EVERYONE HERE IS COMING RIGHT NOW.
[00:00:04]
THAT BEING SAID, LET'S CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER TO MAKE A MOTION TO DO SO.[1. Opening Items]
UNMUTE YOURSELF.OK, A MOTION BY MS. WAYMAN, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY MS. DIGIACOMO.
LET'S DO A THUMBS UP, I GUESS [INAUDIBLE] THUMBS UP TOO.
ALL RIGHT. THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU.
IN THIS VENUE, MOVING THROUGH THE AGENDA, I ACCEPT THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AT THIS TIME. THUMBS UP.
YEAH, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DISPERSE WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOR THIS MEETING ONLY.
SECOND. SECOND THANK YOU, THUMBS UP ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
IN THIS VENUE. I THINK IT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT, BUT I APPRECIATE IT.
ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE OF THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
WE HAVE DO HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT.
WE'D LIKE TO DISCUSS AND THEN ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
THANK YOU, SECOND? SECOND. THANK YOU, MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, THUMBS UP OR AYE.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO SECTION TWO, INDIVIDUAL ACTION ITEMS. DR. SAELENS YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE APPOINTMENT TO PRESENT.
OH, HI SID, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU.
OH, MY GOODNESS, WELCOME TO CAROLINE COUNTY.
SID, YOU LOOK LIKE YOU JUST GOT SHRUNK BY WILLY WONKA'S MACHINE.
WELL IT'S BETTER THAN LOOKING BIG.
WELCOME ABOARD, MR. PINDAR, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION RELATING TO THAT APPOINTMENT? I JUST SECOND THAT.
WELCOME, MR. PINDAR. AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU IN CAROLINE COUNTY AND I KNOW YOU BRING A LOT OF GOOD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO US.
WHAT DOES THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS DO? SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
SO HE ISN'T REPLACING ANYBODY? NO, MA'AM, IT WAS A POSITION THAT WAS PUT INTO THE BUDGET IN FISCAL YEAR 19, BUT HELD UNTIL WE WERE A CLOSER DATE AND TIME AND KNOWING WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS AND [INAUDIBLE] RETIREMENTS JUST LAST WEEK OF SOME KEY POSITIONS AND ANTICIPATING THOSE AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT MAY COME IN, WENT AHEAD AND PULLED THE TRIGGER NOW SO THAT WE HAVE AMPLE TIME TO BRING SID UP TO SPEED ON, ALTHOUGH A LOT OF OVERLAP WITH HIS ROLE, ROLE IN QUEENS COUNTY. LOT OF THINGS WE DID IN CAROLINE ARE DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PLACES, SO.
[00:05:05]
AS DR. SAELENS AND MR. NAGEL POINTED OUT, WE HAD DISCUSSING THIS AS A BOARD PREVIOUS BOARD IN PLACE FOR A FEW YEARS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE.SO WHETHER IT WAS MR. PINDAR OR WHO HAD PREVIOUS SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, BUT WE KNEW WE HAD WE WANTED TO PREPARE SOMEONE MENTOR, SOMEONE MENTORED AND HOPEFULLY HAD IN PLACE AND UP TO SPEED.
SOME OF OUR SENIOR STAFF ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE MIGHT DECIDE TO MOVE ON TO RETIREMENT OR DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THAT HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION FOR A FEW YEARS AND JUST GOT IMPLEMENTED HERE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? HEARING NONE. I THINK WE NEED A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION, WHICH I THINK MS. DILL A MOTION TO ACCEPT, DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND. MS. [INAUDIBLE] SECONDED A RECOMMENDATION, THANK YOU.
NEXT ITEM ON THE BUDGET OR AGENDA.
EXCUSE ME, JUST GENERAL DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OVER OUR BUDGET THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. AND DR.
SAELEN, DO YOU START WITH THAT OR MR. NAGEL? SORRY, WE'RE HAVING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET MY SPEAKER. APPARENTLY YOU ALL CAN HEAR ME, BUT THEY CAN'T HEAR ME.
OK, SO WE WERE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES WHERE YOU COULD HEAR ME, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE C OULDN'T ON THE VIDEO. SO WE WERE TRYING TO GET MICS CORRECT.
NO. OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE JOINT BUDGET DISCUSSION, WHICH I'M GOING TO ASK MR. NAGEL TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT.
THIS IS HONESTLY MY TWENTY NINTH TIME, WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS COMBINED MEETING EVERY SINGLE YEAR THROUGHOUT MY 29 YEARS, BUT MORE YEARS THAN NOT, WE HAVE MET AND COLLABORATIVELY DISCUSSED THE BOARD OF ED'S BUDGET PICTURE.
AND I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE OR REINTRODUCE TO THE COMMISSIONERS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ANOTHER FAMILIAR FACE THAT ERIN THORNTON IS ON WITH US TONIGHT, OUR CONTROLLER AND AGAIN DOVETAILING ON THE PREVIOUS BOARD APPOINTMENT, YOU KNOW ERIN'S TAKING A MORE ACTIVE ROLE HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
BUT IT'S MEETINGS LIKE THIS THAT SHE MAY BE EVEN MORE ACTIVE IN THIS TIME NEXT YEAR THAN TONIGHT. SO SHE'S HERE TO AND CERTAINLY HAS A LOT OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE SIMILAR TO MARGARET AND DANIEL AND THE FOUR OF US WORK VERY WELL COLLABORATIVELY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
THIS HAS BEEN BY FAR IN MY 29 YEARS, 29 PLUS YEARS, THE MOST DIFFICULT BUDGET TO WORK THROUGH AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THE MOST HIGHEST LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY TO DATE.
AND IT'S CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT WILL BE DISCOVERED TOMORROW IN THE COMING DAYS ONCE THE GOVERNOR RELEASES HIS BUDGET.
BUT THIS PANDEMIC HAS CERTAINLY PUT US INTO A WHOLE NEW DIMENSION, NOT ONLY AS THE AS IT RELATES TO HOW WE'RE CURRENTLY DELIVERING INSTRUCTION, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CHANGED FOREVER.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE AS MANY OF THOSE AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS SHARE MY SCREEN WITH YOU AND SHOW YOU OUR BUDGET SUMMARY, WHICH IS FAMILIAR TO YOU FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THAT AT THIS POINT.
AND I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH QUICKLY WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
ACTUALLY I'M GONNA HAVE TO SHRINK THE SIZE [INAUDIBLE] WITH THIS PANEL.
CAN YOU READ IT [INAUDIBLE]? CAN YOU SEE IT? YEAH, DON'T MAKE IT ANY SMALLER.
NO, NO, THAT'S AS SMALL AS I'M GONNA GO.
SO WE'RE ANTICIPATING, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AN ENROLLMENT DECLINE AND NOT KNOWING WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS GOING TO DO IN HIS BUDGET.
WE'VE HEARD SOME INFORMATION HAS LEAKED AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE A
[00:10:03]
POSITIVE NUMBER HERE ON THIS FIRST LINE ITEM OF OUR REVENUE.WE'LL KNOW WITHIN A WEEK OR SO THAT HE WILL BE PRESENTING HIS BUDGET TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TOMORROW. EVERYBODY'S COGNITIVE OF THAT FACT.
THE REST OF THE LINE ITEMS THEY ARE PRIMARILY WHILE THE TEACHER SALARY INCENTIVE GRANTS ARE GOING TO BE FLAT FUNDED, WE'RE HOPING FOR THAT AS WELL.
THERE'S SOME UNKNOWN ABOUT THE DOWN THE DOWN PAYMENT ON [INAUDIBLE], WHICH WAS THE BLUE PRINT THE EXCELLENCE GRANTS.
AND ONE OF THOSE GRANTS WAS THE TEACHER SALARY INCENTIVE GRANT, IT SUNSETS THIS YEAR.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THE SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WILL IT GET ROLLED INTO THE INTO THE FOUNDATION LINE ITEM ONE ABOVE? WHAT WHAT WILL HAPPEN? SO A LOT OF PINS AND NEEDLES THERE BECAUSE THAT SEVEN HUNDRED SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS PUT IN TO ENHANCE TEACHER SALARIES.
THE NEXT THE SECOND BIGGEST REVENUE LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET IS THE COUNTY'S APPROPRIATION.
WE ARE HOPING THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WILL YOU KNOW AND WE KNOW WE DON'T.
WE KNOW IT'S A BUDGET YEAR FOR YOU AS WELL.
