Orange County NC Website
concerns about the proposal -the arbitrariness of the policy and that the rationale is not clear. <br />The needs include opening High School #3 and Elementary School #10. They remain <br />committed to SAPFO and they encourage cooperation when discussing these plans. <br />He requested further discussion between the Board and the Board of Education of bath school <br />systems before adapting this. <br />John Anderson said that he heard about this agenda item the other day from some <br />neighbors and he was concerned. He agrees that this is arbitrary to set these guidelines. He <br />feels that if the County Commissioners want to set guidelines, that they should wait until the <br />new County Commissioner is seated an the Board, especially since she was a school board <br />member and would likely have same positive input. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that the County does have a lot of projects that need to be <br />funded, as do the schools. She said that the process concerns her because this is a major <br />change and it would be unwise to set arbitrary guidelines before the schools have reviewed this <br />She thinks this requires considerable analysis by the public and the school boards. She feels <br />that the Board has not followed its awn process and has not allowed sufficient public input . <br />She said that she does not see particular data to justify the 60-40 split. She said that SAPFO <br />only applies to new facilities and she is concerned about older facilities and their substantial <br />equivalence to newer school facilities. She is thoroughly convinced that there are a number of <br />County projects, but these can be prioritized for funding. The 60-40 capital policy is unwise. <br />Commissioner Halkiatis said that he does have not a problem sending this on to bath <br />school boards for comments and to get it back to the Board far review. <br />Chair Jacobs read the resolution as follows: <br />A RESOLUTION GOVERNING THE EXPENDITURE OF CAPITAL FUNDS ON <br />ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SCHOOL STRUCTURES <br />WHEREAS, the Orange County Board of Commissioners has adopted a Schools Adequate <br />Public Facilities Ordinance that makes predictable the development of school facilities for the <br />next decade; and <br />WHEREAS, the County dedicated 77 percent of its capital expenditures for school purposes <br />over the 15 year period from 1988 through 2003; and <br />WHEREAS, during that same period necessary capital expenditures for County projects were <br />deferred, delayed, or curtailed due to lack of sufficient funds; and <br />WHEREAS, there is a large backlog of building construction necessary to meet the needs of a <br />growing county that require a determined effort to bring to bear additional capital resources in a <br />timely manner; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does <br />hereby adopt in principle a policy of allocating a target of 60 percent of capital expenditures for <br />school projects and 40 percent of capital expenditures for county projects over the decade <br />beginning in calendar year 2005. <br />This, the 16the day of November, 2004. <br />Chair Jacobs added that this should be referred to bath school boards for analysis and <br />comment and also to the staff for refinement. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis suggested that this forwarded resolution include the attached <br />data and any other appropriate materials. <br />