001Guys, if you can hear me. I don't hear anything on site. I can hear you, Carl, but I can't hear the board. >> Yeah, neither can I. except he didn't want you there. >> Then 18 years go by, comes back. As it turns out, he runs an organization dedicated to saving innocent lives. Good evening everyone. I'm going to call this uh board of ed meeting to order at 6:38. Please join us for the pledge of allegiance. Do I have any public comment from the audience tonight? Seeing none. Any public comment online? I don't see any there either. So, we will move um into our first agenda item. Troy, do you have any correspondence? I do not. >> Okay. I do not either. So, uh, superintendent report. >> Okay. Good evening. Um, just some staffing updates.
002I have mentioned before, uh, the previous meeting that we had hired a new math teacher, but I put on here again, uh, just for clarity. Maya Brody will be our new math teacher at Wheeler. Um, Elise Yanus will be our new French teacher. and newly uh hired uh just a few days ago. Caitlyn Newman will be the new coral director. Uh all of these people are fairly new teachers uh but really enthusiastic and um I think are going to be great additions uh to our school system. We're we do have an ad out for the 40% time library media specialist at Wheeler. We do have some applicants and that's in process. Uh and then we are thinking about hiring a an a a an assistant uh for the media center because the hours would be
003uh reduced at Wheeler with someone that's 40% time. Someone who can do book circulation and maybe handle some of the technology uh Chromebooks coming in and out as they maybe they need repair. Um so that's where we are with staffing. Um, yeah, you can you can ask as we go. Sure. >> So, just really quick, do we I know I don't need this answer right now, but do we know what the budget impact is of those new teachers versus what we had on staff before when we did the budget? Yeah, in my in my um my I had sent an email to the board uh prior to this and I I kind of estimated we hadn't hired the coral director yet, but we were we're around $50,000 uh to the good. >> Okay, >> when
004we look at what we budgeted for the positions versus what we hired, >> okay, but that's not >> for those I that's not an exact figure. Okay, >> because we hadn't hired the coral director yet. Uh but >> so >> all of all of them are are new teachers. >> Okay. So if we could get that number that would be helpful. >> We can get it exact. >> I don't need it right this second. And then did we budget for a Wheeler media assistant? Was that a position? >> We didn't we didn't budget for it. Uh but um with I'm hoping that there'd be enough savings in other areas where we could afford to do a part-time person with no benefits that would be relatively inexpensive that could we for example right now we pay
005a current par extra hours to come in early to watch kids from Preston in Volunttown to supervise them because they they have to be dropped off early. Um, and rather than doing that, we could hire someone to assist in the library and they could just come in early and so to do that function plus expand the hours for the library media center. So, we're looking at how to do that. It might be a combination of that with some teachers on duty uh to cover some hours in the library as well. So, I'm working with the administration on on how to do that. >> Okay. Is it a problem having apparel come in early to do it right now? Are we having issues with that? No, but uh but it wouldn't we could actually have that
006the parah has other duties once school starts, >> right? >> So if we had someone as a library assistant, they could also be there to check out books for kids uh during that morning time where that that par would have to go to other duties. >> Okay. I just asked that we seek kind of a job a uh what do you call it? >> A job description. job description and exactly how that would look and what the budget impact is before we move forward with that. >> Thank you. >> I'm just going to uh quickly agree with Christine. Um given that we changed the media specialist position um for budgetary and I think useth reasons. Um I'd like to see what our actual savings is coming down to 40% if we have to make a
007new hire. um given what we went through during budget season. Um I would it's all about that sustainable planning and I just want to make sure if we're hiring media assistant that that's something that's sustainable and won't be problematic for us on the other side of the budget. >> We we have not advertised for that position at this point. We're trying we're doing one step at a time. uh we're going to kind of see who we hire for the the the library media specialist and if that person's working two days a week or they working every morning or every afternoon or some variation. Uh so a lot depends on the person we hire for that the library media position to see what gaps maybe need to be filled. Yep. Um you know I gave this
008ahead of time. I don't know uh if you want me to continue to review everything here. Okay. So, we may have some additional special ed expenses. Um I think that is I just wanted to let you know as I learned of that and more to come later. And yes, I think it's too early to go and ask for an appropriation, but it it could at some point down the road come to that and because we budgeted for what we knew, right? So, I'm just giving uh the board a heads up that that that may come up. Uh innovative instruction. >> Can we just back up to that? Yeah. Can you give me a sense of um what that process looks like? So, when is the first time and I know you don't know specifics >>
009in in a timeline. When is the first time that you become aware that we might have an additional expense that we didn't budget for in the special education like area? often often there's uh meetings PPT meetings >> I'm talking I'm sorry I'm talking specifically about this situation so what was the timeline with this >> I don't want to talk specifics I want to talk timeline so for example we just had a significant overage and so I'm wondering if there's a different way to handle this we're going to talk a little later about my visit to the board of finance >> it was after the after the budget passed Yeah, for sure. >> There was there was a there was a meeting after the budget passed. >> Uh but that that meeting is not even finalized
010uh with the plan. So >> So my concern I guess maybe I'm doing a poor job articulating uh my concern is that we have become aware of a need um that we likely have even though we're not sure exactly what that number looks like. and we just had this large surplus at the end of the year and I'm I'm at the board of finance meeting talking about trophy cases and um and and tents and I'm really excited about them. Um and then they had sort of a negative response to that and I get the negative response. I mean I think we all sort of knew what that response might look like. Um I'm I'm wondering if there's a better way to handle a surprise increase rather than look immediately to the appropriation. Like is there
011a way to use that surplus? >> Maybe there might be. Okay. And that's why I said we may want to do that, right? I didn't say when we would do that. >> No, no, no. But if we may want to do that, we would want to hold off on purchases, right? >> Not necessarily. I mean that's I mean these are things when we when we prepare the budget and for special education. Uh we're not we're not buffering it by all right here here's we we and we were very clear we're budgeting for what we know and what we know can change. We could have students move into town that have significant needs that we're going to pay for. Right? Anything can change at any time. Um we could have students move out of town that
012have significant needs. So, I I don't think our budget should be tied up and, you know, frozen or locked up because we have a change in special ed needs. I think at some point if we can't cover it with our budget, and I don't think we should not spend stuff in a budget to be able to cover it, I think we should go to the town for appropriation if we need to. >> I I'm sorry. I'm not speaking about utilizing our budget. I'm talking about utilizing the overage in a way different than we talked about. So, you're right. We don't ask you to build in buffers. In fact, I think we used to sort of do that and we asked you to pull that real back really far back. We like our budget to be
013leaned in only about the things that we know. But because we had an unexpected overage that did cause some concern and I think we'll continue >> I'm sorry. >> Underage underage right as right overage underage. Uh surplus I think is is the way I like to say it. Um, we I think have a responsibility to say should that be used to offset some sort of increased need in special education rather than going back to the town for an appropriation as those are education dollars that the taxpayer has already paid. Are should we be applying them to >> years? >> What's that? >> They're in different fiscal years. >> Exactly. But if we rolled that into our non-lapsing rather than spending it, we could allocate it differently and we could take items out of the budget
014into non-lapsing. So there's things that we could do. >> Um I think we should probably make this part of the bigger discussions because I think there's >> we don't want to be in silos of this is just this year's budget. >> We want to look at the entire picture and and I I get where you're going with that, but we >> we need to be strategic about that. Again, going back to maybe what our spending is, if we know some other things are coming, is there some reallocation we can do? Yes. >> Um, but I do think that's part of a bigger discussion. >> Oh, I agree. I just I thought we should sort of begin that conversation now. Troy, you can go ahead and finish your report. >> Sorry, I didn't mean to cut
015you off. I agree as well. >> Okay. So, as as you probably know that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges will be sending us a committee on October 22nd and 23rd uh to start the the process of district accreditation. We're the first district in the state of Connecticut to be doing that process. Uh we met with the chair uh Erin Mcgherk who I spent some time with at the chair's conference a couple weeks ago in Beverly Mass. I go every year to that conference. It's great professional development and networking. And then she came here uh and she met with the administrative team to talk about the process and put uh just kind of go through it and all that and she indicated after meeting with us she thought we were in really good
016shape. Uh we are currently working on the self-study uh report that we have to prepare for the team uh and we'll have that ready for them. Uh so that that's really exciting. They're going to give us some good feedback about our school district improvement efforts and it'll it's like an outset out outside set of eyes educators who are volunteers uh who you know come from their own districts and and provide some expertise on what we're doing. So it's a really valuable process. Uh so we're excited about that. We also scheduled some smartboard training uh for the beginning of the year. uh someone from learn is coming to train people on Smartboards and some other uh technology tools that we have. Um and I did send an email out to the staff regarding the technology and
017the board's investment in new technology and how uh this is going to be a serious focus of this year is utilizing that instructional technology. >> Can I just ask a quick question? Are all the smartboards installed? >> I think that is actually an agenda item a little bit later. We're going to get a technology update. >> The plan is for them to be installed by the beginning of the year. >> Uh some have been installed already. Um Deb Dwire, Cub Club director, has worked with Home Depot uh to get them to donate a plastic storage shed. Uh we got a zoning permit to put it behind the elementary school to be used to store uh equipment for not just Cub Club, but also recess during the school day. So Rob is also excited about this.
018So that will be going in and it's about a $1,000 uh shed. Uh and they're going to donate the labor Home Depot is to to do that. So that's nice. Uh we are ahead of schedule with maintenance custodial work um a bit for for the elementary school. Anyway, all the classrooms have been cleared and uh cleaned and furniture put back. Um and then now the focus will be on Wheeler moving forward. I'll talk about uh the sprinkler later. Uh and then yeah, so that's it. Any questions? >> Trey, I really appreciate you planning that training. I I feel like um you really heard the concerns of the board and uh some of the concerns of the public about underutilization of technology and I and I think that there was some questions about how it was
019being used. So I appreciate you trying to bring that training to the teachers. Um it makes me feel really good about our investment. Any other questions for Troy? Okay. So, I um gosh, it's been a long time since we talked. So, I spoke with Allan several times when uh the sprinklers were first being purchased and put in. So far, I have signed for approximately $11,630 of our 195 that we allocated uh that could be spent. The majority of that was on the actual piece of equipment that was like $11,320. Um so, a few other bills have have come in like little pieces, gaskets, that sort of stuff. And I know that there's uh some talk about a a pump. Yeah. So, that's where we're at with that. Um, I met with Bob Carlson and Suzanne
020at uh town hall to discuss the maintenance transition that took place on July 1st. U, my understanding is that Randy and Allan are working together to sort of go through things um what's happening sort of an informal audit about what's going on in the buildings. Um, so on the 31st, um, the town hall people, so Bob, Suzanne, Allan, um, and then the school people, Randy, Troy, Kathy, and myself are all going to sit down together and we're going to discuss, um, like how is this actually going to work? And so when Randy finds something, how does he communicate that to Allan? And then um how does how does Randy know that that Allen's people have have seen it and gotten it and and how does that work? Um as well as checking in with them
021about how their audit is going. Um and and talk about the real life implementation of this um if there are any issues, what we think those are, try and troubleshoot them. Following that, sometime in August, I'm going to be scheduling a joint board of ed, board of selectman meeting so that we can have Randy and Allan sort of report out to us on what this audit was, um, what things are going on, and then everyone can get really comfortable with the process, ask questions, that sort of stuff. So, I will, um, send out some dates to you all after that 7:31 meeting because still a lot of schedules to coordinate. So, we'll do that then. I went to the board of finance meeting on 7:16. I don't know how many of you had the opportunity
022um to watch that meeting. I'm the first agenda item if you want to watch it. Um and it I was there for an hour. Um it was a difficult meeting if you've watched it. Um Judy was actually present for it. Um the there were significant concerns as we anticipated regarding the amount of money that we ended the year with and that looking largely uh different than what it was that we talked about during budget season. Um I think the feedback I was getting was that the message that we're delivering during budget season uh doesn't match what we do and say um after budget season is over. And and while I think the explanation is perfectly plausible and quite frankly, um they totally got it too. And Kathy, I think everyone again continues to be thankful
023that you're sort of combing through things and and finding things and fixing them and that next year's budget is is yours. You've built it and it will be yours uh to implement and and it's just going to be much smoother than it was this year. Um, but I think that some of the some of the trust has been eroded and so I understand that. Um, but it was it was difficult. I think I'll just leave it there and ask that if you haven't watched it that you watch it so you can get a good sense of what everyone's concerns are. Um, I think there were some times where um there there was uh a little bit of maybe more questions than I thought should be answered at a board of finance meeting and I tried
024to redirect back um to our board of education meeting. I heard your feedback in prior meetings about um being more of a buffer for our staff and uh Troy and Kathy actually didn't attend that meeting with me. I did it on my own. I like to just mention I did watch it uh and uh Stephanie did an excellent job in handling all their inquiries. >> I think it's just something for us to be aware of that if we want if I think a team approach is best for us um in working with the town and advancing our educational agenda. And if we want a team approach, we have to be mindful about how to do that and and making sure we're creating environments where we're doing what we're saying and we're saying what we're doing.
025Um and um the last thing I'd like to tell you is that I will be resigning from my board of ed seat effective uh November 5th with two years left on my term. I've enjoyed my time with the board. Um, but it's time for me to focus on other things. Um, I have notified the town clerk and the DTC chair. And I am giving this notice because I do believe it will impact the ballot and the election. And I think Antinet will be able to talk both um both party chairs through what that means. So that is my report. onto our facility. I mean, you can uh just really quick, I I listened to the board of finance meeting as well. >> Um and I'm sure you probably at some point told us you were
026doing that, but like a quick text just saying, "Hey, I'm going to be doing this." I I think you could have used some support that night. Um, and I I for one having known you were doing that and I know like I said you probably told me at some point but >> I put it in my my email report the week before. >> Okay. Because I don't remember I didn't I didn't get an email report the week before or if I did anyway I missed it. So even a quick text like hey just a reminder we're presenting at the board of finance because I felt like I could have supported you maybe a little bit better. You were in there by yourself. Um, and I appreciate you taking that, but I always think whenever we're
027presenting to the board of finance, we definitely shove Troy there as well. >> I think that we have to think about that. So, I actually um was doing a lot of thinking and purposely didn't invite Troy and told him, "No, you don't have to come." And so, part of my thinking um actually was based on some conversation that we had as a board. And I think that in addition to working as a team with the board of finance, I think we also have to remember what those boundaries are. We talked a little bit about those in the tri board. Um and in maintaining that team approach and that collaboration, I think boundaries are really important and everybody stays within their role. And so while it is our obligation, the rules say we have to send
028a monthly report to the board of finance, right? But there is no rule that says that we have to um appear or that the superintendent needs to appear, that Kathy needs to appear. But I think those things are really helpful and I think they help with with the um the building the trust and getting people to know other people. I think it's been incredibly helpful over the last two years with Troy being a new superintendent this year with Kathy being new. I think all of your facetime has really been helpful, but I want to make sure that we're not like stretching our staff too far. Uh this was a standard. We'd like to review your monthly financials with you. Um and I don't I don't want our staff to feel like they are at the
029beck and call of not only our board but other boards. And I think that may be important to help retain staff and create a work life balance. So certainly if in the future you want to change the way that happens um you know feel free but it certainly was a deliberate decision on my part not not to have them there. >> Um I just want to chime in that I didn't get an email. I don't think any of >> I'm sorry. I think well I will go through it was either in the minutes or an email but I did mention perhaps it was in my last monthly report to you here that I would be attending the board of finance. I'll look for it and send it to you all. It's certainly something that I
030talk about. No, no. I just wanted to clarify that. I don't think >> Sure. I'm not going to look during the meeting, but I'll go ahead and try. >> I would only be concerned that if we're not getting emails that we should be getting because >> Well, then it must not have been in an email because I'm sure you would have gotten it. One of you at least. Other questions? Okay. So, I will I will update you on the um 7:31 meeting with the town. We can go ahead and move on to financials. >> Can I just make a comment? >> Sure. >> Well, now that you said that you've been resigning on November 5th, I just wanted to um thank you for your service. >> Thanks. We'll have lots of time to do that.
