001Okay. Um, call to order at 5 o'clock. We have roll call, please. >> Madarski, >> it's coming in right now. >> Okay. Morris >> present. >> Shoefeld >> right >> here. >> Block >> here. >> Fields >> here. >> And more. I am here. Get that a little out of order. Um, we have the agenda. Are there any um revisions or or should we have shall we approve the agenda? >> Motion to approve the agenda. >> Thank you. >> Motion by Morris, support by Fields. Requires a roll call. Morris. >> Yes. >> Shoefeld. Right. >> Uh here. Oh, yes. Sorry. >> Black. I'm getting >> yes. >> Fields. >> Yes. >> More is a yes. Madarski. >> Yes. >> Okay, that passes six to zero. Now we're into board discussion and I think we wanted
002to kind of um just little bit little bit from me and then the rest will be led by everyone else. Wanted to get everybody together. Uh we're going to be forming some committees um and just get a board discussion so that we're all in the have all the information that we need and can ask questions and in the future we'll have these meetings um pulled together where our board has met with the various uh representatives um my you know the the the department heads um throughout the the time period. So push it over to you the discussion. >> Yeah absolutely. Um, so I know that we have lots of things that we are facing as a school district coming up and I really love that we have this opportunity to kind of put some of
003the discussion out there. Um, I know that there is going to be a lot of talk around the fact that we still have the uh $100 million in unsold bonds that were from the bond initiative and I think that was one of the things that I think it was a good idea for the board to kind of talk about where we want to go with that, what some of the thoughts are. Um, and that was kind of where I wanted to kick off today to see uh what the thoughts of the board are. >> Okay. Well, everyone here, we talk about the the $100 million. I'm sure everybody is aware that we have um $100 million that the B that of bonds that have not been sold um in discussions uh throughout the past year
004or so, who was kind of determined that that isn't enough money to build a new high school. Um about 100 million short. Um, so there's been lots of discussion, what do we do? Do we build something smaller? Do we renovate? And at this point today, we just don't know um what to do. So that's we want to get together and investigate these things, get information, and then make the best decision for for us and for the residents, most importantly for our kids. Um, so you want to gather information and and uh um move on from there. Um, Yeah. So, it's open to discussion. People's thoughts, people. >> So, >> you don't really need it. >> So, I just wanted to get clarity. So, I know the hundred million has not been sold. Correct. Which means
005that those taxes have not been levied against citizens of Taylor or the Taylor school district, meaning that the school district does not have those funds in ownership. Correct. Those those funds are still in bonds that are still not sold, meaning no taxes have been levied. School district has zero dollars of that hundred million. >> But we have sold in 2022, correct? >> $30 million worth of bonds of the 130 total that the community approved. >> Is that correct? >> Yeah, that's correct. >> And of that 30 million, how much have we spent to date? So, I think what we still have on the table is roughly around um well, I'll say this. You have what was spent on like the playgrounds, the site improvements, those pieces, and then we have so much of it that
006was voted by the previous board to be committed towards athletics. Uh that all told is somewhere around uh $20 million that either has been spent or committed uh at this point. >> So, we have $20 million committed or spent. >> Correct. At this point. Yes. >> And of that 20 million, it went towards new playgrounds at all the elementarymentaries. It went towards new furniture at Holland, McDall, and Meyers Elementary. >> Correct. >> The building renovations for Holland, McDow, and Meyers Elementary. Aside from the addition at Holland, that was paid out of general fund. >> Correct. >> It also went towards you said >> site improvements. I know we did like sidewalks, uh, cement work, things like that. So that would be another place that that money had gone to. >> The new sidewalks at Taylor
007High School, >> correct? >> Yeah. Um and then it also about 12 I mean it's what 11,900,000 just just under 12 million >> roughly for the athletics piece. Yes. >> Committed to athletics for the high school >> and in total 20 million. So we have about $10 million remaining. Is that accurate? >> It sounds pretty close. And Gary, feel free to jump in if you have something more specific um for that answer, but that's roughly about where my understanding is. >> I'll talk about million dollar >> demo Kennedy and the board office, right? >> Yeah. >> Are those bonds callable? If we don't spend the money, can we call them back and refund them? >> No. No. No. >> Okay. I'd like to get that in writing at some point. Yeah. >> Yeah. Roughly 18.2
008million unallocated. >> You said 18.2 million needed to be allocated, right? >> Or was unallocated. And how much of that 18.2 was then allocated to athletics? 11 million. Okay. So, roughly about $7.2 million left. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. I guess my concern um you know, we just had an election, a lot of voters talked about this is the board, as we said, did make some commitments. They're gone. We're a new board. I would like to vote revote on the athletics because we haven't spent the money yet. And I really want to decide if that's the best way to go forward. And if we don't do the athletics, it sounds like then we have 20 million unspent roughly. And then we can look at options going forward there. I I do just
009have to point out and I understand that could be the decision. Uh but the board needs to be fully aware doing so would most likely result in an arbitrage penalty from uh the federal government. You know, when I've talked to our bond attorney, they have stated that essentially the amount of arbitrage is going to be, you know, the IRS allows you to collect a certain amount of interest on your bonds that you've sold on the money that you have, but anything you've gained in interest above that is what they would penalize from there. So, it's not like it's going to be a huge amount. Um they were not able to get me an exact amount right now because that would take pouring through, you know, plenty of our bank statements, those items, things like that.
