So I've already begun looking into that and all the requirements. Um we are going to apply for that. Um and it it covers things um include like including uh uh walkie-talkies, uh video cameras, fences, right, to secure different. So it covers a lot of things that we're looking at doing. Um there is also we do have security funds remaining in um a security um capital project. Um, now that was it's earmarked for the high school and I was actually talking with Marca just you know recently about how can that be used for a different school. We're going to actually explore that. Um more more to follow on that but there is um there is that that capital money. There's also c there was capital security money in um whisk in a whiskanir security that's been expended but um so there are there's funding options for this.
So on the cabinet side, everyone is a general for the most part 3 and a half% wage increase across the board. Um, with the exception of course of myself which was at 2 and 1/2% that's part of that cabinet number there. Um and then I did have another member at 4.5% um to make an adjustment in acceleration for uh market um market rate if you will. Um but the cabinet is uh total comes to about 2.97% non-c cabinet 3 and a half and then OTP BCBAS and American Sign Language um uh interpreters are 3 and a half%. The overall rate is 3.35 as well under the originally budgeted um allocation for salary increases. Um the new positions that are coming in um those don't get an increase. Those are just in the budget for 213 140 and then the restored which includes my former position um and the security security thank you the security coordinator would come back at that at that rate.
QAC will be happy everything so it'll be good. The other topic that came up was um uh cell phone policy and that is something that we're looking into. We're investigating with other subjects. Dr. Freeman also has you know this has been a discussion at the superintendent's round table but it is something that we are still looking at so that we can get a definitive policy and what best serves our schools and that is it well done thank you Mrs. Hi.
Nobody Nobody's moving out of Massachusetts to to go live in an apartment someplace. Oh, no. Right. Well, and and that's the other discussion, right? You talk to build you talk to developers and they like to do apartments because that's longer term longer term profit. Oh I understand and you know but and and as we know even affordable is not affordable right the is just and the other thing if the motivation is to make money then that you know I I think we're seeing that in our society all over the place. It doesn't necessarily help the people if that is the sole motivation and that for a developer that is the sole motivation. Yeah. And and we got to remember there's a balance there, right? Trying to make money is not a bad thing. It's how they're doing it. That's all. And the only thing I would just add is that I think one of the reasons that that Galvin is kind of pushing the affordable housing is because of the the bond bill that was recently passed about affordable housing.
Yeah. It's not going to be coming out of our operating budget. That's what we want to know. Thank you. This is not our operating budget that we're talking about, but it's also not our like capital budget. That's like in our 10ear plan. No, no, no. Correct. Yeah. These this was um separate bucket. Yes. Of security capital. Yes. That originated from 2022. Okay. Yep. It's just the only the only sort of caveat to that is the is the building um and in how the bond documents are written um because it is specified for the high school. So, we just want to we just want to be totally, you know, make sure everything is kosher in how we're we're appropriating that. Um, and like I said, worst case is that we we apply for this um this cops grant, which um you know, they're they're they're I think they're uh awarding up to $500,000 for for various projects.
Um, but those are the positions that would be on this exempt list ne uh next year, which is I wanted you to see those here. Um, I will add that 3 and a half% um is barely a cola cost living adjustment across that group. Um, it's a very very modest um bump. And you know, I really struggled with this this year, struggled with it last year, but um you know, only because when we look at some of what's on the exempt list, um there are definitely some positions where we're not keeping up with um what the positions are commanding across Fairfield County, locally, in Connecticut. Um Joanne mentioned that finding talent in Connecticut is extremely hard right now, and that is very true. Um as we head into I think you guys know that my priority is to be competitive um in Dian um we see what has happened with our par educator contract where we lose ground over time or surrounding towns are moving more quickly accelerating more quickly than we are we it put us in a really tough position and so what I'd like to do over the next year is to really go through this group and to do a true market analysis and I think it's something that we should do maybe every 3 years to make sure that we're staying on track.