031>> Okay. Well, I just wanted to >> Thanks, Lisa. I appreciate that. >> All right. Um so, everyone got their financial report. Um, Christine, you sent in a ton of really good questions and I know we didn't have a finance committee meeting, but do you want to sort of lead this conversation? I thought your questions were really helpful. Okay, good. And did everybody get the responses more importantly? Okay. Um, so just my couple of quick questions. Uh, let's see. Let's see. Let's see. The returning of COVID grant funds to the state. Um, were we, and I know this doesn't probably apply to you, but when you're talking to your other superintendents and stuff, were they expecting that that was going to come from the state at some point that any unused COVID funds would be
032returned or is that a one-off just to us or I was just kind of surprised since that was from 2020 to 2023? Like, are we able to narrow down what years or anything like that that that came from or I just hate giving money back to the state, you know, we don't have to. >> Yeah. No, I don't blame you. Um, when I actually when I got the letter, I called the the woman whose name was on it and it was five different grants over three different years and it was a thousand here and a thousand here and a thousand here and I thought, "Holy Toledo, Batman, no, we're not going to go back and try to recreate this." Right? So, that's why we returned the funds. But I think um given the way the
033state and the federal government was throwing money around during COVID that we were not the only folks that were asked to be you know we needed to account for every dime we used and we failed to do that. I'm sure there are many other cities and towns that failed to do that right. Um fortunately it was only $12,000 and we paid that back again. It was a over a three-year period and a multitude of grants that added up to that. So, it was nickeling and dimming here and there and um there was no way for me to go back and recreate what had happened back then. >> All right. Thank you. And I mean, we were fortunate it wasn't a huge amount. So, that's that's good. Um the other question I had was about the
034classroom coverage, vacation payout. I think you answered that well. Um teachers covering for their peers but not setting time sheets until the year end. um sick pay, the retirement payout, that didn't seem like that really panned out for us so well, huh? Did we come out ahead on that or not? Really? >> Well, I think we did. Um, so we for it was the the French teacher had resigned, right? The the and the the French teacher we hired is a new first year teacher. >> Okay. >> All right. So >> that so that's >> Yeah. So it actually just for that one position alone we came out ahead. >> Okay. Even with the payout. Okay. Okay. Um let's see here. All right. So I I don't have any questions on that. I guess um again
035we you know my question was if we could maybe just keep looking at stipen positions with an upcoming contract and also teachers covering for classrooms. I think would be nice to look at as well. It' be nice to have the real teacher in the real classroom instead of a lot of coverage, but I know it happens. I mean, it's just what happens. So, um, and I'm glad to hear we are adequately funded for electricity as far as we know. You know, that can change. Um, and then just the agreeance that we're not going to have kind of use the word appropriation right now. Everybody >> I will not use that word in speech or written language in the near future. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Does anybody else have a question
036about this report? >> Um I So I just had a question regarding I can't quite get this here. There we go. >> Um the the tax penalty payout. I know there was some discussion that perhaps through an appeal process we might be getting some of that back. Is that overdone with? We paid that. We're not going to get any of it back or >> um we paid it and I filed the grievance. I got that it was acknowledged, but nothing. >> So, we're still just sitting on that hoping that >> I I would honestly I don't believe we'll get anything back. I I think the IRS has pretty much decimated their number of folks to to review it. Um, and frankly, every time I called the IRS, they'd say, "Well, you guys did this in
037the past and we gave you a break. You did this and we gave you a break." You're only given so many breaks before they say, "Hey, you got to pay the bill." on on the good side. I when I first started here a year ago, you folks had an issue with the state of Rhode Island and I remember you said, "Is that all resolved?" And um I did just finish resolving that. Yay. It cost us a couple of thousand. But the big thing was we were paying the money, but we weren't filing the forms. So, they had no idea where to apply it. So, I had to go back to 2020, 2021, and 2022 and recreate the 941s. Um, so we got a couple of penalties. It was about two grand and I appealed the
038penalties. I really think we might get that back because Rhode Island is much more receptive than the federal government, but that at least that issue is done. So, >> Kathy, that's really good work. Thank you. >> And the the federal issue is also done, correct? It's just we might get some positive on the back end >> and I will follow up on that and and send them another request at least to say hey is somebody even going to acknowledge the fact that we requested it but I honestly don't believe we'll go anywhere with it. >> Have we um so I pushed off the finance committee meeting because I just wasn't ready to go through all that. Um, I think if you when you decide stuff when you're going to do the joint board of ed
039selectment meeting, maybe we can try to >> piggyback it onto that like prior that so that we're not having two separate meetings if >> so just when you come up with that just kind of remind me. >> Okay. >> I'll send you some dates too and we'll see if we can make it work. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> I have one question. Um, on the transportation line, field trip funding 113,000. Is that from the student activities report? Which line is it? >> I'm sorry. It's that it's your um it's the >> the variance analysis. >> The variances. Yes, Kathy. Um, so it's line 219, transportation. >> Yep. Uh, so what happened is um we had one less bus. We all knew that that was going to save us. But um over the past couple of
040years when families have paid for field trips, the money got deposited in the activity of fun uh fund, but the the bill for the bus got paid out of operating. So I took all of those monies from the field trips and sent them to the town to reimburse them so that that we got the credit back. Um, we also the activity fund if you remember was on a prehistoric accounting system and we've since put it on to QuickBooks online um and restructured it uh so that it now balances and we know everything works. Um but there was roughly God off top of my head I did I put it here $20,000 that that came back to transportation from all the field trips. Um and that was the right thing to do. So, >> it's absolutely
041the right thing to do. And also, I I thank you for saying that out loud in a recorded meeting that you've because we've heard about the activities fund on the archaic computer and that now you've been through it. You've moved it. It's with QuickBooks. Um, that's really uh faster than I anticipated you'd be able to get that done. So, >> we still have the lunch and the scholarships, but we're almost there. >> Well, I feel like you're making really good progress. Um, anyone else questions with this financial report? >> I guess I just want to kind of echo that special activities fund because we've kind of talked about it. It seems like there's not really a great policy surrounding the usage of it and what's going on with it. And I was just wondering maybe
042if that's something maybe Troy you can kind of look into as something on your on your to-do list because it just seems a little complicated and unclear. I I would agree with you. Now that I've been able to um correct all of the balances and put them in the right buckets, um I send a monthly report to the secretaries who disseminate it which shows here's what you brought in, here's what you spend, any questions. Um, but I I do have a little aida in who can request money from the account and what documentation because oftentimes I'll get a paper that says, you know, I need $1,000 for XYZ. Well, that's not an invoice, folks. So, I I push back to say, I need to know what we're spending this money on. So, we've started and
043and Mariela, our accountant, um to make sure that we have documentation before we just write a check to Huey, Dewey, and Louie from the activity fund. So, we're pretty we're trying to tap down on that. But, as we do it, to your point, Jamie, an excellent point, we're going to start writing the procedure so that they know how we're going to treat it. >> Yeah. For context, I'm specifically talking about this sixth grade fundraising, which seems to be a little um ambiguous and up for interpretation. So, um I prefer protocols where everything is kind of, you know, very clear on what we do and that kind of thing. >> Sorry, just piggybacking on that. Um is that something that we want as a board policy or is that something that should be a central office
044operating procedure? >> I think it should be an operating procedure. >> Okay. >> I just wanted to make I I didn't know because it involves staff and the request process. I didn't know if we wanted I would look into a policy if if you wanted me to look into a policy, but if it's going to be an operating procedure, then you guys handle that on HR. >> How long do you think it would take to get an operating procedure put together? >> Um, what month are we in? July. >> We're in July. >> Um, by the end of September. >> Okay. So, maybe uh in the first meeting of October or something, they could have a report out on that. >> So, we're working on updating this financial procedure guide. >> Will it be in
045there? So, it probably will go in here. Well, Kathy and I will talk about if that's the spot for it. Probably is. Uh but, um, a lot of this is, you know, it's a couple years old. Uh, so it needs some updating. Uh, so that's a project that, um, my central office is knows is, uh, going to be a priority. And I would throw in scholarships with that because as I started to reconcile the scholarship um ledger, there were a number of scholarships we were still giving out even though we didn't have any money left in the in the bucket. I was like really guys. Um so I think to your point, we'll make sure we have a policy for that too. Okay. Thank you. >> I just wrote it down so that it'll get
046we'll remember to put it on the October agenda. Kathy, I love that you just gave yourself like another job there. >> Thanks. That's great. >> Um, okay. Well, you heard my sprinkler update. Troy has sprinkler and irrigation. >> Yeah. Brandon, could you pull up that PowerPoint? I believe it's the second slide. Let me just go to that. Okay. And uh Randy, feel free to chime in on this. I I I'll start and maybe the board will have some questions, but this is uh I already sent you these pictures in an email, but I I wanted to put them here uh for the board meeting. This is the water reel. Some people call it the wheel uh but it's called water reel. Uh and what happens, it's a sprinkler system. So, this black tubing gets all
047stretched out across the field and that's where the sprinkler head is at the end of the tube and then it retracts and it's watering the lawn as it retracts. It retracts very slowly, but then the whole thing needs to be moved over to get the second half of the field. Uh, it's been working pretty well. Uh, however, the water pressure could be a little higher. Therefore, when we had Alan Lad here talking about and you guys approved to spend up to I think $19,500, um we may want to replace one of the pumps to get a little bit more pressure. Uh so, uh it is there is some labor obviously associated uh with it to set up. I think Randy takes like about a half an hour to get it set up. >> Yep. And
048then then it has to be moved at some point during the day and then broken down at the end of the day. >> Is Randy the only one that can move that? >> Does he have staff that could do that? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. Great. Thanks. >> Okay. So, I I also wanted to address with you um the RFP for irrigation and how we were we were surprised. We only got one bid and we were surprised the one bid was really high. Uh so I I found out some information and talking with uh and communicated with some of the contractors and with Tom advisers that Kevin Defor uh who had talked to some people as well. Uh so there were multiple factors it seems involved. One is the the one bid that we get
049are known as a typically a higher bidder. That's one reason. The timing of the request was another factor. We had put it out pretty late in the spring hoping for a summer or fall project and these companies have jobs lined up already. So they they are careful in you know which jobs they're going to pick. Um there was some unclarity around the water supply uh and that may have been a contributing factor as well because we were like yeah we have this well um and we tested determine the volume and all that. We gave that information right away. We did say look you may have to build a secondary well which is the one bid that we got included that. So, we were trying to respond very quickly, but I think uh the uncertainty of
050some of the well uh the the water source was a contributing factor to maybe fewer bids. Also, um confusing it was the fact that we included maps uh of the system uh in the bid. And the maps really were drawn up for the purpose of making sure we weren't disturbing archaeological artifacts. Remember we had to do that and and that's why we had the maps drawn up. But I think even though we clarified with the contractors that came, they I think looked at these and said, "Oh, this is how we have to do it. This is these are how many heads we have to put in from the maps." But the the the RFP was for the design and installation. That's what it was called. And I think there was confusion about that even though
051we clarified that. And um I do think the one bid that we got may have been going off of the maps rather than the what was written in the RFP. Uh and then uh lastly another factor I believe is the case uh that there was a change of personnel in our advising firm Tom Irwin adviserss during this time. You remember we had uh someone Ian Lacy come and speak to us. Well he left that firm at some point like in the fallish when we were like trying to get the RFP ready and everything. And so the new person didn't even realize that they actually supplied these maps to us. All right. And and so we discovered that right during the process. So there was some confusion on the new person's part. And I think all
052of that together uh resulted in some uncertainty. Now the good thing is um I have some information that uh shows that probably what we were thinking to spend is pretty much in the ballpark of what we should expect to spend for the irrigation system. So we might want to consider trying to clarify all these issues so that we can and get the RFP out again in the fall with the idea of they have time to plan and we want it done in the summer. or in the fall. In fact, I've learned that they I can actually do it in the winter even with some frozen ground. So, uh just I think what we need to do is see how the sprinkler system goes, see the sustainability of the labor, um and then determine if we
053want to just continue with that or we do want to actually pursue the irrigation. So, that's the update on that. years. >> I think we have what was it? Two two or three years plus you can appeal for an extra year. >> Um sorry, can I just follow up? Um I think I had asked at the last meeting with Allan about whether or not we could modify our grant to be a system like this. Um do you have any updates on it? >> I don't, but I I will that's one of the things that I need to talk to Alan about. Okay. I guess the only thing that I'm a little um concerned about is that we paid a lot of money for the RFP. >> Yeah. >> From this company and then it sounds
054like they messed up the RFP. >> Um so, >> well, we we we added to the RFP as we needed to based on the state agency that's administering uh the program and we had to add a lot to it and uh Suthero as a town had to do a lot of that work. So the RFP was really kind of now a hybrid of what Tom Associates produced and what we had to add to it. Um but yeah, no I hear you. Um I I I I wasn't particularly happy with the service of Tomwan Associates either, >> especially after I learned that um I had to I had to go back through old emails like over a year ago and forward it to him and say actually two different topics. One was on the map, one
055was on something else saying, "No, actually you guys did give us this information. It is from you." Um, >> would they do the next one for us with no charge since they >> I can ask >> since they made this error? I think they could do good by us that way. And then my only other concern would be asking for another well doesn't make sense. If the well one from what I'm understanding, if one well dries up, if we dig one right next to it, that one's going to be dry as well. It's on the same water table basically. So, I'm wondering if we leave that piece out and just really get our water supply chain out that I' I've been told other things regarding that as well. Someone a well expert actually came out
056and actually suggested a secondary well um and Randy was there with the with the people that came out. I think at least for me before uh we decided to go out to RFP again, I would want to be really clear that the board was aware of what what the scope of this project was, right? So when we started, we we found out about the secondary well sort of in in real time as it was happening. And so I think I'd like us to be able to hear all of that as well as get some of this data that we were hoping to get from running the sprinkler system about how much water is in our well especially during the summer and probably the hottest dry season uh that we'll have uh before we start thinking
057about and then I guess I guess again like do we do we need it or or is this sufficient? So once all that happens, uh, like maybe we could have a bigger conversation about it. Um, but I would h I would hate to repeat something and and be stuck in the same situation where we're just not sure. >> Great. >> I just have a quick question about the pump. Are we going to use that till it dies and then replace it or are we going to purchase one because that one's on its way out. >> Randy, you can probably speak better to this, but my understanding is that there are two pumps. Is that right? one's working now and then the thought was can that one maintain right and so we're trying but the water
058pressure isn't just low isn't it inconsistent isn't that the problem so like it's the the water pressure should be consistent and so I think that Allan tried to replace some of like the little things like um some things that might cause that problem and then that wasn't helping and so process of elimination it really is that other pump. >> Do you want to I'm sorry. No one can hear you online. Sorry to make you stand up. >> That's on. Oh, there you go. >> Thank you. So, the pump that's there now, it's working. We know a newer pump, more pressure. We could do more. Um because we actually have two areas that we lower the fields. We have the one that's by the soccer lacrosse scoreboard which that one has more pressure um because I've
059been watching the gauge as it's working and the other one is by the old flag pole which is around the circle or where the rocks are facing the softball and baseball field. That's the one that's dropping the pressure. Now Allan said that he did order like new gasket a rebuilt kit inside that might get it to work like the one over by the soccer field but if we did have more pressure another pump it could probably run more efficiently and be able to get further across the field because we have other heads that we can use depending on the pressure to actually spray the water further as well. Um, so right now we're just testing to see what happens. And this might take all this summer, early fall season to really test it to get
060it. Um, right now we're running the way we're running it, we're doing about 14,500 gallons an hour. So if I'm running it for 7 hours, you're figuring about maybe 15,000 gallons total for the day. If I'm running for about seven or eight hours. Um, so so far it's working. I will say though, even though it's been a dry, we had a very wet spring. And when we open that well to take a look at it, um I don't know if Wayne was I don't know if you were there when we did it, but when we open up that there was water that actually got into the top cover of the well that was still present. So it was very very wet. Now obviously with dry summer it's drying out because the areas were not w
061you see the grass is starting to dry out. But it's it's kind of a test to see how this really works. But >> have you been able to run it dry yet? >> No. >> Okay. >> We have not. So, >> well, I thought that I think that that's sort of one of the things that we want to see, right? Run it dry and then how fast >> Yes. How fast >> how fast does the water come back? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Great. Thank you. >> And the other thing, >> so I I would just say number one, I I think that we get the pump because of the fact that we can't see what the effect of irrigation is if it's inconsistent. So if we have a space where we're saying we