010Um but they said that essentially that is where the arbitrage penalty would come in. Um our bond council Jim Crowley also did advise and say that's completely fine if we're willing to accept an arbitrage penalty. That is there's nothing wrong with that. That is just something that would be there. He said though the IRS would expect that we are still continuing to work on spending the money. uh with due diligence and essentially if we just decided to say, "Hey, we're not this $20 million or sorry, this $18 million is sitting there and we don't do anything to move on spending it," then we're going to have a bigger issue with the IRS down the road. So, um he just advises like, "Yes, take the arbitrage. You've got plenty of reasons why you would." Like he
011he got that part. He just advised continue to work to spend it. >> The AR Oh, go ahead. The only money that I'm hearing that has been allocated is for the athletics. I'm all for the athletics. My concern is >> where it's going to be at this point. >> Correct. >> Nothing. This is a basically a new board. >> Don't know what visions are. We haven't discussed any of that. So my concern is if you put it where I always call it Schuman where Taylor High School is >> and then you do finally are are able to build something at the original site. >> Now you it's a transportation issue getting kids to and from the athletic field. if if there was some way that this board could make a judgment call or uh investigate
012for a while or something to where if it was at all possible to build something here on this site on Kennedy's site, >> then athletics go ahead and get started right here. >> Yeah. >> So, mine isn't my issue isn't not giving the kids athletics, which they're well overdue for. Yeah. all of that stuff. It's we got to decide where it's going. >> Yeah. And and that was my concern, too. I think we're being a little bit premature here. And regarding the arbitrage, some technical bolts called a rebate, and it's essentially the one could call it the illgotten gains. So, it was the interest we weren't supposed to earn. >> So, we're just paying back money we never should have had anyways. And it would be very helpful if the bond council will give us
013that number, but it's money that's wasn't really ours to begin with. Yeah. >> So, I'm not really concerned about the arbitrage rebate. I do want athletics and the location matters and yeah, I I I think hiring a construction manager today is premature. So, I'm I'm not going to be supporting that. >> Thank you. >> I would like to just um kind of give some of the thoughts that the the leadership on this board currently has been talking about in regards to our options moving forward. Um, some of us have been talking about a uh three grade high school as an option instead of a four-de high school with our limited funds. Maybe we'd be able to figure out a an adequate and acceptable three-grade option. Um, transparency, I graduated from Southgate Anderson where we have
014a third a 10th, 11th, and 12th grade high school, and I thought it was a a fantastic experience just as a student. Um, I could see that having a lot of benefits for our school district as well. Um, and then making Truman or Taylor High into a seventh into nth grade school. Um, and then, you know, using the middle schools and remaining elementaryaries to try to fit everyone else back into those spots. Um, I feel I feel like if we can make this work, if there are, um, good contractors and good bond managers that we could look to to guide us on this kind of work. Um, that would be my like pie in the sky dream is still to build the high school, just make it a three-grade high school. Our other options are
015to renovate the high the current high school. Um and truth be told, um $100 million this year and $100 million next year. It shouldn't be that much of a difference when it comes to buying things that we need in order to refurbish and remodel the high school. Um, and so this board as of right now has been in discussion of trying to look into getting more community input, getting more input from the staff, the students, the families, and trying to figure out what would be the best action moving forward. Um we are aware that there were some uh issues with perceived transparency during the last board and we are trying to do our best to make sure that everyone in this room and everyone watching and people who aren't even paying attention right now but
016may pay attention in a few months have the opportunity to share their expressed interest on what they would like to see moving forward with the remaining 100 million. >> Yeah. Yeah. And I'll say that like I know we have one more uh session coming up with the public for the strategic plan and that was some of the hope that we were going to be pulling a lot of that information from the public through that process uh as well. So yeah, absolutely. And I was just going to say to add kind of context um for the new board members and everything just what we explored um really what over the last year and a half, two years for the members that are still here. Um when inflation started hitting the district really hard, specifically with the
017bond, the board was starting to get updates about the cost and increases to construction. And so over the time period when the high school, the new building was, you know, the viable option, we were still pursuing it. That's when we started to see meetings happen and occur where we started to see reductions in what was being put into the building. So you saw the reduction of an auditorium. Uh you saw the reduction of a pool being put into the building. You saw a reduction of CTE classes starting to be put into the building. Um, so it was a gradual decrease to the point where costs kept going up and up and up and it got to a point where it was becoming too expensive to build for the 9th through 9th through 12th building. Um,
018then that's when the board pivoted and started looking at options. One of the big things that we were trying to figure out is what were the options out there. Um, we looked at, I mean, everything from converting this building right here, um, into a high school and building off of it. So, using part of an old building, renovating this, and then building an addition off of it. Uh, we looked at the Masco property that is off Vanour Road in Taylor. We did tours of that building, looking at that. Um, there were issues with that because you couldn't build a gymnasium in there because the building had these massive cement pillars that kept the building up and you couldn't build around it. Um, and then on top of that, you also had to spend $14 million
019to purchase the building which could not be used with bond money. It would have came out of the district's general fund. Um, so we started pursuing those options. Um trying to think what were the other options. >> I think you named like quite a bit of it because did you say the renovating the existing like Jaylor High School and >> and those pieces? Well, I think, you know, as we're having this discussion, um, the biggest things that are going to help drive to to kind of get an idea on what it would cost to do such a three-grade high school, it's really going to take input from the board to kind of be like, these are our priorities. And you know, right now we could probably get some really good rough numbers by taking what
020had previously been designed under the original scope and programming of what the bond called for and then just reduce the square footage and would give us a very rough rough number. But in reality, we may this board may view the programming needs as being different. And so therefore, it really probably needs a complete thorough relook at what's in there. Like I know back in spring we put out a poll to the community and said like these are some of the things we're facing given us feedback. A couple of the questions that were in the polling that we had put out there uh particularly asked um the community and this isn't just like uh stakeholders in the district but everybody in the community. This was all to all eligible voters. And we did get feedback that
021said that in some ways the priority was not necessarily that there needed to be a blackbox theater. not necessarily needed some of those things. So, this board will be the ones that has to kind of drive that and that'll help give us a clear on the cost >> survey. It did not go to all of the registered voters. >> Correct. >> Go to 400 of them though. >> Yes. >> Right. So, you you weren't you weren't getting the opinion of the entire community. Correct. That the entire community voted for the bond to begin with. >> And the money that hasn't been allocated, isn't that for the warm, safe, dry, or whatever? only of the 30 million. >> Correct. >> You mean that million? >> Yeah. >> No, I'm talking about what's already been brought down.
