Agenda - 12-04-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

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10 1 Commissioner Rich said everyone is thinking about capacity, but this is an enormous 2 amount of money to try and make up. 3 Commissioner Price said the abstract mentions $5 million to reimburse CHCCS for its 4 design expenditures. She asked if this money has been used. 5 Todd LoFrese said this money will be completely used up by the time the Chapel Hill 6 High School (CHHS) project goes out to bid in March. 7 Commissioner Price asked if the remaining amount is reflected on the slide. 8 Todd LoFrese said he would have to get the exact numbers for the BOCC. 9 Commissioner Price asked if the rest of the funds would be used up if CHCSS had to re- 10 design. 11 Todd LoFrese said yes and possibly more. 12 Commissioner McKee said Pre-K holds a special place in his heart, but he does not 13 know how both of these projects can move forward. He said because the Lincoln Center came 14 in over budget, he would expect the same of CHHS. He said completing one project at the over 15 budgeted prices cripples the other project. He senses a preference for moving ahead with 16 Lincoln, but he is unsure if this is wise before knowing the bids for CHHS, and having no plan B. 17 He said CHHS has some serious needs. 18 Commissioner Burroughs said she looked at the 20th day numbers, and the elementary 19 level has not grown for the last two to three years. She said birth rates are also remaining at 20 unusually low levels. She said she is now unsure that capacity is as big of a need as she once 21 thought. 22 Commissioner Burroughs said Orange County does not have additional debt capacity, 23 and no impact fees. She said this breaks her heart, but the County does not have any extra 24 funding. She said CHCCS needs to look at its population growth, and there is no source of 25 money at this time from Orange County without a major change in Raleigh. 26 James Barrett said population growth is not the driver of reaching SAPFO in 2020, but 27 rather it is the state-mandated changes in class size. He said it is not that there will be more 28 children, but that less children will be able to go in each classroom, and thus more classrooms 29 will be needed to meet the legislative mandate. 30 Commissioner Burroughs said on the face of it that is the problem. She said pressure 31 needs to be put on the General Assembly about the classroom issue, but regardless of that the 32 County still does not have additional funds. 33 Chair Dorosin said building more schools in not the only choice. He said Wake County 34 is considering making larger classes in 4th and 5th grades. 35 Commissioner Jacobs said this is an opportunity to change the way they look at these 36 projects and how they are planned. He said coming in at the eleventh hour and 55th minute is a 37 little late. He said they should have all been working together on this from the beginning as no 38 one entity has all the answers. He said if this is not going to work, then how flexible and 39 creative can they be with other solutions. He said not to look at the December bid as the 40 deadline, but rather to truly brainstorm. He said to him this is a chance to think differently and 41 maybe phase the Chapel Hill High project. He said to set aside their assumptions and come up 42 with some options together and forget about getting it done in 3 weeks. He said sometimes 43 one has to spend money to save money. 44 Chair Dorosin asked if the following slide would be put up, and asked if School Board 45 members had comments: 46 47 CHCCS Requests Assistance 48 • Provide ideas and guidance for the options presented 49 • Continue to work with County Director of Asset Management Services