062need this amount of water that's going onto the grass on a weekly basis in order to be able to have healthy grass in the way that we want it. If we have inconsistent pressure, then we're not getting the correct amount of water in those different areas. So I think that that piece of it just because it is a small investment compared to the other pieces of things we're considering based on how this is going to work. Um, so I would just be very much in favor of the idea that we purchase that pump, we get it going correctly so that we have the full idea of what this is going to look like. Um, secondarily, I I I have to say I I think that if we have to start looking at a second well,
063we need to almost restart our whole conversation because to me that's it's a different style of investment. It's a different process going into that. And if there's a way that we can do it with this that wouldn't require us to have a whole new well that's being put into place, I I think that that that conversation does need to before we go into any new RFP, I would just I would want to have a real deep dive into costbenefit processes of this. So, thank you for running this. I think that it's awesome. I think it's cool to see this thing. I think that that that it I'm I'm hoping that we'll see at least some fruits of our labor come fall in terms of the condition of these fields because I know our kids deserve
064to play on good solid safe fields. So >> yeah, the lacrosse soccer field is with even with the dry spell we're going through is actually looking pretty decent. Um we got some dry areas on the left edge. That's because just like I said way that we have to move the pump around. It's not quite reaching over there unless we fully ran down the other end. But this is just I mean we've run it about seven times now. So it's just a matter of seeing how it goes. So yeah. Okay. Yeah. >> That's great. Mr. Coats, do you We're having like a larger conversation about field care and all of that a little later on the agenda. I'm happy to have you speak now if you want to or if you want to wait to have
065like the bigger conversation. Okay. All right. Um end of the year spending everybody has that report. this try, correct me if I'm wrong, but these are the items that you had gone over with us um at the last meeting. This is the stuff that you had suggested and then I had asked you for this for the board of finance meeting and so I used this report there. >> Yep. >> Um have all of these items actually been purchased? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Does anybody have questions about this report? Um, I don't have a question on it, but one thing that we will I would like to talk about at the finance committee is in listening to the board of finance, um, kind of taking it in a little bit. I think we might want
066a different process to be prepared for if we do have another year end like this. Um, so it isn't looking like a shopping list. um when we're doing budgeting, you know, having an A list, a B list, a C list, we obviously have to cut things from the C and B list to get to where our number needs to be. But then if I and this is just my thought, so certainly if the board thinks differently, but then if we have a year where it's like something happened and we have some savings, then we have a list we go back to that everybody was aware what we cut out of the budget, what we had to go without, and then what we can go back in and purchase. um the concern, you know, in listening
067to them and also kind of in agreeance. I know it's all been purchased now, but it's like maybe we could have just held it firm for a little bit to see what next year's budgeting looks like. Um I I don't have a problem with any of the things we purchased. I get why we got them and what they're for, and they're all for our students. So, that's not the concern. And I just think again back to the process, it does look like we very quickly just picked things where if we went back and said, "Okay, this was our list of things that were cut." It might be a little more transparent as to what we were purchasing. So those are just some things for the finance committee that I'd like to chat about at the
068next meeting. Could I just say something because I too watched the board of finance meeting and of that 70,000 20,000 of it was for the retirey payment 25,000 of it was for uh mathematics that we had already incurred the expense for. So 55,000 or $50,000 of the 70 was not a shopping list. So, the theatrics around a shopping list really bothered me because I think that a lot of the principles put a lot of thought and and Mr. Hopkins did into what we wanted to get. Yeah. Are there some things on there that perhaps we could have put to the wayside? Yes. But overwhelmingly of the $70,000, 50 of it was done. It was legit. It was It had to be done. It was the best thing. It was the right thing. I think it
069was all and I think that like Christine hit the nail on the head. There's nothing wrong with what was purchased. It actually and it's all really defensible stuff and it's stuff that we wouldn't want to see thrown into our budget. Right. >> Right. So, this is really great. I think like Chrissy was saying, it's more it's more like the process. I thought this process would be really great and it it just it didn't go over really great. And so if yeah, if there's a way maybe we're identifying this stuff prior to and then we're ready. But I mean, how could somebody say that like buying the new OT platform swing is irresponsible? It's not. These items all went right to our kids. Um it just I think it's it it's about it's about the process.
070And so >> that was just as a taxpayer and also as the business manager. That was my two cents. So thank you. >> Yeah. And you know, I probably looking back, if I were to go again, I probably would have asked for this document well in advance and sent it out to all of them so they had it in front of them because I feel like as I was going down the list that maybe they weren't digesting that piece and then I tried to circle back to it, but I feel like um you know once the toothpaste is out of the tube kind of thing like I just there was really nothing I could do. So, um, I kept looking at it saying like, geez, there's really nothing here that I can say like, well,
071I'm embarrassed about. I mean, this stuff is really, >> this is really important stuff that I feel like we also, some of the decisions were >> purposefully fiscally responsible decisions like frontloading those early retirements. That was our attempt to keep something out of a budget in the future so that that >> budget threshold is kept low exactly as we've been asked to do. And so I I guess Yeah. But >> so I think yeah, it's not about what we got, but how we did it and and how we talk about it, I guess, is maybe what we want to look at. And maybe Christine, like you said, the finance committee can figure out a a better process way. But I let the board of finance all know that this was going to be in the
072packet for our meeting so that they could see it. And I'm I'm hoping when they look at it, maybe they look at it differently than they heard it the first time. Um, okay. Any more questions about year end spending? All right. Uh, technology update. >> I know technology Troyer. >> The clicker doesn't work. So, uh, just to update on technology a little bit, I'll give you a little bit more information that's on the slide here, but the these are the things that we have purchased. Okay, so we purchased 10 smart ports. We will when we install them all. Um, and we've installed three so far this summer, but we have a plan to install and do wall reinforcements the first week of August. And we hope to start installing all of these boards the first
073week of August towards the end and second week of August and be done and ready to go. And like I said, we have a trainer coming in to do smartboard training on the PD days. We will have a total of 50 functioning smartboards in the district district. And that that's pretty impressive. So, we're really happy about that. Uh we've ordered the 46 uh staff laptops. We've ordered 144 Chromebooks. We've ordered 38 cameras and eight switches. Okay. And we have we're meeting weekly with our technology department that people from learn on-site person uh Kim Hagerty sits on that and she's very helpful in in moving things along. Uh, and we are working with Randy with the the the Smartboard installation and Greg as well. There's there's a lot of coordination with all of this, but we're
074we're hoping we're really uh the thing is we want to get it all done uh before the beginning of the year and we're working really hard to do that. Uh sometimes things don't come in right away. Uh so we do have five of the 10 sport boards that we've ordered that have come in already. They're in boxes. They're labeled. they're ready to go as soon as the walls reinforced, but the other five we hope to come in like next week. And so there there's that kind of issue when you when you order stuff. So, uh, we're hoping we'll be in good shape, but I'll have another update for you on the status of everything in the August meeting about the status of technology. Uh, but we're hopeful we are going to be implementing MFA, which
075is multiffactor authentication as a a cyber security measure. in order to have cyber security insurance, you really need to be doing that. We're a little bit behind and we're not doing that. I've been doing it. I simply get a uh a message on my phone with a a number and I have to put into the computer and it gets me into the system and and so the staff letter I sent let people know about that. We are going to order a few devices for people don't don't want to use their personal phone. They just plug it into their port on the laptop and it will let them in. It's like a key that will let them in. Uh so we're not telling people they must use their personal device, but I think most people will
076find it most more convenient rather than carrying around this device on their keychain. Uh that kind of thing. So we are really looking to upgrade a lot of what we're doing with technology. Uh so I I'm excited. I'll be excited to present the the progress more progress to you uh in a month. I just I want to get a little bit more specific here. So, of the 10 smartboards that we've ordered, five have come in and they're ready >> because we ordered five in one order and five in another order. >> So, they're ready to be hung pending the wall reinforcement. >> Are all of the other smart boards that we sort of talked about during budget season that we had in boxes, but we had some wall problems and the bracket problems, have those
077all been hung? >> Three. Three have in in different rooms. Um, and then there's there's actually six sitting in the technology area right now. So, there's the five new ones and one other one. We know exactly where they're going. Uh, but they all need wall reinforcements and and that needs to be scheduled and so it's not as simple as just slapping it up there because they're using those classrooms. reinforce all the walls >> when you get it scheduled even though we might not have a smartboard for a couple weeks like is that what they'll do is go through and good. >> Okay. So, how many of the staff laptops are in? >> I am not sure on that. I just know we've ordered the 46. I didn't I didn't go and see if they're here
078or not. >> Okay. And then um the laptops and the Chromebooks, there wouldn't be any barrier to deploying those for start of school year, right? >> There should not be there should not be. We have a plan to do the setup that's required for those. Uh so we should be good. >> So um the wiring for the cameras obviously has been sitting in the ceiling of our school now for I don't know a year, two years. Feels like a long time since we voted on that wiring. So, we've ordered the cameras. Are the cameras here? >> I don't believe they've come in yet. >> No. >> How are you feeling about the probability that those cameras will arrive and be hung prior to the start of the school year? >> I'm hopeful that they will
079come in soon and they'll they'll be set up. Our goal is to set them up uh in, you know, mid mid August to get it all set up. >> Okay. When you say you're hopeful, is that because you've seen sort of like tracking numbers or you know status of orders or like it just is like fingers crossed, hope they get here? >> This is one of the things we just have to stay on top of. Um and we we will see. I mean, we we contact the vendors and they're like, "Oh, you're next in line after Bosra, you know, and they'll tell us that kind of thing, but they won't give us definit. But we will certainly make even more phone calls." And we're doing all I think we're doing pretty much all we can
080to ensure that we get them. We we do have functioning cameras in the district now. It's just that we we want to improve the visibility in certain spots >> and some of them are broken, right? >> Some are broken, mostly the external ones because of water damage. >> Uh so we are >> Yeah, we're hopeful that it'll all come in and we'll get it all set up. So, I'm I'm hopeful when I report in August, there'll be much more progress and we can all feel good about where we're at. >> Okay. And then last question on the switches. Where are we at with them? >> We've ordered eight. Um and the plan was to replace I think 12 in the plan I gave you uh for this year. >> Um and um that that they
081again we're waiting for that. They've been ordered. We're waiting for them to come in and they got to be uh installed. When those are installed, um so with we're going to install them as soon as they come in is is the status. When they're installed, we're going to be able to create three different networks. One for staff, one for students, and one for guest. But right now, we we thought we'd be able to do that with what we currently have, but we're not able to do it yet until we replace these switches. Uh so it's all connected >> and who's going to who will be doing all that work for you since you don't have an IT director. Are we working with learn on a lot of that? >> We're working with learning meeting with
082them regularly and we have a director who's Michelle Kazzy's functioning as a director. We also have uh Stephen Chance who comes in and um and uh we have our own old people here. So, we're meeting regularly. We got a meeting next week. >> Okay. >> That we had one just a few days ago. >> And we think the budget of learned money that we have set aside should be enough to handle all of that extra technology work. >> Uh yeah, we we we think it will. Uh we also budgeted technology help for human resources and and business. And it's it's possible that if we needed, >> you know, Brandon is a quick learner on his own and he will may need less support than we thought, for example. So maybe we could use a few
083extra days for technology support if we need it. >> Okay. So of the technology that we ordered, five smartboards have come in. >> Is that what >> I I am not I'm not sure of the whole answer to all of that. I just know of the smartboards that we ordered, the 10, five have come in. >> Five have come in. But the rest of them, >> but none of them are hot. We have to wait for the >> for the extended school year. Okay. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Can I ask a question? Um, so in your August meeting, would it be or your presentation about the technology I you have to forgive me. I'm still a little confused on like where we have holes in technologies, where like who has laptops, what
084grades have laptops, which ones have old laptops. could we just get a rundown, a recap because I think it's changed so much. Like I remember there was >> when Rob gave his technology presentation, I think there was even some computers that were purchased then that was like December, January. Um, so almost like a comprehensive year of like what do we purchase for technology, not just the budget season and not just overages like that whole year. And then kind of like where do you still have a need? Like is the the fifth grade class do like they still need laptops? They're using old laptops. That kind of thing. >> I I think we can do that. Yeah. Got a report for August. Yeah. >> Thanks. >> Awesome. All right. good with technology. Okay, moving on to
085policy review. Um, Troy tells me that we have an old academic uh dishonesty policy and CA has a recommended policy that includes some language regarding AI. He included that in our packet. Um, I don't know how you want to have this conversation. If someone just wants to make a motion and then we want to have discussion, how do you want to do this? I I I would make a motion that we adopt 5121.3 from CABE and retire policy 5143. Second >> and discussion. >> I I would just say I I the new policy I I like the language a lot better. Um the first one includes things like no credit as opposed to allowing for restorative practices or other pieces to come into play with it. um the the new one is broader and gives
086a lot more leeway for people to be able to make the correct choices in those spaces based on the individual situations. And I think that it also including AI at this point is a no-brainer. So >> when would we be getting the rules to review? It says that there the rules will be reviewed by the board of ed and the superintendent of schools because the the policy itself is pretty vague. any form of academic dishonesty. So I'm assuming that the rule would be what is academic dishonesty and how do we address that? >> Yeah. So so the with the wheelie handbook um they have uh some more details about the appropriate use of AI and inappropriate uses of AI. So that would be more considered the regulation here. Um I can certainly share those with
087you at another meeting. >> I think you're saying the policy is saying that >> we're going to review >> we review them. >> Oh yeah. >> Yeah. Right. So I can bring them to you and you can review them. >> Would we I don't have them right now. >> Would we review them if it's regulation though or is it just like a >> we could take that out if you don't want to review them. >> I mean because you wouldn't approve them >> but we would review them. I I I think the idea honestly I like the wording of that because I think that it's similar to what perhaps if we had difficulties with the dress code for example moving forward that would be another similar one where instead of us getting involved in regulations
088all it does is allow us to at least know that we're seeing the most current especially if we don't have a child in all systems because although I may see the elementary school ones I don't see the middle and high school ones. So, >> so we're reviewing them and not approving. Correct. >> Okay, perfect. >> I like that. >> Would everyone like to do that in August so that when this starts if they have it? >> They need to have them done by then. >> Do they have them done by then? >> They have it. >> They're ready. >> When would you like to review them? >> Okay. All right. Um, is there any further discussion on the policy? All those in favor of adopting 5121.3 and uh retiring 5143 say I >> I opposed
089and abstain. Brandon, did you get that? >> Okay, we were feel like we're a little vague. Okay, perfect. Um, finally, thank you guests for coming. Um, Chad, this is sort of something that was sparked by you uh a few months ago talking about, hey, remember that school lunch account? Is there something that maybe we could do with that school lunch account that would really benefit >> kids? And it and it wasn't even as much that as my concern with the school lunch account is that we have a positive balance. And for us to have a positive balance in a lunch account, to me, it means that we are either charging too much for our lunches or we're not preparing food at a quality level that would be high enough to meet the amount of money
090we have coming in. Because my understanding, and I'm not I'm not saying that the food is bad. What I'm saying is that that the the process or the size or whatever it might be, it it's not matching. It's it's our expenses that are are our our income and our revenue coming in from students paying for lunch doesn't seem to be matching the the cost that it is for us to provide those. And the idea that we were going to be discussing that we needed to raise the cost of lunch to me would then again create this offset between what it is that we're bringing in as revenue and what it is that is being spent on the lunches that the kids are getting. Um and I don't and and and again I what part of
091the reason why I asked the question was because I don't know the numbers on this. I just had heard in the past, oh, we have this money in a lunch account and and I don't know anything about it. And it seemed like one of those strange spaces where I felt like I should know more. And I have to be honest, um, school lunch legislation and and legal ease is so excessively obtuse that reading through it was breaking my brain. >> And so Kathy had to read through all of it. I did >> this year. And so she came to give us a good example. And then Mike Kennedy >> interview process >> Mike Kennedy reached out to me I think last week and Mike and Alexis uh are members of the sustainability committee and at
092their meetings they were talking about what we were doing in the schools in terms of sustainable practices and recycling. And Mike wondered if there was a way that we could entertain a conversation about the materials that are being used at lunch. And >> I would love that because I was also in my own head as I'm reading through this and looking at some of the options for things that you can use excess funds for, considering the idea of composting and things like that because those are things that I've seen even on the town page recently. Somebody was looking for a space to be able to to create compost aspects. But yes, anyway, >> so we talked about that recycling and then we talked a little bit more about some of the involvement that the sustainability
