICH OF THE POSITIONS DO WE ACTUALLY THEN HAVE TO FILL.
>> THAT WAS ADDITIONAL SAVINGS THERE WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FILL.
>> THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE DID HAVE TO ADD IN SPECIAL EDUCATION SO THAT WE HAD TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THAT ADDED UP.
AS I SAID, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER WHEN IT COMES TO SCHEDULING THIS YEAR.
THAT'S THE REALITY. WE'VE ALREADY TOLD THE ADMINISTRATORS IF SOMETHING IS NOT AT THE MINIMUM BOARD GUIDELINE OF 15, SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSES RUN SMALL, THERE'S SOME UPPER LEVEL WORLD LANGUAGES THAT GENERALLY RUN SMALL, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IF THINGS ARE NOT AT THE MINIMUM OF 15, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE RUNNING THE NEXT YEAR, WHERE IN THE PAST, MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE RUN THEM.
>> WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT, CAN WE MAYBE INSTEAD OF 10 SECTIONS OF SOMETHING, MAYBE WE RUN NINE AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER.
THERE MAY BE SOME BIGGER CLASSES.
THOSE ARE THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WE TRY TO FIND, BUT AGAIN, ALL WITHIN BOARD GUIDELINES.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE EXCEEDING THAT AT THE ELEMENTARY OR THE SECONDARY.
>> THANKS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND AGAIN, THANKS TO JIM AND JACKIE, AND THERE'LL BE LOTS MORE TO COME ON THIS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
>> THANK YOU, JIM AND YOUR OFFICE FOR ALL THE WORK.
>> MARCH IS A LONG MONTH, YES.
>> I THINK WITH THAT, WE'RE ON TO 5.1.
[5.1 Motion to Approve and Adopt the School Calendar for the 2024-2025 School Year (Revised)]
>> I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND ADOPT THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.
>> THIS REVISION FOR THIS YEAR'S SCHOOL CALENDAR.
>> YES, IT'S A REVISION FOR THIS YEAR.
I WILL EXPLAIN THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE TOOK A SNOW DAY.
>> THAT MEANS WE LOSE ONE OF OUR CONTINGENCY DAYS RIGHT BEFORE THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
THAT MEANS WE NOW WILL HAVE ONLY A FOUR DAY WEEKEND.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR BECAUSE WE WILL EXPECT EVERYBODY AT SCHOOL.
MAY 22ND IS NOW A SCHOOL DAY AND A WORK DAY FOR EVERYBODY.
>> WHICH STILL MAINTAINS AT THIS POINT A FOUR DAY WEEKEND.
IF WE HAVE ANOTHER SNOW DAY, THEN WE WOULD LOSE THAT, BUT THAT'S A CHANGE FOR THIS YEAR.
I DIDN'T BRING BACK THE NEXT YEAR'S SCHEDULE YET.
I KNOW THAT WE DID GREAT SURVEY RESULTS THERE.
WE'RE STILL HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT SOME POTENTIAL ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO STRUCTURE AND LOOK AT PLC DAYS, PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES.
I SHOULD BE BRINGING THAT BACK TO YOU IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
>> DOCTOR CHAMP, FOR THIS YEAR SCHEDULE, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT NOW THAT YOU CLARIFIED THAT THE SNOW DAY TOOK AWAY FROM THE DAYS RIGHT BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, THERE WAS SOME CONTINGENCY DAYS AT THE END OF JUNE. THOSE REMAINED.
>> DO I HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND ADOPT THE REVISED SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR 2024/2025?
>> ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
>> I THINK AMORY. SHOULD I JUST DO [OVERLAPPING] DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 5.2-5.4 AS A CONSENT AGENDA?
[5.2 Motion to Approve Calendar for the 2025-2026 School Year Budget]
[5.3 Motion to Approve 2024-2025 Budget Transfers]
[5.4 Motion to Approve Revised Out-of-District Special Education Tuition Rates for the 2024-25 School Year]
[02:55:03]
>> REMEMBER TO RAISE YOUR HAND SO VAL CAN SEE, TOO.