BUT WE'RE HOPING FOR FLAT FUNDING THERE.
WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE A STRUGGLE FOR YOU FOLKS.
AND SO WE'RE JUST OPTIMISTIC THAT WE WON'T PUT FORTH A REDUCTION TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND BY ALL MEANS, IF I STUMBLE OR SAY SOMETHING INCORRECT OR SOMETHING YOU NEED MORE CLARIFICATION ON, PLEASE INTERRUPT ME.
AND THEN WE ARE SHOWING A DECREASE IN REVENUE AND OTHER REVENUE BECAUSE THAT INCLUDES LIKE EARNINGS ON INVESTMENTS AND WITH THE [INAUDIBLE], WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ECONOMY, INTEREST RATES WITH THE FED, WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE LOWERING THE CRIME TO NEARLY ZERO INTEREST RATES ON WHAT WE CAN INVEST OUR SURPLUS FUNDS IN.
SO WE'VE GOT TO LOWER THAT LINE.
AND THAT'S ONLY ONE COMPONENT OF THAT SIX HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT BACK IN THE SPRING AND AS WE ROLLED INTO SUMMER, WE GOT WORD, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE GOVERNOR, THROUGH THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS, CUT A NUMBER OF STATE AGENCIES BEFORE AS SOON AS THE FISCAL YEAR STARTED, THERE WAS A CLEAR INTENTION ON HIS PURPOSE ON HIS PART TO SUBMIT A BUDGET RECONCILIATION AND FINANCING ACT [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO FORCE A MIDYEAR REDUCTION TO SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AND SO WE PUT IN PLACE ACTUALLY DR.
SAELENS AS SUPERINTENDENT PUT IN PLACE A SOFT BUDGET FREEZE.
AND SO AS POSITIONS BECAME VACATED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, THEY WERE LOOKED AT HARD AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO REPLACE THEM OR NOT OR IF WE COULD DO WITHOUT.
AND THAT STARTED WITH NEW POSITIONS THAT WERE FUNDED AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FY TWENTY ONE BUDGET.
AND WE HAD APPROPRIATED AND THE BOARD HAD APPROVED IN THAT BUDGET ADDITIONAL EL TEACHERS, TWO OF THEM, ONE FOR NORTH HIGH AND ONE FOR LOCKERMAN.
WE FROZE THOSE, WE DID NOT HIRE THOSE.
THERE WAS SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WERE PUT IN THE BUDGET THAT WE COULD HOLD ON TO AND NOT IMPLEMENT, INCLUDING LATE BUS SERVICE FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS PANDEMIC.
VIRTUAL LEARNING, THERE'S REALLY NOT A NEED FOR THE LATE BUS FOR HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND WE WERE ANTICIPATING SOMEWHERE AROUND A MILLION AND ONE POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS MID-YEAR CUT. IT'S STILL UNKNOWN, BUT IT LOOKS LESS LIKELY THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT THESE WERE THE STEPS PUT IN PLACE TO TRY TO HANDLE THAT SO THAT IF WE WERE SITTING IN A POSITION RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT A MID-YEAR CUT IN EXCESS OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS, THAT WE WERE NOT, EXCUSE MY MY ANSWERING MACHINE, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO LAY OFF STAFF, PRODUCE SOME DRACONIAN MEASURES JUST TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SORRY ABOUT THAT. AND AS A RESULT, WE IMPLEMENTED THESE FIRST HAND LINE ITEMS THAT CUMULATIVELY SAVED US A LITTLE NORTH OF EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THESE THINGS ARE STILL IN PLACE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
AS YOU CAN READ THROUGH THE LIST.
THEY WERE ALL HANDLED THROUGH ATTRITION AS PEOPLE RETIRED OR MOVED ON TO OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. THEY THESE POSITIONS WERE NOT BACKFILLED.
AND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FY 22 BUDGET, WE'VE IDENTIFIED ADDITIONAL SAVINGS THAT WE
[2. Consent Agenda]
[00:15:07]
CAN HAVE NEXT YEAR, AGAIN, ANTICIPATING A MID-YEAR CUT.AND SOME OF THESE ARE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, PRETTY WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO DO THEM, BUT IF WE HAD TO DO THEM, THEY WOULD BE CERTAINLY MEASURES WE COULD TAKE IN LIEU OF LAYING PEOPLE OFF OR REDUCING SERVICES.
SOME OF THEM WERE EASY, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE HARD TO SWALLOW, FOR INSTANCE, ELIMINATING THE ANNUAL ALLOCATION FOR TEXT BOOKS.
NOW, WE CAN HANDLE THAT WITH YEAR END MONEY, BUT IT'S A LINE ITEM THAT WE LIKE TO HAVE IN THE BUDGET. IF WE GET NEW MONEY FROM THE FROM THE STATE, WE CAN EASE OFF SOME OF THESE CUTS. THEY CERTAINLY WE CERTAINLY WILL LOOK TO DO THAT.
AND SO LINE ITEMS ARE NUMBERED HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
10 THROUGH 20 REALLY ARE SAVINGS THAT THAT STAFF HAVE COME UP WITH THEN WORKING THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WHICH BEGAN BACK AROUND THANKSGIVING.
AND SO CUMULATIVELY, ALL OF THESE LINE ITEMS BRINGS US A LITTLE JUST A LITTLE SOUTH OF ONE POINT FOUR MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF SAVINGS AND YES, MA'AM? WHAT IS PSP POSITION? YES, GREAT QUESTION.
PARENT SERVICE PROVIDER. OK, THANK YOU.
IT WAS THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN THE COUNTY.
AND THAT WAS A THAT WAS A GIVE BY THE PRINCIPAL, BY THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION PART OF BUDGET DEVELOPMENT. THE PRINCIPAL SAID, HEY, I CAN MANAGE WITHOUT THAT POSITION.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPLACE THAT POSITION.
SO AT THAT POINT AFTER THAT, WE START TO LOOK AT WHAT'S WHAT ARE OUR COST OF BUSINESS [INAUDIBLE] ITEMS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE NEXT YEAR AND ARE GOING TO COST US MORE NEXT YEAR THAN THEY ARE THIS YEAR TO DO.
AND SO LINE ITEMS TWENTY ONE THROUGH TWENTY NINE ARE REPRESENT THAT CONCISE LIST.
BIGGEST ONE CERTAINLY IS HEALTH INSURANCE.
[3. Individual Action Items]
RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A RATE INCREASE OF AROUND FIVE PERCENT.THAT WAS A HIGH A FEW MONTHS AGO OF SEVEN PERCENT.
BUT RELATIVELY GOOD DATA IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS HAS LOWERED THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN THESE OTHER BIG TICKET ITEMS. THE NEXT BIG TICKET ITEM IS, IS WHAT I ALLUDED TO AT THE BEGINNING, AND THAT IS ONCE WE GO BACK TO SOME SORT OF NORMAL, WHICH CAN'T HAPPEN SOON ENOUGH, THE ONE TO ONE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS IS GOING TO REMAIN TO A LARGE DEGREE.
AND SO HOW DO THE SOME OF THE MEASURES THAT WE'VE HAD TO PUT IN PLACE IN VERY SHORT ORDER THIS PAST SPRING AND THIS PAST SUMMER TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THOSE DEVICES REMOTELY? AND I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL THE SPECIFICS, BUT ALL THESE ACRONYMS AND NAMES HERE REPRESENT DEVICE MANAGEMENT CONTROLS THAT ENABLE OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE CONTENT THAT THE STUDENTS ARE SEEING ON OUR DEVICES IS [INAUDIBLE] COMPATIBLE AND THAT THEY CAN MANAGE THE DEVICES REMOTELY.
SO A LAPTOP OR AN IPAD, IT'S THE NEEDS THIS SOFTWARE UPGRADE OR VERSION UPGRADE.
REMOTE DEVICES DON'T HAVE TO COME IN TO BE UPGRADED.
SO AND A LOT OF THAT STANDARD WE'RE NOT ON THE CUTTING EDGE OR ANYTHING.
THAT'S JUST THAT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS FOR ANY SYSTEM.
THAT IS ONE TO ONE DEVICE FOR THE STUDENTS.
AND THAT'S NOT A SMALL TICKET ITEM, BUT THAT IS ALSO DOING BUSINESS IN A ONE TO ONE ENVIRONMENT, WHETHER IT BE VIRTUAL, SOME FOR A HYBRID OR EVEN BACK TO NORMAL TIMES, WHICH STUDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE DEVICES.