093committee already has with the elementary school with food waste. Um, and then other ways that maybe working together increases sustainable practices and recycling in our schools as a whole. I mean, sustainability is becoming like huge in our area. I mean, Yukon has devoted like a a very large portion of their school to building a sustainability program. It would be wonderful if we could incorporate some of those practices into what we're doing here and start educating our kids about that. So, Mike and Alexis, do you want to come on up to the microphone? Do you want to talk a little bit about your conversations and what you were thinking? So, so I apolog I don't want to I don't want to jump in on but I guess my my question even but like because I need
094in my head some idea of what we're even considering with this process. What does our account look like? Does it have a positive balance? >> So, as part of the audit, um yes it does. that had roughly $98,000. And the a lot of that had come from uh the fact that part of your lunch ticket money would be to replenish equipment. And we had all new equipment. So, we had a surplus. Um as part of the audit, we were forced to tell them how in the next 18 months we're going to spend that down. And um it was it was tough because the state had to approve it. So, I came up with a spending policy. you got turned down five or six times. Finally came up with with one which um uh I think
095Troy has in a in a >> slide um that was approved by the state as to how we will spend those monies down. We don't get just to to decide. We have to put it before the state to have their approval. And and that's what we did. Now, can we shift and say, "Well, we're not going to do that. We want to do something different." Absolutely. But I have to go back to the state to get approval. >> I can't remember. But wasn't that the list you gave us a few months back? Um like stuff for the kitchen like the elementary school. >> Yeah. During the audit, we certainly had a conversation about it. >> Right. Right. To to um it's roughly 100 grand down to 30. Yeah. But a lot of it we did
096get a new freezer. We um to for sustainability, we got a uh a machine that cuts up lettuce and tomatoes and everything down to the nitty-gritty so we don't throw anything out. Um the same with the fruits and things like that. But we also focused on the quality of the meals that um if you looked at our our lunch tickets, they decreased by 30%. 30% less kids are eating lunch in our cafeteria than when it was free. I mean it sometimes the food just it stinks, right? It does. It's gross. So, we focused on fresher uh farmtotable. We had the the Mashantucket Peacquats have their hydroponics. We have their lettuce coming in and we've focused on the the quality of the chicken so it tastes like chicken and not something weird. So, we we've been
097trying to say, you know, get a chef in here from Aramach that will will change things. and and um I've been meeting with RMA Mark every month. We have a meeting to talk about what's working, what's not working, what I want to see an improvement on um to spend down that money, but also to get our kids eating again. We haven't increased the price of our tickets in six years. And that's part of the problem is that we're so far behind everybody else that that the state mandates a certain minimum that we should be charging. We are so far under it, it's it's not funny. we won't have the money as we spend it down to to refinish um equipment and so forth if we don't raise our our ticket price. But as I said,
098we have a plan, but we can integrate what these folks have their ideas into it and trade things out. We just need approval from the state. So I want to hear a little bit from I mean Mike gave me an overview on the phone about what what the sustainability uh committee is is inquiring about. Hi Alexis, thank you for coming. Thank is can you hear me? Yes. Um so thanks for having us. Um so by introduction I'm Alexis Khan. I chair the sustainability committee of Northington and Mike Mike Kennedy is a member. Um and I wanted to start off by first um thanking Troy from the first time we met. We've been collaborating in terms of ideas in which our sustainability committee can assist in different areas kind of availing ourselves um or making ourselves
099available to the schools in you know kind of what sort of sustainability practices does the school is the school interested in and how can we help as a committee. We're a very small committee. Um, for full transparency, we don't have any budget or anything. So, we're really just kind of ideas people. Um, and so Troy had introduced us to Rob Celino who has been instrumental in helping us create a food scrap program in the elementary school. Um, we collaborate with Jessica Ziki of Zakiki Farm and um, we pick up buckets at the school on a daily basis and bring them to her farm and she feeds them to her chickens. So, it's very grassroots, you know, very um kind of just us helping out and doing that. And that's been great. And it's been a
100way to introduce sort of the collection of food scraps in the schools. And this has always been, you know, in conversations that our sustainability committee has had. It's always been designed to be, you know, how can we ramp this up over time and make it more robust than just picking up, you know, what's left over from because it's um completely relegated at this point to the kitchen staff scraps. There's nothing that the children are collecting. It's from an operational standpoint, it was deemed too complicated at this point, but that we would hopefully eventually get there. Maybe the next step we've um discussed some more educational programming. Um, I know that there I think is a grant currently uh that's up for grabs potentially on this topic that would provide more education around the topic of
101composting and food scrapping so that the kids could get excited about it potentially and understand the why and not just be told you have to put your food scraps here. So, I know Rob has been wonderful to collaborate with and I know that's his eventual plan is to try to make it more of something that the kids get involved with instead of just having Aramark um involved in collecting the food scraps. But one co uh topic of conversation that came up um was the actual serveware in the schools. And um we have been working with a company called Epic Renewal which their whole business model is that they um source compostable and more sustainable serveware for events and for schools and municipalities and all all the you know all types of businesses and and uh
102entities. And so we had thought about would could we do some sort of exercise that Epic Renewal or some sort of you know other comparable entity do a comparison of what is Aramar currently using as serveware and is there another option and what would that cost look like because obviously everything is about cost and um the sustainability committee does have access to um this program called sustainable CT which has a a grant program. So, we were thinking, you know, maybe we do the epic renewal um sideby-side comparison of air marks goods compared to what would like compostable or um more eco-friendly and pay for it through a grant that we would source through sustainable CT. Um, and so we're just kind of here to start the conversation. And also, I think Aramark was a little
103reluctant to um Rob had admittedly asked for um an inventory list of like what they pro provide in terms of serveware and they had said no, we're good. And so, you know, maybe that's something that if you all decide that it is something of interest that you might be able to leverage more pressure on them to um have them look into this a little bit further. I know one thing that was referenced was that the um the trays are still styrofoam and I know that they were kind of looking into Aramark claims that they were looking into some more sustainable options for that. But um you know we were just going to be oh gosh if they're still using styrofoam trays that's like real bad on the sustainable you know side. So um Mike had
104uh you know suggested that maybe this was the right forum to at least bring it bring it up and see how we can help. We're just kind of here to say, you know, maybe you didn't know that we were working with somebody like African Newan could have access to grants to do the exercise of just understanding what it would look like to to be more um you know, purchase some of those more sustainable um and I think the bigger plan knowing that the composting facility is going in um you know, SCARA composting facility is going in in Preston and we'll have a local site like this might be a kind of ramped up program where it might make more sense, you know a couple years down the line, but just want to be thinking about
105it in in in the meantime. >> Other than >> you have to come to the microphone. >> No one online can hear you if you're not on the microphone. >> Okay. Thank you. I think our thought was or at least my thought was is that we want to get the kids involved in the thought process. Sustainability and recycl recycling is an avalanche and it's coming way and perhaps it's already done. I don't know. So redundant here, but if we could get the students involved at least thinking about it, presenting it so that you know when when it's time for them to make to make decisions, they're going to have at least a fundamental knowledge of what needs to be done and maybe they can, you know, help move the ball along because We all know
106it's going and it's coming fast and it's going hard. So, if we could get uh you know, if we could get the the kids thinking about this through just simple things like Alexis said, like recycling food, composting food, not recycling, but composting food so that we could, you know, use it for Jessica Chi-Chi, a local farmer here in You get the kids thinking about this stuff. eventually we're going to be better off. So, I know this isn't something that we can, you know, hit a switch and get it done tomorrow or hit a switch and get it done this year, but like to get the ball rolling and and I know that I don't know what you guys doing, what they're doing in the schools. I'm clueless. So, if I'm just clapping my No, thank
107I I I I I think it's it's wonderful to hear and honestly I think part of the problem for us as adults at times is that we don't necessarily know that they're using styrofoam trays. That's not >> so I don't >> so so I I I to me it's it's interesting because the idea of the serving wear and and the silverware aspect of things I love because what it doesn't do is put new responsibilities on our building administrator who's already kind of overextended. It doesn't create new work in that aspect. And I I love the idea of pairing that as an action that we would look into with the idea of education where we have outside people who are coming in. So I I mean I yeah I I I think that it's it's a
108great conversation and my curiosity at this point Kathy is at our current All right. So we have a $98,000 surplus. Did we build that surplus at all last year or we were we in the negative this past fiscal year? >> Um >> do you know I'm asking a specific questions that you may not know off the top of your your head but I'm I'm just because my so but each year so you you said because you said that the money during other pieces had had kind of gained us some >> your mic's not on. I'm sorry with the microphone police tonight. >> Um I think we lost money this year compared to last year and but that was intentional because we were trying to improve the quality of the food and and wear down the
109money. So I don't right now at the $35 lunch ticket price, we're losing money. Um >> do you do you know what the increase we would have to do to make that flat? So what we can do is make investments out of this other piece. >> I really don't. But I do know that the US um DA recommends at a minimum that our lunch price be $3.85 and that was last year and then they assume that we'll have a CPI increase. So I'd like to get it to the minimum and I you know I spent this >> but that that minimum was based on the idea that you were already in the negative because anybody who was flatter in the positive could actually wave that. >> No. Um, yeah, I guess we could we we
110did wave it. We waved it for six years. We didn't increase our our our pay, but we also didn't spend down our our monies that well. Um, but the quality of the food isn't there. And that's what we really need to improve upon is the quality of the food. And and you're absolutely right, Mr. Kennedy. We we are using styrofoam and we need to make changes there. We need to to do that. Um, but once we spend down this excess, which we're well on our way to doing, we're not sustainable at the current ticket price. But I don't I cannot tell you on this day what that ticket price will be to be sustainable. It might be $4. It might be four and a quarter, but I don't know yet. So Kathy, what so it
111it sounds like Aramark has been approached about maybe doing this and they're politely declining to participate in conversations. Do we have any sort of control over the materials that are being used in our school? Can we compel them to have that conversation with us? >> Nobody's ever come to me to say, "Hey Kathy, can you talk to Aramak about this?" um because I have a meeting every month with with the three of them and talk about the difficulties that I see and what can they do to improve it um and so forth. So, I'd love to take that to them and say, "Hey, styrofoam trays aren't going to cut it here anymore, guys." And and frankly, neither are our plastic um non-compostable silverware. And could we possibly bring real silverware back? And if we did,
112where the heck are we going to wash it because we don't have any tray cleaners and we don't have So there's a lot of, you know, it's a very limited space over there. So, we have to But Armach is willing to work with us. Um, and I can have that conversation with with with them. Every month I have a conversation and I would love I think that your ideas are amazing and they're long overdue. Um, and and I can facilitate that with Armach. I I would love to see that side byside comparison about what's being used. Is everybody comfortable with Kathy moving forward with that conversation? And is that something Kathy that you want Mike or Alexis to be at that meeting to talk about what the options are and and maybe they should be
113talking to you about the grant funding and how that might happen. That's sort of your thing. So, at my next meeting, give me my next meeting, which is um the first week of August with them to talk about what they're using and the cost of it versus what we possibly could go to. And then then I can reach out to Alexis and or Mr. Kennedy and ask them, "Hey guys, how can you help me? We can figure it out together." >> Can can I suggest that that we at least say I mean, can you look into the grant aspect of it? Because I think that especially if what we're looking at doing is hopefully gradually raising our prices to lunches as opposed to just going, "Hey, we're going to do because if we throw in
114a bunch of new initiatives and then we raise the price for lunch a dollar, we're going to get massive push back from the town. It's and it's and that's not that's also not sustainable on the opposite side of that thing for a lot of families. And so that's not what we're looking to do. But if we can grant fund it through because usually grants are going to give us a year or two, right? So, if we can grant fund it to to set it off to give us a little bit more time to be able to adjust appropriately what we're looking for in terms of pricing, um I I I would love to see that be kind of our our process moving forward. But I >> I like that too because it gives me the
115opportunity in year two to take a step back and see if the quality of food is fair and that we're using the proper disposable items and what is the right lunch price ticket for, you know, lunch. So, I need a little more time. >> And I just to kind of echo what you said, too. I'd like to get away from disposable and why aren't we washing silverware and having trays that are reusable and washed? That doesn't make any sense to me that we're throwing anything in a landfill. >> Bamboo or whatever it's made out of. >> I feel like a lot of that was COVID processes where they got rid of all of those things. But I'm not sure why we wouldn't have gone >> go back to we go to restaurants and eat off
116of silverware. And it's not you wash. >> It does. But it does require specific washing facilities. I don't know if we have them. >> I don't think we do, but I I'll check. But but I would love the opportunity to reach out to you once I I work through it with Armach. So just give me a month and I'll work with you. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much. >> Of course. No, thank you both. >> And I think we'd continue to like to hear from you all about opportunities to partner with the school around education, sustainability, recycling. I mean, there are there are laws that we have to make sure we're following in regards to recycling. And I think Mike, you're right. When you talk about like if we could get kids interested and
117knowledgeable about it, that carries way past elementary school. >> That's probably Yes. >> That's great. Thank you guys so much for coming. I will make sure that I um connect you all to each other so that you can continue the conversation. >> Can I make some comments? >> Yeah, please. I love the idea of um the sustainability in in the schools with regards to the the food. I love the food scrap um program and um think it would be great if we could go over to the middle school and high school with it as well. Um I know that the the kids would be super excited over it. I I remember my youngest is 20 now, but I remember when he was like in first grade or something, they went over on a field trip
118to um the Buer somewhere and they learned all about composting and he came home and he was so excited about all this composting and you know and learning and and all this. I wonder if it's possible to have some kind of assembly for the kids with regards to um you the food and the recycling, the sustainability and all that getting they could um really get excited about that and maybe even get things moving faster than otherwise it would be if just you know the adults were involved. Um, and I also I wanted to ask uh you know I served on the wellness committee the district wellness committee for the school and um who's the air is it Moren who's >> Monique >> um I remember she had said um that some schools and she was
119encouraging our school to do it um have a a share cart because the meals they're required to take this and that but they don't always eat that or and um just and it's okay to have it on a share cart so a student can just grab it unless things may be thrown away. Students could either it could even be brought to the nursurse's office for students to just take stuff home. Um so that would reduce some um throwing away and I wonder um you said the state mandate I remember hearing this too the state mandated a higher price for lunch. So, are we mandated to like does that mean we have to raise our prices or are we at We do. We do. >> When do we have to do that? >> We're a little
120behind. Um last year, the year before was the 385. Um and I said, >> you know, what's the minimum we should be raising it to? And um the woman that did the audit with us said the 385. and she said actually it should be higher but at a minimum you should be at the 385. >> And what are we at right now? Like 35 305 and 315. It's a weighted average of 307. >> So we're I'm not advocating to raise it. I'm say do we have to? >> We do have to raise it. We do because first of all it's not sustainable at that and we need to improve the quality of our food. Um 385 is recommended as the minimum. we could say, well, we're not ready to go to that 385, but um
121you know, they're looking for us to go higher. So, yeah, >> I I I would just I I don't want to directly just say that, but it's it's not mandated for us right now. >> It's not >> um it the it would be for this year to raise it at least 10 cents because we would have had to apply for the waiver by June 30th. But as long as you have that positive account balance, we do not have to. Perhaps we should because of the things that Kathy's saying, but I I just want to make it. It's not a state mandate from the best of all of my reading. We qualify under that waiver process where we could continue waving until we end up in negatives. >> But their point is, >> and again, I'm
122not I'm not saying that we shouldn't do it. I'm just saying she's she's asking is it mandated must we >> No, but it is mandated that we need to spend down the $100,000 and once we do that >> we're not we're not going to be sustainable at $35. >> I I to I see your point, Chad. 385 is a heck of a jump and maybe we don't go that high. Well, and I'm not saying that we shouldn't do this. I just want to make sure that the language is correct because the question was, are are we required to do this? Are we mandated to to raise the price? And by state legislation, we're not as long as we have that positive balance. But because we didn't wave by June 30th this year, we are required
