[1.01 Call Meeting to Order/Members Present 6:00 p.m.]
          [00:00:04]
          GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. 
          TONIGHT IS FEBRUARY 17TH. 
          WE'RE HERE FOR OUR MONTHLY BOARD WORK SESSION. THIS ONE HAPPENS TO BE WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 
          THERE ARE FOUR OF US PRESENT AND ONE IS ON ZOOM TONIGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO OPEN SESSION? I'LL SECOND. 
          ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NONE OPPOSED. WE'RE IN OPEN SESSION. WE CAN STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          THE NEXT ITEM WE NEED IS A 
          [1.03 Approval of Agenda]
MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA. 
          I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA. MOTION'S BEEN MADE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. A SECOND BY MRS. JOHNSON. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. SO IN THE PAST, I KNOW ALL OF OUR PAST PRESIDENTS, INCLUDING OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT, MRS. WAYMAN, HAVE WELCOMED, WE WELCOME THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. WE'VE SPOKE HIGHLY OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE GROUP THAT'S HERE NOW, THE GROUPS BEFORE, AND I KNOW THIS TIME NEXT YEAR THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT FACES IN THE ROOM. 
          BUT WHILE YOU THREE GENTLEMEN ARE HERE, WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE THE LAST FOUR YEARS, NOT ONLY FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HERE AND THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP YOU'VE HAD, BUT THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU GENTLEMEN HAVE DONE IN THE COMMUNITY. THERE HAS BEEN, I FEEL LIKE WITH YOU THREE, THERE HAS BEEN FAR MORE WORK DONE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE, WORK TO OUR ROADS, WORK TO, AND SCHOOLS, WORK TO IMPROVE ROOFS. WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF ROOFING PROJECTS, AND MR. MENGEL MAY KNOW HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, BUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, AND THAT'S LARGELY BEEN BECAUSE OF YOUR GENEROSITY AND WORKING, YOU KNOW, WORKING NUMBERS TO BE ABLE TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN. 
          NOT ONLY, LIKE I SAY, NOT ONLY FOR OUR BUILDINGS AND FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT REALLY FOR OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD SOME REAL DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE, AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE AS GOOD A JOB AS ANYONE CAN IMAGINE. I REALLY DO FEEL THAT WAY, AND I THINK HERE WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE. 
          WE ALL KNOW THIS, IT'S NOT FUN, AND IT'S NOT FUN GETTING PHONE CALLS ABOUT CRAZY THINGS HAPPENING, OR JUST THINGS THAT YOU REALLY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, BUT YOU HAVE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK THROUGH IT, AND YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY DONE A GOOD JOB WORKING THROUGH IT. 
          SO, I THINK FOR ALL, FROM ALL OF US HERE AT CAROLINA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, WE REALLY DO THANK YOU, AND WE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, AND LIKE I SAID, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH WHOEVER'S HERE, AND WE JUST THANK YOU, SO. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. YEP. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE BATHROOMS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL STADIUMS. ABSOLUTELY NOT. NO, NO, NO, YOU'RE RIGHT. LONG TIME COMING. 
          YOU ARE RIGHT. YEP. WHICH WAS A PRIORITY OF THIS BOARD, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO PROJECTS GOT DONE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP ON THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW IN YEARS PRIOR, THERE WAS SOME HESITATION ON THE BOARD'S SIDE, THROUGH MAINTENANCE, AND GETTING THOSE PROJECTS DONE, SO WE APPRECIATE THAT PARTNERSHIP, AND BEING ABLE TO GET THAT DONE, AND CATCH US UP WITH A LOT OF OUR SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS. 
          YOU ARE CORRECT, AND I KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY, OH, IT'S JUST BATHROOMS, AND IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT DIFFICULT FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO COME UP, BUT IT'S JUST, THINGS ARE DIFFICULT. YOU JUST, IT'S JUST, AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I FEEL LIKE THAT I LEARNED FROM SITTING HERE, IS HOW DIFFICULT SOMETIMES, WHAT SEEMS LIKE IT MAY BE A SIMPLE, SOMETHING SIMPLE, JUST HOW DIFFICULT THAT IT REALLY IS TO GET SIMPLE THINGS, SIMPLE THINGS DONE, AND LIKE YOU SAID, I KNOW YOU WERE REALLY AN ADVOCATE, TRAVIS, AND THE WHOLE GROUP FOR GETTING THOSE BATHROOMS, AND GETTING THAT UP TO, YOU KNOW, GETTING THAT UP AND RUNNING, AND JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. YEAH, IT'S, WHAT, THREE YEARS, THREE, ALMOST THREE AND A HALF YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IN THIS POSITION. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS, CAN ALWAYS PICK UP THE PHONE AND TALK TO EACH OTHER IF SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, AND IT SEEMS LIKE MORE AND MORE, OUR AUTHORITY AND CONTROL IS ERODED, YOU KNOW, TAKEN AWAY BY THE STATE. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THIS MENTALITY THAT THEY KNOW BETTER THAN US, THE LOCALS WHO PUT OUR NECK ON THE LINE AND GO 
          [00:05:03]
OUT AND ENTER THE PUBLIC ARENA, AND PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE AS TARGETS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND COMPLAIN TO, RIGHTFULLY SO IN MANY CASES, BUT WE CONTINUE TO LOSE OUR AUTHORITY AND CONTROL TO FIX SITUATIONS, AND IT'S DISHEARTENING AT TIMES, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE BRIGHT SPOT IN MY THREE AND A HALF YEARS HAS BEEN THE RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN US AND THE BOARD. 
          I THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT WITH CONTROL, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ACTUALLY THE MONEY THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONTROL OF WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE HARDER, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS THAT ALL OF US DEAL WITH IS THE FACT THAT WE CAN SAY WE'RE GIVEN THE MONEY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY COMES DOWN TO US, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIND THAT MONEY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT WHERE WE WANT TO, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY, THERE'S SO MANY STIPULATIONS ON WHERE IT GOES, OR HOW IT'S SPENT, AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, IT'S, THAT'S WHY THESE THINGS ARE REALLY DIFFICULT, AND DECISIONS, THAT'S WHY A LOT OF SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS BATHROOMS CAN BE SO DIFFICULT TO ACTUALLY PUT INTO PLACE, IT'S REALLY FIGURING OUT WHERE CAN WE GET THE MONEY FROM, AND SOMEBODY SAYS, WHERE CAN WE GET THE MONEY FROM, AND SOMEBODY SAYS, OH, YOU'VE GOT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, YEAH, AND HOW MUCH OF IT'S ALREADY GONE TO, LET'S JUST SAY, WHETHER IT BE EMPLOYEES, OR INCREASES IN INSURANCE, AND INCREASES IN RETIREMENT, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, A LOT OF THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET MORE MONEY, IT'S, THERE'S ALREADY SOMEWHERE THAT IT HAS TO GO, AND IF THEY SEEM LIKE IF THERE IS SOME EXTRA TO SPEND, SOMEBODY IN ANNAPOLIS IS GOING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT SO THEY'RE DIRECTING, THEY'RE DIRECTING WHERE IT'S GOING, AND NOT US, BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY SEEM TO KNOW MORE THAN WHAT WE DO HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. 
          I THINK A LOT OF IT, TOO, IS THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD HAS ENABLED US TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOK FORWARD DOWN THE ROAD, I MEAN, THINGS AS SIMPLE AS THE TURN SIGNAL AT NORTH CAROLINA, THE, YOU KNOW, THE RIVER ROAD CULVERT REPLACEMENT, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD, AND WE ARE GOING TO BUILD ANOTHER SCHOOL, I'VE BEEN THROUGH ONE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION, I KNOW, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE, BUT THOSE THINGS ALL LEAD TO WHY DID WE DO THOSE, WE DID THEM BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING, AND DO YOU WANT TO RUN AN INCREASED NUMBER OF KIDS ON THE ROAD WHERE THEY'RE, IT'S NOT SAFE, DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A TURN SIGNAL WHERE PEOPLE ARE GUESSING WHETHER SOMEBODY'S COMING THE OTHER WAY, ALL OF THOSE ARE BUILDING BLOCKS TOWARD GETTING TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT, ABOVE ALL, WE WANT THE KIDS TO GET THERE SAFELY AND GET BACK, SO, YOU KNOW, EACH LITTLE EACH LITTLE PART TO THAT PUZZLE, YOU KNOW, BUILDS TOWARD THAT, SO, AND OUR BUDGET TODAY, I MEAN, WE HAD OUR FIRST, WE GOT OUR BUDGET BOOKS TODAY, AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY, BUT WE GOT IT, WE'RE GOING TO PLAN AHEAD AND TRY TO DO THIS AS, YOU KNOW, THE BEST WE CAN, AND PAY FOR IT AS MUCH AS WE GO, AND NOT HAVE TO GO INTO DEBT OR BORROW THE MONEY, SO I THINK WE'RE MOVING TOWARD THAT DIRECTION. 
