Minutes - 20030421 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Commissioner Gordan said that we might want to think about the one cent on the tax rate -School Park Reserve Fund. This is now being used far County projects. She thinks that last year it went to nothing or very little. Chair Brown asked for a report back on how the School Park Reserve Fund has been spent since it was created and where it is now. Commissioner Gordan said that it seems that last year they did another round of cuts and the Board decided to restore them if the money was available. She remembers one was Lands Legacy and one was affordable housing. Commissioner Jacobs said that Information Technology was another one. Commissioner Gordon would like to see this list. Commissioner Jacobs asked for another chart that has the amount of money spent on schools and how that compares to square footage for County staff and why the Board of County Commissioners has deferred on certain projects in order to pay for schools. Commissioner Carey asked about the $2 million in the Efland Sewer Project and if next year is the last year in the cycle. John Link said that they have 7 years and the Board can ask for an extension from the Local Government Commission. Finance Director Ken Chavious said that if an extension is granted it will be for three years. He said that we need to provide the Local Government Commission with a timetable as to when the bonds will be sold. Commissioner Jacobs said that there are three projects with time constraints - community college, animal shelter, solid waste facilities, and the Efland sewer project. He said that it would be good to separate these out. Chair Brown would also like to know the time constraints of what the Board said it would do in the bands. Chair Brawn asked to add the pre-K facility to take the pressure off of the school systems because these children are using very expensive classroom space. She would like to see this as a capital project and the pros and cons. John Link said that Smart Start could help with this. Chair Brown said that the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system is using enough rooms for pre-K to not have to build another elementary school if the children were not using the classrooms. Commissioner Carey asked the staff to find out how much space is being used far pre-K. Also, he would like from the school systems their definition of pre-K as they are using it -birth to five years or three and four-year olds. Commissioner Jacobs said that if we are going to retain teachers then maybe daycare is something that is a valuable function for our government to provide childcare for the teachers. QuestionslComments on Specific Projects: Emergency Generators: Commissioner Gordon asked how many generators would be purchased (page 15-16). The staff will find the number of generators and bring it back. Chair Brown asked if this was a proposal to actually buy generators. John Link said that this is actually buying and installing these generators in buildings -Southern Human Services Center, Government Services Center, and the Whitted Center all need generators. Commissioner Jacobs said that he hopes that they will look at portable generators also. Chair Brown said that neither Carrboro nor Chapel Hill has emergency centers and they will rely on the County or UNC. She asked if the County had a plan to take this responsibility. John Link said that they plan to have schools available with generators (portable or permanent) and not rely on outside contractors for the generators. Chair Brown said that she remembers that Smith Middle School was supposed to have a generator.