123to go up at least 10 cents or well, we have to go up 10 cents basically. Um, anything beyond that, you can raise we could raise it to $15 if we want to. >> Um, obviously not advocating that, but I mean, but we can raise it as much as we would want to. The uh the minimum that we would have to because we didn't apply for the waiver this year is 10 cents, >> but we've never applied for the waiver. We've not six years. >> Okay. because I I looked at last year's paperwork, too, and we were supposed to apply for the waiver to not raise it last year by 10 cents. >> Yes. So, >> I want to just be I I don't want to keep Mike and Alexis any longer than than they
124need to stay. Does anybody else have questions or comments for them? >> Yeah. I So, I think this is great. I think we should do this as soon as possible. Um especially any of the sustainability things that you want to incorporate into the school. I think that's huge. Um, so I guess what I want to say is like I what I'm worried about is if we raise the prices and the quality is where we're at, like we cannot do with that. So we have to we really really need to make sure that we are on the pathway of getting better food because I think that will help kind of cushion the blow of like you know here we're wasting it even a quarter I think is going to be a lot for some parents and
125so if we can just at least be like look at all the things we're getting much more um and so maybe even if there's some is there any way we can kind of advertise some of the things >> right I was going to say I think with the communication that it's going up what are they getting for that you know these are the things that we're looking at doing with this increase, not just by the way, your lunch is going up. >> Yeah. And is there like a check-in like where you can be like, "Yes, it's great." Or like, "Do we need to go higher in quality?" Um, >> we can we can um Yes, we can certainly do that. Uh as part of the monthly meetings that I have with them, I I've asked
126them to to give me a not a presentation, but something that shows me what effort they're putting in every month. What are they doing different? Where is the quality changed? whereas, you know, and so they've been, um, I'll get these lovely pictures of Thanksgiving dinner or homemade cookies or muffins or something. So, um, yes, we can absolutely do that. I I I did hear from the administrators that we had a push for two months, we were doing great and then it kind of died back down towards the end of the year. So that's my conversation with Armach in a August is what are we going to do to keep the bar raised and get food that kids want to eat >> especially because the end of the year is when we should have been getting
127the most wonderful fresh vegetables and other things coming in. >> What happens if we go away from that requirement and go to like a farm-totable type distribution? Um we wouldn't get any subsidies from the federal government for free and reduced lunch, >> right? But we would get really great fruit for our kids. >> I mean, we're a small district. I don't I don't think it would be outside of the box to look at what the impact is and maybe what that would look like for our kids. >> I agree instead of being held to these food services. >> Is there you you talk about the sustainability Connecticut. Is that something because one of the options that it gave if you were not going to be doing the things you were required to was to make
128up differences in things through state or local funding. Is that a place we can go to for that sort of thing or is that just would would moving to that model not be sustainable Connecticut piece of things? >> Yeah, their grant um off the top of my head I think the maximum it's small grants. So I think the maximum they do is like 25,000 if I remember correctly. So it wouldn't be something that would be able to implement a farm to stable program at that scale. I I see it more as the bridge gaps, you know, like, oh, we need a, you know, we need a $10,000 to get this off the ground. Let's apply for this grant. But it wouldn't be again to your point like a sustainable grant that at least the sustainable
129CT program. I'm certainly happy to look into other um you know leverage other grants that might be out there that we're just not knowledgeable about. But in terms of the scope of sustainable security that much money unfortunately worth it an ask though. But I mean I I just wanted to mention um uh you know Rob did a wonderful job of um appi thinking that I think it was through the North Stington Education Foundation if I'm not mistaken. He applied for a grant for um some programming where um and I don't mean I don't want to jump again because it's not something that we've been awarded. So, I don't want to go on record saying that this is happening definitively um without knowing whether we're actually going to get the grant, but um it would be
130to bring in Yellow Farmhouse Education Center and they their whole programming is about composting and um so they would run I think a um multi- like throughout the course of the entire year bring in educators on different modules regarding compility uh craft and that kind of thing. So um it is very comprehensive and and Rob was one wonderful about sort of soliciting or thinking through that and application of that grant where that could be directly used to bring in yellow. >> That's great. Thank you. Any other questions for Mike and Alexis? >> All right. Thank you. I will put you guys in contact with Kathy and I appreciate the work you're doing. Thank you for coming and for staying. Yeah. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> So, we have to make, I guess,
131some sort of a determination about the direction that we're going. Is this the stuff that Kathy showed us? Is that the direction that we we want to go um that we want to continue? I mean, I'm encouraged to hear that you're soliciting feedback from administrators and they're saying like, "Yes, this was great, but then it started not to be great and you're having these regular meetings to say, why isn't it great?" Um, so that's good, but is this is this where we want to spend the money or are we looking for something different? >> I mean, I think the list is good. I I guess I'm all about food quality. That to me is I think the highest priority. Food safety probably also up there. Um was that >> Yeah. And then I think And
132then I think Yeah. I mean it is it worth looking into a dishwasher? Could we use a dishwasher for that? Like is that something? >> So irrelevant information I received that there are trays being washed at elementary school. >> Oh. [Music] So, do we have styrofoam at the high school because we don't have a kitchen there and they don't want to transport everything back? >> Got it. Okay. >> That's that's good to know. >> Yeah. I mean, I think the message that we want to send to Aramark is that we don't Nobody wants styrofoam. I can't believe anyone even uses styrofoam anymore. um we don't want styrofoam and um and that like if if if we just have to get trays back to be washed, maybe we should be looking at doing that. And um
133for the stuff that perhaps we can't wash and we need to be using single-use stuff, we need to be looking at at sustainable materials. >> Does does anybody happen to know? Okay. So, trays at the elementary school. Did we ever have trays at the middle high school after the new building was put together and everything was was done? Like a did we h did we have a time period in which that was done and then COVID allowed for the the styrofoam and then they were like this is way easier. We don't have to bring the trays back. So, they stopped. or has it never been that we sent Trey to the high school, the middle high school, just because I feel like that's that's two very different situations. >> What doesn't matter? Well, it it
134matters because it means that their their prior practice was doing this. So, they have the facility to do it as opposed to us just suddenly saying now you have to add a new piece to that that would cost them more in terms of labor and other things. So, is it that they were doing this then they stopped found it easier and continued with the easier process or are we asking them to do something new or are we asking them to return to what they used to do? I think that's a difference when we're talking to a contractor. >> Does anyone know that? >> I don't I mean we didn't we didn't have the school open for that long before CO I think it was such a short period of time. I really don't remember but
135I'm sure Kathy can find out. >> I will I'll find out on my list. >> So what else is disposable? So you think they use plates? Are they all disposable plates and disposable silverware? Like Okay. And then cups, milk container. I I don't really know. >> Milk containers. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. They can buy water bottles. Okay. So, we're talking like like plates and silverware and trays would be more sustainable, right? Also, >> when you say water bottles, Mindy, do you mean like um >> what what happens to plastic water bottles when our kids use them? Are we just dumping them in the garbage? >> So, that's something that I don't even think is legal to do. So, maybe on top of that, maybe we want to start there. >> We have the Boy
136Scouts at the dump collecting Yeah. >> recyclables. Why would we not have one that the Boy Scouts are doing at our >> So, how do we I guess that would be like an operational question, right? Like, so how do we get those water bottles out of the food waste? >> Well, and I think we just wanted to ask somebody at the school to be taking a look at this. We're not going to sit here as a board of ed. I think that we could say that it's the wish of the board that we begin complying with like some really basic things, >> right? But I mean for us to sit here and say, "Do we do this?" I mean, >> well, I think it's okay to ask, right? So, I didn't know that we were
137putting plastic water bottles into a garbage can. So, now we know. We didn't know we were using styrofoam trays, but now we know. So, this is a good information session for us. Um, can we talk about it again after your meeting because you'll probably have more information for us. >> Sure. >> All right. Um, guys, do you prefer this to also be in August or do you want it in September? >> You mean the increase in the ticket price? >> Um, just No, for right now, just for you to come back and sort of update us on everything that's happening. >> September. >> Okay. >> I was just going to remind you that I've been adding to August for a long time now. Okay. So we're going to add a food conversation to September >>
138meal price before school starts. >> So that is the next item on our agenda is meal prices. So 385 Kathy is what you are recommending. >> Yes. because you believe that 385 keeps >> as we spend down that lunch balance. We are >> if we didn't have the $100,000 excess, the minimum we'd have to break even would be 3.85. >> Okay. >> And since we're tasked to spend down that within the next 15 16 months, I want to make sure that we're set up to be successful afterwards. >> Sure. Could we propose to do to let families know about the increases and propose like maybe meet it halfway and do half this year and half next year? >> Phase it in. >> That's what I was thinking. >> Yeah, we could do that. >> And
139that way it kind of hits that 16month kind of close to that 16th month mark. >> Yep. [Music] >> Yeah. Or could we do uh 345 and 385 >> just because it looks even more even? I think I probably It isn't, but it looks like the 45. >> All right. >> Well, well, and I I think the big thing for me that I would be curious about is again, how did our numbers break down this year? What would the prices have had to have been this if if if we ended up in the negative? What what would have been the how many total lunches were, you know, were purchased and then what would that break down to per lunch to be able to have made that break even? Because our overall goal really is to
140break even, >> right? Save some money for >> you need a surplus otherwise you're in trouble when your equipment starts breaking. That's always been what that account is for is for that equipment. >> But I mean, we're sitting on we'll still be sitting on 30,000 at the moment. So even if we if we're looking to do this gradually over time, like if if we end up making a whole bunch extra money because we increase this significantly and the food doesn't appropriately follow in terms of quality and and and expense, then what we're going to end up with is just an account through the roof again, right? I mean like I I get that we want to have a little bit over. >> Well, I think she's saying we're negative now, >> right? If the certain
141though I mean I what but we don't know that number >> 350 and analyze it at the end of the year and see where we were. I mean that they're coming to us saying we need to raise it and they're proposing 385 >> but not based on what was spent. I'm just again I'm curious to see what what we were negative by this year so we have real numbers. >> Um >> the problem being we have to vote we would like you to vote on it tonight so that we can communicate with the parents um about the increase in price. >> We we haven't increased it in six years guys. Even if you went up 10 cents over six years that' be 365. I think 350 is a reasonable No, I and I have no
142problem with 350. I just want to make sure that what we're doing moving forward is is somehow matching and keeping track. >> I think you're saying you want you want the number the the price of the lunch should be like tethered to something, right? Like if >> it's not it's not just we're raising it by 10 cents every year because we're going to raise it by 10 cents every year. I >> that falls to me to make sure that the quality >> gets brought up because right now the quality stinks. So, if I'm not doing my job, then we're going to have a lot of excess money and I'm going to Florida with it. So, >> I I'm perfectly fine with 350. >> Would 350 be the elementary school and 360 be the middle school
143high school? Or it would be 350 for both schools. >> I think you're right. 350 and 360 >> middle elementary 350 high school. Unless unless what we would rather do is go up a little bit more so that we encompass the idea that the end of this coming year we would be looking at a 10-cent increase. >> So really what we would do is go up 45 cents now and 45 cents at the end of the year for the coming year. And then what we would do is over that two-year period encompass both the jump to the 385 and then the pursuant 10 cent increase that the state would expect in the coming year. I All right. So, so we are we would be looking to go up 80 cents this year, right? Based on
144this recommendation, we're going from from 305 to 385. If you consider the fact that, and again, I'm basing this on just reading through the past three years of state stuff regarding lunches. >> We'll still have a cushion in there. So, we won't be required to do the dents. >> Correct. We won't be required to. But again, if what we're looking to do is maintain and keep up with a general idea of an increase based on what we're looking at this year, then perhaps what we want to do is encompass that 10 cents because we're looking at a 2-year budget aspect regarding the lunches, not one. So over the two years, we would go up 90 cents instead of in one year going up 80 and then in next year going up 10. >> Okay, >>
145that makes sense. >> That does make sense. Kathy, you said that n 98 is what we had. That was too high and they were mad that we had that much. >> Right. They weren't happy with us. No. >> What is What's the right number? So, because we have to have something >> 30. >> Is that really what we should just be aiming for? 30 >> with the size of our school and the cost of everything. Yes. >> Okay, that's good to know. But we also once we get this under control and the quality of the food is up there um to Christine's point, things are going to start breaking down and 30 may end up being 50,000 that we'll need because we're we're going to need to start thinking about what needs to be replaced
146and when. But >> so let me ask separately because one of the things that was confusing me is that you can also carry a negative balance in the the hold on a second. There's way too many acronyms involved in this. the NF the NSFSA which is our nonprofit school food service account um you can carry a negative balance in that because otherwise they wouldn't have a law in place that would require you to increase >> I don't no but what I'm saying is is that if we ended up in that aspect we can can we spend to the negative on this account this is what I don't understand because there must be schools that are in the negative on that account otherwise They wouldn't put a caveat that if you're in the positive, you can
147>> but it >> wave it. So there must be enough people who are in the negative already in this account. I don't know what this account is exactly. >> How I I I'm struggling with that because how would we go in the negative? We're paying for the food and the services. Armach's not going to say to us, don't worry about paying, you're in the negative. >> I don't either. But so why do they have >> that is a waiver? Why would you have a waiver in place? everybody should be even or in a positive. >> It seems like that would be, you know, Hartford or New Britain or a big city where is Yeah. >> So because my question would be then once we get to the 30,000 and and our likelihood is that we
148would need I mean if we need to replace big equipment consistently, how do we we're not going to suddenly magically jump >> 50 cents that year going, "Oh, we're going to need to replace this." So, you can't carry a negative balance in this account. They don't give you like a year to be able to catch up. >> Yeah. Just we've had it Sorry. We've had it really low for quite some time. We've been able to build the account, but we haven't been providing very nice lunches. So, what we're saying is we we're the state's kind of telling us you should be at least 385. We need to get the price up so that we can provide a good lunch. We're going to spend down a little bit. So, but we still need a buffer in
149there to cover equipment. We don't know what that looks like exactly, but we know in years past things break and we have to fix it. I'm sure Randy knows the life cycle of the things that we have in our kitchen. I mean, we don't want to worry about a ne I don't think a negative balance is something we want to be focusing on with that account. That's not really where >> again my my goal in having a conversation was just to understand because I don't understand we we have $100,000 sitting in an account. That just seemed weird to me >> because we haven't fixed anything. So in years past we were fixing stuff like we would have a an a piece of equipment break and we'd have to go in and buy it or we'd
150have mostly it was equipment from my recollection like equipment would break. We were constantly like buying things in that kitchen, >> but then we had all new stuff and then we had kids not in the school and we weren't using >> Yeah, we weren't using the kitchen much. Then we were down to really one active kitchen. So the count just sort of kept kind of growing and we weren't using it for anything and it has to be used for food service, right? >> So I think maybe just the fact that this is now on our radar will will help. And I think that we're all committed to the idea that we want better lunches, we want more sustainable stuff happening. And it sounds like Kathy that you're on it. Um, so why don't we revisit
151in September and then we could just keep revisiting what's in the lunch account, what's going on with it, what are we spending so that we feel comfortable. Um, but I does someone want to make a motion to revise the school lunch prices? >> I'll make a motion. to um to raise the elementary school lunch from 305 to 350 and the middle school high school lunch from 3:15 to 360. Do I have a second? Okay. Do we want to have any more discussion? Just please communicate with that price increase what our families are going to get for that increase. >> I think that's incredibly important. And then I think that if we start changing the materials that we're using, I think that that also should be communicated to families about what we're doing, why we're doing
152it, and if we're getting a grant to do it. I think they need to know that, too. Um because you're right, I wouldn't want to start doing all this stuff and have people think that we're doing it on the backs of like >> uh price increase. Um okay, any other discussion about increasing those prices? All those in favor? I opposed abstain. All right. Thank you. Um, okay. Athletics. So, uh, we've been spending a lot of time talking about, uh, irrigation and sprinklers and stuff like that. And we started thinking that, uh, we probably need to revisit our usage policy because it's a little vague. Um, and we probably need to have more of a sense of what we're doing, why we're doing it, how we do it, um, and what we're charging for it. We
153probably should be charging for it. And then some protocols around how do we take care of what we have. So, if we're spending all this money on uh, sprinkling or irrigating or whatever it is that we're doing, but we're not we're not doing the other things to take care of the field, then are we canceling each other out? And I think that it's sort of a tension between two forces. So Ry's people saying um you know I can't mow the grass super low right now. That field's resting. That sort of stuff. And and Burn's coaches saying I got to get on a field and I've got to practice. And so how do we find that middle ground? Like how do we protect our investment and still meet the needs of our kids and our coaches?