022>> So, at this point, >> the the athletic stuff, >> correct? >> It's about 7 million. >> We release that to start addressing issues that your building, all the buildings and facilities are having currently. >> I think that's what you have right here. Yeah, I was going to say that's part of my next kind of discussion topic. Uh I did put in front of you guys a chart with some of the major utility projects that have to be there. Um you are correct like I think there are some needs at all our buildings that could be using up the rest of those funds. Uh but you're going to find that we have a couple buildings because of the way that the original bond application was written with the state that we cannot put bond money
023into. Um, and when I've met with Jack, uh, Gerard, our facilities, uh, director, we had a good, very good discussion on what the needs and prioritizing in that. And some of the needs he sees as being our biggest ones, we cannot use bond money for. Like the very first one on the list is Hoover desperately needs a roof replacement uh, immediately. Like there are major concerns with Hoover's roof. Um but Hoover is not in the original bond application. So no bond money can be used for >> immediately went to the high school. Yeah. >> With the 30 some odd year problem of the heating and cooling that needs to be addressed. >> Yes. >> Not bandated but correct. >> Fixed. >> Correct. >> If we're going to keep that building, if we're going to use
024that building, we need to fix that building. >> Absolutely. And that is a building we can use bond money on. So, yes, that would could be there >> because if we do end up renovating it, we have to be able to renovate what's there to fix the problem without spending money that we're going to have to go back in and resign. >> I agree. >> Because if the renovation if the renovation calls for gutting all of the classrooms and >> put in this new So, you have know that we can do that >> safely using the money. So that's perfect timing to deciding where, what, and if, and when >> we're going to follow what the residents >> Yeah. >> wanted us to do and voted for us to do or if we can convince
025the residents this is our only option to do this. >> Correct. And I will say this, like if we're looking at even if it's building a 9 or excuse me, a 10, 112 building, the the reality is we would still be using the current Taylor High School. >> So either way, there would be need to be money put into that facility no matter what we do, whether it's building or renovating. Um, and this is perfect timing because, um, I've been talking to our representatives from the collaborative, uh, Riches, who who's here tonight, and we've been talking about what is it going to look like to replace and do what we can to make that system as upto-date and perfect as we can for the time being with the understanding that you still may have to
026renovate and there might be movements in the walls. So, he's had uh their engineers out looking and they're starting to assess like what it would look like to kind of do it in two parts. Replace all the parts that we can now maybe short of like the ducting work because that's the thing that's going to get most affected by uh a redesign and then find a way in the meantime to at least duct air into certain classrooms that currently there is no ducting to go into there. Since since >> Jack is here, I'm gonna ask him. >> Yep. >> What What do you think needs to be done >> a priority in that high school to correct the issue that we're having with the heating and air, >> but we have 17 air ins that
027building uh in the last 50 years. >> Yeah. So all our air um the area that we had installed in 2016 those haven't been racist but I believe that's something we can get up and running the work and I mean I know Rich has looked at it the work I think we can do something temporarily and I talking a lot of the issues are there's not in the classroom so when we turn on The first classroom gets 150 degrees. There's no damper to shut that vent flow. So the heat continues on out. So we try to heat up the cafeteria. The first classroom that duck hits there. And that's that's our problem. There's no way to shut down to shut off in that classroom. So continue the next next. >> Doesn't it have something to
028do with the controls too? We used to have Johnson control and >> that's something that we definitely we have no control over the heat or air. It's either on 100% or off 100%. >> Ridiculous. >> Zero been like that. So the only way that we seek this is if we do change all the air, new airlers, you know, new everything and then run uh temporary work with dams and that's that's exactly >> but then I'm hearing the word temporary >> and we're putting a bandaid on it again you don't want to put all this money in >> the temporary part would only like the stuff that you're talking about replacing would be the new stuff that's going to stay when the high school's remodeled the temporary or is duct work that you have to get
029from one place to the other. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Can I >> I don't know Rich I don't know if you have anything more to add to that or because I know that's kind of what we've been talking about. >> Evening everybody. Thank you for having me. Um Rich Brying with collaborative. So our engineers are UBS. They've been working with us for a little bit here and we're analyzing the building. And Jack's right. you know, we look at replacing the air handlers, but then down the line from the air handlers, there's VAV boxes, variable air volume boxes that then are the points of kind of like sub to the main air handler that allow the air to then distribute to the rooms. So, if you replace the air handlers, the controls, and those boxes,
030they can certainly be done in a way that can be reused. It's just really the ducting and the hydronic piping between those items that may need to get reworked in the event of a renovation. The other factor with it is um return air. A lot of those walls were built and they don't have any return cut into them. So you're feeding a bunch of air into a space, but you're not relieving that space of any of that air heat itself. So now we need to look at starting to cut return air into the walls to allow it to get into the plenum and back into the system, which then would also need to be fire rated with dampers since the building's not sprinkled. And so all those items are need to be taken in consideration
031as we look at this study of how far to go and how not far to go. The hard thing is if you renovate and don't want the layout you have today. That's where you're starting to lose some of the money being spent on those corrections. And I can't answer any more questions on that. We're getting you a really a proposal analysis report between ourselves and our engineers that encompasses all that and I can bring them out here as well to help explain. >> That'd be awesome. Thank you. Absolutely, sir. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> And I will say on this as well and I because I reached out um in the last uh in the school aid budget for this year like we were awarded $4 million for the high school. I did talk