          THEY PRETTY MUCH COVERED IT, THEY GOT IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BEFORE ANYBODY BEATS YOU TO THE PUNCH HERE, SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. WAYMAN FOR ALL HER YEARS OF SERVICE TO CAROLINE COUNTY, AND WHAT SHE'S DONE, SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN A STAPLE POINT IN THE COUNTY, AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, AS A KID TILL NOW, SO THANK YOU, MS. WAYMAN, FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. 
          THANK YOU, AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO TEACH IN CAROLINE COUNTY, TO LIVE IN CAROLINE COUNTY, AND TO SERVE CAROLINE COUNTY. 
          WELL, YOU HAVE, YOU'VE DONE IT WELL. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO MISS HER HERE, I KNOW, FOR ALL THE MEMBERS, SHE'S THE PERSON THAT WE CAN LEAN ON WHEN WE NEED TO, AND WE KNOW SHE'S GOING TO BE THERE, SO WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU, MRS. WAYMAN, YOU DO KNOW THAT, RIGHT? 
          [2.01 Budget Discussion with Caroline County Commissioners]
SO, WE CAN MOVE ON THEN TO DISCUSSION ITEMS, AND THIS ONE IS THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT'S THE MAIN REASON YOU GENTLEMEN ARE HERE, AND SO WITH OUR COMMISSIONERS, SO. 
          OKAY, SO I'LL WALK THROUGH THE FIRST PART, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS, OVER MY 25 YEARS IN THE COUNTY, IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF. MY INITIAL PART IS PRETTY BRIEF, AND IT'S AROUND THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING GOING INTO IN THE NEXT YEAR, IN FY27, AND THE SECOND HALF, WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH THAT, MR. MENGEL HAS SOME INFORMATION PULLED TOGETHER TO KIND OF GIVE EVERYBODY AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE LOCKERMAN PROJECT, AS COMMISSIONER PORTER HAD MENTIONED ABOUT THAT BEING AROUND THE CORNER. 
          FOR HERE, THIS IS JUST A REMINDER, WE STARTED OFF EVERY ONE OF OUR BUDGET PRESENTATIONS 
          [00:10:01]
WITH JUST HELPING EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON WHERE WE ARE IN OUR BUDGET TIMELINE. 
          OUR BOARD MADE A DECISION A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THAT I DO NOT GIVE MY FORMAL PRELIMINARY BUDGET TO THE BOARD FOR IT TO BECOME THEIRS UNTIL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS DONE DOING THEIR WORK, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO KNOW YOUR REVENUE STREAMS UNTIL THEY STOP TINKERING WITH IT. 
          SO REALLY, IT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT WE DO BETWEEN, REALLY, NOVEMBER UP UNTIL MID-MARCH, LATE APRIL, OF TRYING TO MAKE THOSE TWEAKS AND THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, ANTICIPATING WHERE THE REVENUES ARE GOING TO FALL, AND WITH OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS, WE'VE STARTED NEGOTIATIONS, BUT WE DON'T EVEN TALK MONEY WITH THEM UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT OUR REVENUE PICTURE IS, AND THEY'VE BEEN WONDERFUL UNDERSTANDING THAT. WHAT WE'VE FOUND IN THE PAST IS YOU TALK ABOUT MONEY YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU TEND TO HURT FEELINGS ON BOTH SIDES, SO IT MADE SENSE TO HOLD OFF. 
          SO MOVING INTO THE NEXT, JUST KIND OF THE REVENUE UPDATE, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD IN HIS BUDGET, AND SHARED THE INFORMATION WITH MR. FOX AS WELL, RIGHT AFTER IT CAME OUT. CURRENT REVENUE PICTURE IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET IS AN INCREASE OF REVENUE FOR CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF ABOUT 5.7 MILLION DOLLARS. 
          THE LOCAL CONTRIBUTION, LOCAL SHARE INCREASE WAS ABOUT A LITTLE SHY OF 500,000. 
          THE INCREASE OF THE 5.7 MILLION, AND I DO JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS, I WOULD SAY THERE WAS A FLAW IN LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO AS IT DEALT WITH SCHOOLS THAT HAD HIGH POVERTY. 
          THE STATE PASSED A BILL THAT WAS A TWO-PART BILL. THEY WERE TO COME UP WITH A NEW WAY TO COUNT FREE AND REDUCED MEALS KIDS, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A NEW FORMULA TO GO WITH IT. 
          THEY DIDN'T FINALIZE THE NEW WAY TO COUNT, BUT THEY PUT THAT THE NEW FORMULA HAD TO GO INTO PLACE IN FY27. IF THE GOVERNOR DID NOT ADDRESS THAT IN THIS BUDGET FOR US THE WAY HE DID, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT A FLAT BUDGET TO MAYBE A $700,000 INCREASE. 
          WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REDUCING POSITIONS, SO I'M GLAD THE FIX IS THERE. I'M HOPING IT HOLDS, BUT THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US WHERE WE'RE SITTING ALMOST 70% OF OUR KIDS ARE QUALIFIED FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY ADDRESSED THAT PIECE. 
          BEFORE WE MOVE ON, AND I DO WANT TO ADD ONE PIECE NOT ON THE SLIDE, BUT I FOUND THIS REALLY INTERESTING. IT DOES GO TO MR. JONES'S POINT. WHAT OUR COMMISSIONERS DO WITH THE MONEY THEY HAVE IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. 
          SO PART OF THE BIG DATA BOOK WE GET OF WEALTH PER PUPIL. IT'S ONE OF THE SLIDES WE GET IN THERE WHERE IT PULLS TOGETHER ALL THE TAX REVENUE THAT COMES IN THE COUNTY, DIVIDES IT BY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, AND THEY RANK SCHOOL SYSTEMS BY WEALTH PER PUPIL. 
          WE'RE 23RD OUT OF 24TH FOR WEALTH PER PUPIL, FOR THE TAX REVENUE BASICALLY THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO WORK WITH TO PULL THIS OFF. THE CLOSEST SCHOOL SYSTEM TO US GEOGRAPHICALLY, DORCHESTER COUNTY IS 18TH. 
          THERE'S A DIFFERENCE OF ALMOST $130,000 PER KID WEALTH DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN US AND DORCHESTER. AND FOR ME THAT JUST STUCK OUT BECAUSE WE TEND TO SEE OURSELVES PROBABLY FLIP A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN IF YOU COMPARE US WITH OUR NEIGHBORS WHO WE TOUCH ON THE NORTH AND THE EAST, QUEEN ANNE'S WEALTH PER PUPIL IS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, A LITTLE OVER A MILLION, AND TALBOT'S 1.5 MILLION. AND OUR TAX WEALTH PER PUPIL, 443,000. 
          SO AGAIN, WHAT YOU ALL DO IS INCREDIBLE. 
          NOT JUST ON THE SCHOOL SIDE, BUT WHAT WE PULL OFF IN THE COUNTY IS NOTHING SHORT OF INCREDIBLE. BUT DIDN'T WANT TO MISS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE IT IS IT'S A PERSPECTIVE PIECE FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND ALL THE TIME HERE AS WELL. WHEN WE'RE COMPARING OURSELVES TO OTHER SYSTEMS AND WE'RE OUTPERFORMING IN ACADEMIC MEASURES AND THE WEALTH GAP IS SO BIG WE'RE DOING SOMETHING SOMETHING RIGHT. WE ARE EXPECTING SOME INCREASES IN COST OF DOING BUSINESS AND I KNOW THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD EXPECT THIS AS WELL. CONTRACTS AND SERVICES TEND TO GO UP ABOUT FIVE PERCENT A YEAR FOR EVERY BUDGET AND THAT'S WHEN WE RENEW OUR MAINTENANCE SERVICE CONTRACTS. 
          A LOT OF OUR ONLINE RESOURCES FOR KIDS, THEY'RE ALL CONTRACT NOW. SOME TEXTBOOK PURPOSES, THEY TEND TO HAVE AN INCREASE EVERY YEAR. 
          SO WE'RE BUDGETING FOR ABOUT A FIVE PERCENT INCREASE THERE. 
          WE DO FEEL WE ARE GOING TO MEET THE BLUEPRINT REQUIREMENT OF 60,000 BY FISCAL YEAR 27 FOR TEACHERS. WE HAVE A STARTING SALARY NOW OF 58,000 FOR STARTING TEACHERS, SO WE'RE 2,000 AWAY. 
          WE DON'T FEEL THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE TO GET THERE. 
          WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET OUR REQUIREMENT. 
