Orange County NC Website
2 <br /> • The School Districts shall select a design professional and submit to the Board of <br /> Commissioners for review and approval and upon approval the School Districts shall <br /> manage the design of each project. Any amendments to the design contract shall be <br /> submitted to the County Commissioners for approval. <br /> • The School Districts shall directly manage school construction. Any change orders or <br /> amendments that increase the total budget of the project must go to the County for <br /> approval. <br /> • Requires the completion of a sales tax recapture agreement(s) prior to beginning any <br /> project. <br /> • Provides for how defaults and remedies are addressed. <br /> Staff also recommends establishing separate agreements with each School District, that way one <br /> District withdrawing from the agreement does not dissolve the relationship between the County <br /> and the other District. <br /> Along with the ILA, the County reviewed options in managing this process, and determined that it <br /> would be preferable to have staff provide oversight and communication during the project <br /> construction, rather than hiring a project management firm. The Manager recommends adding a <br /> 1.0 FTE (full time equivalent) School Capital and Financial Analyst to coordinate the meetings of <br /> the CORE Team, report back to the Board on school construction, and manage all public <br /> communications, including maintenance of a dashboard. This position would also consolidate <br /> other school related tasks that currently reside in different departments, like the coordination of <br /> the Schools Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance Technical Advisory Committee (SAPFOTAC) <br /> and the reporting of capital expenditures for financing and reimbursement. This position would be <br /> funded out of the Pay-Go funds set aside for Project Management. $500,000 was budgeted in FY <br /> 2026, and $1,000,000 is planned annually for future years. The County will retain approximately <br /> $45,000 for a position starting December 1, 2025, and will allocate the remaining Pay-Go funds to <br /> the School Districts for project and program management expenses. If the Board moves forward <br /> with the ILA, the formal creation of this position will be considered at a subsequent meeting. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with discussion of the Interlocal <br /> Agreement. The School Capital and Financial Analyst position would utilize funds already <br /> budgeted in the FY 2025-26 budget. <br /> ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: <br /> • GOAL 5: PUBLIC EDUCATION/LEARNING COMMUNITY <br /> OBJECTIVE 1. Foster collaborative relationships with formal and informal educational <br /> organizations and agencies to provide opportunities for community members to meet, <br /> connect, and learn together. <br /> OBJECTIVE 2. Improve school readiness and educational outcomes by providing access, <br /> training, tools, technology, and other resources needed to thrive. <br /> OBJECTIVE 4. Improve learning environments by investing in facilities over a 10-year <br /> period that address repair, renovation, and educational adequacy needs. <br /> RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board provide feedback to the <br /> Manager, solicit feedback from both School Districts, to present an updated Interlocal Agreement <br /> for Board approval at a subsequent meeting. <br />