Minutes - 20030127 - Laserfiche WebLink

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John Link said that part of the discussion today at agenda review was how to address three major issues in February with one work session. One major issue, the pay and classification study, can be addressed at 5:30 p.m. on February 24t", which is the night of the quarterly public hearing. On February 26t" at the regular work session we could address where we are with school issues. Also on the 26t" the detail report on alternative financing could be addressed. Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the urban design and said that he thought they were looking at an urban design in the retrofit of the Lincoln Center. Chair Brown said that the southern high school site has funding and the Lincoln Center does not. Chair Brown said that the school board has no interest in an urban design for the high school in the southern part of the County. John Link is going to put together all of the options that have been brought before the Board from the very beginning and see how they fit into this timeframe that the school board has set up. Commissioner Gordon said that it is very clear from the October memo that the school system is talking about a 1,000-student comprehensive school. John Link said that the Board has $27.8 million dollars fora 1,000- student high school space. This money can be used for expansion of an existing high school or building a new high school. The Board has the ability to make this happen by 2006. The real issue for the school system is to define soon enough how the plan to provide the high school space needs so that the timetable can be met. Commissioner Jacobs said that they want a 1,000-student high school, but they also want to have the capacity to expand it to 1,500 with all of the facilities for 1,500 students. He said that when there was a meeting with the Mayor of Chapel Hill, it was clearly stated that we could do this with limited parking and maybe there could be a park and ride lot for students and teachers. The school board members who were there spoke in favor of this. Chair Brown said that when she met with Mayor Foy and Valerie Foushee, she completely agreed with this but her fellow board members did not agree. Commissioner Gordan asked if they discussed using the park at this meeting. Chair Brown said that they tried to figure out what the school board wanted. The board members are not as clear about the objectives. Commissioner Halkiotis asked when the Town was going to make a decision and Chair Brown said that it should be very soon. John Link said that it should be within the next couple of meetings. Commissioner Gordon said that it is not clear exactly what is being asked of the Town. She thinks that the school is interested in adjacent properties near a school site.