AND IN THE FINAL, THE LAST BIG TICKET ITEM ON THAT LIST IS YOU KNOW IT'S A YEAR WHERE WE'VE GOT HIGHER THAN NORMAL LEVEL OF BUSSES THAT NEED BE REPLACED.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A LIMITED LIFE THAT'S SET BY THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO BE USING THEM FOR 15 YEARS.
AND THIS IS A AND JUST A FIFTH OF THE COST OF ONE FOURTH OF THE COST OF A FOUR YEAR LEASE PURCHASED [INAUDIBLE].
AND THEN THROUGH ALL THESE LINES, NOW WE'RE STILL [INAUDIBLE].
SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT ALL THESE EVEN IF WE DON'T GET ANY OF THE MONEY NEXT YEAR.
BUT THEN TO DO ANYTHING ON THE ADDITIONAL LIST, WHICH IS THE LAST SECTION OF THE SUMMARY, WOULD REQUIRE NEW MONEY AND THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT AND THE BOARD AND PAD BOARDS THAT HAVE ALWAYS HELD TO THE HIGH STANDARD KEEPING COMPETITIVE SALARY FOR EMPLOYEES.
[00:20:03]
AND WE DEMONSTRATED THAT WE HAVE COSTS GOING UP HERE AS IT RELATES TO TO OPERATE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. OUR EMPLOYEES ALSO HAVE COSTS GOING UP IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES, ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF AREAS. SO TO KEEP THEM CURRENT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE REAL WORLD, THERE'S A PLACEHOLDER HERE FOR A SALARY INCREASE IS A PLACEHOLDER THAT WE REALLY CAN'T DISCUSS ANY MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS, UNIONS, THAT PROCESS HAS JUST BEGUN. I'M NOT REALLY OFFICIALLY [INAUDIBLE] MEETING SET UP IN THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS WITH THE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION.SO THAT WOULD BE A BIG TICKET ITEM.
IT'S JUST A PLACEHOLDER THAT NUMBER MORE LIKELY TO CHANGE.
AND THEN THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NEW POSITIONS LISTED HERE THAT WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO HAVE.
VERY MUCH NEEDED TO HELP ENHANCE THE DELIVERY OF INSTRUCTION AND THEIR ALL INSTRUCTIONAL BASED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS ONE, ADDITIONAL IT SUPPORT, [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT'S JUST TO HELP DEAL WITH THE EVER INCREASING LOAD ASSOCIATED WITH TECHNOLOGY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE TO ONE WORLD THAT WE [INAUDIBLE] STUDENTS.
AND SO UNTIL WE KNOW ABOUT BETTER PICTURES FOR OUR STATE REVENUE, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BALANCE IS BUDGETED OFF OF, WE WILL HAVE THAT DATA HOPEFULLY BY THE END NEXT WEEK AND BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME FINAL DECISIONS, [INAUDIBLE].
SAELENS [INAUDIBLE] LOST LAST NAME.
[4. Reports]
STAY HOME AND CREATE A BALANCED BUDGET THAT WILL GO TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AT THEIR FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION AND THEN OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT [INAUDIBLE] OF COMMISSIONERS BUDGET SUBMISSION DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY THE 8TH.SO I WILL PAUSE THERE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
TWENTY SIX AND, WELL, LINE 51 AND LINE 55.
[INAUDIBLE] EL FEATURE [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN FIFTY FIVE, IT'S THE SAME THING.
IT'S SPLIT UP INTENTIONALLY, IT'S NOT AN ERROR.
SO THAT AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING TWO ON ONE LINE ITEM, WE ONLY NEED ONE AND THERE'S SOME OTHER PRIORITIES AND WE GET A LOT OF MONEY, THEN WE DO THE SECOND ONE.
THERE REALLY IS A NEED FOR TWO ADDITIONAL TEACHERS THERE AS WELL AS [INAUDIBLE].
AND YOU REVIEWED THE TIMELINE ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THE BOARD WILL GET A LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE I'M ASSUMING WE TO LOOK AT IT AND TALK ABOUT IT AMONGST OURSELVES BEFORE WE'RE EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THIS.
WELL, YOUR VOTE ON THE 8TH AND THIS IS THE PROCEDURAL QUESTION POINT, YOUR VOTE ON THE 8TH OR ON THE OR WHATEVER [INAUDIBLE].
BUDGET. SO AT THAT POINT, IF THERE ARE CHANGES WITHIN THE LINE ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE MADE AS FAR AS THE PRIORITIES AND THE WORK ETCETERA, THEN THE TIME BETWEEN THEN AND THAT DATE SUPERINTENDENT SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF ED IS TO LINE UP WITH THE COUNTY BUDGET CALENDAR WHEN THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE BUDGET SUBMITTED TO THEM.
I WOULD THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGH THE YEARS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IS THAT WE HAVE THIS MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHERE OUR NEEDS ARE BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY GET INQUIRIES FROM COMMUNITY AND [INAUDIBLE], BECAUSE WE REPRESENT THE SINGLE BIGGEST LINE ITEM OF FUND OUT OF THEIR BUDGET.
AND SO THEY OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT AS TO WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING IN BUDGET FROM.
I'M THE BOARD ACCEPTS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET UNTIL THE BOARD FINALLY APPROVES A FINAL BUDGET WON'T BE TILL JUNE.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT WE'RE ACCEPTING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS JUST THAT.
YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT APPROVING A FINAL BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S NOT A FINAL BUDGET.
[00:25:02]
IT'S A SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET, THIS IS A SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSAL FOR HOW THE REVENUE WILL BE CATEGORIZED INTO WHAT.THE WHOLE BUDGET IS A 90 PAGE DOCUMENT.
AND IF I COULD IF I COULD INTERJECT MR. NAGEL, JIM NEWCOMB HERE AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TOUGH TIME RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH TRANSITION AT THE BOARD AND THREE NEW MEMBERS.
MILTON, I KNOW. AND YOU WERE WHEN DID YOU SEND OUT? I KNOW WE'VE GOT A COPY OF THE FULL BUDGET I THINK IT WAS IN A MAILER, WAS THAT PRIOR TO DECEMBER MEETING YOU RECALL? YES SIR. AND WE DID, I BELIEVE, [INAUDIBLE], WE DID GET THIS SUMMARY PAGE AND IT'S CLOSE TO THE SAME, A FEW EDITS IN DECEMBER, BUT I'M BRINGING ON NEW BOARD MEMBERS FIRST TIME. THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
I'M SURE IT'S IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT TO ABSORB ALL THE TOPICS WE'VE WE HAVE TO DISCUSS. AND, YOU KNOW, I DID ALLUDE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS [INAUDIBLE] TO THE BUDGET.
THERE'S NOT A LOT WE CAN DO TO CHANGE THE TIMING BECAUSE BY LAW, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE ON A TIMETABLE, TOO.
BUT IT WAS PRESENTED IN GENERALITIES IN DECEMBER.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME, KNOWN IT, HAD IT ON OUR AGENDA IN JANUARY.
AND DUE TO THE TIME AND THE DISCUSSION WE HAD ON SOME GOOD TOPICS, WE WERE ABLE TO DISCUSS IT TONIGHT, A WEEK LATER, IF WE HAD ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING SINCE WE WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT AGAIN.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WE TYPICALLY HAVE TO LOOK INTO IT.
AND DIALOG IS [INAUDIBLE] AND THEN, MR. NAGEL POINTED OUT, WILL BE PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY.
NOW, THAT'S THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET.
BUT MR. NAGEL AND I'M SORRY, I WAS LOOKING FOR MY DOCUMENTATION, BUT OUR FINAL ADOPTION, OUR FINAL ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET IS NOT UNTIL, DID YOU SAY THAT OR IS IT, IT'S JUNE CORRECT? WELL, IT COULD BE.
IT'S VARIED OVER THE YEARS, DEPENDING ON WHEN THE COMMISSIONERS FINALIZED THEIR BUDGET.