>> LET'S SEE. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THESE? ALL IN FAVOR?
>> NONE OPPOSED, SO THE MOTION CARRIES.
[5.5 Motion to Accept a Donation]
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT A DONATION?BOE RESOLVED THAT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES HEREBY ACCEPT THE DONATION OF A WOODEN DESK AND CHAIR THAT WAS PAINTED AS A REPLICA OF THE MONET BRIDGE.
THIS ART PIECE WAS DONATED BY MRS. MAGGIE KLEIN AND IS VALUED AT $500.
>> THE RELEVANCE OF THIS IS THIS IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL DESKS FROM HUTCHINSON SCHOOL.
THERE WAS A PROJECT DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WHERE I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE ART TEACHER FROM THE BUILDING OR SOMEBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY TOOK THE FURNITURE, PAINTED FAMOUS PAINTINGS ON, AND THE AUCTIONED THEM OFF.
MAGGIE, A FORMER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, HAD BOUGHT ONE AT THE TIME, AND NOW SHE'S DOWNSIZING AND WANTED TO DONATE IT BACK TO THE SCHOOL.
>> I'M THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF THAT IN MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW.
TIME TO FIND A PERMANENT OWNER.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK, WHERE IS IT GOING TO GO?
>> AT THE MOMENT, IT'S IN MY OFFICE.
>> TO MAGGIE KLEIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS. ALL IN FAVOR?
[5.6 Motion to Approve Memorandum of Agreement with the Teachers Association of Pelham]
[5.7 Motion to Participate in Southern Westchester BOCES Cooperative Bids]
[5.8 Motion to Amend an Agreement with Zamft Tutoring, LLC for Pupil Personnel Related Services]
>> DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 5.6-5.8 AS A CONSENT AGENDA?
>> ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR?
>> NONE OPPOSED, SO THIS CARRIES.
[6.1 Policy 5640 - Smoking/Tobacco (First Reading)]
[6.2 Policy 5661 - Wellness (First Reading)]
[6.3 Policy 5683 - Evacuation, Lockdown and Emergency Dismissal Drills (First Reading)]
[6.4 Policy 6121 - Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (First Reading)]
[6.5 Policy 6214 - Incidental Teaching (First Reading)]
[6.6 Policy 6550 - Leaves of Absence (First Reading)]
[6.7 Policy 7350 - Timeout and Physical Restraint (First Reading)]
[6.8 Policy 7512 - Student Physicals (First Reading)]
[6.9 Policy 7513 - Medication and Personal Care Items (First Reading)]
[6.10 Policy 7521 - Students with Life-Threatening Health Conditions (First Reading)]
[6.11 Policy 7530 - Child Abuse and Maltreatment (First Reading)]
[6.12 Policy 7670 - Due Process Complaints: Selection and Board Appointment of Impartial Hearing Officers (First Reading)]
[6.13 Policy 8450 - Home, Hospital, or Institutional Instruction (Homebound Instruction) (First Reading)]
I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ACTUALLY TABLE THE 6.12-6.13.I DON'T THINK WE ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH 13 POLICIES RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL PROBABLY SAVE THAT FOR NEXT TIME.
>> THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 7.1-8.1 AS A CONSENT AGENDA?
[7.1 Motion to Approve Schedule A - Instructional]
[7.2 Motion to Approve - Schedule C - Instructional]
[7.3 Motion to Approve - Schedule C - Non-Instructional]
[8.1 Motion to Approve Schedule D - Committee on Special Education (Confidential)]
>> 9.1, DO WE HAVE NEW BUSINESS? I'M STARING EVERYONE DOWN, NO.
[LAUGHTER] I DON'T THINK WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
WE'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
>> EVERYONE SET IT. ALL IN FAVOR.
>> A MOTION TO WISH JACKIE HAPPY BIRTHDAY. [LAUGHTER]
>> THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH US.
I KNOW, BUT THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WANT.
>> JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUN.
[LAUGHTER]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.