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Chair Carey said that there is also an Orange County Disability Awareness Council that <br />the County supports. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked that all leased properties be included in the handicapped <br />accessibility component. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Gordon, seconded by Commissioner Foushee to <br />accept the final Report on Functions and Responsibilities of the Human Rights and Relations <br />Department and amend the County's Classification and Pay Plan to add the new class of LEP <br />(Limited English Proficiency) Coordinator at salary grade 17 effective February 1, 2005. <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br />6. Resolutions or Proclamations <br />a. Middle School #3 Capital Protect Ordinance <br />The Board considered a resolution and a revised capital project ordinance regarding <br />appropriation of additional funds far construction of Orange County Schools (OCS) Middle <br />School #3. <br />John Link said that in November 2001, the voters of Orange County approved in the <br />school bond $18.5 million for constructing a new middle school for the Orange County school <br />system. This $18.5 million, at that point, was the amount that had been specified in the <br />construction standards adopted several years ago. Since that time, a site has been located, <br />approximately 100 acres between West Ten Road and I-4011-85. The school system and the <br />County Commissioners and staff have been working on developing the total area so that, as the <br />school is planned and built, there will also be work on multiple soccer fields in the same area. <br />The school system and the County Commissioners have entered into an inter-local agreement. <br />He said that this item is related to the outcome of the bids that were received in December by <br />the school board. The action is to ask the Board to consider appropriating as much as $3.5 <br />million in additional funds toward this project, based on the costs of steel, concrete, etc. There <br />is also a letter from Superintendent Carraway (peach colored) indicating that the school system <br />has identified $350,000 of their revenue to address this shortfall. This is in response to a letter <br />sent by him to both superintendents in September asking them to identify sources of revenue to <br />help in the overruns of this project and High School #3 in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school <br />system . <br />Rod Visser said that this is an urgent issue because the middle school is slated to open <br />in August 2006. The project architects have indicated to the school board that in order to keep <br />this project on track, it is important to begin construction by mid-February. The school board <br />has this item on its agenda tonight. In December, the Board indicated that it intended to <br />reallocate some or perhaps all of the $12.8 million that is currently earmarked in the County's <br />plan for CHCCS Elementary #10 to address some of the anticipated cost overruns for this <br />project and the CHCCS High School #3 project and perhaps the senior centers. Funds to build <br />Elementary school #10 will be allocated at a later date. This action is to specifically follow upon <br />this indication of intent in December. <br />Rod Visser pointed out that in October the Board asked that a work group be put <br />together, comprised of County and school representatives, that could examine ongoing issues <br />related to the joint relationship between the middle school project and the adjacent County <br />soccer complex. Chair Carey is serving on this work group along with other staff members, <br />Chair Libby Hough, Superintendent Carraway, and other school staff members. The group met <br />last week to talk about budgetary considerations. There is some work to be done an potential <br />additional joint savings through economies of scale. Also, County staff conducted an <br />assessment of the cost overruns for this project and far High School #3, and it is summarized in <br />the abstract. <br />