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN VERY STEADFAST IN DOING THAT VERY TIMELY FASHION. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS WHERE THE FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION HASN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE JULY MEETING, WHICH IS HELD THE LAST DAY OF JUNE OR LAST TUESDAY OF JUNE, BECAUSE OF THE FOURTH OF JULY. SO AND SOME OF THAT BASED ON WHEN THE STATE, CAN FINALIZE SOME OF THEIR NUMBERS THERE BECAUSE THEY STRUGGLED IN THE PAST WITH SOME OF THE LARGER [INAUDIBLE] THAT WILL REMAIN NAMELESS, PROTECT THE GUILTY, HAVE HAD TROUBLE FINALIZING SOME OF THEIR [INAUDIBLE].
AND SO UNTIL ALL THAT DATA THAT DRIVES STATE AID IS FINALIZED, WE CAN'T GIVE FINAL NUMBERS AND WE'RE THE ONES WHO WOULD ALL FINALIZE OUR BUDGET.
WE WANT TO GET BACK AND AMEND IT. AND WHAT'S THE FINAL DATE FOR THEM TO GET BACK TO US MILTON? IT NORMALLY HAPPENS IN MAY.
[INAUDIBLE] WAS REALLY STRANGE WITH A LOT OF KIDS DOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AT HOME.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE FUNDING FOR THEIR STUDENTS, BUT I WONDER WHAT THE STATE'S GOING TO DO. I MEAN, DO WE HAVE ANY INCLINATION OF HOW THEY'RE GOING TO PROCEED? NO WE DON'T WE'RE WAITING ON PINS AND NEEDLES.
I THINK WHAT YOU KNOW, MR. NAGEL AND DR.
SAELENS PRESENTED AT LEAST HOPEFUL AND BEHIND THE SCENES WE'RE HEARING THAT HOLD HARMLESS FOR THIS YEAR. AND I'VE HEARD THE SAME THING, LIKE I MENTIONED IN MY MAY LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE CALL.
AND THAT WAS CAME FROM ALSO SENATOR PINSKY.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST OPINIONS, BUT HOPEFULLY ENOUGH OF THOSE SAME OPINIONS ARE OUT THERE AND IT'LL TURN IT INTO AN ACCURATE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THAT HOLDING HARMLESS IS ONE THING, BUT MILTON WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME HEALTH SYSTEMS [INAUDIBLE] COVID [INAUDIBLE] POSSIBLE SHORT TERM ONE YEAR IN THE MULTIPLE YEAR RECOVERY MONEY THE FEDS AND THE STATE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT ANY ADDITIONS IN PART TWO WE WOULD HAVE TO [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE FUTURE, CORRECT? YES, SIR. WE GOT THAT INFORMATION WAS RELEASED LATE FRIDAY, AND IT HAS A MULTI IT'S A
[00:30:04]
MULTI YEAR GRANT, DOESN'T EXPIRE UNTIL 2023, BUT IT IS FRESH OFF THE PRESS.SAELENS AND THE TEAM TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT IT THIS MORNING.
I MERELY LAID OUT THE PARAMETERS AS AS RELEASED IN THE MSD GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT TYPES OF EXPENDITURES IT COULD BE USED FOR.
BUT WE CERTAINLY WILL TAKE A HARD LOOK AT AT THAT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S THAT LINE HERE THAT COULD BE PICKED UP BY CARES 2, AS IT'S BEING CALLED.
[INAUDIBLE] AS FAR AS [INAUDIBLE] THEY WILL HAVE TO FUND [INAUDIBLE] THIS YEAR.
I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND AT THIS POINT WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO OUTSIDE WHAT AND WHAT THE VETO OVERRIDE MEANS.
I THINK IT'S GOING DOWN A HOLE THAT WE, TILL WE SEE REAL NUMBERS.
WE REALLY SHOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT REALLY PENDING ON THAT PER SAY.
TO FUND AN INCREASE. IS THE INCREASED STATE AID BASED ON LOWER THREE INDEXES, THE CHANGE FROM ON THE YEAR, THE INCREASE AND THE IMPLICIT PRICE DEFLATER, WHICH THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX MEASURE.
IT'S NOT THE CPI, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN CPI OR THE INCREASE IN THE CPI OR A MAXIMUM OF FIVE PERCENT.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET FOLLOWS WHAT'S IN STATUTE AS IT RELATES TO EDUCATION. AND IF I CAN, I'LL SHARE ANOTHER DOCUMENT THAT.
THE WAY THAT WE ARE FUNDED [INAUDIBLE].
THE AID THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE IS BASED ON TWO FACTORS, OUR WEALTH AND OUR ENROLLMENT. AND FOR BOTH, IT'S RELATIVE TO HOW, AS THE COUNTY'S WEALTH CHANGED FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE STATE, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR IS GOING TO SET AN ALLOCATION GRADE EDUCATION AND THAT'S HOW BIG PIE IS.
AND THAT PIE IS GOING TO BE CUT INTO TWENTY FOUR SLICES BASED ON THE COUNTY'S WEALTH AND BASED ON ENROLLMENT. SO IT'S INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL OF WEALTH.
SO THE LESS WEALTHY JURISDICTION THAT YOU ARE, CAROLINE'S ONE OF THE LEAST WEALTHIEST JURISDICTIONS, THE MORE THE BIGGER THE SLICE OF THE PIE FROM THE STATE, BECAUSE LOCAL HAS LES ABILITY TO FUND EDUCATION.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE WEALTH DATA THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AND THE SPECIFICS DOWN HERE [INAUDIBLE] THAT.
WHEN I LOOK AT THE CHANGE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.
AND THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A GOOD THING, BUT FOR AS IT RELATES TO THE REST OF THE STATE, CAROLINE'S WEALTH HASN'T [INAUDIBLE] OR MORE OR THAN THE REST OF THE STATE THIS YEAR THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR. EITHER THE REST OF THE STATE HAS GROWN A LITTLE BIT FASTER.
IT'S A REALLY TINY PERCENTAGE, BUT IT HAS SHRUNK JUST A LITTLE BIT.
ON THE FLIP SIDE. THE OTHER VARIABLE IS ENROLLMENT AND ENROLLMENT FOR LAST YEAR WHEN THE DATA THAT WAS USED TO CALCULATE THIS YEAR'S REVENUE.
CAROLINE'S ENROLLMENT REPRESENTED POINT [INAUDIBLE] PERCENT OF THE TOTAL STATE ENROLLMENT. FOR THIS YEAR, BASED ON PRELIMINARY SEPTEMBER 30TH NUMBERS, OUR ENROLLMENT REPRESENT POINT [INAUDIBLE] PERCENT, WHICH MEANS THAT OUR ENROLLMENT DIDN'T DECREASE AS MUCH AS THE REST OF THE STATE. EVERYBODY LOST ENROLLMENT, ALL 24 JURISDICTIONS HAVE LESS ENROLLMENT IN SEPTEMBER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE.
BUT OUR ENROLLMENT DIDN'T SLIDE AS FAST AS OTHERS.
AND SO THOSE TWO VARIABLES RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE STATE ARE POSITIVE FOR US IN A NORMAL WORLD. SO WE SHOULD, BARRING ANYTHING ELSE, AN INCREASE IN STATE AID BECAUSE COUNTY WEALTH ISN'T AS STRONG COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE COUNTY AND OUR ENROLLMENT IS A BIGGER CHUNK THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR.
SO STATES SHOULD FUND CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT A HIGHER LEVEL NEXT YEAR THAN THAT'S FUNDING IT THIS YEAR.
THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN PREDICT UNTIL I SEE.
[00:35:03]
AND THE CALCULATION IS 20 PAGES LONG ON HOW TO CALCULATE STATE AID TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.BUT ULTIMATELY, TO SUMMARIZE AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
MILTON, FROM WHAT WE CAN CONTROL IN HERE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, WHAT YOU AND DR.
SAELENS HAVE SAT DOWN AND PUT TOGETHER.
WE ARE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN OPERATE WITH EXPECTED INCREASES NEXT YEAR.
GIVEN THAT FUNDING, NO ADDITIONAL [INAUDIBLE] AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, THREE UPPER THREE HUNDRED FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS A BUFFER BEFORE TALKING ABOUT STAFF ENHANCEMENT, SALARY ENHANCEMENTS, AND AS WE GET BETTER NUMBERS IN COMING MONTHS, WE CAN CONTINUE MOVE FORWARD THAT CONVERSATION. YES, SIR, WELL SAID.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO BACK TO MR. [INAUDIBLE] AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS, DONNA, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET IS APPROVAL PROCESSES AND BASICALLY START INITIALLY, LIKE I MENTIONED, DECEMBER AND ULTIMATELY FINAL APPROVAL TO IMPLEMENT IN JUNE. BUT ULTIMATELY, AS WE GO THROUGH DISCUSSIONS, PRESENTATIONS, IF WE SEE AS A BOARD ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR POTENTIAL SAVINGS OR REALIGNMENTS OR EVEN NEW, YOU KNOW, NEW IDEAS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALWAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND IT'S HAPPENED.