032to our the representative in charge of that grant with the state today again because I hadn't touched base with him in a while. um they are clarifying because the way it's written in there says new high school, but they his interpretation is similar to mine saying, "Well, if you're renovating, you're putting into the the current place." He sees that that should be okay, but he's double-checking on the state's end right now. Um he also said that even if that comes back and says, "Well, that's not exactly what we can do." He did throw two other options to me. One is that um the legislature who put forward the uh motion to get that into the school aid budget has the ability to go through a supplemental and get that altered through the legislature. So we
033can try that route. And then he said the other route is if you deferred that $4 million to the next year when you ask for the deferment, you can change the purposing. He said that is the the scenario he would advise us to use as our last case resort because you wouldn't get that notification till December of 25. So it ties us up and that you can't access that money as quickly. But if the first two work like we would be able to access that money pretty immediately and we could use it to uh towards the need for the uh heating and cooling. >> If I'm being honest I I would prefer that deferment because I think that that secures the money. I think that relying on going through a supplemental budget change through the
034state at this point where you have a divided government, >> yeah, >> is going to be very tricky and a cumbersome process. I think that if we have the chance to ensure that we can secure that $4 million for our district, no matter what, let's pursue that route rather than banking on the hope that politics goes aside and people come together and they want to say, "Yeah, let's let's help." >> Well, yeah. Ideally, I want number one to be where he's like, "Yeah, it's all good." Like the language is good, but yes, >> but it has to go through the House and the Senate. >> No, not the first one. If he if he gets the clarification that under the way it's currently written, we are okay to use it on the person. >> I'm
035saying if they come back and say it's not >> correct. Yeah. You're saying to go for the deferment. >> Yeah. Because it has to go back if we want to do a change or supplemental change. >> You were at the whim of the the current makeup in the legislature. >> Correct. >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> That makes sense. >> Thank you. Do we have any other questions from the board? Well, I just wanted to kind of piggy back on what she said earlier regarding the survey. Yeah, 400 people survey that would probably have a really high margin of error. Really high margin of error. So, yeah, I'm not putting much credibility into a survey of 400 people. I I'm guessing a margin of error. I don't have the math here. You're probably looking at somewhere
036from plus or minus 8 to 10%. Depending on how it was sampled. So, now how do we get the methodology for this survey? because there's a lot of documents I would like to get in general like how do we go about doing this? >> I did share it in the last Friday update. So if you go into the update that I sent uh on well it's always live in Google but on um it comes out in a PDF format on Mondays too. So but there is I did attach that to it. Yes. >> What was the polling firm? I'm curious. >> Uh Glenn Garif. >> Okay. >> Thank you. The reason it only went >> number of people is because of like the funding like it costs money to do that and we don't have
037millions of dollars to spend it. >> Well, I'm not criticizing the 400. I'm just want people to recognize the limitations. You know, it happened in the presidential election. A lot of these state surveys were way way off because of the small sample size. So, if you're going to do a small sample size for the money, fair enough. But just acknowledge that you're going to have a margin of error that could be double digits. And correct me if I'm wrong. The intention of the survey was the board wanted to test the waters to see if there was an option for passing another bond. >> You are correct. That was >> that was the intention. That's how the survey was curated. It wasn't curated towards the option of I mean it was in there of renovating. It
038was like kind of like if we can't would you want to renovate? >> Correct. >> Is like you're stuck with that. It wasn't actually testing the community on whether >> and we did specifically ask them to put in extra questions that regarded specifically auditorium, specifically pool, specifically auxiliary uh gym because those were the pieces that were getting cut back from the original uh proposal, the original design. So, we wanted a little feedback on that. Uh, and I will say the polling showed um, essentially when we asked about whether you would be willing to go out for um, another bond, it was at a 40% uh, when it started and then it closed at like 39% by the end of the survey. So, uh, as we were advised like if you don't see any movement at
039all on that, like it's there is not the will there is as is what we got the feedback from the polling company. Well, I'm just really concerned because of the issues that we had and are currently having with our elementarymentaries that have been worked on. We've got pollen still water running in on a is it a daily basis, not knowing where where that's coming from. >> Yeah. >> That makes me skddish of of bringing down any any more money or starting building something until we get what we started fixed. Yep. >> And on that note, and I know right now we're talking about the high. I have two points. So I'm going to talk about the high school and then I'm going to come back to the Holland thing with the way because we ran
040this question by Miller Canfield who's our bond council >> about if this board decided that, you know, we don't want the bonds anymore. You know, the voters passed them. We don't want to use them. We we are not levying those taxes against residents. We're giving back those that hundred million that was not sold. That is not within our right to do. And that was our that was advised by legal counsel that once the voters approve bonds, those bonds stay out there forever until the board draws them down or chooses not to. This is where the pause is is where the the board has the right the next step is for them to sell the bonds. We have not sold those bonds because we don't feel comfortable at this point selling them but we are not
041allowed to so much to say resend those bonds back. >> Yeah, that's that was exact what we got. And basically the ability to sell those that 100 million will remain in perpetuity till a board decides that they if they ever wanted to go and sell them. So, it doesn't affect people's taxes because they are unsold at this point. Um, in fact, if the board, this board were to decide like that they agreed with the last one and say, "Hey, we're not going to sell these. These are just going to sit there in perpetuity for the time being, um, most likely we're going to see uh residents would see uh their tax rates come down uh I believe at the end of this uh year because uh we'll start cycling off the ones that were sold.
