ORD-2008-057 - Mobile Classrooms Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Capital Project Ordinance

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The Board considered approval of County and School capital project ordinances for fiscal year 2008-09 and reallocation of $100,000 in 2007-08 approved capital funds to allow for emergency purchase of Animal Control trucks. Commissioner Gordon made reference to the first attachment and #27 on page 4 of 4, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, and said that Carrboro High School addition should be included in here; she noted that the addition includes an auditorium. She said that #32 should read, "Southern Human Services Dental CliniGAdditional Space for Health Department." Regarding #18 and the Renovation of Link Government Services Center, Commissioner Gordon suggested that this be considered a reserve project as opposed to an authorized project because it is not well-defined. It will still be in the budget. Laura Blackmon said that staff is in the process of working with the architect to develop the plan and she is not sure what putting this in a reserve would do. Chair Jacobs said that a lot of the items are for future discussion and the Board agreed that in the fall, it would revisit the CIP. Hopefully, by the time the Board revisits these projects, there will be more specific information on some of these projects. Laura Blackmon said that the purpose of this item was to approve the ordinances, and the rest is backup material that the County Commissioners requested. Commissioner Gordon just wants to make sure that her concerns are noted. Commissioner Gordon made reference to the Elementary School #11 project funds and said that the County needs ~to be clear with the two school systems about exactly what must be done to request projects. In the notebook dated September 20, 2007, there were a number of projects brought forth by both school systems, and Elementary #11 was flagged for funding. It seems that it is appropriate to consider how to fund the planning money, which is $640,130 for fiscal year 2008. She hopes that the Board will give direction to the staff tonight because this has been unfunded and on the list for a long time. She would like to see the Board direct staff to work with CHCCS in getting the $640,130 planning money in the 2008 budget and direct staff to work out a funding plan for Elementary #11 that will be included in the documents. Donna Coffey said that, as CHCCS indicated on April 22"d, the timeline for the school is not as pressing as it was and it is looking at opening Elementary #11 a year later. There is more time to work on a funding plan. The staff can bring back a plan at the first meeting in August. Chair Jacobs suggested that the Board approve the County's capital requests and the OCS capital requests and defer the CHCCS requests, until the Board of Education members and the other County Commissioners can be present to discuss this request; direct staff to try and find planning money within the monies that have already been requested by CHCCS. There is no place to find $640,130 and the fact that the County Commissioners got a CIP that did not .include this is very perplexing. He said that it ought to have been part of the CIP. He wants all five County Commissioners and the school board members to be present when this is discussed again. Commissioner Foushee said that she thought that the staff would be bringing back more concrete numbers in August and this will keep CHCCS on the planning track. She agrees with this direction. Commissioner Gordon said that she asked Donna Coffey about the amount of the lottery proceeds. This year, CHCCS got $988,000 and the County Commissioners said that it could spend $624,000 on space for classrooms for Phoenix Academy and some other things. In the fourth quarter, OCS is expected to get $200,000 and CHCCS $325,000. She wants to get the lottery proceeds as soon as possible, just in case there is any movement to sequester the proceeds by the State. She suggested approving capital project ordinances for all of the projects and then go back and get more specific information. She would like to encourage