SAY HEY CAN WE CAN WE [INAUDIBLE]? ONCE [INAUDIBLE], I THINK WAS YEARS AGO CAN WE USE BUSSES LONGER? BECAUSE INITIALLY WE WERE LOOKING IT, IT THINK IT WAS 12 YEARS IN USING THEM.
THE STATE, IT WAS WITH THE LOBBYING AND EXPANDING DISCUSSION.
AND WE GOT EITHER THAT OR WE'RE USING THEM UP TO 15 YEARS.
SO THAT SAVED US SOME MONEY IN CERTAIN LINE ITEMS AND IN OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
WHEN WE SET A X Y Z, YOU KNOW NEED SOMETHING, WHETHER IT'S IDENTIFIED PRINCIPLES IN A SCHOOL BASED STAFF ADMINISTRATION.
IF THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN OPPORTUNITY, ONE BEING THE BOARD'S SCHOLARSHIPS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT OVER TIME WAS ADDED TO THE BUDGET.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SUGGESTION, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT CAME IN IN AUGUST, RIGHT AFTER IN JULY OR AUGUST, RIGHT AFTER WE APPLY THE APPROVE THE BUDGET AND THAT COULD ROLL INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET DISCUSSION.
YOU JUST GOT TO MAKE A NOTE OF IT.
SO IT IS TOUGH WHEN YOU JUST JUMP ON BOARD AND WE'RE RIGHT HERE IN THIS PROCESS, DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS A IT REALLY IS A YEAR ROUND DISCUSSION, AS I'M SURE MILTON AND ERIN ARE WORKING, LOOKING AT THE BUDGET EVERY WEEK PROBABLY.
OK, THANKS. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, JEREMY.
ANY THOUGHTS, FEEDBACK, YOUR COMMENTS? YES, THIS IS COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN ONE QUESTION.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S PROBABLY A DR.
NAGEL QUESTION. MILTON, WHEN YOU SAID ABOUT THE FLAT FUNDING REGARDING THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. IS THERE ARE YOU ANTICIPATING A CHANGE IN THE I GUESS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, THE RATE OF THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT [INAUDIBLE] PER CHILD? IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION CORRECTLY, I THINK THE ANSWERS.
MY ANSWER IS NO. I GUESS THE GIST OF MY QUESTION IS YOU'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN ENROLLMENT FROM LAST YEAR, BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
YES SIR. UNDER OR WE'RE NOT CLEAR YET.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN. CLEAR GUIDANCE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IF THE STATE PUTS IN A HOLD HARMLESS PROVISION FOR STATE AID, DOES THAT ALSO CARRY THROUGH TO THE LOCALS? AND ALL INDICATIONS ARE AND THE GOVERNOR EVEN LEAKED IT, NOT SAYING THEY DIDN'T MEAN TO, BUT IT IS A QUESTION THAT CAME UP AT A PRESS CONFERENCE LAST WEEK.
HE MENTIONED THE HOLD HARMLESS FOR ENROLLMENT DECLINE FOR AID EDUCATION.
AND SO. WE JUST, ERIN AND I JUST HAD A CFO CALL TODAY.
WE MEET EVERY WEEK VIRTUALLY, AND EVERYBODY IS WONDERING WHAT IS THE INTERPRETATION OF
[00:40:07]
MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT IN DECLINING ENROLLMENT ENVIRONMENT? IF NOT, WE CAN CERTAINLY PROCEED AND PROVIDE THE ACTUAL MAINTENANCE FOR CALCULATION, WHICH REFLECTS THE LOWER ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AND SHOW THE COUNTY HOW MUCH THE COUNTY APPROPRIATION CAN BE DECREASED.WELL, WE KNOW THAT THE ENROLLMENT DECLINE IS NOT GOING TO BE SUSTAINED, IT'S TEMPORARY THAT THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO COME BACK AND EVEN IF THEY DON'T LEAVE AND IN CLASS SETS, THEY DON'T LEAVE AND A CLASS OF 30 OR 25 FOURTH GRADERS, IT'S ALL OVER THE BOARD.
AND IT'S PRIMARILY ELEMENTARY, WHICH REALLY MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO.
YOU KNOW ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ELIMINATE POSITIONS TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT LOSS IN STUDENTS. YOU HAVE TO GO TO A LOT OF OTHER NON SALARY LINE ITEMS IN ORDER TO.
TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SQUEEZE THE JUICE OUT OF IT.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT TOO, MILTON YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO DELIVER THE SERVICE, YOU'VE GOT TO TEACH FOURTH GRADE WHETHER YOU'VE GOT 14 KIDS OR 24 KIDS AND SOME OF THESE THINGS, YOU CAN'T DO BUSINESS AND ELIMINATE.
OTHERS. MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A STRUGGLE.
AND IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE STATE DOES GIVE US.
YEAH, IT CERTAINLY ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
MY THINKING IS PROBABLY VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU GUYS ARE, WE'RE ALL IN WAIT AND SEE MODE.
I DO BELIEVE. I LIKE YOUR VIRTUAL BACKGROUND.
EVEN IF OUR NUMBERS GO DOWN, OUR COST DOES NOT GO DOWN NECESSARILY, RIGHT? NO, MA'AM. I MEAN, THAT'S FROM HERE. RIGHT.
[INAUDIBLE], I WAS MUTED BEFORE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO BE AWARE AND I'LL JUST REITERATE FOR THOSE WHO WERE OLD MEMBERS.
THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD BETWEEN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN ONE THAT I THINK IT IS KIND OF UNIQUE AROUND THE STATE.
AND I WON'T GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL.
BUT JUST TO SIMPLY SAY THAT MEETINGS LIKE THIS DON'T OCCUR EVERYWHERE.
AND WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS THAT LOOKING AT THESE BUDGET NUMBERS ARE IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DETERMINE, I JUST [INAUDIBLE] NUMBERS HERE.
AND I THINK THE BOARD OF EDUCATION BUDGET IS ABOUT 32 PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET OR IT WAS LAST YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE THESE NUMBERS.
AND I REALLY I AGREE WITH MILTON AT THIS POINT WITH [INAUDIBLE].
IN MY MIND, IF ANY PORTION OR ANY FORM OR VERSION OF [INAUDIBLE] IS PASSED AND IF THE GOVERNOR'S VETO IS OVERRIDDEN, WE'LL BE OUT OF BUSINESS FROM THE COUNTY STANDPOINT.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WHERE WE GO FROM THERE.
[00:45:04]
I KNOW. AND I'M NOT GOING TO I'M NOT GOING TO STEAL COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE]'S THUNDER I'M GOING TO LET HIM SPEAK ABOUT THIS.BUT I THINK OUR COMMISSIONER MEETING CALLS, WHICH SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A WEEK AGO, BUT IT WAS THIS MORNING, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT S.R.O.
AND WE MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OUT OF OUR BUDGET LAST YEAR TO PROVIDE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS IN ALL SCHOOLS.
SURPRISINGLY WE TOOK SOME HEAT OVER IT.
BUT SO I JUST BELIEVE AT THIS POINT, WE PROCEED THE WAY WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND THAT'S WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN GET THIS BUDGET DONE AND WE'RE ALL IN JUST A WAIT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, SITTING ON THE EDGE OF OUR SEATS MODE HERE.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY MY INTENTION AND I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
IN THE STANDPOINT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THIS RELATIONSHIP TO CONTINUE THE WAY IT HAS BEEN, IT'S PRODUCTIVE AND IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FOR US TO FIGHT BECAUSE THE COMMON GOOD HERE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO SERVE OUR KIDS.
AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL MUTE MYSELF.
BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MR. [INAUDIBLE]. TO THAT POINT, [INAUDIBLE] SAID IT BEFORE.
WE CAN'T OPERATE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE COUNTY.
WE THERE'S A NUMBER OF COUNTY AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS THAT WE RELY ON ON A DAILY BASIS TO EFFECTIVELY TAKE CARE OF THE WHOLE CHILD.