042So, I just wanted that clarity because if anybody was questioning about can we give those bonds back. >> Yeah, correct. >> No, they're always going to sit out there so in 20 years a board could say oh let's >> 20 years, 50 years, 100 years it's still there. >> Um was a discussion with Miller Canfield done in open session or close session? >> I don't even know. I want to say that from an opinion letter that we had received from them and I know we've talked about it in open session like yeah it's been brought to the floor but >> I think it would be super helpful >> to bring the Lord Campfield in here for an open session >> and then we can ask these questions on the record and then I think that
043would stop a lot of this repetitious questions. I've seen other communities do that. The attorney comes in, >> we wave attorney client because it's not really pending litigation and then we just ask these questions. It goes on the public record and everyone knows and Miller Canfield is some of the best bond counsel in the United States. So yeah, them going on public record would I think answer a lot of these questions for people. >> Believe Justin, they already did that. >> Well, they kind of said they didn't. >> They did answer. >> They did. >> Yeah. I say yeah, I mean we've talked about it. Well, his opinion and but he was here one day. John Cwley came to abort. >> There was Yes. >> Or Jim. >> Yeah. >> Came to uh and talked
044openly about it and did specifically state you cannot give that money back. >> Well, no, that was my original question because I I didn't know if he had come or not on the open session as I was asking and somebody said it was written so I didn't know if he had come or not. >> We've had both. >> If they talk of it, they have to write about it. >> Right. And so do we have a date so people can watch that for that meeting? Do we have a date? >> All right, we can find it. >> Yeah. >> Oh, either or I think would work. >> Oh, um to the Holland question. So I know we are is Holland still currently their addition under construction or really the elementary? So, there are things that
045still have not uh passed our punch list that we walked it the other day that they're it's just not acceptable at this point. Um, and that's where we were at. So, it is not completely wrapped up uh to say the least. >> So, the addition part is still closed off to students. There's no students in there. >> I believe there have been parts that they have used, but not all of it because there are certain areas that we don't feel are open for that yet. Do we have have they issued the certificate of occupancy for that? >> I would have to double check. Yeah, >> they have. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Do we have that? >> Huh? >> You don't you don't Jack, you don't have copy? >> Who who holds those? >> I
046believe it would be held here at the the finance office, but I would >> the finance office. Okay. >> That would be typically where those kind of things would come to. So, we still currently have issues with the brand new edition. >> Correct. We just walked it within, like I say, the last five days, and there are still concerns that we have. Yes. >> Have they >> excuse me, have a certificate of occupancy if you can't use the whole thing? >> I don't know. It's that you can't. It's things that we just feel are not correct enough on our end to say we want to go there. like there's some issues with door handles in one of the classrooms and we'd rather not use that if we're having experiencing issues with that. There's certain areas
047where like the can lighting is not to what we would expect. So, we've just decided that that classroom has not been in use as of yet. So, >> have they provided any timeline? >> Oh, do you know that one Gary off hand? Because I know we just you've been in contact with them since our punch list walk. >> Yeah, we walked with them last Monday, I believe. Um, and there was a few issues such as there's water coming in. There was a water storm line that was broken that's funnling water back upream essentially is what trying to figure it out. They actually jetted the lines on Monday to try to figure out where that water's coming from. I know the collaborative been out there looking at the roof. Um, there were some can lights that
048didn't have the rings around them. We walked in a few weeks ago. There was uh base molding that was missing. So, just things that we didn't find acceptable. Uh we do have occupancy so students could occupy that space but uh it was intended the district not have to move a bunch of furniture and stuff into those classrooms if you know if we had to do some bigger fix to the water problem to have to move it all back out. As of yesterday all the furniture that was stored outside in those storage containers has been moved back in. There has been a few classes in there when we've walked through. Um but we're still working through it. The big one is just a water issue. Um they tied into existing storm line. They think that there's
049a broken there a bunch of water is built up in the parking lot. They think it's just the line is broken. It's funneling back up. So, they jut it on Monday. They're hoping that that mitigates the issue. I know the collabor is going to be out there trying to further investigate where that's coming from, but still an ongoing process. >> Hey Jack, do you know if that's we've seen any difference since they jetted on Monday or it's still the same? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. >> Are we coordinating all of this with our utility department with Jack and everything? >> The lines. >> No, like just the whole project overall. >> Yeah, we've walked it with >> We did. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> And you've went through the punch list and everything with them? >> Yeah.
050I guess we didn't go through ourselves, but that they had we did go through and make sure that that area is getting >> you have your own punch list. >> We do. Um, but most of it's on that's what's on there. That's what we >> I definitely agree that the districts and the district and we should have a punch list as well and is walking through. And the main reason I I mean I elaborated on this situation is because I know that we have items that we want to spend that remaining $7.2 million on. But if there's continued issues with buildings that we've already had work done on, spending all that 7.2 then means that we're going to have to pay for any other expenditures out of general fund. Correct. >> Not necessarily. That's the
051stuff we're going to have to look into. And I started talking with uh John Cavar, our legal uh advisor from uh Collins and Blaha because you know some of this is like this the water coming up and things like that. Like that's concerning that you know this is ongoing and if we got to go in and start ripping out and redoing the flooring that was just done that shouldn't be coming from our our cost. >> Neither should the destruction and all the other stuff that's happened either. >> Yeah. So, and mainly where I stand in that question was, for example, at Holland, they have windows, but they only have emergency exit windows on their building. >> They currently don't have any windows in their classrooms, in any space that are for air flow. They only
052have emergency exit windows. And so if we have to go and purchase additional window pans that can open, is that included in what we already expensed or is that an additional expense this district will have to spend? >> I will have to look in and see where that's at. >> The the whole building got brand new windows and none of the windows was there installed ones that open. They only have emergency exit. No, that's how it was designed. >> It was only emergency exit windows. >> That can be a trend in new construction now. Yeah. To kind of seal off the building. Some engineers simply design it that way. I think the board probably didn't look at that closely. >> But I'm just saying because that could eat into some of that cost. So that
053>> Yeah, correct. So yeah, we'll absolutely look into that. Makes sense to me. Anyone else? >> So, is there currently an idea like because I know right now we have from the very beginning we have $18.2 million unallocated of that 30 million. So, I know there was the discussion of athletics. What were the other discussion items that the bond can be for? Because I know you stated that when we approved the bond, the voters, >> the school district has to submit what they call a PQ app. Yep. >> To the state treasury. >> And this PQ app lists every single project site that the bond will go towards. Correct. >> Correct me if I'm misspeaking too. in that PQ app. West Middle School, Hoover Middle School, this building, the board of education, the Taylor Career
054Center, the existing one, the utility department, transportation, >> PRC. Are there other buildings? >> No, I think those are the ones you're you're saying. And the ones that are not in that they are not listed as sites where we can use bond money for >> correct. Yeah. >> So do we have an idea of what we want to use the bond money that's left for? >> So yeah I think that there are plenty of places like the list I gave you here. These are like what Jack uh presented to me and then we discussed is like these are fairly urgent items. Um there are lots of other needs we have like there are definitely roofs, parking lots, windows, boilers all over this district that need to be replaced uh in addition to what's on here.