          WE ARE FEELING AN ENERGY CRUNCH JUST LIKE YOU GUYS, LIKE WE KNEW RESIDENTIALLY. WE KNOW WE'RE ANTICIPATING ELECTRICITY COSTS SKYROCKETING. 
          THANK GOD WE'RE IN THE ESMEC ENERGY TRUST WHICH HELPS OFFSET TOO MUCH FLUCTUATION, BUT WE KNOW WE'RE AT THE BUDGET FOR MORE ENERGY COSTS NEXT YEAR ESPECIALLY AROUND ELECTRIC. AND PROBABLY 
          [00:15:01]
THE BIGGEST KICKER FOR US AND PROBABLY THE SAME FOR YOU ALL IS HEALTH INSURANCE. OUR FIRST INITIAL ESTIMATE WE RECEIVED FROM OUR CONSULTANT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE IS ANTICIPATING A 10.1 PERCENT INCREASE RIGHT NOW. THAT'S ABOUT 1.6 MILLION DOLLARS MORE IN HEALTH INSURANCE. SO THE 5.7, 1.6 HAS GONE OFF THE TOP FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          WE'RE GLAD OF WHAT WE COULD DO TO ADD MORE OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF IN TO TAKE OUR HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          IT'S WONDERFUL. I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS IN THE AGREEMENT AND RAISE WAGES THERE, BUT THERE IS THAT ONGOING COST PIECE YOU HAVE MORE IN. SO YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS ARE GOING TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT MORE. SO WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A PLAN FOR. 
          IN TERMS OF SYSTEM NEEDS FOR WHAT ARE REALLY OUR DRIVERS AND MAKING SURE WE ADD INTO THE BUDGET, WE WANT TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE SALARIES FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. THE BOARD AND OUR TEAM HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO INCREASE SALARIES ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SUPPORT STAFF. A LOT OF EFFORT'S GONE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE GROUND. WE HAVE FOUND IT'S A GREAT RETENTION TOOL AND IT'S A GREAT RECRUITMENT TOOL WHEN YOU'RE PAYING ONE PART OR BETTER THAN THE OTHER. SO WE WANT TO PAY ONE PART OR BETTER THAN SOME OF THEM THAT ARE NEARBY AND WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT. 
          WE DO WANT TO MAINTAIN REASONABLE STAFFING LEVELS, WHICH WE BELIEVE WE CAN DO THAT. 
          WE'RE NOT POSITIONED AS SUCH TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE ARE REDUCING POSITIONS AND A LOT OF SYSTEMS ARE LOOKING AT THAT. WE ARE NOT. WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING TO ADD A COUPLE POSITIONS IN THE OPERATIONS SIDE OF THE HOUSE. MR. MENGEL'S TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB WITH MAINTENANCE AND PLANT. 
          HOWEVER, WE ARE STILL BELOW THE RECOMMENDED STATE RATIO FOR THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WE SHOULD HAVE. 
          WE'VE ADDED TWO ADDITIONAL OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, BUT WE WERE ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT UP TO TWO YEARS AGO. WE'RE NOW OVER NINE AND WE WANT TO ADD ONE IF NOT TWO MORE EMPLOYEES TO THAT. ONE OF WHICH OF THOSE POSITIONS WE'RE LOOKING AT A DEDICATED FIELD MAINTENANCE AND GROUNDS INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL HELP US WITH UPKEEP OF NOT JUST THE FIELDS, BUT ALSO WITH JUST OUR BRANDS IN GENERAL. AND THEN IN THE WINTERTIME WHEN THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE SOME THINGS TO DO IN THAT AREA, I KNOW THERE'S PLENTY MAINTENANCE CAN HAVE THEM DO HELPING OUT THERE AS WELL. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT ADDING THAT IN AS A POSITION ADD. AND THE LAST BIG PIECE THAT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FACTOR INTO OUR NEW BUDGET. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS IS GOING TO GET DELAYED AND THAT'S TIME TO CARE ACT IS GOING TO COME IN AT SOME POINT. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO COME IN BY JANUARY OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. SO WE'LL HAVE TO BUDGET FOR ABOUT A HALF YEAR WORTH OF COSTS. RIGHT NOW OUR ESTIMATES THAT COULD RANGE ANYWHERE BETWEEN $160,000 TO ABOUT $300,000. WHAT IS THE TIME TO CARE ACT? TIME TO CARE ACT IS THE MARYLAND'S VERSION OF PAY FAMILY OUT OF BELIEF. IT WAS PASSED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. WE'VE PARTNERED, MILTON DID A GOOD JOB I MEAN IN THIS ROLE HERE, BUT ALSO WORKING WITH ME, PARTNERING WITH MAKO AND A COUPLE OTHER ENTITIES TO TRY TO PUT TOGETHER A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH. SO WE ALL DON'T HAVE TO HAVE OUR OWN PLANS, BUT IT'S A PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE THAT WE WILL HAVE TO PAY INTO. EMPLOYEES MAY HAVE TO AS WELL FOR A BENEFIT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO PULL STARTING IN. I'M LOOKING AT YOU. I THINK IT'S WE GOT TO PAY IN AND STARTING IN JANUARY OF 27, BUT THEY CAN'T START TAKING OUT TILL A YEAR LATER, RIGHT? YES, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF IT'S EXACTLY A YEAR OR SO MANY MONTHS, BUT ESSENTIALLY WE AS WELL AS THE COUNTY HAVE COMMITTED TO PARTNER WITH ME AND MAKO IN RESPONSE TO THIS. IT'S BEEN GETTING KICKED DOWN THE ROAD FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS WITH OBLIGATION OF THE COUNTIES IN ALL ENTITIES TO STAND UP. 
          SO DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. IT WAS A TOPIC DOWN AT MAKO THIS WINTER AS WELL, BUT I'M CURIOUS TO TALK PROBABLY A LITTLE OFFLINE ABOUT THE NUMBER AND WHERE YOU GUYS ARE FROM. AND DR. WILLOUGHBY CAN HELP EXPLAIN WHERE WE'VE WHERE WE'RE DRAWING THAT A LITTLE BIT FROM. HOW ABOUT THE NEED TO BACKFILL THE VACANCIES WHILE PEOPLE ARE OUT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT? THAT IT'S WE WILL PROBABLY LOOK AT WHEN IT KICKS IN IN FY28 HAVING TO ADD ADDITIONAL MONEY IN OUR SUBSTITUTE LINE BECAUSE THAT'LL BE THE... 
          SO YOU WOULDN'T DO IT WITH CERTIFIED TEACHERS? WE COULD, NO OR NO, BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANYBODY DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU'RE TALKING WHAT UP TO 12 WEEKS OF LEAVE. WE WOULDN'T HAVE A CADRE OF CERTIFIED TEACHERS TO STAND UP. AND I HAVEN'T READ THROUGH, I KNOW THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON ALL THE RULEMAKING TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF IT, BUT THERE'S SOME REAL OTHER COSTS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BEAR, BOTH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE. 
          TO GO OFF OF WHAT COMMISSIONER GREEN JUST ASKED, IF WE ENDED UP SEEING A NEED AFTER, YOU KNOW, IN TIME WHERE AS FAR AS FOR CERTIFIED TEACHERS, I GUESS WE COULD LOOK AT THE OPTION OF A FULL-TIME SUBSTITUTE THAT WAS A CERTIFIED TEACHER THAT WOULD KIND OF LIKE... 
          [00:20:01]
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S DOWN THE ROAD, BUT THAT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LIKE LOOKING AT WHAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT KIND OF LIKE WAITING AND SEEING THE REAL WORLD, HOW THIS PLAYS OUT, AND THEN BEFORE ADDING A POSITION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION OR NOT. 
          I THINK PROBABLY IN 28, 29, SOMEWHERE IN THAT BALLPARK, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT HAVING TO ADD MORE OF THOSE IN AS A POSSIBILITY. AND YOU COULD BE IN THE SAME BOOK WITH OPERATIONS SITES TOO, LIKE BUS DRIVERS. YEAH, I'D BE INTERESTED, AND I'M SURE ROB COULD HELP US WITH THIS, I MEAN A LOT OF OUR CERTIFIED TEACHERS TAKE THAT TIME NOW, IT'S JUST NOT PAID. 
          YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S ABLE TO GUESSTIMATE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? HOW WOULD IT LOOK DIFFERENT? LIKE, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT DON'T BECAUSE THEY CAN'T? OR, AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT MIGHT NOT BE SO MUCH IN THE TEACHER SPACE, BUT IN MORE OF THE SUPPORT STAFF AND OPERATIONS SPACE WHERE FOLKS ARE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY TAKING MORE TIME. 