AND SO WHEN THAT DAY COMES, IF THAT DAY COMES, HOPEFULLY NOT THIS YEAR, AND WHO KNOWS, MAYBE [INAUDIBLE] GENTLER VERSION DOWN THE ROAD AT SOME POINT.
YOU KNOW, THIS BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THE STAFF IS READY TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET THERE.
HOW DO WE GET THROUGH THIS? IF YOU REMEMBER AND YOU WERE A COMMISSIONER AND PRESIDENT NEWCOMB MENTIONED THIS LAST TUESDAY NIGHT, YEARS AGO WHEN THE STATE PASSED DOWN A MID-YEAR CUT TO SCHOOL SYSTEMS. AND DR. SHIRLEY WAS SUPERINTENDENT AT THE TIME.
WE CAME BACK ACROSS THE TABLE AND GAVE BACK THE MONIES THAT WERE GIVEN TO US AND [INAUDIBLE] MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. AND THAT WAS UNPRECEDENTED.
BUT THAT WAS WELL, THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO TO HELP THE COUNTY GET THROUGH A VERY TOUGH TIME. I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE HIGHWAY USER CUT YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
AND WHILE EDUCATION IS CERTAINLY WHAT OUR FOCUS IS IN COUNTY AT CAROLINE, IT'S THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO GET THROUGH THE TO GET TO THE END OF THE DAY AND I'VE PROBABLY OVERSTEP MY BOUNDS. SO, DR.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD AND EVERYBODY WORKING FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THEY'VE DONE FOR OUR CITIZENS OVER THE LAST YEAR.
NOT ONLY DO YOU WORK FOR THE STUDENTS.
BUT YOU'VE FOUND WAYS TO PROVIDE FOOD AND OTHER THINGS THROUGH THE CARES FUNDING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THAT FOR ALL THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY.
I'VE TALKED TO OTHER CITIZENS IN OTHER COUNTIES ABOUT WHAT KIND OF SERVICE THEY'RE GETTING FOR THEIR STUDENTS THROUGH THE VIRTUAL LEARNING.
IT WASN'T EASY TO GO BUY ALL OF THOSE HOTSPOTS AND GET THEM SET UP AND WORKING, BUT I DON'T HEAR THAT KIND OF COMPLAINING IN OUR COUNTY.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I TOUCH EVERY DAY THAT I WALK AROUND.
DRESS LIKE BUM AND DO WHAT I ALWAYS DO, AND THE REALITY IS I THINK WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB HERE. WE'RE ALL PART OF IT AND I APPRECIATE IT.
I WAS ON A RURAL COUNTIES MEETING LAST NIGHT AND THERE'S A BILL LISTED SOMEWHERE THERE THAT. WE HAVE.
JURISDICTIONS WHO DON'T WANT SROS TO CARRY A GUN.
[00:50:03]
I'M NOT AFRAID OF GUN, AND WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE NOT TO BE AFRAID OF THEM.WE NEED TO TEACH PEOPLE RESPECT THEM AND RESPECT THE POSITION THAT OFFICER REPRESENTS.
AND KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO TO THEM FOR HELP IF THEY NEED.
THAT'S PART OF THE EDUCATION THAT I THINK WE PROVIDE IN CAROLINE COUNTY.
BUT KNOWING THAT ARMED OFFICERS IN YOUR SCHOOL.
IT'S A MAJOR DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BRING HARM.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WITH ALL MY HEART.
SO I'M NOT WILLING TO GIVE THEM UP, BUT THAT BILL WAS PROPOSING TO TAKE WHATEVER MONEY THAT THE STATES ARE PUTTING TOWARDS SRO AND PUT IT TOWARDS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINICIANS.
SO WHILE I KNOW WE NEED SOME OF THOSE ALSO, I'M NOT WILLING TO GIVE UP MY SROS PERSONAL.
JUST TELL YOU WHERE I'M AT, I CANNOT REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF THE BILL I HEARD SO MUCH IN THE LAST TWO DAYS AND TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE A REAL.
BIG ONE , BECAUSE I GOT [INAUDIBLE] FROM 9:00 TO NOON, SO.
COMMISSIONER, THE ACTUAL FUNDING OF SROS IS A LOCAL INITIATIVE.
WE DON'T RECEIVE ANY STATE GRANTS FOR THE ACTUAL POSITIONS.
WE DO RECEIVE A COUPLE OF STATE GRANTS THAT HELP SUPPORT OVERTIME FOR COVERAGE OF EVENTS AND SOME.
AND IN THE PAST, WE'VE RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY THAT HAS HELPED US TO CREATE THOSE SECURE VESTIBULES IN THE SCHOOLS.
BUT WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, A LOT OF THAT, A LOT OF THAT WAS DISCRETIONARY AND IT QUICKLY WENT AWAY AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE GOT WE GOT SOME MONEY THAT WE HELPED.
WE EARMARKED FOR THE CONNECTIVITY AIDS AT THE [INAUDIBLE] ASSOCIATED WITH MEASURES THAT ARE BEING TAKEN THERE IN COLLABORATION WITH EMS. [INAUDIBLE].
APPARENTLY, WHAT THOSE BILLS ARE, YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, DAN JUST FOUND THEM . THE SENATE BILLS 245 AND HOUSE BILL 496.
OK, [INAUDIBLE] ON THE MEETING LAST NIGHT WITH RURAL COUNTIES.
IT WAS THE. SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT TEN MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE, WHICH TOWARDS PROVIDING SECURITY IN SCHOOL, WHICH WE ASSUME WOULD BE SROS.
I DIDN'T HAVE THE BILL IN FRONT OF ME, I HAVE NOT READ THE BILLS, BUT.
I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT AND CIRCLE BACK SO I GET SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
YEAH IT'S. THAT'S THE VIEW I WANT TO HEAR FROM.
YEP, I WILL I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT IT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND GET UP AND DOWN TO YOU. OTHER THAN THAT.
WE'LL DO ALL WE CAN TO WORK TOGETHER AND FUND [INAUDIBLE] WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
I WAS WORKING FOR THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, GAVE THAT MONEY BACK, AND IT HELPED HOLD US TOGETHER FOR A LITTLE LONGER AND NOT LOSE SO MANY POSITIONS AND GIVE US TIME TO WORK THROUGH THINGS SO I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN EITHER EARLY, LATE 2008 OR EARLY 2009 WHEN THE BOARD DID THAT.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I WAS RUNNING FOR OFFICE SO.
A MAJOR TOPIC IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND THE FOLKS THAT WERE WORKING FOR CAROLINE COUNTY AT TIME PROBABLY HAD YOUR FINGER SMACKED BY THE STATE FOR THAT.
AND I ADMIRE YOU ALL FOR DOING IT.
I THANK YOU. PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND PULL THROUGH THIS AND SHOW THE REST OF THE STATE [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU.
HEY, MILTON, CAN I EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT WILBUR SAID REGARDING I'M NOT SURE.
I DIDN'T RESEARCH THE ORIGINS OF THE BILLS, HOWEVER, HE IS CORRECT FROM WHAT I'VE READ EARLIER TODAY, THAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT TEN MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE SCHOOL SECURITY FUND OR SOMETHING TO THAT NATURE.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE THE EXACT NAME BEING SENT TOWARDS MENTAL HEALTH.
CORRECT. NOW, THE OTHER THING THAT IS EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, AT LEAST FROM WHERE I SIT AND IT'S MY BACKGROUND AND I THINK YOU GUYS PROBABLY NEED TO GET WITH SHERIFF BOUNDS ABOUT IT. IF ONE OF THOSE BILLS SHOULD PASS, YOUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS WILL NO
[00:55:05]
LONGER BE IN UNIFORM AND THEY WILL NOT, WILL HAVE TO CONCEAL ANY WEAPONS OR CARRY.ONE OF THE SUCCESSES OF THE SRO PROGRAM HAS BEEN THE UNIFORM.
GETTING KIDS USED TO THAT, THAT'S NOT A BAD THING, THAT UNIFORM CAN BE A RESOURCE FOR YOU AND THEY'RE NOT AND THEIR GOOD PEOPLE.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, I PUT THE BILL NUMBERS IN THE CHAT SO EVERYBODY COULD RESEARCH THE MATTER AT THEIR LEISURE.
BUT MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE ONCE, ONCE YOURSELF AND DR.