154Um and and what's the best way for us to do that? So Bern and Randy, do you want to weigh in on what we're currently doing, what our current policy, I mean, we have the policy in front of us, what it looks like, how does that work when someone wants to use a field, a gym, what's the fee structure, what is that like? By the way, thanks again for being here at 20 of nine on a Wednesday. Just >> no, right on the bottom of your mic. It just will turn red. >> There you go. You're on. Okay. Okay. Thank you. Um, so basically we take a request in from an outside group or a Wheeler affiliated person, which is most of the time what happens. Um, for example, we have um a number of
155different groups um that have a connection to Wheeler and using our fields, our soccer, lacrosse field, uh baseball, softball with little league, and then the gym. We have some basketball teams. The town obviously has the we still call it the old man basketball. No offense to anybody. Um >> I think they they're comfortable calling it. >> I think they like it because it's on the district calendar as old man basketball. So, they're okay. Um, but basically a request will come in um either to myself or to Greg Cormier and there's like a just a basic um district calendar request that one of us will put in and then it has to be approved by Greg and also Randy. Obviously giving some thought to we never want to displace a Wheeler team or a Wheeler group,
156but if it's outside of the time that the Wheeler teams are using the facility and it's something that we can manage, then it it's generally approved. Um, as far as I know, we don't collect fees for rentals at we have not at this point. Um, and I think we started using I think this approval process in district calendar this past year and I think it went very well. I don't think we had conflicts as far as I know, minor minor conflicts. Um, so I think I think that part all went smoothly. Um, I mean, I think one of the greatest things about this district and this town is that we are small and you can do things like this. Um, and it just feels nice to be able to give back to people that are
157affiliated with Wheeler and then you're bringing other people in to use the facility and have a positive experience. So, in those ways, I think it's positive. I think we are outdated in not charging money. Um, you know, I I mean, so just a little backstory. So, I also coach an AA girls basketball program. Um, so I've rented and used lots of gyms in this area. And I mean, people are charging anywhere from 50 to 100 to 200 an hour, you know, for gym time. Um, and a little bit lower for, you know, field rental like outside groups. Um, so there is definitely I think money to be made, but then on the back end you have to think about all the work that goes into that with coordinating, meeting up with the person, the billing,
158collecting the insurance and and those things and and obviously the insurance is happening. So we collect the insurance binder, either myself or Greg or Kathy actually. Um, so we always have an insurance binder, but right now it's a pretty informal process. It's not like we're advertising or we have lots of groups asking to use our facilities. >> So, I love the idea. And JB, I think this goes to what you were talking about the other night about having the school be a community space where not just people who are currently attending Wheeler can come to use our space, right? Like it's it's the town space and we want to welcome the town in. And I love the idea that we can do that. And I don't I would not be in favor of charging anyone
159unless those people are charging people. >> So if an AA basketball team comes in, they charge their players to play. I want I want them to pay a fee, but I don't want Old Man Basketball to pay a fee, >> right? >> My question is how do we determine priority? Um I I am a huge fan of the way that Stonington manages their facilities. It's just really smooth. So, uh, let's say January 1st, I'm allowed to put in my spring field requests. >> No one can put in a spring field request before January 1st. Here, what if I'm what if I'm old basketball and I know that I want to play on every Tuesday night at at 8:30 >> and I know that we're going to do that for the next five years. Can I
160book that on the calendar? And then does that hold that calendar space so that like if coach Bailey wanted the gym or say the like the wreck needed the gym, how does that work in terms of like time and priority and how far in advance can I book a space? >> I think for the calendar year you can book a space. Um, and and really I'm looking at those conflicts because I know for each season and for each week of the season, this is when our gym is typically used and these are the times that it's available. And then the few off times that we've had a conflict, we just directly contact the person and say, "Our team's in here till 7. Do you mind starting at 7:15 instead of 6:30 on this one night?"
161>> So that works for It's not No, >> you're not seeing conflicts left and right. No. Right. [Music] >> Yeah. >> So, do we have anyone coming into our gym that you feel like they are charging their people to participate? um my AAOU team a few times. Um that's okay. Sorry. No, no, it's fine. Um a handful of times there's been one other AAOU team that has come in to use it. Um Allison Reyes's affiliation. Um and and other than that, I think it's really just Old Man Basketball. >> Well, there's not a lot of gym time available. >> Well, honestly, there's very very very little gym time available. >> Yes. We'll also put them at the elementary school, right? >> So, do we want to talk about a facility's charge for people that are
162charging people? >> Yeah, for sure. >> So, I mean, right, we're not going to necessarily overuse a basketball court, but >> feet on our We really have what we have like one baseball field, one softball field, one soccer and lacrosse field. >> Yeah. >> They never get a break. >> Right. Right. So if we if we wanted so if we the idea is that we want to charge people that are charging people to use our space then I guess the other question is how are we protecting our space so it's not overused. >> I was going to say I think I think that's my bigger concern is not whether or not we're going to be charging but are we not allowing people on the soccer field over the summer so that we're allowed >> the
163time for that that that grass to get healthy again. I mean, I'll speak to soccer because we do have a a club program that uses our soccer facility and the other available grass really. Um, and our head boys soccer coach Joe Mendoza is affiliated with that program. Um, and no one cares about our fields more than Joe does. And in the summer, they're not using our game field. They're using what would be the outfield or the baseball, their softball field, the middle school field. Um, I mean, he gives back an unbelievable amount to Wheeler and to the the soccer program. He lines our fields. He lines the fields for the summer league. Um, all of the soccer training equipment that we have at our field for our high school teams belongs to his soccer club.
164So, we don't have to buy all of the training equipment because it's all in the shed from his program. So, it's it it's like a tradeoff. and it just has been that way because he's been our coach for a very long time. Um, and and has had this soccer program going. Um, and and certainly like Randy and I are overseeing who's using our fields. Like in the fall and spring, I'm here until 6:00 or 7 at night. So, I know who's coming on our fields. I know how they're being used and we're watching what's happening. And and I think if we had a a major concern about overuse or someone abusing any of our facilities, you know, that would be something that obviously we would take very seriously. The Little League was a little more
165loosey goosey in the spring and I do think that was just it was it's so much harder in the spring season with the weather and things being rescheduled. We I had a couple requests from the little league, but it was like at 4:45 for a five o'clock practice, and I'm like, uh, I'm not sure that we can approve that, and I really would want to talk to Randy, and you know what our fields were like this spring. So, the little league was a little less, um, formal in terms of communication and approval, but I think it was also partly that's the nature of the spring. It's much more difficult with the weather and our field condition. Really? >> Yeah. Please come up. Yeah. >> Just let you know the soccer lacrosse field. This is the
166second year that I asked no one go on it because the first year I was here we had like a wreck lacrosse league >> and it was it was not you know was doing damage to the field. Not only that, you know, we got these nice mowers and we're hitting lacrosse ball that you can't see because sometimes they're the same color as the grass, you know, so I don't want damaged equipment either. Um, but uh this is the second year that no one's been on the lacrosse and soccer field for the summer season. So that's helping. So and to you know Burn's point is Joe has been using kind of like the outfield which >> right he they play summer league on that. >> Yeah. So it's almost like a middle school field is where
167they play. So yeah. So, no one is on our big field in the summer. >> Correct. >> And in the fall, we have boys and girls soccer. >> Yep. >> And then we have Coach Mendoza's other league on the big field. [Music] >> So, Randy, do you have a recommendation about I mean, now we're watering it, right? So, it's growing faster. Do you change your mowing protocol for the summer? Do you let it grow a bit instead of cutting it down? >> Well, with it being warmer, we're not mowing as much, but we were mowing it twice a week. Um, just to try to keep it nice because we got to mow it cuz it's getting thicker, too, because we also did some seed fertilized, so it's growing thicker. >> Um, so we've had to
168mow it higher, too, so it doesn't leave it clippings. But yeah, we were mowing it twice a week. Um, but last week and this week, we're only going to mow it once because we don't want them drying out. But at the same time, it's looking good because it's getting full from the seeding and also the water in it now. >> Okay. >> Right. >> Do you have suggestions to us in terms of amending our policies to protect your fields? >> That just if they come through, we say, "No, sorry. We can't. We're letting our fields rest." >> Well, that's I mean, that's on you guys. It sounds like you're you're making that call, but our policy is really vague. >> Yeah. um re like really big like I wouldn't and I don't even know who
169to tell if someone said can I use your facilities I don't even know who to tell them to call >> usually well I've >> maybe that's good I don't know >> I've had people reach out to me and you know or sometimes we'll even go to I've like some things would be care but that's more inside the school I think >> I think for a while it was going to Irma right she had some sort of a system um but I don't know that we use that system anymore We are we are using the district calendar and people can go on and make a request and then that request can be approved or denied. on um what we're doing with our fields and our facilities and and what we want to change. >> I I
170guess for me one of the big things with the policy aspect is protecting you guys so the policy can read in a way that will make it entirely accept. I mean, would it help you to have it in there that based on condition of facilities or grounds, you know, use can be denied at any time per athletic director or, you know, m director of maintenance. Would that I I guess those are the things that that we can do to make sure that you're able to keep our facilities in good shape. I think that [Music] >> the so may schedule may change without notice. >> Yeah. Other thoughts on >> but otherwise you like the ambiguity of the policy or you dislike the ambiguity. >> You don't you don't really pay attention to the policy. You
171run it. >> It comes directly. >> Okay. And that which is fine. Again, my my only thing that I want to make sure happens is if if somebody gets mad at you all >> and and and comes at you in any way, we want to have something in the books that is able to protect you all in your protecting of our facilities use. [Music] >> I'm going to ask a question here and I'm going to talk about it in terms of any space, right? Like if someone wanted to use a classroom for training purposes over at the middle high school, what's the process for booking that out? Who do they go through? There should be one centralized location that there is a gatekeeper of sorts because otherwise, and I mean, does it fall on facilities?
