>> Okay. Thank you. Uh Joy Bulisonan comments. Malia Suchia in support. John May Perry in support. Kamaka Kaimuloa for UPW with comments. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? If not, members questions. Okay, I guess I have some questions. Um, let's see. Ricky, why don't I start with you? So, this measure is asking for literally the entire facilities portion of DOE to transfer that as >> as that bill is written. Now, the the group uh when I was at the Department of Education that dealt with deferred maintenance was the BIPS group and it's a very small group. It's really a group of about eight positions. Those were the ones entrusted with the deferred maintenance section. So that's the group that's really needed if you were just to focus on deferred maintenance. The vast majority of facilities development branch does a lot of other things.
Okay. It hasn't it hasn't got to >> my desk yet as something that they're working on. They might be just >> I mean, we did a very when we did the the last plan, we did a very thorough plan and like did a lot of stuff, but I would think we're we're getting toward the end and I think Fountain Street was one of the projects on that long-term list. But I would think that we may need to just take another look at it and see, you know, with new some new neighborhoods and some different sizes and now that 126 is just about done, is there, you know, what's the next step from there? Yeah, dude. Green green helped us with that, right? >> I think that um one of the things that was on the list to come up for sidewalks, too, was uh Cedar Street to the high school.
I I feel like I can just walk away, but I I do digress. My name is Jake Texar. I am both a teacher and a parent in Chico Unified School District. I'm speaking tonight because I have concerns about the district's contract with Vicata. Not only about privacy, law, compliance, but also transparency, ethics, and priorities. First, this is nearly $2 million investment in AI surveillance and infrastructure. As teachers and parents, all of us learned about this um after the fact. Decision of the scale affects every child on every campus. This deserves public discussion uh before approval, not after. Second, uh, data protections. I have a whole list, but instead I would like to speak to this. What we were told was that some mistakes were made in the past and that the company learned from it. And that's wonderful. My children, my students are not a lesson to be learned.
CIP line items, land issues, you know. >> But isn't the CIP portion more in line with SFA? >> Um >> than the deferred maintenance. It could be, but it's it's it's which groups that are best managed by an by the SFA versus that's should be managed by by the Department of Education. The vast majority, if you just look at the money overall, the Department of Education gets about $464 million a year in CIP. The percentage of that for deferred maintenance historically has been about $85 million a year. So the vast majority of the work is CIP line items $364 million and that's the bulk of the effort right >> 464 million is deferred maintenance >> no is is the is the 15-year average of CIP given to the department of education >> and the deferred maintenance >> has been averaging about 85 million of that so that's the percentage again the biggest bulk is CIP line items yeah >> and isn't that more the area that I think the legislature had in mind for SFA versus the deferred maintenance which each campus will be more knowledgeable as to what are some of the deferred maintenance that's going on >> the the bigger the more challenging task is CIP just because of the sheer sheer sheer size right so that would be a heavier lift for the SFA uh deferred maintenance because of the vast majority of deferred maintenance is break fix or replacement where you can do most of these work quickly, fast um with uh with pre-qualified contractors would be a much easier task for the SFA to take on.
>> Yes. >> What's What's the status of that now? >> It's um it's being engineered or it's been engineered >> and we have some funds to >> um I think we're still putting it like putting together the whole list. So, could the some of the funds that were offset from this grant be used to to help with that? >> Potentially. Potentially. Or and I know we had u like some of the 8 million like for pedestrian safety, you know, that was that was something that we were going to put towards that too. >> And that's still available. >> Okay. >> And the Cedar Street is is it the all of Cedar Street? >> No, it would just be from Captain to East Union. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I've saw recently a lot of kids that get on the bus there. There's a lot of kids coming out of there.
They're to be protected. This is not something for them to figure out how to fix later and make more money. These are my children and these are my students and that is not something that I feel comfortable with. We know what the ed code is. Um it's uh 49073.1. It's been over it's been gone over by students again very impressively. Students images, movement patterns or behaviors datas are captured, stored on cloud-based AI system. That data must be tightly controlled. We already said that it's owned by the district, but we know that it's now protected not just by Verata, but also AWS. That's great that Amazon has this. And what insurance do we have that Amazon is going to protect that? And to say loosely that, yeah, you know, there's protections. They they meet this grade of of protection from some other company that said that they were good, that's not assurance.
>> Well, shouldn't that be the much easier task for the DOE to to do and not have to do all the CIP stuff, which is the harder lift? Yes, the harder lift is the CIP library, >> which is where the expertise would come in, which would be the more neutral type body looking at where these where these new schools should go and where these buildings should >> Yeah, new schools is a whole different thing because that's uh that's a long-term uh uh uh issue whereas what's a constant flow of the work again is deferred maintenance and NCIP lineups. I mean, >> I'm trying to get my my hands around which bucket is more appropriate for SFA and why FSA FSA was was created to handle which bucket. Now, for new schools, who handles new schools? Now, >> both of us. So as of right now there are 17 schools in various stages of identification, design or construction.