SAELENS AND THE BOARD HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM AND COORDINATE, I HAVE A FEELING THAT AND AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE CRYSTAL BALL KNOWN AS SARAH TO GET A FEELING ON HOW THESE BILLS WILL GO.
BUT EITHER ONE OF THOSE BILLS, I THINK, WOULD BE VERY, VERY HARMFUL TO OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE PROGRAM, WHICH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, NOT YOU ALL MOST OF YOU KNOW.
WE I WAS VERY, VERY, VERY EMPHATIC ABOUT INSTITUTING THE PROGRAM ALL THE WAY AROUND AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE I THINK IT'S BEEN IT'S BEEN AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM FOR OUR KIDS AND FOR OUR STAFF. AND I ALSO I JUST DON'T WANT I DON'T WANT TO BACKPEDAL BECAUSE OF.
BECAUSE OF [INAUDIBLE], I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AGAIN, JUST ONE MORE COMMENT, SHERRIFF BOUNDS.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE A REQUEST HAS COME FORTH FROM AN SRO ABOUT WEARING SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE DUTY UNIFORM, YOU KNOW, LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A UNIFORM THAT WEAR THE RANGE AND EVEN YOU'RE GOING TO WEAR WHAT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, GET OUT PATROL VEHICLE.
AND SO IT'S AND IT'S BEEN A REAL WIN THE PARTNERSHIP THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
I KNOW WITH YOU KNOW, WITH STAFFING SHORTAGES, SHERIFF BOUNDS, IT'S BEEN A HUGE ASSET TO HAVE THOSE STAFF AVAILABLE TO HIM TO USE TO HELP COVER SHIFTS THAT ARE THERE SHORT AND OTHER OTHER DUTIES TO HAVE THOSE EIGHT SROS AVAILABLE.
IT'S BEEN A BIG, BIG WIN FOR HIM.
SCHOOL. IT WAS A VERY, VERY POWERFUL STATEMENT.
AND THEY ALSO HELPED BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF THE STUDENTS AND LET STUDENTS KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, POLICE OFFICERS ARE THERE TO HELP YOU.
SO MY PERSPECTIVE, IT WAS A WIN WIN ALL AROUND.
I CAN OFFER A QUICK COMMENT HERE.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT I'M A RETIRED CHIEF OF POLICE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I'M A MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND CHIEFS OF POLICE ASSOCIATION.
AND I DO SOME WORK WITH THEM AS A VOLUNTEER, INCLUDING SOME LEGISLATIVE WORK.
SO I'LL REACH OUT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THAT ORGANIZATION WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO BE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR OF THE MARYLAND SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION.
AND I'LL ASK WHAT THEY'RE DOING ABOUT THESE BILLS.
THEY HAVE PEOPLE ON STAFF OR PEOPLE THAT THEY RETAIN WHO WORK ON LEGISLATIVE ISSUES.
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SROS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEM BEING PROPERLY EQUIPPED AND IN UNIFORM.
SO I'LL JUST DO A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT ON MY OWN.
AND IF I FIND OUT ANYTHING OF VALUE SHARE WITH THE AUDIENCE HERE AND I'LL DO THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO THROW OUT THERE THAT THE STORY IS NOT A STORY BUT HISTORY THAT WAS SHARED BY THE BOARD OF ED OFFERING BACK MONEY DURING THE RECESSION PERIOD OF 2008, 9, 10, SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIME FRAME.
AND IT'S BEEN DESCRIBED ACCURATELY BECAUSE AT THE TIME I WAS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND I WAS IN A POSITION OF BENEFITING FROM THE DECISION MADE BY THE BOARD OF ED.
MILTON YOU AND I MIGHT BE THE ONLY TWO ON THIS CALL WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THAT ALONG WITH JIM NEWCOMB. DIDN'T MEAN TO LEAVE YOU OUT, JIM.
SO YOU PORTRAYED IT CORRECTLY.
IT'S KIND OF FASCINATING FOR ME TO BE ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT PROCESS NOW.
BUT IT IS PART OF WHY FOR ALL OF YOU TO HEAR PART OF WHY I RAN FOR THE BOARD OF ED BECAUSE OF THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTED AND HAS EXISTED FOR YEARS.
[01:00:04]
AND I WANT TO TRY TO HELP MAINTAIN THAT RELATIONSHIP.AND I THINK THAT MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE COUNTY GIVES ME KIND OF A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU WILL, SO WITH THAT I'LL BE QUIET.
ALL RIGHT, THIS IS KATHY, I THINK, TO ADD TO THAT, TOO, WITH OUR COMMISSIONERS, WE'VE HAD THAT GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
I'VE WORKED IN OTHER COUNTIES THAT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND THAT CERTAINLY MAKES THE WHOLE PROCESS EASIER, AS WELL AS ACCOMMODATING AND REALLY LOOKS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS.
I THINK THIS BOARD AND THIS COMMISSIONERS GROUP, TOO, IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE MANY OF US GREW UP RIGHT IN THIS AREA, WE'RE LOCAL.
WE WENT TO SCHOOL HERE OR WE SPENT A BIG CHUNK OF OUR LIFETIME HERE.
AND SO WE'RE VESTED IN MAKING CAROLINE COUNTY A GREAT PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN.
SO, AGAIN, I TAG ON WHAT RICK SAID, I APPRECIATE ALL THOSE COMMISSIONERS AND WORKING TOGETHER. THANK YOU.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND MAYBE DAN OR WILBUR CAN OR MILTON CAN ADDRESS.
LOOKING AT THE 245 AND 296 PROPOSALS IF THEY SHOULD PASS.
DO THE COUNTIES HAVE THE OPTION TO REMAIN TO RETAIN THEIR SROS, OR IS IT A STATEWIDE STATEMENT THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE GOTTEN RID OF OR THEIR POSITION AS WE HAVE IT IN CAROLINE WOULD CHANGE? I THINK NOT HAVING READ THE BILL, BUT WHAT WILL BE PUSHED FORWARD FROM MABE PERSPECTIVE AND OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS GO THROUGH, MABE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SPECIFICALLY JOHN [INAUDIBLE], AND WE'LL SPEAK TO GET FAVORABLE AMENDMENTS PENDING ON ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF IT OUT OF EITHER THE BILL IN THE SENATE OR THE HOUSE, MAKING IT OUT OF COMMITTEE, SEEKING FAVORABLE TO GET SOME FAVORABLE AMENDMENTS MADE.
AND IF THIS IS THE SAME BILL, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN [INAUDIBLE] QUITE SOME TIME AGO NOW ABOUT THIS AS WHEN IT WAS STIRRING IN SOME OF THE LARGER JURISDICTIONS ON [INAUDIBLE]. LOOK IF THEY'RE LOCAL POLITICS ARE SUCH THAT THEY DON'T WANT SROS IN THERE, IN THEIR BUILDINGS. THAT'S FINE.
DON'T PUT THAT FOR THE WHOLE STATE.
SO MAKE IT MAKE IT DISTRICT SPECIFIC TO FUNDING STATEWIDE.
THAT'S ONE THING. BUT DON'T DICTATE TO LOCALS.
WE'VE PUSHED AND PUSHED AND PUSHED AND ADVOCATED FOR ABOUT LOCAL CONTROL AND NOT BEING DICTATED BY THE STATE JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING BAD HAS HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE. DON'T MAKE IT BAD FOR THE REST OF US BECAUSE IT'S NOT BAD, ESPECIALLY HERE ON THE SHORE. AND DON'T DON'T LET WHAT HAPPENS ON THE WESTERN SHORE DRIVE THINGS HERE ON THE EASTERN SHORE. SO THAT'LL BE OUR OUR PUSH.
IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING, SOME VERSION OF IT'S GOING TO GET THROUGH AND TO THE FLOOR TO BE VOTED ON.
AND [INAUDIBLE] ALSO KNOW WE PARTNER WITH MABE TOO AS WELL WITH OUR PSSAM GROUP, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND.
AND WE TESTIFY AND WE WORK WITH MABE TO TO GET THAT INFORMATION AND PUSH ON THOSE.
HE LOCAL AUTHORITY, AS MILTON WAS SUGGESTING, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR ALWAYS OUR NUMBER ONE INITIATIVE IS TO HAVE LOCAL AUTHORITY.
SO WE FOLLOW, WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
I SIT ON THAT COMMITTEE. I THINK MR., I GUESS MR. NEWCOMB OR MAYBE MR. BARTON WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN AND THE MAY ONE.