172Does it fall on athletics? Does it fall on someone from central office? There needs to be that. And if someone's coming in from the outside, it is standard practice pretty much everywhere that there is a fee charge. I get it with with nonprofits, things like that. They do and for local organizations, they they do wave fees, but there still should also be a fee incurred because there is additional like staffing that might need to be there, clean up after the fact. The the general wear and tear. I know, you know, basketball courts don't wear and tear, get a lot of wear and tear and break down quickly, but they do over time. And it is standard practice to rent those spaces, not just freely give them. So I I understand that there the sense of
173goodwill and generosity is abound at times but at some time at some point we also have to look at what's the overall cost to us and we we need to make sure that we aren't just giving away something that is going to cost us down the line. You know we talk about being responsible for the taxpayers and their dollars. we have to make sure that we are, you know, charging appropriately to make sure that we aren't having to charge them more down the line because we didn't have a plan in place to, you know, recoup that money. So, just my my two cents. I mean, we have the Go ahead. >> Um, the gatekeeper piece. So that would be ultimately Greg Cormier because I would I mean if if it's a sports team or a
174coach, it's probably going to come into me most of the time and I would send the link to you need to make an account and then process the request through the district calendar and then if it's any other kind of random outside group that goes directly to Greg because from the website I think he's like the first contact um he would do the same. So we even if it was a classroom, obviously it would have to be after hours, but anything would go in the district calendar that way. >> Okay. >> Like I said, I I just Okay. >> Not not being completely familiar with the process here, didn't know how that actually shook out. So, thank you for the clarification. >> For forever ago, I used to um fill out use of facilities forms
175all the time, whether it was Girl Scouts or PTO or what or whatever I did. Um, at that time we um we went through the administrative assistant. Um, but I'm not saying that you should do that now. I was just a matter of fact back then. Um, uh, there was no charge. However, if we booked something on a Saturday, we had to pay for the custodian. You know, if if there was a time where a custodian wasn't already there, like after school on a school day, you know, there was there was no charge. Um but on a Saturday um a custodian would have to come in that it wouldn't otherwise be there and we had to pay for that. Um, beyond that, I wouldn't be in favor of charging um, you know, beyond that unless
176it was on a Saturday um, if it was uh, a North Stonington resident or a North Stonington nonprofit or anything having to do with North Stonington. um because of the taxpayers um and uh they seem to have a handle on on keeping up the you know the fields and and making sure that they're not being um abused or or whatever in any way. And if if there were a problem, I imagine you would come back and say, "Hey, there's a problem here. We need to um address that." >> Other thoughts? So, it sounds like you guys maybe don't even know that we have a policy in existence. And so, my thought is, well, it makes sense. It's under community relations. Like, I'm not sure it would be one that you would all seek out. So,
177maybe you guys look at 3515 and maybe you say, "Gee, we don't do this or we don't want to do it this way or we think we should do it a different way." and you tell us what we should be doing differently or what we should leave. Um, I don't think that it's our will to like make things more difficult for you, but rather like protect you um and protect our assets. I think we've been talking a lot about the fields um if we're spending all this money and then we're not sort of protecting them on the other side like what what are we doing? They're never going to get better. Um, and I also, so I had initially wrote written the word um, will charge a fee for other organizations that charge a fee,
178right? Because it says may. So I scribbled and I said will. But then when you talk about Coach Mendoza and you're saying like, gee, he's coming, he's lining the fields and he's letting us use his equipment. Does it does it make sense that we're charging that guy? >> Right. So, so I see I see like the sort of the tension that it seems so cut and dry to me, but maybe maybe it's not. I don't know. I would love to hear your thoughts. that to me looks different because they're a nonprofit, right? So like if if we've got Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, whome basketball, old man B, like I don't care about that. I think that that's wonderful. It's the people that are like will be charged based on our policy. >> But I think
179our our policy doesn't say that. I think >> it's the last paragraph >> upon payment of suitable fees and costs according to the bro board approved fee. >> But if you look up there, it it tells you the organizations that may or may not be charged. So if you look sure if you go if you go back to 3515 the first page it talks about priorities and then it says um and then we talk about fee applications and it says education program no rental fee student activities no rental fee administrative faculty or staff activities including PTO no rental fee town of North Stonington department agency activities no rental fee activities sponsored by and for organizations promoting physical or political or cultural well-being of the citizens of the town may incur rental fee and associated costs.
180Private organizations, private businesses or enterprises located in or that are taxpayers to the town of North Stonington may incur rental fees and associated costs. Out of town organization activities will incur rental fees and associated costs. So that's how it's all spelled out. Um, so no, I don't think that this means that the Boy Scouts are being charged or nor should they be. >> Boys wouldn't fall under any one of those. >> It just says it in a specific paragraph. If you read the last paragraph, the boy scout, >> there they are. >> Yeah, it says they can use it may use the property upon payment. So is that in is that sort of in conflict with number five activities sponsored by and for organization promoting the physical or political or cultural well-being of the citizens
181of the town may >> so I guess why are we handling this policy different than like shouldn't our policy board look at this take a look at it dissect it come back to us and say this is what I suggest >> at the last meeting we said we should pull this policy and look at it and so that's why it's on agenda. It didn't just sort of come out of the blue. We decided as a board we wanted to talk about it because we were spending so much time talking about our fields and facilities. >> I I I do believe for those organizations that the suitable fees and costs are actually the uh the liability insurance pieces of things that run differently because I know that little league has to do that through a variety
182of ways through our our fees. I I don't know that it because we don't have an approved fee schedule, >> right? So that's the other problem. >> So if we >> if we don't have an approved fee schedule, then I would say that the only fees that are actually stated anywhere on here are liability insurance. Um but I would also say that Boy Scout, technically Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts, they are out of town organizations. They are affiliated with an in town structure, but they are not like the Boy Scouts of America does not have a home office in North Stonington. They simply exist within us based on an out of our town organization. Now, again, I'm not saying I want Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts to pay, >> right? Because I think again
183it's in conflict with number five, >> right? I'm just parsing words on this in the fact that when you look at it, it's like are the Boy Scouts an in town organization? Are are Boy Scouts are? Yeah. But are they actually a >> but they're serving the citizens of North Stonington when we have >> which could fall under that other one, >> right? So, I think that we have to fix the So, >> I I'd like to say that the Boy Scouts of America and and the Girl Scouts of America um aren't the ones providing or purchasing the liability insurance. It's individual troops. I had a troop for seven years and and my troop was responsible for wherever event we were at. Like we used to do stuff at the congregational church down there and
184we had to um purchase a liability insurance. You know, my troop did so that that was an in town troop >> which is why I think that that is the suitable fee. So when it says upon payment of suitable fees, that to me is what that would be is there the liability insurance. That's what that suitable fee would be. That's what we've been doing. That's how we've been interpreting it at least, right? Like they have to have that. Um and again, I'm not saying that they should be paying. I think that Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America provide positive services for our youth, and I want them to be in our buildings and using them, and I want that partnership. Um, I'm just saying it it's it's not a great policy. >> No, it's
185a bad policy. >> Right. >> Who are we charging and why and what? >> Well, and and it's your team. So, is that a faculty or staff activity? Can >> can we work on the language and >> does have chat with Troy and maybe bring it back next month or >> and also >> I think I think yeah I think that's what we need to do but I think that the problem is and this is this is where it gets tricky is that we can't work on a policy to set up something unless we know what the board wants. Do you want a fee structure? Do you simply want a breakdown of who gets it when? Do you want And that's why I was asking the questions of like what can we put in there?
186What language would be wanted that would help protect you that you would think would be positive? We can't work on a policy if we like we would just randomly be making up what we would want, not what the board. you guys met with them and worked together about taking Randy and Burn's recommendations and then the information you have and draft something that you feel like you could recommend to the board. >> I'm I'm happy to do that. I just want to make everybody clear that what you're going to get is what Lisa and I and that and and Burn and and and Randy come up with as what we think would make the most sense, not necessarily what the board as a whole would want. So then we could talk about it more, but at
187least we have a good starting place that's better than what we have now. >> Okay. >> Incorporating some feedback. say leaving personally I'd want like fees for the real outliers you know the ones that >> so so perhaps language of something where um if a organization if a for-profit organization um is making use of the facilities to to you know for profit there is a fee imposed or but even that I mean that would that would that would incorporate DOA and we don't want to Right. >> Aaou is a nonprofit. >> They can. Yeah. Some of them set up as 501c3s. >> I feel like that makes it different. >> They set up that way to get >> that I think. >> I'm sorry. I forgot to remind you. The other hard thing in kind
188of sorting through is I'm just thinking about the spring. So, one of our softball coaches coached a little league team and a travel team and and one time needed the field for little league and then another time needed it for her travel team. But guess who's on the travel team? Half of the little league, which is the town, and half of the Wheeler team. So, inevitably, the people for the most part using our facilities are very much tied to Wheeler. And I think that's the hardest thing in my mind. I mean, if we had a hard policy, in order to rent a facility, it's $50. Like, every we would know that and that would be easy and clear. But in those situations, I feel like it's that's hard to like figure out. Do we really
189want to charge the person who's coaching at Wheeler, coaching Wheeler kids? >> That's hard, right? That's really hard. >> I'm all for charging them, but they're not doing board specific school related specific coaching. Those are coaching and travel is completely different than coaching. >> And you should be paying the fee because your organization should be paying the rent. I do it now with my travel. We pay the rental fee. >> Even if I had access to Norwich and I know like >> you don't even have a microphone. Why is there a microphone microphone? >> How did you guys end up with one microphone? >> So I mean I'm all for >> one seat to start. >> Right. I I had to go get my own seat tonight. Um >> yeah, that's that's silly. We've got
190to change. >> It's okay. No, we're we're good. Um, but I'm all for charging those travel programs, even if they are kids from that town, because more and more travel organizations are doing that to kind of skirt the outofse coaching rules, right? >> I I truly believe that I don't care if it's 50% North Stonington kids, >> if it's a travel organization, AAU, what, however you want to brand it, for-profit 501c3, it's not a school sanctioned activity. Therefore, it should have to pay. So, right. >> Oh, geez. >> Well, and again, I can write a policy that does that. >> The total amount of money collected over the year for charging these fees. I wonder if that is a factor. I mean, how much money really going to collect over the year by charging fees?
191And if it's like, say it's $3,000, is that good? Is it what what's the work required to collect and manage all of that fees >> or would they even come [Music] >> are boy scouts and girl scouts considered a school sanctuary activity in your mind because um a troop cannot afford um like a $50 fee. No way. >> Can Can I ask because I It always seems like collecting money is the challenge. So like where does this money go? Like does it go into student activities funds? >> That's a great question. >> It has to go into student activities because we're not allowed to take in money any other way, >> right? So but is that complicate? Like is it going to go directly I would want the money to go directly to >> right
192back to your facilities. >> Yeah. But are we allowed to designate that >> or are we not? because it seems like that has always been a challenging [Music] >> into that activity speech. Amy >> probably [Laughter] >> buy some more whole muscle chicken. Um, I don't maybe the maybe the policy is created and then there's a couple of alternative like fee structures you could suggest because I think Bri B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B R B Ryan's like very very clearcut in his fee structure and I'm like well I don't know maybe maybe not. >> Oh yeah, you want to rent my gym? $500 an hour. >> Yeah, it's a ton. >> Yeah, you want to rent hard gym? But other things aren't as
193expensive, right? But because so many organizations have just been let in because again back door deals like with small a lot of back door he deals been around for years. We need to cut that down because our teams were getting beat up or they were getting double booked and people weren't doing things the right way or so those fe structures went in to cut down on the overe and for us it also means we s safety on we have to have more janitors around. So we do have one other district >> what why why don't we do this because I don't feel like we're going to solve this tonight. Um why don't Lisa and I meet with Burn and Randy at some point we can set something up. we can talk through because we can
194do all of the language minus the fee aspect and that way what we have is at least a process because even if we just had a process it would be better than our current policy and from there we can have a board discussion perhaps on a not 9:15 at night meeting night where >> right we're we're >> we haven't even we haven't even got executive session Um, yeah. So, what is the board okay with that? If Lisa would be great with Bern and Randy and we we move from there. >> Awesome. >> Mr. Coats, I know you came specifically for this conversation and I don't want you to have to wait till the end to make a public comment. Do you want to do you want to talk about this? You want to come on
195up and talk about it? I don't want to hold you until God knows what time we're going to be done. You you gota turn on your microphone. >> There you go. >> There you're on. >> Been here before. Um we're talking about things that have going back to 2000, year 2000. We did have a uh policy to use the athletic complex Um, we did charge a fee, but you never got your hands on any of those copies or that policy or couldn't come across one. >> We just the one that we currently have. >> No. So, anyway, we did go through that process of charging and um whatever. Uh, I guess my biggest thing tonight is, uh, three things that it takes to maintain the athletic field during this time of year. It takes, uh,
196less use, water, and how we mow the grass. We've I think you're trying to address less use. If you're still trying to put things back in to let people use the fields this time of year, I think that's a mistake. Um, right now fields are getting a chance to rest. Ry's getting water on them. Uh, we got the new wheel, uh, which is a plus, but I do have an issue with the way the grass is being cut. I was going to ask tonight what the policy was for getting water on the field. I think he addressed that tonight and he did address how we cut the grass. If we're cutting the grass twice a week at this time of year, I think uh any professional, any people that do grounds work would say that's
197a big mistake and disagree with that policy. Um, while I was here, I had the fortunate uh situation to deal with some Yukon professionals. Um, they always said you have to keep your blade sharp on your mowers and uh in the summertime you have to be very uh uh picky on when or how you mow the grass. So I have to agree Randy twice a week was right right now is way too much. What you do is obviously we don't have the right we do have a water wheel but we're not able to water the whole complex at once. Um we opening up to burning up very quickly. And you're also opening up to disease. Uh there's a lot of diseases that come in this time of year if you cut the grass too short.
198And even going to one time a week, uh in my opinion, that's still uh too much. Um maybe once every two weeks. I know it doesn't look good. Um but the grass will gain uh a lot by just having that extra length. It will help shade and also will pick up the dew which you've heard me say before. Uh it will pick up dew in the morning. Um I did I have been following a little bit how it's been cut right now. Um to me it's way way too short. I don't know what length you're cutting at. You have a length Okay. Doesn't look like that, but that's what you're doing. That's that's fine. But anyway, um I'm just trying to uh share my 15 years of being here dealing with uh professionals different times.