Any questions on governance? All right. Hearing none, Sue, we'll stay with you for HR. Okay. HR busy time of year. It's a very busy time of year right now. Um, looking at open positions, if you'll look at the agenda, you'll see a lot of different things in in personnel that are going on. Um, staff who are returning, etc. Um and this is like we always every month we say the same thing. This is really a live document and it is ongoing and it is just filling positions. We mentioned at last month's board meeting that there was the um went to the colleges went to uh Montlair and Kain and really for the college fair really looking at applicants and you will see that we have some new positions or new hires on for the next school year which is wonderful because we want to get them sooner rather than later.
And so it's really not clear like how towns can um utilize that and take advantage of that. Right. And so that's it's so I think that that's a difficult really difficult thing. Um I've asked that of of our student. Yeah. and and I haven't gotten a clear answer as to how we can how we can actually utilize funds for that because you know we've had we've had this discussion like I mean it's the affordable housing discussion is real like we we would I would love to be able to create real affordable housing and you know we were we were just talking about that at the comprehensive plan meeting and like Monday night oh my god that was only two nights ago. Um, it's been a long week. Actually, I thought it was seven. No, five, six nights. Oh, no, that was the other one. Yeah, but but you know, like that's, you know, so that's a that's a tough nut to crack, you know, really.
We certainly don't need uh we won't be requesting that much. Uh so yeah, there's a couple different avenues to look at here. Thank you very much. Appreciate that. How long would it take to install? Like what are we looking at over the summer? Is it like a weekend project or what are we looking I think they could do this over the summer. Yeah, that was the goal. Yeah. Yeah. So, the the original estimates and that's why the the motion is up to 195 because that's the original estimate that we got, but it will officially go out to bid and we'll take like, you know, maybe not necessarily the lowest, but the one that could maybe do it on time, do a good job, you know, get the the aesthetic that we want. So, the quote that we have is under $20,000. So, we don't have to do like an RFP full bid for it, but we will get additional quotes.
For example, we can have someone who's staying in a position for 10 years and they're making $55 or $65,000. They leave us to go somewhere else and this is happening right now. They make an extra 20 or $25,000 a year. Um, so the only way that they can make more money is to leave Danberry. Okay? And then what happens is we post the job for the rate that it was currently that that that person left and we get how many applications Mike almost done or if we're getting folks they're not the folks that we would be willing to hire. So we end up having to have meetings to talk about how can we adjust those rates because we're not attracting the proper candidate with the correct skill set. that you end up doing, you end up recor correcting it um you know independently and now you've lost a good person that you spent years training and investing in.
So this is good news that we're working on that. The other uh another thing that happened within the district and all teachers have been informed just were transfer transfers within the um district. We are looking at open enrollment dates which end at the end of this month for medical. It's really for uh for dental there are lot of increases in staff with the dental program. We are also looking at the assistant super superintendent position and we have had a number of applicants which is really nice to see which will then be selected down to the the top candidates and that will be moving on. We're hoping to have that filled by this summer. And the last thing which is an agenda item tonight which is wonderful but also sad which is we have Mr. Gorski who has is going on to bigger and well I don't want to say bigger and better well bigger and better things.
And um you know my my question is that you know the ZBA I just I my worry my big worry is that um you know they have so much on their plate right now with all these projects. Um, and we have these peer reviewers and I think we're relying very heavily on the peer reviewers to do the the lion's share of the work for this and which I think is the right thing to do. Um, but you know, to Joe's point and to Claudia's point, like we have to make sure like the the peer reviewers are are advocating in the best possible way because the ZBA is I mean, I haven't watched all the meetings. I've watched a good number of them, but not all of them. Um, and I don't find like the ZBA is the one asking the hard questions. They're not. and which I I think they're relying heavily on the experts, which um they could do, but I'm I'm waiting for like the hard questions from ZBA and um so I mean we've got to be able to or Lisa, you know, somebody needs somebody at the table needs to be asking the hard questions.
