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13 <br /> Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked if new trucks are designed to carry water. <br /> Jeff Cabe said yes. He said every engine carries 1,000 gallons of water and they also <br /> have tanker trucks. He said due to a previous emergency, the departments developed a tanker <br /> plan to make sure that enough water is available for emergencies. He said out of that <br /> coordination, the departments got matching trucks and tankers to meet that demand. He said <br /> Orange County has a good plan for hauling water. <br /> Phillip Nasseri said they utilized the tanker taskforce at a large residential fire in <br /> Hillsborough and brought in 104,000 gallons of water in four hours. He said they are very <br /> collaborative, and it works well. <br /> Jeff Cabe said this is also a back up system for the municipal departments. <br /> The Board expressed appreciation to the departments for their work and service, as well <br /> as their recent coordinating local emergency responses to the disaster in western North Carolina. <br /> Kirby Saunders gave an overview of the county response to the disaster and how staff <br /> and local agencies are providing support. He said what is needed now is financial assistance to <br /> large non-profit organizations that are actively responding to the disaster. He also said that blood <br /> donations are very important. He said that the disinformation campaign against FEMA is <br /> dangerous. He described the ways that the federal government helps local communities prepare <br /> and respond to emergencies. <br /> The Board took a five-minute break while the fire chiefs departed the room and staff <br /> transitioned to a work session. <br /> 2. School Capital Funding Policy Discussion <br /> The Board reviewed and provided feedback on a draft School Capital Funding Policy prepared <br /> by staff. <br /> BACKGROUND: Over the past year, County staff and elected officials have reviewed significant <br /> portions of County's school capital policies and practice in advance of the upcoming November <br /> 5, 2024 Bond Referendum. At the May 7, 2024 Business meeting, the Board received a <br /> presentation from staff on the statutes and policies that drive school capital funding and County <br /> oversight. At the June 4, 2024 Business meeting, the Board adopted a financial framework for the <br /> upcoming bond referendum (Attachment B). The attached draft policy (Attachment A) attempts to <br /> codify both discussions and provide direction to County and school staff. Current and prior school <br /> funding policies (Attachments C and D) are also provided to provide context to this new proposed <br /> policy. <br /> The first section of the policy details the funding framework, explicitly detailing the sources of <br /> funding and the new categories of usage as approved on June 4th and how these funds shall be <br /> allocated to each district. The second section details the methods that the County will use to <br /> direct and oversee the spending of capital funds. These include project-based allocation, <br /> allocation in stages, amendment to budgets and emergencies. These financial controls can be <br /> used independently or in coordination with other joint agreements between the County and the <br /> two school districts. These include school construction standards policy and a joint project <br /> management resource managed by the County. <br /> Staff requests that the Board provide feedback on the proposed policy. Next steps are to await <br /> the vote on the referendum on November 5th, and then request feedback from both districts. The <br /> finalized draft policy will be presented again to the Board before the presentation of the Manager's <br /> Recommended Capital Investment Plan in April 2025. <br /> Kirk Vaughn, Budget Director, introduced the item and made the following presentation: <br />