          BUT I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE COULD KIND OF... WE HAVE SOME PLANS IN PLACE FOR CURRENT CERTIFIED TEACHERS WHEN THEY HAVE OFF FOR FMLA TYPE REASONS. I'D JUST BE INTERESTED IF YOU THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO PICK IT. THE BUS DRIVER MAKES SENSE ALSO BECAUSE THEIR LICENSE IS THE CERTIFICATION OF ITS OWN, SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN JUST GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST POST A OPENING FOR YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR THAT. YEAH, REALLY, IT CONCERNS ME JUST BECAUSE IN THE COUNTY WE HAVE SO MANY ROLES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO ONE PERSONNEL MEMBER. SO, ONE EMPLOYEE TAKES, I MEAN, LIKE TROY, IF YOU TOOK OFF THREE MONTHS, WHO'S GOING TO DO THE RADIOS? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S CONCERNING, AND I MEAN, THIS IS EXTENDING, THIS IS EXTENDING TO AUNTS AND UNCLES. I MEAN, THERE'S MORE, IT'S MORE THAN JUST TAKING CARE OF A PARENT OR A CHILD, YOU KNOW. AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, WE WANT TO PUT THE BEST PEOPLE IN FRONT OF OUR KIDS THAT WE CAN, AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE FOCUS IS TO PUT THE BEST PEOPLE THAT WE CAN PUT IN FRONT OF THEM. SO, THE DEVIL WILL BE IN THE DETAILS WHEN THEY GET DONE THE RULEMAKING TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT THAT IMPACT COULD LOOK LIKE. 
          THERE WERE, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, WE THINK IT WILL, AND I WANT TO SEE HOW IT LOOKS SO WE CAN GET A REAL ACCURATE PICTURE OF WHAT THAT IMPACT COULD BE. 
          AND IT IS NOT JUST FOR US, IT'S FOR PRIVATE EMPLOYERS AS WELL. 
          IS THERE A TIMELINE WHEN THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE OUT? SO, THEY'RE NOT DELAYING IT. SO, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO HIT THEIR TIMELINES. I THINK IT'S SOMETIME THIS SPRING, I THINK, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THEIR DRAFT OF THOSE RULEMAKING OUT. 
          AT LEAST HAVE SOME. YES, YEAH. 
          AND FROM THE BOARD SIDE, NOT REALLY THE COMMISSIONER SIDE, BECAUSE IT IS AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT, IT BECOMES PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS PROCESS FOR HOW IT GETS STRUCTURED AND SET UP. SO, BUT THAT'S JUST FOR ANOTHER YEAR. YEAH. PART FOR US TO HAVE TO WORK OUT. 
          SO, AS I'VE EXPLAINED TO OUR STAFF MEMBERS, WHEN I'VE BEEN DOING BUDGET PRESENTATIONS TO STAFF, IT'S A GOOD BUDGET YEAR FOR THE TIME, IT'S NOT A BAD BUDGET YEAR. 
          IT'S ALSO NOT A PARTY BUDGET YEAR. IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH, WE PROBABLY HAVE HAD MAYBE ONE OR TWO, I WON'T CALL THEM PARTY BUDGET YEARS, BUT ONE OR TWO YEARS IN MY 25 WHERE THEY WERE REALLY GOOD BUDGET YEARS. BUT IT'S BECAUSE SOMETHING CHANGED AT THE STATE THAT CHANGED THINGS FOR A MOMENT, AND THEN YOU WENT BACK TO NORMAL. THIS IS MORE OF A NORMAL BUDGET YEAR. NEXT YEAR'S OPERATING BUDGET WILL BE ABOUT $109 MILLION. SO, WITH A $5.7 MILLION INCREASE, IT'S A LITTLE SHY OF A 5% INCREASE IN THE OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET. 
          WITH THE WAY THE LEGISLATION IS WITH BLUEPRINT PIECES, MOST OF THAT IS EARMARKED IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES. MS. ST. JOHN'S DOING A GREAT JOB OF MAKING SURE WE'VE GOT OUR BUDGETS ALIGNED AND ORGANIZED IN THE NEW WAY WE'RE DOING IT. 
          SO, WE WILL HAVE A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY, NOT AS MUCH AS WE USED TO, BUT WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT AND STILL MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SYSTEM. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, NOT A BIG YEAR. WE'LL BE DOING NEGOTIATIONS WITH OUR STAFF TO TRY TO STAY COMPETITIVE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND US AND HOPEFULLY IN A GOOD SPOT. THIS IS AN ELECTION YEAR BUDGET. 
          YES, IT IS. YEAH. SO, THAT'S ALL. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME ON THE OPERATING BUDGET? OKAY. SO, THE FUN PART, THE MOST EXCITING PART, IT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE LOCKER ROOM. ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING. I JUST PUT A COUPLE SLIDES TOGETHER FOR YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT TO KIND OF SEE HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY TODAY. 
          MR. JONES, YOU SET THE TABLE VERY WELL BY SAYING THAT BUILDING THE BATHROOMS ARE VERY DIFFICULT. NO ONE KNOWS HOW HARD IT IS. I HAD NO IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO BUILD A SCHOOL. 
          AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT NOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FOR THREE YEARS AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND YET. 
          OKAY. SO, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF BRING EVERYBODY UP TO DATE IN THE ROOM AS TO WHERE WE'RE AT, HOW WE GOT STARTED, AND KIND 
          [00:25:01]
OF THE PROCESSES THAT WE GOT, THAT WE HAD TO GET THROUGH BEFORE WE COULD GET TO WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY AT TODAY. 
          AND AT THE END, I ASK IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN TALK ABOUT TOO. SO, BACK IN NOVEMBER 23, THE BOARD APPROVED THE LOCKMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL TO BE THE NEXT ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD. 
          AT THE TIME OF RETROFITTING, THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY WAS NOT AN OPTION. SEVERAL, SEVERAL SAFETY CONCERNS IN AND AROUND THE BUILDING. ROADS, PARKING LOTS, JUST NOT ENOUGH SPACE FOR A LITTLE BIT OF OVERCROWDING GOING ON. 
          THERE WASN'T ENOUGH SPACE EVEN TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL AND STILL HAVE THE OLD SCHOOL RUNNING, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF OPERATIONAL. SO, RETROFITTING WAS DEFINITELY OFF THE TABLE. SO, IT WAS GOING TO BE A NEW BUILD FROM THE GET-GO. AND THEN DECEMBER 2024, NOW YOU MIGHT THINK, WELL, THAT'S LIKE A YEAR. WHAT HAPPENED OVER, YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING OVER THAT YEAR. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAD TO COME UP WITH A ROADMAP TO HOW TO BUILD A SCHOOL. 
          AND WE HAD TO HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE IFC, MSTE, MAVE, AND EVEN WHAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME OUR BUILDING CONSULTANTS. A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WERE HAD OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS AS TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO, WHAT PATH WE'RE GOING TO TAKE AND WHICH WAY WE'RE GOING TO GO. SO, THEN IN DECEMBER OF 24, WE CONTRACTED WITH DR. 
          DAVID LIEBER, HIS COMPANY'S EDUCATION FACILITIES PLANNING, AND THEY DO ALL THE CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR CCPS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BUILD PROCESS. 
          THEY'VE BEEN INVALUABLE TO ME AND THEY'VE WORKED THEIR WAY TO BUILD. IN FEBRUARY 25, WE MET WITH MARYLAND STADIUM AUTHORITY. THE LEADERSHIP CAME DOWN TO MEET WITH US TO KIND OF EXPLORE HOW THEY COULD HELP US ASSIST WITH THE BUILD, HOW THEY COULD SERVICE US, AND HOPEFULLY HOW THEY COULD BECOME A VITAL MEMBER TO THE TEAM TO TRY AND BUILD THIS NEW BUILD. 
          AS YOU KNOW, MARYLAND STADIUM AUTHORITY, BY NAME, BUILDS A LOT OF STADIUMS IN MARYLAND. THEY ALSO GOT INTO THE SCHOOL BUILDING BUSINESS ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO. THEY'VE BUILT SEVERAL REALLY, REALLY NICE BIG SCHOOLS. SO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUANDARIES OR DOUBTS THAT THEY DON'T KNOW TO TALK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING LARGE STRUCTURES. 
          AND COMPARED TO LIKE RAVENS STADIUM OR CAMDEN YARDS OR PURDUE STADIUM, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE KIND OF A SMALL BUILD COMPARED TO THOSE. SO, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THEY CAN GET THAT DONE. 
          THEN MARCH 25, WHICH WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE REALLY STARTED HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING. WE BEGAN WITH A 20-PERSON COMMITTEE TO FORM A GROUP TO START DOING A 12-WEEK EDUCATIONAL STUDY. 
          AND THEN A MONTH AFTER THAT, WE CONTRACTED WITH TCA ARCHITECTS TO BEGIN THE FEASIBILITY STUDY. 
