Agenda - 09-24-2001 - 1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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STEPHENH HALh'1077s.CHAIR ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BARRY JACOBS. VICE CHAIR x"'s MARGARET W.BROWN POST OFFICE BOX 8 18 1 1; ° .,,t 52 MJSE Y ALICE M. , 200 SOUTH CAMERON STREET ' M. Go caJRDoN HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278 rtb �Ata�� September 11,2001 Mr.Nick Didow,Chair Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education Lincoln Center,Merritt Mill Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Dear Nick: On.behalf of.the Orange County Board of Commissioners,I want to convey our enthusiastic commitment to working with the two Boards of Education in the next two months to secure voter approval of all the bond questions on the November 2001 ballot,particularly in your area of interest-the$47 million in school bonds. In a distinct but related vein,we pledge the unflagging support of County Commissioners and County staff to work with Bond Education Committee members to explain to Orange County voters the needs that necessitated the adoption of the four bond orders. We know that the Board of Education and school staff will match or surpass our information outreach efforts,especially with regard to school capital needs. In addition to funding for two new elementary schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro system and one new middle school in the Orange County system,the school bond order includes$29 million for renovations to existing facilities. On September 4,when the Commissioners approved$2 million to be included in the bond for renovations for CHCCS,we did not specify for which facilities those dollars should be earmarked. However, we did indicate our clear view that the funds should be spent to ameliorate health and safety concerns in various CHCCS facilities. We also noted,as we have throughout 2001,that capital funding beyond that included in the bond referendum will be needed to upgrade older existing school facilities and to create adequate school space for students who will be entering our two school systems in the next five years or SO. We would appreciate hearing from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education on the following points that relate to the November 2001 bond referendum and other capital financing matters: • How does CHCCS propose to allocate the$2 million in bond funds for renovations? • What policies or criteria are CHCCS using to set priorities for bond funded renovations, and for renovations that will be funded by other means? • Based on those priorities and student population trends, what specific construction and/or renovation needs does CHCCS believe it must address within the next 1$—24 months? • How does CHCCS propose to employ its fund balance reserves over the next year or two to reach the target of 5.5 percent of annual local fund expenditures? • To what extent,if any,does CHCCS dedicate district tax proceeds to any specific long-range or recurring capital projects or purposes? WW CO.ORANGS.NC.US PROTECT/NS AND PRESERVING—PEOPLE. RESOURCES. QUALITY OF LIFE ORANGE COUNTY, NORT!! CAROLINA— You COuNTf (9 f 9)245-2130 • FAX(9 f 9) 644-0246