>> And then just you you brought up um Elliot and Fruit Street intersection, you know, when they put the three star and it's too bad Joe's not here because it's probably the traffic safety committee that brought that forward. And I have to say I feel like that's been very successful. Yeah. >> I think it works really well. I'm not sure, you know, I'm not talking about myself, but I'm not sure everybody comes to a complete stop there, but but everybody, you know, at least >> Yeah, >> it I just feel like it's been very >> it has made it a much better intersection. The only other thing that would make that area safer and easier to navigate is if we could somehow get two lanes of cars into the school instead of one lane and have them backed up between the entrance to the school and Fruit Street, especially at at at drop off >> drop off and pick up.
Those are those are gentle words that really had no depth to them. There is obviously uh a concern for misuse. AI cameras systems don't just record, they analyze, they sort, they categorize and they flag. We are turning our students and our children into data points and not into human beings. It is our goal. Our students are not products. Our students are not data streams. Our students are young human beings that we are entrusted with to take care of, to help grow, and to help learn. And I think that this could be something that that we could rethink. And I think that we could move in a different direction and we could stay inhouse and we could protect our students in a much different way. Thank you. Okay. Jacob. My last name just Jacob. Anthony Gonzalez. Good evening everybody. Thank you audience for being here. Hello board members.
Out of those 17, the school facilities authority only has one, Central Maui Middle School. The other 16 are with the Department of Education. >> Okay. And of that 16, how many did they go to? Oh, these are these are in so one's in construction um which is um Kulani Hakoy and then the other 15 are in various stages of design. Eight of them are military, nine of them are state schools >> and should in your opinion should that be taken over by SFA? In my opinion, Hawaii has changed and the way we build schools has to change. We cannot take this long. It cannot be this expensive. And so the paradigm has to shift. And that's what we're trying to do for Central Maui. >> So where where are we talking about Maui? Where are we on that Kihei school? >> Um that school is assigned to the Department of Education at this moment.
Yeah, I know. I try to avoid that area those times. >> Yeah. Well, when you live at that end. >> I know. I know you can't. I went I did sometimes I can't >> I did make the mistake of going down Cedar Street in East Union uh when the high school was >> oh letting out oh man >> well it was actually even in the morning it's >> Oh yeah it's all a nightmare >> anyway >> and and the last item I have is just an update on the YMCA. So I did have a conversation with them. They're anticipating breaking ground for the early um learning center in April. Um and then also the plan is also to do the site work for the next building at the same time. So um that's their plan. Joe and um Beth and I met with them on the development agreement again as the board had asked us and so those discussions are going uh going forward.
Um, I've heard all the reasons why you thought this was a good idea. Um, and I'm sure at the time you were just thinking you were saving money and updating a system that was old and difficult to work with. I understand that, but what you've actually done is invited the global surveillance state into Chico. Um, I'm not saying that Verata is necessarily some type of bad actor, but they are going to enable a certain set of conditions down the line. Um, I find it ironic number one that this uh this technology was rolled out with our ATC, our adult transition center. Um, so our our disabled population are the guinea pigs for this new this new technology. That's great. But that aside, um, the funds have to be used anyways, it was said. So, we need to choose a different option. one that does not uh open up the door to to to our students and our staff being targeted in all the ways that we're seeing in Minnesota and other places.
Um, based on my best recollection, we're about 2/3 done. Probably about 230 million spent. I think the estimates for the great separated crossing phase 4 are another 220 to 230 million needed to complete. >> 230 million to complete already. 230 million spent. >> You're probably 230 million in and these are probably estimates about three years old already. And and this is a DOE project, correct? >> Yes. >> And the overpass, the pedestrian overpass that hasn't even started or has it started. >> There were designs being looked at. Um I don't know what stage in the >> design. I ask you this because at the last hearing, Jesse didn't know about the school, didn't have a background on it, didn't answer questions, which I find. >> So, the great subority crossing is a land use commission entitlement. It's a got to do, right? >> It's not optional.
But yeah um so it's finally nice that they're you know to know that that's >> ground if you don't mind me say adding to that. So, the YMCA, their marathon annual campaign kickoff breakfast is on Friday, March 13th. If anyone is interested in attending, let me know. We can put a table together and get some people to It's always a great event. You get to see their marathon team and it's so inspirational to hear from usually from the Hoy family and it's just a great it's a great morning. So, if you're interested, let me know. Okay. >> Okay. And that's uh that's what I have. >> Okay, sounds good. Moving on to board reports. Yolanda, >> start us off. >> Sure. Uh so two weeks ago now I sat in on a conversation meeting with um Fussen O'Neal which is the consultant we're looking at hiring to help do the general 25% design of the full length of the trail from uh the Firmingham Sherborn line to Hopkin line and then potentially with them also I'm sorry, let me step back to sort of do a feasibility of the whole thing and then potentially try to get to 25% design on part of it.