We will get at least three quotes for the project knowing that at most it would be 1995. Does Dr. P and you guys get a look at the aesthetics at least you get the figure? Uh I think they sent us well they did they sent um it was green or black? Yeah, it was green or black. We chose black. I think it'll point. It was like pointy top or smooth top. Yeah. And so there is fencing at CL now around that lower playground. So it would probably match that. Yeah. Yeah. And I just want to make sure that we're um as far as the high school security, we're not taking away from something that we need to do. Okay. I think other discussion. So, are we ready to vote then? All right. All in favor of approving um this um you don't have to read it all.
So you end up paying some way down the line one way or another. And so we're seeing this in a couple key positions over and over again. I cannot tell you how much time our folks spend trying to hire people, the amount of time behind closed doors interviewing, onboarding, training only to lose. and it's something that we're really going to have to take a hard look at. Um I tried my darnest to gather contracts from all the different areas and they were hard to hard to get this year um to get a full a full value of all the different positions that we have there. So I'm going to be doing some work over the course of the next year to put that together so that we have more information about the different groups. Um but it's it's the entire group. It's not just the the folks in the middle.
He's spending a lot more time with his family and and we are just so thankful for everything he has done for this district. Uh yeah, it's hard to talk about this without getting emotional because he just is such a tremendous force. He is a voice of reason. He's calm when the things seem hectic. He's very organized. He's focused on what needs to be done. Um a true gentleman. I think the worst thing I've heard him say is heck and Michael. But just um what an asset to the Brown School District. He will be sorely sorely missed. So Michael, thank you so much for everything you've done for us. [Applause] All right. And before Miss High cries anymore, any other questions for HR committee report? Oh, very well said. Okay. Um, I believe there's no report force this meeting. Got it. So, we are up to item 4.6.
Okay. So, um, because I just feel like like I was disappointed with 10 to 60 Main Street about the traffic stuff like I am not not as disappointed as as Joe, but I was disappointed. So, but you know, because because it's not even just like it it wasn't even a discussion. What would it take to realign that intersection? It was like off the table because the peer reviewer wasn't making them do it. Right. Right. Um it was that was horrendous that and the same thing like I'm I worry about when we get into the civil stuff when we get really into it and it's like okay well you know are they meeting the threshold of of the hundredyear flood and what that looks like. And they were talking about parking at the MBTA station. Well, what's the reality of that? What are they really going to be able to you know can they actually do that?
Board expenditure for the fence, please indicate by saying I. I. Any opposed? Okay. So, uh, another unanimous vote. Great. Then let's move on to item D, please. I move that the board request funding from the boards of selectment and finance for the 2024 through 2025 budget in the amount not to exceed $331,542 as recommended by the finance subcommittee. Was that Erin? Okay.
It's the at the folks at the top as well. I know everybody doesn't like uh you know to talk about some of the higher salaries that we have here um you know on cabinet but I can tell you that those some of those salaries are not in line with the market and um we are experiencing there's poaching that's happening. We have head hunters that are approaching people on a regular basis and again we need to just take a good look to make sure that we're that we're in line and I don't think we're super horribly out of line with some some of our positions but in some cases we are with others. Um but instead of just uh willy-nilly applying different percentages all over the place, I'd like to have the data and the research to back it up so we can have a discussion.
Mr. Inc. Calcatera, anything from Southbound Brook? At our last board meeting, we finalized the schedule for the roof to be repaired over the summer and the asbestous remediation of two of the classrooms as is our ongoing project of two classrooms at a time so that it's not budget heavy. We also finalized a where we decided to pilot a cell phone program that involves using Lexan cases in the front of the room where the students cell phones would be stored so that they're still with the student but out of the student's possession. That's about it. Very good.
Can do they actually have a plan for that? um how are they going to evacuate that that site and not only that but like what's that you know can you imagine the traffic yes be trying to evacuate all of those people yes and and I think it was our consultant who said yeah well those types of storms you have a couple of days to do that kind of thing it's like so what are you here for so so I I just I I just want to make sure that that we really We're really asking those tough questions because if if we get to a point where ZBA is looking to condition the crap out of these projects, and I'm just using that as a technical term. I like it. I did too. I like that. If we're looking to them to like condition the crap out of these projects and we haven't asked those tough questions, I don't think we would have anything to stand on.