AND SO WE ALL WILL BE GETTING INFORMATION ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND WE'LL BE FOLLOWING THIS CLOSELY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE TESTIFY WHEN WE NEED TO IN THE BETTERMENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITY. THANK YOU.
MS. WAYMAN I'M GONNA, IF I CAN, I'M GOING TO PUT THE EXCERPT.
IN THE CHAT FROM SENATE BILL 245, IT IS THE.
IT'S THAT WOULD PROBABLY, IF THAT WERE TO PASS, OUR SRO PROGRAM WOULD BASICALLY BE. IT WOULD NOT BE THE WAY THAT WE SEE IT NOW.
IT WOULD NOT HAVE THE EFFECTIVENESS, SO IF THAT BILL WERE TO PASS.
THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER WOULD NOT EVEN BE STATIONED INSIDE THE WALLS OF THE SCHOOL THE WAY THAT THAT BILL READS.
[01:05:07]
CIRCUMSTANCES.SO. GOOD GRIEF. YEAH, DAN, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION AND HOPEFULLY THERE'S A LOT OF READING THAT HOPEFULLY THERE'S A LOT OF COMPROMISE IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, EVERY CAREER, EVERY INDUSTRY IS HAVING CHALLENGES RIGHT NOW AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WITH OUR POLICE FORCE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING OTHER PEOPLE'S POINTS OF VIEW.
BUT I GUESS WHEN IT COMES TO RESOURCE OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DON'T WANT THEM IN A POLICE OFFICER, WE DON'T WANT THEM IN OUR BUILDINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ASSIMILATE AND LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO THAT SEEMS KIND OF COUNTERACTIVE TO WHAT WE AS A SOCIETY ARE HOPING, TRYING TO DO.
SAELENS POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE OTHER COUNTIES AND WILL BE LOBBYING, YOU KNOW, FOR AMENDMENTS TO THAT.
IT MAY ALSO ALWAYS ADVOCATED FOR LOCAL CONTROL.
AND MR. NAGEL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU, SHERIFF BOUNDS AND OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE STATE.
SO IF THERE IS ANY TESTIMONY TO BE GIVEN OR, YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES, I'M SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE POWERS THAT BE MAY BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
JUST ANSWER ONE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER, SENATE BILL 245 DOES NOT APPEAR TO ALLOW ANY LEEWAY. IT APPEARS TO BE A STATEWIDE LAW, NO LOCAL CONTROL.
I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING EITHER WAY.
THE SENATE BILL 245 DEFINITELY SPECIFIES STATEWIDE WITH REGARD TO SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
I DO LIKE EVERYBODY'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THIS.
WE ARE LEANING AGAIN IN THAT IN THAT ASPECT.
I THINK THAT OUR STUDENTS LEARN TO RESPECT THEY DON'T.
THEY'RE NOT INTIMIDATED BY A POLICE OFFICER BEING THERE.
THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO TO THEM FOR HELP.
AND THAT MEANS ALL THE WORLD BECAUSE THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ASSOCIATED ANYTHING GOOD WITH A POLICE OFFICER. THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO USE THEM AS A RESOURCE [INAUDIBLE].
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
THAT BILL JUST KIND OF BOGGLES MY MIND BECAUSE IT TAKES THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THERE JUST KIND OF LIKE.
UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE A NUMBER OF JURISDICTIONS WHO HAVE NOT PUT OFFICERS WITHIN THEIR SCHOOLS. SEEMED TO ME BETTER TO BE PROACTIVE THAN REACTIVE.
AND THEY DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR POINT OF VIEW, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE A COP OR TWO TO A POLICE CAR TWO OR THREE OR FOUR BLOCKS AWAY.
YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE 10, 20 MILES AWAY.
AND THEN [INAUDIBLE] FROM SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM TOO.
WE DID IT. IT'S WORKING AND IT'S WORKING VERY POSITIVELY FOR OUR SYSTEM.
AND I'M NOT WILLING TO HAVE SOMEBODY TELL ME I CAN'T DO IT NOW.
WELL [INAUDIBLE]I DID START PULLING TOGETHER SOME SUCCESS STORIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, GETTING READY TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT EITHER THAT I JUST IGNORE WHAT THEY SAY AND KEEP DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WELL THAT WON'T WORK. [INAUDIBLE] EITHER.
SO. WELL, COMMISSIONERS ARE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER CONVERSATION ON THE BUDGET OR ANY OTHER ITEMS LIKE TO BRING BEFORE, YOU KNOW, PLEASE DO.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT COMMENTING ON WHAT MR. PORTER ALLUDED MENTIONED INITIALLY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS INTERACTION.
IT'S I REALLY MISSING OF THE LIVE IN PERSON SITTING DOWN IN THE SAME ROOM.
THIS ZOOM JUST ISN'T THE SAME.
BUT WE DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT RELATIONSHIP AS WELL.
AND WHY I WAS COMMENTING ABOUT THE GIVE AND TAKE, YOU KNOW, 10, 12 YEARS AGO.
[01:10:06]
YOU KNOW, THE SAME IS THE CASE JUST THIS YEAR WITH CARES FUNDING WHERE THE COUNTY WAS VERY ACCESSIBLE AND VERY FORTHCOMING TO THE TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU UTILIZE THESE FUNDS? YOU'RE ALREADY DOING THIS. WE'RE ALREADY IN THIS TOGETHER.WE'RE ALREADY TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE DO ANY OF THESE DOLLARS FALL IN THE RIGHT CATEGORIES WHERE WE CAN SHARE THEM WITH YOU? AND AGAIN, THAT WAS NOT CONSISTENT ACROSS THE STATE.
SOME BOARDS OF ED DIDN'T GET, YOU KNOW, ANY MONEY OR DEFINITELY WEREN'T REACHED OUT TO INITIALLY, HAD TO GO HUNT THEM DOWN AND FIND SOME KIND OF FUNDING.
SO WE DO REALLY APPRECIATE THAT RELATIONSHIP SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS FORUM KIND OF GOT US ALL OUT OF KILTER A LITTLE BIT.
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD OF ED MEMBERS OR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY WOULD BE IN CLOSING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE FINE, MR. BARTON NEXT DOOR, BUT I DO KNOW, MICHELLE, DONNA, YOU AND I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY FOR ME, IF YOU EVER WANT TO, YOU KNOW, STAY ON AND HAVE A CHAT, PLEASE FEEL MORE THAN FREE.
GIVE ME A CALL. AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD SIT DOWN AND AT LEAST KNOW EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT. SO MY CONTACT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE.
AND I WANTED TO OFFER THAT BEFORE WE CLOSE.
AND IF YOU'RE PAYING, I'LL COME ALONG.
I'M A POOR I'M JUST A POOR GUY FROM GREENSBURG.
CAP, YOU AND I HAVE ONLY KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR ABOUT, WHAT, 50 YEARS SO.
YEAH. SO BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SIT DOWN AND TALK AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND CATCH UP A LITTLE BIT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY. [INAUDIBLE] SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
THANK YOU, FOLKS, FOR THE DIALOG.
I THINK I STARTED MY DAY WITH MOST OF YOU KNOW, I'M ENDING MY DAY WITH MOST OF YOU, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIPS.
AND WE ALWAYS HAVE AGENDA AND WE ALWAYS GET IT KNOCKED OUT.
AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HIGH LEVEL ENGAGEMENT, GOOD IDEAS AND GOOD CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] THANKS TO EVERYBODY.
OK. MR. NEWCOMB, I THINK YOU NEED A MOTION TO.
I MAKE A MOTION WE ADJOURN THE MEETING.
SECOND. [INAUDIBLE] MR. BARTON'S GOT A SECOND AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
AND COMMISSIONERS, I'LL ASK RACHEL TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE THOSE MINUTES WITH JEN.
YEP. SO WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.
SO SHE'LL CONNECT UP WITH JEN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
THIS IS [INAUDIBLE]. COULD YOU ACTUALLY SEND THEM TO MARY OVER IN LEGAL AND A JEN IS DETAILED PERMANENTLY TO FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE TO EOC.
SO IF YOU SEND THEM TO MARY [INAUDIBLE] INSTEAD.
PLEASE. IF YOU NEED IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET UP WITH HER, JUST SEND THEM TO ME AND I'LL GET THEM TO HER. OK, THANKS, JEREMY.
NO PROBLEM. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.