          NOW NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE DONE BOTH THOSE STUDIES BACK-TO-BACK AND NOT OVERLAPPING, BUT WE REALIZED THAT IN ORDER FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE CIP TO PROVE BY THE BOARD IN SEPTEMBER, TAKE YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN SEPTEMBER, AND TO HAND IT IN AND SUBMIT IT ON TIME AT THE IEC ON OCTOBER 1ST, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF STEPS WE HAD TO GO THROUGH. AND SO, IF WE WOULD HAVE DID THE EDSPEC STUDY AND THEN CAME RIGHT BEHIND AND DID THE FEASIBILITY, WE WOULD NOT HAVE RAN OUT OF TIME. SO, WE HAD TO OVERLAP IT. IT WAS A LITTLE TOUCH AND GO THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT, GOING A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. 
          EVENTUALLY, COME MAY AND JUNE, WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD OVER IN LOCKERMAN, WHERE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY. WE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT, PROBABLY 80 TO 100 PEOPLE EACH NIGHT. PARTICIPATION WAS VERY STRONG, VERY PASSIONATE, VERY ACTIVE. AND SO, THEY AGREED TO THE TWO OPTIONS OF DOUBLE HILLS OR NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL'S PROPERTY. THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO GO AROUND, LOOK AT THE DRAWINGS AND THE BOARDS AND EVERYTHING, AND THEY ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO KIND OF VOTE. AND SO, THEY ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT NORTH CAROLINA WAS PROBABLY THE BETTER PLACE TO GO ON TOP OF THAT. SO, THEN AFTER THE MAY AND JUNE MEETINGS, THEN WE WENT TO THE BOARD MEETING IN EARLY JULY, WHERE WE HAD A PRESENTATION WITH THE EDSPECS, AS WELL AS THE FEASIBILITY STUDY UP TO THE BOARD. AGAIN, THEY WERE PRESENTED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PROPERTIES, AND THE BOARD THEN VOTED TO DECIDE TO BUILD THE PROPERTY ON NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL. 
          SHORTLY AFTER THAT, AND TOWARDS THE MIDDLE TO THE END OF JULY, THE MARYLAND ESTATE AUTHORITY THEN CAME DOWN TO MEET WITH US AGAIN TO REALLY KIND OF FLESH OUT THE SERVICES THEY COULD DO FOR US TO HELP US DURING THE BUILDING PHASES. 
          AT THIS POINT, I REALLY WANTED MARYLAND ESTATE AUTHORITY ON OUR SIDE TO DO THIS. IN FEBRUARY OF 26, WE ENTERED INTO A FULLY AGREED UPON MEMO AGREEMENT, NOT A MEMO OF UNDERSTANDING, BUT A MEMO OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND MSA. 
          IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE TO GET THIS MSA PUT TOGETHER. I WAS, FRANKLY, I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT IT TOOK THAT 
          [00:30:01]
LONG. WHAT I WAS ANTICIPATING IN TOTAL, PROBABLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS, BECAME ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS. 
          SO, THAT'S WHY THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A LAG THERE BETWEEN THE TIME I CAME TO YOU GUYS WITH THE CIP, AND IN EARLY FEBRUARY TRYING TO GET THIS MSA TAKEN CARE OF. 
          THERE WAS, AND JUST TO INTERRUPT, THERE WAS GOOD BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ATTORNEYS TO MAKE SURE, I MEAN, I'LL BE HONEST, WE HAD THE CONVERSATION. WE'RE ENTERING INTO WHAT COULD BE ABOUT AN 85 MILLION DOLLAR BILL. IF THERE'S AN MOA, THERE'S AN AGREEMENT WE'RE SIGNING WITH SOMEONE OVER A PROJECT OF THIS LARGE. 
          THE ATTORNEYS ARE LOOKING AT IT BEFORE ANY OF US COME CLOSE TO SIGNING OFF ON IT. AND THAT BACK AND FORTH DID JUST TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED, AND WE'RE GLAD IT DID, BUT IT DID TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER. 
          YEAH, IT ACTUALLY WENT, THEY, PK LAW VETTED IT THROUGH, I THINK, THREE DIFFERENT ATTORNEYS. 
          YEAH, AND IT JUST TOOK A WHILE, AND THEY PUT IN CHRISTMAS BREAK, AND IT NEVER GOES ON VACATION. SO, I UNDERSTAND WHY IT TOOK SO LONG, BUT IT WAS, I WAS HOPING TO HAVE IT ALL WRAPPED UP BEFORE CHRISTMAS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. AND THE MOA IS BETWEEN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND STADIUM AUTHORITY? YES. 
          SO, NOW WE HAVE A KICKOFF MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY. THEY'RE GOING TO COME DOWN HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT SCHEDULE, THE FUNDING MECHANISMS, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESSES, ANY OTHER MISCELLANEOUS DETAILS OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING, AND WE'RE GOING TO REALLY TALK ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PHASE AS OF RIGHT NOW. THAT'S REALLY ALL WE'RE AT FINANCIALLY. AND SO, I KEEP FORGETTING TO DO THIS, I'M SORRY. SO, WE GO TO THE ANTICIPATED FUNDING FOR THE NEW BUILD, AND THIS IS REALLY NOTHING NEW. 
          THIS IS, I JUST KIND OF CHANGED IT SO IT READ A LITTLE BETTER. 
          THIS IS RIGHT OFF THE CIP THAT I BROUGHT TO YOU BACK IN THE FALL. 
          SO, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN FISCAL YEAR 27, AND THE IEC HAS APPROVED 75% OF OUR REQUESTS, NOT JUST OUR REQUESTS, BUT IN THE WHOLE STATE, WE'RE AT THE 75% LEVEL. THEY'LL BE AT THE 90% LEVEL, I THINK, AT THE END OF APRIL, AND DEPENDING ON HOW THE BUDGET FALLS, WE'LL SEE IF IT ALL GETS TO 100%. I'M TOLD THAT WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. WE'LL GET TO 100%. PROOF'S IN THE PUDDING. I WANT TO SEE IT FIRST. BUT THIS 6.825, OR 2.1 MILLION ESTIMATED COST OF FY27, THAT'S AGAIN WHAT I SPOKE TO YOU GUYS ABOUT IN THE FALL. NEXT FALL, WHEN I COME TO THE COMMISSIONERS, IT'LL BE FOR FY28, AND I'LL BE LOOKING FOR APPROXIMATELY 8.1 MILLION. 
          THE STATE WILL BE LOOKING TO FUND 33 MILLION, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, FY29, IS GOING TO BE REALLY THE BIG YEAR, WITH A $15.5 MILLION ASK FROM COMMISSIONERS AND A $35 MILLION GIFT FROM THE STATE. I GUESS IF THERE'S ANY GOOD NEWS IN IT, FY30, IT LOOKS LIKE THE LOCAL FUNDING WILL BE EXPIRED. 
          WE WON'T NEED TO BE PROVIDING ANY MORE FUNDS FOR THAT PART OF THE BILL. THE STATE WILL COME IN FOR ANOTHER $1.5 MILLION AFTER THAT. I'M NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY IF THESE COSTS ARE TOTALLY ACCURATE YET, BECAUSE THESE ARE BUILT ON THE CONSULTANTS' FIGURES, AND THEY USE BASIC SQUARE FOOTAGE. 
          WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT, AS YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, THE IEC FIGHTING FOR THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IN SPACE. WE'RE ENTERING THAT BATTLE RIGHT NOW, ACTUALLY. 
          WE'RE ASKING FOR 140,000 SQUARE FOOT, THEY MAY SAY 120. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THE NUMBERS GO DOWN. 
          WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY MORE THAN 140, PUT IT THAT WAY. I BELIEVE THAT ONCE MSA GETS INVOLVED AND THEY START REALLY HAMMERING DOWN, THEY'RE LIKE THE BUILDING EXPERTS. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET A MUCH CLEARER NUMBER AS OPPOSED TO WHAT THAT IS. 
          THAT'S COME UP TO ABOUT $90 MILLION, AND I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP AROUND $85. SO WE DO HAVE SOME THINGS WE HAVE TO CUT OUT. AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW HOW ACCURATE THOSE NUMBERS ARE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE, VERSUS THE MSA IS GOING TO COME UP WITH A THIRD NUMBER AND THE IEC IS GOING TO NEGOTIATE THAT FOR IT. 
          THEY'RE FLUID, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE BALLPARK OF WHERE WE'RE AT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. 
          RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN A HOLD, REALLY, TO FIND OUT IF THE STATE GETS FULL FUNDING FOR THE NEXT STEP TO MOVE FORWARD. THEN ARCHITECTURE WILL PICK UP PRETTY QUICK. THE GOAL IS STILL WITH KIDS BEING IN BY FALL. 
          WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND ON JULY 27TH, WITH THE MOVE-IN OF AUGUST OF 2029, WHICH WILL BE ABOUT 30. 