199I had a wonderful groundskeeper that I was fortunate to work with. Um we did get disease occasionally. Um, I mean, everybody gets disease, but when you cut the grass really short, you really open yourself up. And I don't I don't know if this company that you're consulting with um do they cover uh the maintenance of the field with the treatments? Who is who manages that? >> That's all managed internally, right, Randy? who who manages >> the fields as far as recognizing I guess let me add a little more to it recognizing disease uh any insects infestation. >> So we're paying a consultant to help maintain the fields. So what who is looking at the fields now? You could have an infestation now and not know it. Do you have do you have the expertise to
200I'm not being critical. I'm just asking a question because I didn't have the expertise and that's why I was fortunate to have this gentleman help me out. So, um, you could have an infestation of something out there right now that could wait your grass out and and the way the grass is being cut, you're opening really opening yourself up to that potentially happening. So, um, you well, anyway, every time I come here, I get I'm it's like I'm being negative and picking up picking out things. I'm not. I'm just over my time here. When I started here, we started from zero. you had uh baseball poles and a 2 by8 as your dugouts for your uh baseball fields. So, I had to um build a lot of things from scratch. I see you have scoreboards
201on the agenda tonight. I was the actual one who installed the current uh scoreboards on the athletic field because we had nothing. So, um >> Mr. coat. I don't think when you come here you're being negative. I think that you are a longtime resident of North Stonington who is also really heavily involved in the school and I know you care deeply about our facilities, our fields and the kids. So I don't want you to think that we think you're being negative. I appreciate your feedback. I think everybody does. >> I'm just trying to uh share what I learned. Yeah. And again, again, I think the water cannon or the water reel um what I've seen it work on the on the soccer field uh is a big plus. And that's pretty much what it looked
202like when I put my water wheel out. But this one is much nicer and much uh seems to put out a lot more water. Um but it does take two trips up and down the up and down the field. Um, I saw you had it on the uh baseball field today, which was good, but I noticed that the output wasn't the same. And that that could be due to there's a 2-in line that goes out to the scoreboard and there's a 1 in line that goes to that hydrant. So that it's kind of reacting to the same way the one that I had. So, um, >> and perhaps you want to spend some time with Randy sharing, uh, like I I mean, I don't know that anybody knows what size lines are are under there,
203and maybe that's helpful to share. It's >> written on the wall in the basement. >> Well, there you go. Okay. >> I don't want to cut you short, but we've got to talk about the scoreboards now. So, >> but I just want to add, um, you got to be very careful how you're cutting the grass. I'm just going to give you my opinion. and uh they can treat their fields with no restrictions of what they can put on their fields. We have the restrictions because we >> I only I and I totally get that. I only brought them up because I like the way that you sign up for the fields and and the ability for them to have such high control over who's on what field when and there's a very limited time in
204which I can book a field for next season. I I really enjoy how efficient that system is. I totally get that their town runs their fields and so that puts them in a whole different category in terms of what can be on it different than the schools running it. >> Talking about who uses it. I'm talking about the chemical >> for sure. And I brought them up today because I was talking about who was using it. >> Do you know why we can't use the same chemical? >> Because we're a school and they're doing it as a town. So we have restrictions that they don't. >> We are because our seventh and eighth grade middle school Okay. So, um we apologize. There was uh inappropriate material on we had to shut down the meeting. And
205uh and now we're we're going to move we're going to move forward. And here's my formal apology to Melissa uh for you having to be subjected to that. Okay. Uh so, we were just doing uh facilities of field use. We're going to have a a a discussion about the policy. Um because of the hour, do we want to talk about moving some stuff? Um and I'm going to propose that we uh table student ambassador. Um and that we also uh table teacher contract negotiations that was in executive session. Um do we do we need Troy to get through scoreboards and batting cages tonight or do we I know that our next meeting isn't until August. Love that. That's for spring. >> So, Randy and Burn were here for those topics, especially for the batting cage
206together. >> Okay. It's batting cages because it's for spring. Can we move it? >> Oh, yes, we could. >> Is that Is that okay? Or do you want I mean, we can. It's just It's >> No, it's 9:30. If as long as you're good. All right. Scoreboards. Let's talk. Please. The microphone is yours. Okay. Um, when I was here a while back, um, you all kind people asked for like a priority list from athletics. So, we submitted it and I was actually able to buy a handful of the things with the um at the end of the school year with some of those funds. So, that was great. And then this was one big item that I think we all are aware that we need them pretty badly. So I was able to get two
207quotes. This is the cheaper of the two quotes, but actually the more trusted brand. This is from Fair Play, which is like the kind of gold standard in all of scoreboards. Um, other than big like jumbotrons with dtronics. So um, I had a rep come. I sent a whole bunch of pictures. they can they're pretty sure uh that they can use the the posts that we have um which would save obviously a lot of money. They would do the installation and that would be um the 1990 is without installation and the installation is below. I mean the baseball and softball would be enormous upgrades because right now you we can't display the ball, the strike, the inning. So that's really that's really hard um you know for our games and our team. So that would
208actually be that would be really really helpful for baseball and softball. And then I mean the soccer lacrosse scoreboard is functional. Um it is very faded and and very old. And the only thing that we would have to look at is on a Saturday morning if we play a 11:00 a.m. game the scoreboard will not turn on until it's dry. If it's a moist morning at all, it will not turn on um until it dries out 11, 12, 1:00. Um so we would definitely have to have the electrical piece checked um to to see what that problem was. >> Yeah. So this the on the left would be the the baseball and softball board. So we get two of those on the left and one on the right. So it' be three boards total for
209that price. >> Right. So, um I'm glad that you got quotes on all of these. I think that's great. My recommendation is if we move forward with these, we should approve them individually because that's going to push us over the top for our purchasing policy and making you go out to bid when really you've gotten quotes on the individual boards. Okay? So just procedurally, I'd like to do it that way. But we're talking here about a a total investment of $25,000. >> What are people thinking about that? >> Is up to $25,000 enough if there's if they aren't able to save the post that we have? >> No. If we have to install new posts, it would definitely be a much higher cost. But >> how do you know? >> Both companies were very pretty
210confident that we could use the current post. >> Okay. Well, I'm just wondering if the up to amount should be more than 25,000. So, you wouldn't have to come back if they couldn't save the post and how, you know, depending on how much are the posts, right? Are they? >> Well, it's more the how far you have to go underground cement postings, all those. >> Like if we approved up to $30,000, would that >> So again, we can't we can't approve up to $30,000 because we'd be going out to bid. >> We can't approve over $20,000. >> Up to 10 up to 10 up to 10. You know, >> I guess but I guess we'd also want to talk about if we have to get new posts, is that something that we want to pursue?
211And when would we find out? And that that sort of thing. You can't just have necessarily like an open checkbook here. >> Do you have the the breakdown of each one? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Can I take I'll just make a motion. >> So $20,000 we've actually got to go to RFP. >> So we'd want to do them individually. >> Would they be able to find out about the post prior to us making >> Right. So don't do it together. >> Okay. So I'm going to Let's see here. I'm just looking for three prices. It's kind of >> so 5410 and then what's the other one that >> 5130? Oh, so that's all okay. Gotcha. >> Right. the graphics >> just like with 191. That's what I'm saying. >> It does the optional add up
212to >> include signage, >> right? But I have to I have to do it in three separate motions, >> right? Okay. So, we have to break it down, >> right? Was just kind of >> So, if we needed posts, we wouldn't move forward with this. Well, I think I I hate to be the like sort of the stick in the mud here, but we're we're talking about spending $25,000 out of our non-lapsing account, potentially way more than that if we need post. Like I don't know what the way more was. That's all I'm >> She said that she will be able to find out the cost of the post prior to making the purchase. The motion was going to say contingent on >> on what we know about the post, >> right? And then I
213think we're going to have to have discussion >> after the motion. >> Yeah. Yeah. a motion and then we can discuss. Right. I'm just trying to figure out what numbers I should use here. So, all right. I need a calculator. I think that we've made a mistake in the way that we're doing it >> right now. >> No, no, no, no, no, no. Chat was just speaking. >> See, sorry. I just need a calculator. I got to figure this out here. Right now, just while Christine's doing that math, we have an uncommitted balance in the non-lapsing account of $66,399.50 with a proposed um deposit hang on of $53,966 going into the non-mapsing account. Um, can you tell the just the approximate life? Like how long have we had these when you said you put these
214in, right? Like 25 years ago. >> So the sign on the soccer scoreboard says gift. Um, actually from the athletic booster club. I'm almost positive. >> Yeah. as old as the school. >> Okay. So, when we're when we're talking about doing this, it's a long >> it's a long-term investment. >> Investment. >> Or the controller or the lights. But >> Christine, you yell when you're ready. I'm going to keep asking questions. >> Keep asking. I have one more question as well before we >> Oh, wait. Do you want to ask yours? You can finish it off. >> Um, can you just tell me what the optionals are? These optional pulled up sign with graphics. >> So, if you want the wheeler and the lion, you could get it plain. >> Oh, >> but by putting
215the graphics on, it adds some cost. >> Okay, gotcha. All right. So, I do have the numbers. Go ahead and ask your question. >> No, no, go ahead. I'll do it during discussion. >> Okay. So, I make a motion to approve. Well, I So, hold. So it's 89. >> 8902 for the soccer. [Music] >> It's 8902 for the soccer with install and 14088 for the two baseball with install. So, how much overage do you want on that? >> Is this a lock? >> We'd be >> I mean, >> it's a it's a quote and we're going to be acting on it immediately. Yeah. >> Yes. >> Okay. Yes. >> All right. So, I make a motion to approve O2 for the soccer board with installation and 14,088 for the two baseball softball scoreboards with installation
216to be paid for out of the non-lapsing account. >> I just need to amend it contingent on the use of existing posts. >> I'll second that. Perfect. Okay. So, um Bern, lots of people talk about sponsorships for these boards. They don't pay for them. The sponsors pay for them. Can you talk about that? >> Um something that I think we could open the can if we want to hit some local businesses and see if somebody wants to put their name on the scoreboard and donate some money. Um, I mean, we in my year here so far, we haven't really done that with the exception of a lot of little fundraising projects like with teams and and different initiatives. Um, but that's something that >> I don't I don't I don't know one way or the
217other if we feel like it's better to peace meal and use our individual connections or ask for like a bigger ask from a handful of companies. Do some don't some companies do that for you? >> Um like the bigger ones. >> So they like I think in other towns like Right. So they go out and they find those sponsorships to put on your scoreboard, >> right? >> Is there is there like a a reason why we we haven't looked into that or don't want to? Is it that we don't want to bring in certain advertisements? like is there >> no just haven't really >> Okay. >> done that. Yeah. >> Do we have thoughts on that? >> My only thought would be that you'd want to limit what's on there or it's going to look
218pretty messy, >> right? And >> want 10 different little >> And who are we who's advertising on our sign, >> right? >> State Farm, obviously. Obviously. >> Wait, you wouldn't want to have like something unhealthy like Coca-Cola. >> I was thinking something different. Um, I don't know that I would be opposed to Coke, but I was thinking of another business. >> I So, so we had this discussion. I don't know if we all remember it because we had the discussion regarding the the gym and and and there was the discussion of what what did we think about local businesses being able to purchase banners to put up in the gym to be able to use as a fundraiser and and and we had that that kind of process in play. Um I love the idea
219of doing that in that situation wherein you could sell like you know I mean advertising space within the gym. I feel like the scoreboard gets kind of cluttered. >> Okay, >> that would that that would that would be my opinion. I think >> aesthetically pleasing. >> Well, and and and again, if we're going to have something for 25 years, if we want to add something to it, you know, if we want to hang something from the bottom of it for a year or two or something else, but we also don't necessarily know. Some schools were having a hard time because of the fact that they had Coca-Cola sponsor their scoreboard. And then over the following years, it wasn't PC to be able to have uh soda be the thing that you're you're promoting to students
220inside of a school. So, we don't even necessarily know what we might come up against in 20 years. I I I think I would rather not make something so permanent have advertising on it. Sure. Anybody else have thoughts on this? Okay. I just wonder 229 I mean should it go up to 25,000 only because what if it's 235 and we we set the cap at the exact number. You know what I mean? [Music] multiffactor authentification. >> I just I I was going to ask you text. I just I didn't want to let somebody hop on our website. [Music] >> Understandable. Um, okay. So, uh, Lisa's asking a question if if this isn't enough money. I mean, should it just be a little more? Are you comfortable doing the exact amount? [Music] >> I feel like
221we should go more just in case. Does it does this is this inclusive of all the fees, the tax, the delivery? >> I mean, it does I have the breakdown. It does list out everything. I mean, I asked them for a quote. Sent them pictures. >> I'll my motion to include a 10% overage. >> Okay. Do we have a >> Are these the two numbers? Okay. >> Okay. All right. Does anybody want to have any more discussion? Okay. Um, all right. So, I really want scoreboards. Um, my my concern is that this like looks um when we're talking about appropriations and we're like, "Okay, $25,000." Like, this could be a problematic look for us. And I think we just have to be prepared to to defend it um when it comes up because I think
222it will. So, do we want to take a vote? All those in favor? I opposed. Abstain. Okay. Um, Brendan, did you get the right numbers for that motion plus the 10? Okay. I just want to know what I'm signing for. Okay. And you want to talk about batting cages? >> Next slide, please, Brandon. So, we do we do have an updated quote for a softball batting cage. It's called a actually a batting tunnel. And what would be is there's the two parts of it. There's the tunnel frame and then there's the net. And uh the quote for the tunnel frame is $5,040 and the net is $1,083 uh with you know with a total some of miscellaneous charge there it's uh $6,273. Uh that's without the labor. I know Burn and Randy had talked about
223um how to possibly get that in maybe using volunteers and also our staff here. Um and you guys found a space where this could go, right? you have a space for it and and it's something that the softball team does not have that they would like to have and the baseball team does have uh next to the baseball field. So, um this seems like a nice thing if we can get it. Uh, of course, we didn't budget for it, so it could be another non-lapsing expense possibly. >> Well, I think that's what you're suggesting. >> I am. >> Okay. Yeah. I just I think we just want to be really clear about what it is that you're suggesting. So, we don't we have a spot for it. It's 6273 without labor. If we get people
224to help, that's awesome. If we don't get people to help, what are we looking at for labor? >> I don't know. You have like a sense labor cost would be. Do you guys have any idea? >> Right. or you don't. >> I mean, if you want something that has that sort of effect to it, absolutely right. But I've seen plenty of high schools do it where they just have grass underneath and then they put dirt in or they just have a dirt sort of area around the plate and work from there. So, I mean, the the material inside might not be something that you have to worry about as much, whereas, you know, it's it's the digging out, it's the concrete, it's making sure all the depths are right, all of that. Um, and then
225that the bowls are appropriately spaced. But if you get the I mean, if you get the people to help with the labor, I mean, then it's the cost of the concrete effectively. >> I think for the playground stuff, we always estimated 40%. So, that's like $2,500. >> Yeah. I just don't want us to be stuck in a situation where we purchase this >> and can't put it in >> and then we can't put it in. Like I I don't like it when we sit on equipment that we purchased. >> Um so I just want to be prepared for that. But I'm all in favor of the girls having what the boys have? Yeah. >> Uh Randy, are we confident that we could get this installed ourselves or is this something that we want to research
226more and bring it back to the board later? >> So, you're feeling like we can install this ourselves? No, it's it sounds like just the cage and the net. [Music] Okay. Okay. I I I recommend that we add a little buffer like the 40% and then if they don't do it or if you can install it yourself, I'd feel much more comfortable if the number was lower. That's just my opinion because I agree. I don't want this to sit and then we don't have enough money or like just say like 8,000. I I don't know up to 8,000. >> Someone can make a motion if they want to. >> Can I make a motion to recommend up to $8,000 for the purchase and installation of um batting cages? softball batting cages. >> I second it.
227>> Any further discussion? >> I think I will note again that we generally spend more time talking about these high dollar items. I recognize that it being 953 it might have something to do with it. >> Well, and just to to kind of we have talked about these things for question. >> We totally have. >> So, this isn't like a new thing that >> we totally have. That and we asked >> burn. Okay. We already >> as long as I just want to just want to remind the board where we're at in terms of spending down the non-lapsing account if everybody's good with that. I just want to make sure I'm reminding you that we're at about 33,000 tonight in expenditures. Um any further discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Abstained. Okay. Batting cages
228and scoreboards. Okay. And you totally can go. You don't need to stay till the end now. Okay, then. Um, where are we now? I know. Um, old business. We're going to Does Can someone make a motion to table student ambassador? >> We don't have >> I move to table the discussion on student ambassador. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. Okay, I'm going to go ahead and and move that. I could also put it in an email to you what I heard from Kristen and then we'll just go from there. All those in favor? >> I opposed. Okay, moving on to the consent agenda. Can I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion to approve the minutes from 6:16 2025. >> Second. >> All those in favor? I >> I think we I
229think we just are supposed to say like consent agenda, but uh but okay. Does someone want to move the financial uh reports? >> I move the financial to the board of finance. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I um guys, do you really have anything else you want for a future agenda item? Because I feel like we've banged this out already. Oh, Brian, you do. >> There's more that we need to add to August. Um I'm just kidding. We keep it moving. >> Stop talking. >> Yeah. Shut his mic off. Okay. >> I actually do want to add one thing. Sorry. It'll be very >> Augustine. >> No, not to August. Just for future agenda items. >> Okay. >> Um with staff resigning and um I I would really like it if the
230board could meet to talk about officers coming up next. We kind of know what the slate looks like somewhat. Um instead of waiting till the day after election. >> Sure. because you're going to lose both your chair and your vice chair November. >> So, I just would like us to have an open discussion about that and we'll kind of where we see that moving forward >> before it doesn't have to be in August, >> right? >> Sounds good. >> Okay. Did Kim Hagerty come in? >> No. >> Okay. >> Got it. Um, do we have public comment? Uh any online? No. No. No. Um okay. So we are going to go into executive session. And so I need a motion to go into executive session. >> I'll make a motion to go into executive session.
231>> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. So for the public that's here, uh we're going to go into executive session. Now we're just going to come out and adjourn. So we're not going to do anything else tonight. Thank you for sticking it out. I really appreciate it. and thank you for all the hard work you did to do all that stuff tonight. >> Okay, >> Mr. codes. Thanks for staying.