001I'll be right back. It is recording. It's recording now, but it's not. It's on doing the live stream. We'll upload it after the meeting. >> You can see us. saying you can't you can't see us. >> Uh is this the business and planning sub meeting? >> Yes. >> Oh, it is live. Wow, that's really slow. >> Okay, delay is like 10 15 seconds. >> Thank you. Thank you, man. >> Thank you. >> Just hold tight for one moment. Rest of us join us. >> We are Hello. >> Hi. >> Thank you very much. >> I am expecting >> Louis. Okay, great. Had a little bit of >> eventful afternoon and um I'll make sure Megan's on her way. She was at the high school. Kids were being picked up there. >> Okay. Welcome. Uh this
002is the East Adam Board of Education Business and Planning Subcommittee meeting. Uh Friday, December 19th, 2020 25. I do have Tea Jansky on the line. Didn't get a Zoom link in or last minute. Uh pretty busy afternoon. Uh we'll start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Exits in the front and the back and we'll get right into our facilities. How you doing, huh? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. >> Yeah. Little bit of a busy afternoon. A >> little bit. So, if you're okay with it, I'm going to skip past the art mural at first because I think Megan could explain it much better than I
003can. We can go back to it. >> So, I kind of thought uh throwing some pictures together might be help. We did this a couple months ago and it seemed like it was a little more easy for everyone to understand. Uh it's stuff that I see every day, but it's not stuff anybody else sees every day. So I think the first thing we had on the the the agenda for today was the rear access for the elementary school. Right now this is kind of a rough picture of it of what we would be looking at for a rear access. Right now the elementary school only has one way in and one way out. So once it gets So once it gets bottled up here, whether it's with PD, fire, EMS, there's no way to get
004in or out any other way of that of that property. So the other two schools do have a rear access road. There is u a little strip of land right here that has a right and back here the town owns. And part of this is El Grove also. So the thought would be to run an access road from William Fower to the back of Littlefields, a gravel road like the other two the other two schools have. This did come up on our security survey as being something that should have been done. Um this has been talked about for quite a few years. This is kind of the farthest that has become come so far. uh this uh so about a year a year and a half ago we got a price from the company that
005did the track and it was just a rough number because we don't have any surveys we don't have any engineering we're not done yet tune of about 500 grand because how long it is and how much fill is going to have to be for the gravel it's a gravel road it's not going to be anything fancy like the back what the high school has and what the what the middle school has but this did hit high on the security list of being a hazard. So, >> but who's >> PD? The police department security. So, that's a lot of money. >> It is. Yeah. No, I'm just >> that is not fully utilized. I mean, as far as enrollment, I'm concerned about spending one dime or access. Why? Why? Why now? So I think why now
006is because this is as far as it's ever gotten before. This is got brought up. This was talked about when I first got here, but it just it never got anywhere. It never it was always stopped at in the front office as not being a priority. So this has always been asked for by the East Adam police, state police, the resident when they were here. And I don't know about the current survey with the new company that came in, but this has been something that's been asked for. Uh, and I totally understand why it's once that once that area is congested with cruisers, ambulance, fire, whatever. >> One tree there. There's no access on that on that dead end. Why can't Why can't the town do something on the dead end? Why create a roadway?
007>> So, we looked at that, too. And it doesn't solve the bottleneck problem right at the road where a gangland is because a gangland is really I don't think this is totally accurate. Mclofflin's more up here. So once it hits that area right there, this seems this is a little farther back than it actually is. So once this gets all caught up with parents and parents are going to start coming if something happens, you're going to have multiple police agencies there something. >> So So this is a security risk if the building was locked down situation. This is a once in a lifetime situation that we're trying to solve. >> Correct. Or fire. If there was something catastrophic going on, there would fire would be for that. Also, >> a tree could go down and
008block that road easily. >> Yeah, good point. So, if the tree did come down with wires, we'd have that road to get into. Um, >> I don't like the idea of any town building not have a second, period. This is a big project because no I'm not trying to hide that. It's not cheap, but it's definitely I mean we got some footwork to do. This isn't like we can break ground tomorrow. We still got to go through approvals and engineering everything. But this is something that was quite high on the security list and I I get why it's a it is a safety if there if something happens. We hope nothing ever does. >> I understand that. But when we look at the all of the long-term projects for the desk track, where is this
009range? >> So, >> as far as expense, >> it's probably on the high end of the expenses. I would put this as a higher priority of I mean, we have other priority list, but this is and again, pray to God never gets used, but it is high. How many times have we used the alternative access at the middle school and the alternative access to the high school over the last five years for any reason? >> So the one at the high school got a lot of use during the construction. >> Well, >> so that so that got a lot of use but thankfully never >> and and I think I was involved when the 48 middle school was built and we grappled with that alterior access quite a bit. Um at one point that was
010going to be the primary access. Uh, and we went through a lot of conversations. Before we even take one step towards this, as a new member of the board, I'd like to see our entire long range plan. I want to understand what projects are on that plan. And I think we should be ranking them before we start going down and cherrypicking any projects. That's just my personal opinion. >> I would be where like whose responsibility to pick? Would this be a town project or a border project? >> So for the cost it would be a capital which falls under town, >> right? >> But ultimately whether it's border or town, it's still kind of the same. >> Yeah, of course. Of course. No. Yeah. I'm just curious. >> Yeah. >> Um >> yeah, >> this
