Minutes 09-29-2022 Joint Meeting with Schools

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35 Bonnie Hammersley said she is required to present a balanced budget to the Board of Commissioners. She said that she meets with superintendents on a monthly basis and usually knows what their needs will be. She said that regardless, the elected officials do not discuss the budget until after the manager has presented them with a recommended budget. She said then they meet with the school boards and hear their needs, and it is then up to the Board to submit amendments to the manager's budget. She said that she does not see a change in how they do that because her role is to submit a balanced budget that is based on the needs and obligations of the county and the schools. Chair Price said there will be time to discuss this in the spring. Commissioner Bedford said they are going to have an agenda item for the calendar and that she would like to schedule the joint meeting earlier if they school boards know their budget needs at that time. Chair Price said the meeting is March was not to get into the numbers but to hear the needs. Commissioner Bedford said there is only one meeting with them and it is in March. Bonnie Hammersley said that there is only one meeting scheduled with the school boards and it is in March. She said that they would not have another joint meeting until the fall. She said that there would be a work session, but that does not bring everyone together. She said she has contacted Dr. Felder and Dr. Hamlett about the issue but the Commissioners can move forward with the calendar as is and change it as necessary. She said that there wasn't the intention that the meeting would be about budget but then you miss the opportunity to have those budget discussions. Rani Dasi thanked Commissioner Hamilton for how efficiently she navigated and led the discussion about capital needs. She said they have been talking about school capital needs for more than two years. She said she wants them to have a sense of urgency and that every day that they wait, the problems increase. She said that no one is happy when a child does not succeed. She said that there are so many connections that lead to those outcomes. She said that students can't learn in facilities that need action. She said that safety is a key issue that needs to be addressed. She said that she wants them to keep thinking about how they can do funding in a different way. She said that she doesn't want to end up with a plan and no money to pay for it. b. Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (SAPFO) Chair Will Atherton said that he can't leave without getting a commitment to address SAPFO. He said they know the SAPFO numbers are not accurate and they need a common planning tool that is realistic. He said that they need to have one number to use, and that it is so confusing why they can't agree to get the real numbers. He said that he would love for them to say they will address it and get a timeline around it. He said that he knows that both school districts have been asking for this. Chair Price said that there is growth, and they want universal Pre-K and that an updated SAPFO is necessary for accurate planning. Travis Myren said there is a technical advisory committee meeting in October for SAPFO. He said it would include school and county staff. Deon Temne said he is curious about who is part of the task force. He said that if they can't get an accurate number then they are wasting time once again. He said it is great to hear that there is a task force, and he asked if the school board could be a part of the committee. Bonnie Hammersley said it is a technical committee and that elected officials could talk to their staff that are part of it. She said they bring recommendations back to the elected officials.