          THE 29-30 SCHOOL YEAR. 
          IF EVERYTHING GOES AS PROMISED. 
          THAT'S PRETTY FAST. 
          IT IS PRETTY FAST. 
          IF THEY COME THROUGH AS PROMISED. 
          YES. 
          YOU HAVEN'T STARTED ANY DESIGN 
          [00:35:01]
YET? NO. 
          OUR RFPS ARE PROBABLY GOING OUT WITHIN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE WEEKS. 
          WHAT I WILL ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSIONERS, AND OUR BOARD HAS TALKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL, WE ARE BEING TOLD, NO PROBLEM SAYING IT PUBLICLY, IN ITS OWN RECORD, WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT A DISTRICT LIKE CAROLINE WOULD NOT BE ASKED TO FORWARD FUND. 
          WE ARE BEING TOLD. 
          ANY REASON WHY? BECAUSE WICOMICO IS IN A VERY SIMILAR WEALTH SITUATION AS WE ARE, RIGHT? THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE. 
          THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE IS THEY'VE BEEN CHURNING OUT QUITE A FEW SCHOOL PROJECTS, MAYBE, THAT'S WHY. 
          BUT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT CAROLINE WOULD NOT BE PUSHED INTO A POSITION TO FORWARD FUND. 
          WE'RE PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT THAT. 
          WHO KNOWS AT WHAT TIME? BUT THE PROBLEM WITH FORWARD FUNDING, NOT ONLY DOES IT PUT IT ON YOU ALL AS A ZERO INTEREST LOAN TO THE STATE, WHICH I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PERSONALLY, BUT THE OTHER PART IS, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE WAY WE GET PAID BACK, IN ESSENCE, THE WAY THE COUNTY GETS PAID BACK FOR THE COST, IS WHATEVER THE CIP COST IS, THAT WAS OUR SHARE, IT GOES, WHAT'S OUR TOTAL BILL? CIP PER YEAR? SO IT'S $94.6 RIGHT NOW. 
          IN THE FORMULA WE GET PER YEAR. 
          $2.75 MILLION. 
          THAT WOULD BE THE, FOR DISTRICTS THAT GET FORWARD FUNDED, WHATEVER THE CIP FORMULA GIVES YOU, YOU GET THAT FOR X NUMBER OF YEARS UNTIL YOU'VE BEEN PAID BACK. 
          AND THEN THE DISTRICT CAN'T PUT ANYTHING ELSE ON THE CIP EITHER. 
          BECAUSE ALL YOUR CIP MONEY IS GOING TO PAY BACK. 
          SO THAT'S ALSO PROBABLY WHY FOR A DISTRICT LIKE US, IT'D BE A 20 YEAR, 30 YEAR LOAN. 
          IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE ON THEIR END, TO DO THAT FOR US. 
          MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK. 
          IT'D BE OVER 30 YEARS. 
          WE JUST KEEP HEARING THEY'RE NOT GOING BACK. 
          THEY CAN DO THAT TO US. 
          THAT'S GOT TO BE A FIGHT. 
          IF THAT STARTS BEING TALKED ABOUT. 
          BECAUSE IF IT COMES THERE, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM PUBLICLY STATING IT AS WELL, IF IT COMES DOWN TO THAT'S WHERE IT IS, THAT'S A, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. 
          THAT'S JUST, THAT JUST DOESN'T WORK. 
          AND I THINK THE CONVERSATION YOU AND I HAVE HAD ABOUT THIS LATELY, IS WE ARE SEEING IT FROM SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTIES WHO ARE LIKELY TO, OR SIMILARLY POSITIONED TO US. 
          BUT THE REALITY OF OUR TWO ORGANIZATIONS HAD A $109 MILLION BUDGET AND US HAD AN $80 MILLION BUDGET. 
          CASH FLOWING A $90 MILLION, $85 MILLION SCHOOL OVER ESSENTIALLY TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS IS FAIRLY UNLIKELY. 
          AND THEN HOPING TO GET PAID OVER 20 TO 30. 
          SO I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT IF THE CONVERSATION SEEMS TO BE LEANING THAT WAY, PLEASE COME RUNNING AND SCREAMING TO US ABOUT THIS. 
          WE'RE WORKING ON OUR BUDGET. 
          WE HAD THE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING. 
          THANK YOU AGAIN FOR REASSURING THE NUMBERS OF THE 1.432 AND THEN 815 THROUGH THAT. 
          OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S ANY CHANGE WITH THAT AS IT DIVES DOWN INTO, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR GOOD OR BAD JUST FOR PLANNING. 
          WE ARE, I GUESS I'M GOING TO LIVE HERE, FULLY PLANNING ON PAY GOING THIS AND ESSENTIALLY PAYING THIS OUT OF ESSENTIALLY SAVINGS FROM PAST YEARS WHERE WE'VE HAD FAVORABLE YEARS AS WELL AS SETTING ASIDE MONEY FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS TO TRY TO COMPLETELY DO THIS OUT OF POCKET AND NOT GO TO DEBT. 
          WHICH AGAIN, FALLS INTO THE WHOLE PLANNING OF CASH FLOWING THE $85, $90 MILLION PROJECT. 
          AND THANKS TO COMMISSIONER PORTER AND THE BOARDS PRIOR TO THIS BOARD FOR BEING VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND PUTTING US INTO A POSITION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO BORROW MONEY TO DO THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS. OR WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT NOT BORROWING MONEY TO DO THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS BECAUSE THE INTEREST IS NOT FELT THAT ANY COUNTY TAXPAYER MONEY THAT GOES TO PAYING INTEREST ON A LOAN IS NOT FELT IN THE COMMUNITY. IT'S GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE AND WE NEED TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH OUR SMALL BUDGETS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MOST IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITIES WE CAN HAVE. 
          WE'RE FINALLY GETTING BEHIND THAT EIGHT BALL WHERE WE ARE CONSTANTLY BORROWING MONEY TO DO THINGS. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY A GOOD POSITION THAT PREVIOUS BOARDS HAVE PUT US IN. 
          TAXPAYER, I APPRECIATE THAT ALSO. 
          THIS DOES NOT SET ASIDE ANY FUNDS FOR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING, 
          [00:40:03]
CORRECT? SO I THINK AT SOME POINT WE ARE GOING TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND I'M GOING TO STRONGLY ADVOCATE WORKING WITH THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO UTILIZE THAT BUILDING. 
          GREENSBORO ALSO, I THINK WE ALSO HAD DEMOLITION OF THE BUILDING INCLUDED IN THAT. 
          A COUPLE OF THINGS. I KNOW THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE PEOPLE WHO TRACK BILLS THAT ARE BEING INTRODUCED AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ONE BECAUSE I'M UNFORTUNATELY THE BILL TRACKER HERE. 
          HOUSE BILL 1329 SENATE BILL 934 IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION BILL WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH LIKE I THINK IT WAS A $550 MILLION FLOOR FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND THEN EACH YEAR INCREASE IT SIMILAR TO THE MOU. 
          SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE YOUR GUYS, YOUR PEOPLE KIND OF TRACK THAT. 
          MACO IS SUPPORTING THAT BILL, OBVIOUSLY. 
          AND THE OTHER ONE IS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OFF OF THAT BUT HOUSE BILL 1296 SUBDIVISION SITE PLANS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO REQUIRE DEVELOPERS TO HAVE SCHOOL ROUTES PLANNED IN THEIR SUBDIVISION APPROVAL PLANS. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SHOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET KIDS TO SCHOOL SAFELY WITHIN THAT SUBDIVISION. 
          IT COULD BE ADDITIONAL SIDEWALKS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. AND MACO IS SUPPORTING THAT ONE AS WELL. 
          THAT HASN'T BEEN CROSS-FILED YET BUT WE THINK THERE'S SOME SUPPORT ON THAT. 
          SO AS WE HAVE THESE EDUCATION BILLS I'LL CONTACT WHOEVER YOU WANT ME TO ON THAT. 
          I THINK WE'RE REACHING THE POINT, I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE DEADLINE IS FOR DROPPING BILLS BUT I THINK WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO HALFWAY THROUGH. 
          I THINK THERE WAS 30 OR 40 THAT ARE COMING WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR MEETINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT THIS MORNING. 
          IT WAS A MESS OF THEM. 
          JUST FOR EDUCATION. 
          ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY PICKED UP. 
          THERE'S SOME THEORIES ABOUT WHETHER THAT'S GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS. NORMALLY IF THEY DROP EARLY IT MEANS THEY'LL SLOW DOWN TOWARD THE END. 
          IF I COULD JUST ASK FOR CLARIFICATION IS IT HOUSE BILL 1329 OR SENATE BILL? HOUSE BILL 1329 SENATE BILL 934. 
