Agenda - 09-02-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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21 1 Commissioner Hamilton asked if the amount by which the debt payment would be 2 lessened if this project were moved out to years six and seven of the CIP. 3 Commissioner Bedford said the principal payment would be $1.277 million without 4 interest. 5 Gary Donaldson said the debt service on $25 million issue is $1.5 million. He said over 6 the next couple of years in the CIP, there is about $1-$2 million rolling off, and in FY24, there is 7 about $2 or$3 million rolling off. He said staff will follow up with the precise numbers. 8 Commissioner Fowler said she shares some of the same concerns as Commissioner 9 Bedford. She asked if there is a way for the County to find funding for a diversion facility. She 10 said CIP does not truly reflect real school needs, because anything related to expansion does 11 not appear there. She said K-12 facilities are a County obligation. She said if the Board funds 12 this Durham Tech project, the County is not going to be able to make headway on any school 13 related projects within the next 10 years with this debt service. She said in an ideal world she 14 would love to build this building, but sees other things as obligations that the County has to 15 meet. She said there are other creative ways to address the needs of the students that will not 16 require building this right now. 17 Commissioner Dorosin said it would be a terrible mistake to move this project back five 18 years. He said this Board has talked consistently about its commitment to education, and it is 19 shortsighted and narrow to separate K-12 and post-secondary education in the County's 20 obligation to students. He said it is disingenuous to analogize the facility to a boat, as a luxury 21 item that is wanted, but not needed. He said the County does not have options for students 22 graduating high school who will not attend a four-year university, except telling them to go to 23 Durham or Alamance counties. He said there is also an obligation to adult learners who are 24 seeking vocational skills. He said this project is an economic development tool. He reminded 25 the Board about a letter received from CEO of the Hillsborough UNC Hospital that this new 26 facility has opportunities for important synergies for training students, but also growing health 27 care needs. He said it is problematic to distinguish the needs of K-12 and K-16 education and 28 discuss sacrificing one to fund the other. He said in his 10 years on the Board, one of the 29 persistent issues among Commissioners was the desire for parity for Durham Tech, and it was a 30 long fight to get the first facility here at all. He said there have been ongoing struggles, and 31 many feel Orange County has always gotten short end of the Durham-Tech stick. He said, over 32 the past five years, there has been a push for greater acknowledgement of needs in Orange 33 County and the Commissioners were instrumental in pushing through the scholarship program. 34 He said it would be a betrayal of the work already done to not build the building. He said 35 Durham contributes more money than Orange, and has a bigger student base, but Orange 36 County has worked hard to seek more resources for the residents of Orange County, and for 37 there to be more opportunities here. He said it is important to understand that Durham Tech 38 serves a part of population not served well as K-12 students. He said the traditional K-12 model 39 does not serve the folks seeking alternative education opportunities, vocational training, re- 40 education, GED, etc. He said the economic arguments Commissioner Bedford mentioned could 41 be laid out for any project in the CIP. 42 Commissioner McKee said moving the project back to years six and seven is not a push 43 back, it reestablishes its position in the plan to where it was before it changed last year. 44 Commissioner Greene said she is in agreement with Commissioner Dorosin for all of the 45 reasons he stated, including the email from UNC Hospital. She said if the project is pushed 46 back, money spent for planning in the last year will virtually be lost, because it will have to be 47 redone. She said a lot of the training proposed in this facility cannot be taught online, as it is 48 hands-on skills and trainings. She said this project fills a need in the County that is unique, and 49 she supports keeping the project where it is. 50 Chair Price said the building will not be used online for middle college and other classes. 51 She said it would be used more for laboratory work that would connect with hands on training