055This was just like the these are things that we know have to get done really quick. So yeah, there's plenty of other things we can find uh like our buildings are aging. They need the the support. There's definitely, you know, that $7 million could go to good use for all those kind of things right now. I know for a fact parking lots especially are not great uh throughout the district. So um I I think there's absolutely the need. >> Can we get um get some verification as to whether the bond money can be used for these u y absolutely >> and that would avoid the arbitrage maybe it's coming up if we put something else. >> Yeah. So, um, you know, I had reached out, um, to Gary recently and said like, you know, if
056there was a talk of putting athletics on hold, um, and we were willing to either take the arbitrage payment, um, but one of the other thoughts was maybe we can proceed with some of those other projects to meet that arbitrage threshold and go from there. Um, they'd have to be projects that don't have a lot of lead time because we'd have to commit the money fairly quick. we'd have to commit it before that April deadline. Um, so typically your mechanical like your boilers and things like that are not going to be able to be done in time to meet that deadline, but roofs, parking lots, windows, those are things that could meet that deadline and might offset us from having that arbitrage payment as well. Like that's a possibility. >> Made the statement that it
057didn't have to be done or worked on. >> It has to be committed. >> Correct. >> It had to be >> correct. Yes. you all. It's a little more that you have to have the contract in place and that's the part where the boilers and the mechanical becomes the holdup because the timing of when that would go in place, but the other pieces you could get going. >> Um, this might be a question for Gary. um when we passed the bond and that PQ application that was submitted to the treasury that listed the projects happening on site, how much of that 130 million was allocated towards the new high school? >> Do not have that information off the top of my head. I can get you that answer though. >> Okay. Do we know when
058we went through the process of looking at renovating the existing Taylor High School, what was that cost to fully renovate and gut it? >> I don't have that information. >> I'm going to say at the understanding of the design that we had in place, um, and that included, like I say, a completely gutting what the walls would be and adding, you know, drastically changing that building. We were going to go through every bit of what the dollars that we had in the bond and we were going to be four million short. Hence why the ask from the state of Michigan in their budget to provide us the four billion. >> I thought that was if we weren't using the full hundred towards that. I thought if the full hundred million goes towards renovating, it would
059cover the full cost. >> Correct. I believe the budget had x amount of dollars for the high school renovations and then a certain amount. You're right. Yeah, thank you. I forgot that part. >> But we don't have those numbers. >> Not not in front of me right now. >> Okay. Can this board get that of what was approved in the bond for the original building? >> Yes. >> And then what was estimated as the renovation cost for Truman? >> Yep. We'll start Lake >> or Taylor House. Sorry. >> Yeah. I I do want to like because I know I gave you guys this list of the these kind of urgent utility projects. So, at the regularly scheduled meeting that we're going to have following this committee of the whole um we are bringing forward the
060new uh budget amendment uh that uh Dr. Hill is going to bring forward. These things are not currently in that budget amendment just so you know. Um so they would be things that would be spending down on our fund balance. We have a very healthy fund balance right now. It's going to be roughly at I want to say 39 million that we have in the fund balance. And um so anything that we're projecting on here um potentially would be coming off of that 39 million. The stuff in green on this sheet that I I had given you um these are the the projects that I think are very realistic that we should proceed with this year. uh even though that it would come to roughly a million dollars that would come out of our fund
061balance. Um you'll see the first one that the biggest one that uh Jack has really identified is uh Hoover's roof needing to be replaced. Um the second would be West uh their boilers. They're on their last legs. They've desperately needed to be changed for quite some time. Um and then like I said, the priorities go from there. So then the next would be Randall's boiler. Um in the green, like I said, I'll skip down the ths heat. We need to work out exactly how the payments and all that, but I think that's something we urgently need to proceed on. And then 7 through 12 on the list are playground fencing. And this was a concern we definitely heard from the community um earlier this year regarding um when we have students who uh special needs
062students who have tried to alope and that. And this is just another one of those safety concerns that we feel we need to uh address and and have out there. So these are things we could do. Now in purple is something that because I didn't want to overburden what our funds are for this year uh we put on for next year possibly doing the uh west roof replacement uh because that's another building that's going to need that coming up and is not in the bond money. And in yellow on your sheet is I put Hoovers because this is kind of be some of it would be this year uh for their heat and some of it would be for next year. Uh we went through this this past year and we've added new controllers to
063several classrooms within Hoover and you can tell the difference like it has made a marked difference on the the climate controls for those rooms. We'd like to go through and now do that process immediately for the entire building. Uh that wouldn't be a very expensive process. I believe and correct me if I'm wrong Jack, we talked about roughly 35,000 to 40,000 to do that part, but down the road it probably needs a complete gutting like the uh the Taylor High uh facilities as well. So are you. >> Yeah. >> But also I wanted to say the west boilers and all the next board meeting. So for Hoover's heat, because it just says on our little sheet, it just says Hoover heat bond cannot be used. Needs to be bid out. You said you already went
064to bid or no? >> Just I mean we did part last. >> So are you is this line item asking us to approve? Like are we searching for that full gut or are we looking at just control? I'll say this, when I put it together, we hadn't sat and had that conversation that we could split it in two. So since I put this together and put that needs to be bid out, we now realize that some of it can proceed now and some of it can't. So it was we didn't have the full information at that. >> So the immediate thing that you're saying for the Hoover heat is just the controllers. >> Correct. Yes. Correct. >> And that's what you're saying is like 354,000 >> classroom. So, >> y >> So, if we approve