We need to change course. We need to stop penny pinching and think about the real issues at hand which is the the greater state of our nation and our community. Great change is coming and things are getting crazier and crazier by the day and we need to we need to ensure that all of our systems are closed. We do not give anybody access. And I know they said there's only one key and it's Chico employees that have that key, but all it takes is one bad actor, one person who is too comfortable giving away our information or one person who decides that um the what law enforcement wants is more important than the safety and lives of our students and staff and our entire system is compromised from then on. All it takes is one moment and one person and then the it's it's over.
It has to be done. That's the rule of law. And so, that has to be done. Um, it's there are options to it. There are planning options to it. It doesn't have to be an overpass. It can be an underpass, right? It it's it's a grade separated crossing. So, um, >> but it was supposed to be completed December of 2025. >> I'm gonna ask you all these questions, but >> Yeah. No, I mean, that's a land use commission. It It's a requirement, >> Right. >> Okay. >> Land use I'm I'm not a >> I've been a litigator. I haven't been a land use attorney. trying to get my hands around >> right >> what projects or what areas that would be best suited because >> as I've said this before I'll say it again for the public who don't know that DAGs used to handle all of this and everybody complained DOE complained about DAG so we took it away from DAGs only the neighbor islands have DAGs doing their their facilities projects and DOE took it all on and DOE could not do it which is why you were created not you but SFA was created to handle this and yet we peacemeal it to the point where not I don't know that anything has really happened and so you know the thought is well maybe we should get rid of SFA but if SFA haven't been given an opportunity to really do something then I'm not sure where we're at because it can't go back to DOE but it's still with DOE which is again troubling so I'm not sure what the answer is at this point but members questions questions Okay, thank you DOE.
Um, and then either do that through the tip or some other way to fund the actual construction. And I'm actually meeting with the whole committee tomorrow night. Uh, and Diane Mortonson has been a really ad big advocate and has been helping from the grant perspective. We've talked about the property that we have money for from a grant to purchase and what parcel really makes sense. We have found out that if we don't want to purchase the initial parcel that we identified that we can use it for another parcel. So, we're looking at that all on the 126 corridor there. So, that's one thing. Um, I unfortunately have not been able to attend any open space meetings because they're on Tuesdays and I'm currently in rehearsal on Tuesdays. Um, but I did hear that of getting very close to having the open space and wreck plan completed.
They have access and they have the information. So we need to prevent that from happening and we need we need to move away from that possibility. Thank you. >> Thank you. So, um that concludes um our list of those who have submitted speaker cards. Would you like to speak? Yes. I'm tall, so I'm gonna have to bend down. Um first of all, I want to echo what was already said and give a shout out to the students. Um yeah. Yeah. This is hard. So, um, and also shout out to all the, um, educators in the room. You're doing something right. You're doing something right. Um, I'm Alan Burwell. Um, I work at, uh, BU College. I'm a research analyst, so um, I am a colleague of sorts in the education environment. Um, and I am a parent. I have a, uh, fifth grade student in, um, J Unified School District.
>> Hello chair, vice chair Keith Yashi and Jesse Suki, members of the committee, um, Department of Education. >> Thank you. So, in your testimony, you are obviously opposed to any of this going over to SFA. Is that correct? >> Yes. And on what grounds do you what grounds do you take that position? >> Well, it it's a solution trying to find a problem that doesn't exist. So, it says that >> the problem doesn't exist. >> Well, it in the bill it says it's creating these geographic areas which already exist. DAGs does the work on the neighbor islands. We have district project coordinators in all of these geographic areas. We have DAGs has lead um persons who work on these projects in these different counties. So they know the permitting process that they're on the ground. They're managed and coordinated with by the office here uh at OFO.
There has been a draft that has gone about um and I think the open space and recck committee has been tweaking some of that. So hopefully within the next month or two we'll have something finalized on open space and w plan and uh that's all I got. >> Thank you Nikita. >> Thanks madam chair. Um so let's see I about a week week and a a week ago week a day ago I attended the historical commission meeting. Um they are hard at work doing a number of things. Uh one of the things that they uh have been discussing is the historical district. Um it's something that they're I think they're working on um revisiting that issue with the community soon. I'll have more details as as they present, but um I think there's a lot of good energy behind that. Um tomorrow I will be meeting with the that ethical standards working group.