          AND THAT'S RAISING THE 450 WHERE IT IS NOW TO 550? CORRECT. 
          AND THEN HAVING THAT BE THE FLOOR. 
          AND THEN FROM THERE TRYING TO INCREASE IT SIMILAR TO SOME FORMULA THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          BUT WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW. 
          I THINK WE'VE GOT 58 BILLS TO LOOK AT TOMORROW. 
          BUT ANY OF THOSE THAT I MEAN THERE ARE SOME KNUCKLEHEAD BILLS IN THERE BUT ANY ONES THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE SENSE THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A CALL. 
          PLEASE DO. 
          WE APPRECIATE AND OF COURSE IF THE BOARD WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY AS WELL. 
          WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF THE LOCKERMAN BILL. IT'S A LONG TIME COMING. I WANT TO THANK KENNEDY BUT SHE DIDN'T COME HERE FOR THIS. 
          FOR THE ARTICLE ON THE LOCKERMAN BILL. 
          IT HELPED HIGHLIGHT THE CONCERN. WHY LOCKERMAN IS THE CONCERN. WE'VE GOT BUILDINGS THAT ARE AT THE 40 MARK. BUT LOCKERMAN HAS TO BE THE PRIORITY FROM THE SAFETY ALONE. AND IT'S A TIGHT BUILDING. 900 KIDS IN THERE. IT'S TIGHT. 
          BUT WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. 
          I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE MET THREE YEARS AGO I THINK THAT YOU CAN START TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE APPROACH SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION. 
          BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN OF A COUPLE BUILDINGS KIND OF STACKED. 
          THAT BUILDING HASN'T CHANGED SINCE I WENT THERE. 
          NOT REALLY. 
          IT MAY NOT CHANGE SINCE I WENT THERE. 
          WAS THE SIXTH GRADE WING THERE WHEN YOU WENT THERE? IT WASN'T WHEN I WENT THERE. 
          BUT IT HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE YOU WENT THERE. 
          I JUST CAUTION. I'LL TELL THE STORY AGAIN IN GREENSBORO. ALL THREE OF MY KIDS WENT TO THE OLD GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY. AND A GRANDPARENT THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO ME WENT TO GRANDPARENT'S DAY AND GOT TO EAT LUNCH WITH HIS GRANDKIDS EVERY YEAR. 
          AND THE NEW SCHOOL GOT BUILT. 
          AND HE WAS TOLD SIR YOU CANNOT EAT LUNCH BECAUSE THE CAFETERIA IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR YOU TO GO IN. 
          BUT THE CEILING IS 40 FOOT TALL. 
          SO LET'S BUILD PRACTICAL. 
          PLEASE DON'T PUT ME IN A POSITION WHERE I'M VOTING TO FUND A SCHOOL THAT LOOKS LIKE TAJ MAHAL. IT DOESN'T FIT. 
          PRACTICAL WAS WHERE WE WANT TO LAND. 
          AND WE ALSO LEARNED. I THINK WE LEARNED FROM EACH BUILD. 
          WE ALSO LEARNED FROM THE GREENSBORO BUILD THAT WHATEVER DESIGN WE LAND ON, THERE'S GOING TO BE OPEN GREEN SPACE NEXT TO 
          [00:45:01]
THE STRUCTURE THAT CAN SUPPORT ANOTHER STRUCTURE ADDED AND ATTACHED TO THE EXISTING BUILDING. 
          BECAUSE IF GROWTH IS GOING TO COME, IT'S GOING TO BE ON THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY. 
          AND WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO FUND US AT WHAT THE FORMULA SAYS THE 10 YEAR PROJECTION IS FOR THE NUMBER OF KIDS. BUT ALL IT TAKES IS A COUPLE DEVELOPMENTS TO CHANGE THAT. 
          AND THEN WE'VE ALREADY BUILT A 40 YEAR STRUCTURE ON 10 YEAR OR SO DATA. SO YEAH, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND ON THIS DESIGN. AND THE GOVERNOR'S EMPHASIS IS HOUSING. 
          LAST YEAR IT WAS ENERGY. 
          THIS YEAR IT'S HOUSING. 
          AND THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BILLS THAT ARE BASICALLY PREEMPTING COUNTIES WITH ZONING AND REGULATIONS AND THEY JUST WANT TO BUILD HOUSING. THAT'S ALL THEY WANT. 
          AND WITH HOUSING COMES KIDS. 
          AND WE LOVE KIDS. 
          BUT THAT IS THE EMPHASIS RIGHT NOW TO GET RID OF THE HOUSING GAP. 
          AND I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON BUILDING, JUST GETTING HOUSES BUILT. 
          AND THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT. 
          BUT IF YOU'VE HEARD COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT AS FAR AS THE GRANDPARENTS EATING, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IF YOU'VE HEARD COMPLAINTS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON AS FAR AS GOING FORWARD IN MY OPINION WITH ANY OF THESE SCHOOLS. 
          BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED ON. 
          YEAH, I MEAN IT JUST MORE SO SPEAKS TO THE DESIGN. 
          I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          PEOPLE THAT PAY TAXES DRIVE BY. 
          I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          DO WE REALLY NEED THAT? THANK YOU. 
          AND AN ADDITIONAL PIECE, AND I AGAIN WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S OUT THERE. 
          WE WILL REMIND, TALK TO THE ARCHITECT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS WILL COME STATE FUNDING WISE, BUT THE ONLY BUILDING WE HAVE THAT CAN OPERATE AS AN EMERGENCY SHELTER IN THE COUNTY IS CROWN ORCHARD HIGH SCHOOL. 
          IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A GENERATOR LARGE ENOUGH TO. 
          GREENSBORO DOES NOT. 
          SO THAT SHOULD BE A CONSIDERATION, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT, WITH THE LOCKERMAN BUILD, THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN TAP INTO STATE FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THERE'S A GENERATOR THERE THAT WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SHELTER ALONG THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY. 
          AND NOT JUST AT. 
          COLONEL'S A GREAT LOCATION, BUT IF WE NEEDED ONE IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT ICE, THAT WOULD BE HARD TO GET THERE. 
          BUT WE WILL NOT. 
          I'D LIKE TO. I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. 
          NO, GO AHEAD. 
          I'D JUST LIKE TO INTERJECT KIND OF ON BEHALF OF WHAT MR. BREEDING SAID. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A BOARD WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE WE DEPEND ON OUR COMMUNITY AND I THINK TO HAVE PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS WHO CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THOSE SPECIAL DAYS WHEN IT'S NOT GOOD. SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ALTERNATE, THAT WE CAN YOU KNOW, PLAN OR HAVE THE SCHOOLS LOOK AT AND PLAN TO INCLUDE THOSE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE ONE QUESTION. 
          WHEN CAN WE START THE PROCESS OF NAMING THE NEW SCHOOL? I'M SURE THAT'S A QUESTION. 
          THE BOARD WILL NEED TO COME UP WITH A NAME BY THE TIME WE OPEN IT. 
          ALRIGHT, THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER. 
          GREAT ANSWER. 
          2030. 
          WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. 
          IS IT BEFORE SHOVELS? BY THE TIME, YES. 
          MR. JONES WAS THERE. 
          THERE'S UNDERSTANDABLE FEELINGS ANY WAY YOU CUT IT. 
          THERE'S ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTANDABLE. 
          WE HAD A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCKERMAN ASSOCIATION OF WORKING THROUGH THIS AND THE LOCKERMAN ASSOCIATION HAD DIFFERENT FEELINGS. 
          SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE... 
          THAT'S WHY I ASKED. 
          WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 15 MONTHS FROM NOW PUTTING A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND. 
          IT HAS TO BE DONE BY THEN. 
          BY THE TIME WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION TO PUT LETTERING ON IT. 
          THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING. 
          IT'S NOT JUST LET'S COME UP WITH A... 
          IT'S NOT JUST COME UP WITH A NAME FOR IT REAL QUICK. 
          IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF INPUT TO GET IT RIGHT. 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE EXISTING LOCKERMAN. 
          AND WORKING WITH THE ASSOCIATION FOR WHAT HAPPENS ON THAT SITE AND THAT BUILDING. 
          BECAUSE I THINK THAT HAS AN IMPACT ALSO. 
          ABSOLUTELY. THEY HAVE A VERY STRONG INPUT. 
          THAT WOULD BE A GOOD COLLABORATION. 
          [00:50:01]
ANY QUESTIONS? NO. 
          AS NUMBERS CHANGE, GOOD OR BAD. 
          WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I GUESS WE CAN... 
          MR. BARTZ? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TIME CAPSULE THING. 
          I KNOW WE WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL. 
          I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL THERE. 
          THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO ALL THREE OF US. 
          THIS WAS SET UP FOR A CERTAIN WAY. 