065this today, just to clarify, the specifics come back. So, we're allocating the money, but then we're going to get still vote on maybe we don't like the type of fencing, for example, that still comes back to us. Correct. >> We're not going to be voting on >> Yeah. We're not >> This is just you're letting us know these are things that need to be working on. >> Correct. I I'm >> Okay. So, this is not the upcoming budget amendment that we >> No, correct. I'm essentially, you know, I know I've heard from uh several board members that, you know, they would like to get the information, see it, have some time to think on it. So that's why I thought it was a great idea to talk about this in committee to hold today and
066then we can bring the what we have out there for bid in two weeks and make good decision. >> But when you talk about the fund balance being 39 million, >> there's so much of it that is bond money that can't be touched. >> Not on that. That's just straight general fund. That doesn't that does not include the bond money. Correct. >> So on that note of the budget, I know you like I'm looking at the district's 5-year projected budget right now and it's showing that after this amended budget that we approved tonight. >> Yeah. >> We'll end the year with $39 million in our fund balance. >> Correct. >> Essentially, the what we're bringing forward tonight is having us break even for this year. Our original uh budget that we passed in June was
067that we were going to be uh eating into our fund balance by I think roughly between four and $5 million. Um but because conditions have changed uh since the budget was passed in June, we're now at a situation where we'll break even. >> So, and I get that. But then I'm looking at the years ahead and I know we can't base >> Yeah. You know, each year is a different situation when the state legislature releases their state aid. We don't know what's happening with the federal government. If federal funding gets affected, but it's showing right now that within two years, yeah, we're positive. We're not hitting a deficit. But then it says in two years we do dip back down in that deficit. >> Yeah. >> You know what that causes? >> Well, so >>
068operating deficit, not >> Yeah. Yeah. Not not going to theole. Yes. Exactly. So, a lot of that is that um we have very good ways to predict the next couple years because we currently have settled contracts with all our bargaining units. Um we have a pretty good estimate on uh where we're going to be with students that we have. We know that we have secured or lancing has secured the adjustments and MIPers that's getting us more uh money in the district on an annual basis. So, we have a better crystal ball to get us through the next couple years. Um, I think where you start to see that dip in a few years out is where you're starting to factor in the unknown. Yeah. Yeah. You're going to see the >> you're you're getting into
069some of those unknown quantities. And to me, that's where I've always said uh over the last year and a half, if we're committed to making good business decisions and making good uh choices when we're looking at when we hire uh when we decide not to replace positions, when we do those things. Um that's what's going to help us keep uh from getting to where that structural deficit begins again. So, I think it's just committing ourselves to just making the right choices as we go along. I just I'm only pointing that out because yes, it is unknown. >> Yeah. >> And yes, right now we are projecting to be in an operating deficit. >> Yeah. >> But that's a projection. But when we incorporate this into spending down our fund balance, >> yeah, it's less you're
070drawing from in two years from now. Well, I was going to say it's it's we have to just be cautious of those projections and what becomes reality versus what we're spending down. >> Yep. I agree. And that's why I think as we talk through the strategic planning process, there's a lot we still need to talk about with how we're best utilizing our facilities and using those things. So, uh I think more will come out of when we get there. But >> yeah, >> and I think we'll know a lot more in probably 6 months with the federal >> because the federal can cut both ways. Do they cut funding or do they cut requirements? They cut requirements that saves money. So there's so much unknown in the federal. We really don't know. >> And not
071even just at the federal, like there's a lot of politics to play out at the state level yet, too, because uh just today, you know, uh Governor Whitmer released her recommendations of how to spend the school aid budget. uh in her recommendations today, it was a 4.1% increase to the per pupil foundation, which would bring the per pupil to $10,000 even. I mean, that would be huge, huge, huge. And would help us to not have that worry about that structural deficit in a couple years. However, there's a lot of politics to play out between now and a finalized budget from the state of Michigan. Um, but if so, yeah, it's lots of things that are going to come forward. I guess when it comes to the back to the high school and the bond, I
072think we do owe it to the new board members and I'll just say this to allow them to be able to navigate and try to express what they want to see. I think coming in as a new board member, I think it would be bad of me to say, "Well, you don't know, so, you know, listen to me." I think it I owe them the respect because they're coming in with fresh ideas, fresh minds, fresh faces, and they might have a perspective or an idea that's different. And so I just I really want to lean in on the new board members that are here and some that were appointed um to really take the time to navigate this and really take the time to seek out solutions and seek out what you think is best
073for the school district. And I think you know that is owed to you because you are you were elected you were elected to fill this seat and you're elected to represent. And if you feel that that is what you need to do to represent, then absolutely it's respected on my part. So, >> also I wanted >> um have the new board members been offered the all the information that we've already worked through the last two years to get to where we were at about renovating? Like have you any of them been offered any of the paperwork? >> Certain things yet, but probably not everything that we went through at this point. So >> they would know where like the rest of us are at. So I think that's important that they get >> Oh, gladly.
074Yes. >> Yeah. I I I don't know how far were you prepared to take a vote on how to um allocate that money or what we're doing it as a board at that point because >> we have one minute left before the other means. Sorry. >> Oh no, you're good. >> Think towards that, but we knew that a lot of people were going to be returning so we kind of put a hole Okay. >> Um to things because we knew that it was going to be a whole new board. Um but there's a lot of information that I think that you guys all need. >> Yeah. >> Before you, you know. >> Yeah. I think the easiest >> like we should do this or we should do that. Like it needs >> out there so
075they can see what Yeah. has already gone into. >> No, I can gladly share um in my next Friday update. I'll gladly share uh a link to I believe I did a superintendent report in September when I was at the the superintendent conference and I wasn't here and I did a video one that I think was one of the most concise of everything that's taken place up to this point. I can gladly get that out as a starting point and then we can add more information from there. I I'm going to say that it as a board member it needs to be a little bit more detailed and I'm not trying to be disrespectful but I'm saying we have schematics on what it would look like if Masco what the schematics of what this building
076the schematics of the renovation the budgets of those the presentations that were given by plant man by the collaborative we have those all >> that's what should be provided to these new board members so that they can review that and have the detail and facts so that if they have questions I mean you're looking at it with new eyes. We were third option in and defeated and beaten and just like >> stress and so you all are coming in >> option for that. >> Yeah. >> So you guys need to see that see the number so you know we're not coming into that like >> oh let's just throw it out because it's that easy because it's not. >> Yeah. Understood. >> Now, as a new board member, I agree. We'd love to see that.
077And it'd be nice if we had some orientation, too. Maybe once a month have different topics where the attorneys can come in, go over things like open meetings act, things like that. I mean, orientation would be nice. Well, I would just like to say that, you know, that getting the committees back together and my vision is that it's a way for um our board members to sit down with directors, find out exactly where whatever information you think needs to have, and then we come back together and share that um information with everybody on the board. Uh, and it's so at any rate, I think Ble Sher will send out a um a a Google form asking you to sign up for a committee or two. Once those are filled, we'll push them out to the
078appropriate director and um start schedule meetings. I think she was also going to ask um when's a good time to meet, that type of thing, right? Am I wrong, Gracie? >> Anything else? >> Probably should adjourn here. >> Okay. Well, go ahead. I think we're almost just about done. >> Any more discussion regarding um what we've been talking about the bond the money or anything else? >> Uh I would just just like to see more of these scheduled and have it be an open form like this. I think that is like you said more transparent to the community and a way for this new board to really be open and bring the community along in this process. >> Exactly. And that that's the goal. We'll see. >> Is this being televised? I take it. Yeah,
079we're being >> It is being Okay, good. Good. So, people can watch at home. Yeah. Want to make sure. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, now I guess we'll move on to public comment. Is there anyone wishing to address the board? Mrs. Pats, bear with me a second. Thank you to all for all that you do that you can be with us tonight. We understand the importance of continuing to keep you informed and providing an opportunity for you to be heard. Public comment will begin with those in person and then move on to our online audience. For those in person, please step to the microphone, state your name, address, and address for the record. After the inerson comment, our online audience will need to find and raise the hand symbol or moderator to recognize and unmute.
080Please take into consideration common courtesy, refrain from any personal attacks, and keep your comments to 3 minutes or less. We will provide an assistant and assist with uh timekeeping. So each guest will be able to monitor their own time and know when to conclude so all who wish to speak will have the equal opportunity to do so. As a reminder, if there are any questions at this meeting or by some other avenue, Superintendent Wagger or his designate B will work on getting those answers in a timely manner. Okay. Don't need that. >> Caroline Pants 6860 Jackson. Um, speaking of Holland and things not done over there, when I was at Meyers, there was just little things here and there and I'm sure when Jack goes over there, he'll have his check off list, but like
081the door in the library, all you had to do is just pull the door. it was would not lock or shut. You just could just push it. And then of course I know the booths are not put in there yet. But um there they do have the heating and that's that's a good thing. But there are some little things everywhere in those three buildings that were renovated that need to be taken care of. Um I'm one of those people who did not get that call um you know and for the survey that and I know it was mainly to say would you go for another bond. You're never going to get another bond in Taylor. I'm telling you >> that's pretty much what the data say. 69 years, you know, I've been in Taylor. You'll
082never get another one. Um, and I don't know really about um voting on bonds on how this works. You said the 100 um million is set off the side forever. Is there anything that can be done that the voters could come back and vote on something like that to say, "Okay, we don't want that 100 now." You know, I don't know if there is or is there something. >> Jim Cwley, our bond attorney uh for Miller Canfield, he did say to us uh that even voters cannot go back and resend that there is case law that went all the way up to Michigan Supreme Court that says that and I forget he said the case I think was in the 1970s and there was a community that did want to go back and revote and
083the Supreme Court. No, once the authority is given it is given into perpetuity and uh exists there. So, >> so if you ever have another bond that goes on the ballot, that needs to let you need to let the president know that. >> Correct. And you'd have to spend up what's there first, I think, before you the state would probably even >> But I mean, you let let the voters know. Guess what? If we don't use this, >> sorry, you can't take it back. You need to let them know that. So, >> that makes sense. >> Yeah. Okay. Thank you. >> Anyone else wishing to address the board? >> I would entertain a motion to discharge. Motion by Shufeld, second one. >> I think like five minutes in between. >> No. >> Okay. Did I
084get support on that motion? >> I did. >> Okay. Thank you. Either call >> uh Wright, >> yes. >> Block, >> yes. >> Fields, >> yes. >> Mory, yes. Madarski, >> yes. >> Morris, >> yes. >> That passes 70. We are um adjournment 606.