          I TALKED TO COMMISSIONER BREEDING ABOUT IT. 
          I THINK, SPEAKING WITH HIM, WE CAN DO A SAFE, NICE EVENT THERE THAT WOULD NOT BE VERY... 
          WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND COMMISSIONER BARTZ, IF THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE WANTS TO HELP WITH THAT, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PARTNER IN ANY WAY TO DO THAT. WE'VE LAID OUT SOME PLANS. WE'VE MET WITH MS. PINKETT. 
          BUT IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT YOU ALL WANT TO GO, WE'D BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT. 
          I'D LIKE TO SEE COMMISSIONER BREEDING ALL THE WAY TO THE EXCAVATOR. 
          I'VE GOT ENOUGH TO DO. 
          I DON'T NEED IT. 
          I WILL SAY, THE INTERESTING THING WE'VE HAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ABOUT THE TIME CAPSULE PROJECT IS, AND I GET IT, IT'S BEEN OVER 50 YEARS, PEOPLE'S MEMORY OF HOW FAR DOWN IS IT? WHAT IS IT? AND THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR DOWN WE HAVE TO DO. 
          I THINK IT'S A NOSTALGIA THING. 
          AND I GET THAT. 
          THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO US. 
          I KNOW LARRY'S HAD IT THE SAME. 
          MS. PINKETT MENTIONED IT TODAY AND I DON'T GET ON THE WRONG SIDE OF MS. PINKETT. 
          WHATEVER MS. PINKETT SAYS... 
          I MET WITH HER LAST WEEK AND I KNOW SHE FELT VERY STRONGLY AND I AGREE WITH HER THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE, IT GETS DUG UP ON THAT DATE THAT WE DON'T DO ANYTHING BEFOREHAND OR IF WE OPEN IT LATER WITH A GROUP. 
          BUT WE HONOR WHAT'S ON THE PLAQUE AND I AGREE ABSOLUTELY. 
          THEY DON'T ASK FOR MUCH. 
          THEY DON'T ASK FOR A WHOLE LOT. 
          SEE, THEY'RE VERY COMMITTED AND YOU TRY TO AT LEAST IF THEY DO ASK FOR SOMETHING, YOU TRY TO AT LEAST CALM THEM FOR THAT LITTLE BIT OF HAPPINESS. 
          IT GOES A LONG WAY. 
          THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT OF INTEREST WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM STAFF. 
          SO JUST THINKING ABOUT TIME OF DAY OR DAY OF WEEK THAT WE DO IT, I THINK THAT THERE ARE... 
          THE DAY ON THE CAPSULE WAS THE 25TH OF MARCH I THINK IT IS. 
          WHATEVER HAPPENS TO OFFER SOMETHING THAT'S TIME OF DAY APPROPRIATE SO SOME OF THE CCPS STAFF COULD BE PRESENT FOR IT. I THINK THERE IS AN INTEREST THAT WE WOULD WANT TO JUST KEEP IN MIND. 
          I THINK IT WAS THE PRINCIPAL IN 1975 OR 76, SORRY. 
          AND MR. SPINAFIDE WAS ALSO AROUND. 
          THEY'RE STILL AROUND. 
          THEY SHOULD KNOW WHO THE PRINCIPAL WAS BECAUSE I SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE OFFICE. 
          WAS JIM DYER A COLONEL AT THE TIME? I THINK HE WAS. 
          I THINK HE WAS. 
          AND HE STILL LIVES IN FELLSBURG. 
          JIM DYER WAS THE PRINCIPAL AND COLONEL. 
          IT'S RACHEL'S STEP-GRANDDAUGHTER. 
          THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP FRANK. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST... 
          THE COUNTY ALWAYS NEEDS SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. 
          THAT'S JUST A LITTLE PIECE. 
          WHAT DAY IS THAT? IT'S A WEEKDAY. 
          IT'S A WEEKDAY. 
          SO IT'S MARCH 26, 26. 
          I'LL BE HONEST, IT'S WHATEVER'S ON MY CALENDAR. 
          I KNOW IT'S A WEEKDAY. 
          THE 25TH IS A WEDNESDAY AND THE 26TH IS A THURSDAY. 
          BY THE WAY, MS. PINKETT WILL NOT BE IN TOWN THOSE DAYS. 
          REALLY? WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A DAY THAT IT COMES UP AND WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE STILL. 
          IT'S NOT GERALDO RIVERA. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THEN WE WOULD DO SOMETHING FOLLOWING HERE AND INVITE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME AND ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND ALSO START WORK AT THAT TIME FOR THE NEXT TIME CAPSULE TO GO IN. 
          SO I SAID IF SHE WAS GOING TO BE OUT OF TOWN, WHAT WE WOULD DO HERE, WE WOULD TRY TO MAKE WHEN SHE'S BACK BY MONDAY SOMETIME DURING THAT WEEK. 
          BUT SHE WILL NOT BE HERE ON THE 25TH. 
          SO IS THE PLAN TO DIG IT UP ON THE DAY? YEAH. 
          [00:55:02]
AND THEN CRACK IT OPEN INSIDE SO THAT IT'S NOT ACCOMMODATING ON A DIFFERENT DAY AND WE CAN GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER FOR ONE OUT. 
          SHE'S HAD ALL THESE YEARS TO PLAN. 
          YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I SAID. 
          SHE'S BEEN PLANNING THIS FOR 50 YEARS. 
          WELL, MAYBE 50 YEARS AND ONE EXTRA DAY PROBABLY IS THAT ONE THING YOU PUT DOWN ON YOUR SCHEDULE THAT ENDS UP COMING BACK TO BITE YOU. 
          MAYBE WE CAN GET A FEW CLASS OF 2026 MEMBERS OUT THERE WITH SHOVELS AND WE CAN HAVE BACKUP. 
          I DON'T NEED THE BACKUP. 
          IF SHOVELS AREN'T ENOUGH, I CAN PROBABLY FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL LIFT THAT BOX OUT OF THE GROUND. 
          I'M HOPING IT'S A GOOD BOX. 
          AND NOT A WOODEN BOX. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WHATEVER HAPPENS THAT FOLKS KNOW ABOUT IT. 
          BECAUSE, I MEAN, THERE HAS REALLY BEEN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS THERE. 
          IT'S FAMILY, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST. 
          IF WE PROMOTE ENOUGH THE FACT THAT THE KIDS AND WHOEVER ELSE IS READING IT UP AND THE EVENT FOLLOWS. 
          IN A FEW DAYS, IN A WEEK. 
          ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO COME CAN COME. 
          I THINK IT'S EASIER THAN IT'S COLD, IT'S RAINING, IT'S WHATEVER IS GOING ON. 
          IF IT'S IN HERE, YOU CAN LIVE STREAM IT? YEAH. 
          WE CAN ALSO DO MORE OF A WE HAD TALKED ABOUT DOING A POWERPOINT WITH PHOTOS FROM 76. 
          I THINK IT'S MORE THAN WE CAN DO IF WE'RE STANDING OUTSIDE. 
          RIGHT. 
          SHE SEEMS TO BE GOOD WITH ALL OF THAT. 
          IT WAS JUST THAT 25TH SHE WANTED IT DONE UP THAT DAY. 
          AND I UNDERSTOOD, YEAH. 
          IN JULY 4TH, WE'RE PUTTING THE SONS OF AMERICAN LEGION. 
          RIGHT? YOU'RE STILL ON PLAN WITH THAT? I THINK SO. I HAVEN'T TALKED TO MR. BROWN. BUT, YEAH. VERY GOOD. ALRIGHT. WELL, WE'LL COORDINATE ON THAT. WE'LL GET SOMETHING TOGETHER. WE MIGHT HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE COUNTY THAT GRADUATED IN 76. WE COULD HAVE THAT. I'LL TAKE IT UP. ALRIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. I GUESS WE'LL MOVE ON. 
          [3.01 Upcoming Meetings and Events]
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND EVENTS. 
          THERE'S THE LIST. THERE'S THE LIST. NEXT BOARD MEETING. NEXT WEEK? FOLLOWING WEEK. TWO WEEKS. AND THAT'S TUESDAY, FEBRUARY. MARCH. THAT WAS THE ICE STORM. YEAH. OTHER THAN THAT, IF THERE'S NOT ANYTHING ELSE, WE WILL ADJOURN. WE CAN TAKE A VOTE TO ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION. I THINK WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE MINUTE RECESS IN BETWEEN. JUST LET EVERYBODY USE THE BATHROOM AND OUR GUESTS CAN LEAVE. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU. AND STACEY, THANK YOU. THERE WE GO. 
          SECOND. ADJOURN THE MEETING AND MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF PERSONNEL. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. WE FINALLY PICKED OUT THE CLOSED SESSION. 
          LAUGHTER. NOT YET, BUT YEAH. GOOD.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.