011has been proposed and shown to who else? Just us or anybody else in the town? Uh we n we threw it out talked about last year but there was really no money so we figured we'd push it off and start the process this year. Now there's engineering there's going to be serveing there's there's a there's a hurdle to cross first before we're willing to drop $500,000. >> So this is a $500,000 project. This is potentially a million dollar project. >> No. >> How much do you think engineering would cost? 100,000 >> engineering for this is a gravel road from what numbers I'm getting from the contractor maybe 30 >> again I just want to put on the record we know the board of finance has already given us even >> that they don't want to
012have us come in in a budget that's >> any higher than it's already right now in this current fiscal year. So for me this is this is a I need to see a full plan. Um, for me, this doesn't rise to the level of of the most importance yet for me until I see what what other things, especially the fact I asked her at our last meeting, wanted to understand where we were with state grants, where we are with h with HVAC, all kinds of things. Um, and again, I go back to the enrollment issues. Um, this is a building that is not fully utilized by the enrollment counts. Why we would continue to invest without Now, understanding the big picture to me, I just want to put the brakes on. I'm pumping the brakes
013on this project until I understand the full scope of what it is that we're looking at long term. We of course need to have the full scope, but I think I go the opposite. I This is a building that's utilized not just by the kids. First of all, we have building whether it's a high or not. There's billions of kids here. Um, and it's utilized by many organizations. We have the little ladies back there. We have all kinds of things back there. And the thought of not having access in case there was an emergency, it's very scary. And I don't like the idea of just saying, "Nope, we're not doing it because we don't have money." I would like to get more information on that, but I would like to look at it closer without
014immediately being turned up. >> I'm not turning off. I'm just saying let's see all of the long range projects. This is one of, I'm sure, many. I'm >> sure. You okay with the >> Yeah, absolutely. So, the elementary school generator was on the list. So, there it is. It's in place. The conduits are in place. Uh it's actually getting wired next week. We're about a week short. Uh so, so I know uh you don't know, but it was a long process of getting this in because it took a year to actually get the generator. And when the time came, a lot of numbers that we had wasn't going to work for what we had planned to do after a year later. >> So, we were able to tie this in with the HBAC, which gave
015us 100%, well, I shouldn't say 100% more. Yeah. Pretty much 100% more than what we were planning on doing. So, it actually worked out good that we didn't have enough money when the time came. So, we're able to get a lot of lighting on, heating. Um, not sure we're going to get a lot of the air conditioning on, but we'll have heat, which is a priority of the air conditioning. >> We'll have the electronics, we'll have the phones, we'll have the exterior lighting and we'll have all the heat. So, it worked out. We weren't expecting that when we bought the generator because we're very limited in panel locations, but since we put five or six additional panels in, they wired it back to the main panel, we're able to tie it into a lot more.
016So, we the the delay helped. doesn't usually, but it helped. >> Does this generator run the whole school in a power outage or just what you have described? >> So, we're looking at probably 65 to 70%. >> So, is that enough to allow kids to stay in the building or is it still require early dismissal? >> So, the generator is never designed to give you a full day of school. >> Yeah, I heard that today. >> Yeah, it would have would have been fine, but if all of a sudden we lose power overnight, it's not designed for that because once we lose a generator, you have nothing. So it's it's used for like >> so situation today we would not have had >> you could have finished your next two hours or whatever finish so
017the bathrooms the kitchen. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. Bathroom. Yeah. >> So, the water pumps will be on, the heat will be on. >> Emergency problem. >> It'll be about the same as the other two schools which are about 65 to 70%. Um, this school now wasn't feasible to do 100% for the building because everything was just I don't know if you really walk the building, but there's no panels everywhere. as a library to try to get everything back, but we locked out with the way it's been done. So, >> it's just a good example day like today and we've been able to just continue the day. >> Sure. >> You said it's about a week out. >> Yeah. Everything's there. We're there. We're doing the it's it's right there. So long as there's no more delays.
018>> Exactly. >> By the way, the the spurts are done. I've got clearance that no more high winds for East had just careful. >> Oh my gosh. >> I know. That's a pretty picture. >> You know what? I I don't have a picture for the but so I don't have a picture for the elementary school um the update for the elementary school which is next is we were about 95 to 97% done so this is a high school picture I got backwards u so the all the units are in place is kind of kind of one person mingling around doing some odds and ends but all the units are in place the last two are going on the gym uh Monday they're setting the crate up. We're doing the last two units and the power
019is getting converted Monday night and they're going to start turning units on the 20 uh the 29th when their commissioner the commissioning agent comes. They're going to start turning units on. So we should have uh new heat for when the kids get back to school. >> Awesome. >> So we're in good shape and the electric is all been updated. We have a bigger service now. So everything's been going pretty well. This project has been a long time in the making, but it's gone pretty smooth since it started. So, should be 100% for first. >> Is this heat? >> It is. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, it'll be nice. Whole building. The only school 100% air conditioning. >> True. >> Yeah. The high school and middle school just have the cores. So, >> why didn't we focus
020in on our buildings first? I'm just curious. plans. >> So the middle school didn't qualify because it was too new for for money for the grant money. >> So So it was based on grant state grant the criteria >> it did. So the middle school was kind of taking we had a couple years ago and in all fairness the elementary school was horrible. We were doing every day PJs going once, two, three times a day to reset the heaters in there. They have by far the worst system on their throat. Uh it was an archaic system that needed to be replaced. The high school should be next, but that was very expensive school. So >> presenting this meetings were in the high school. >> Oh yeah. Yeah. >> So that's a long time. >> Yeah.
021So the high school is nowhere was nowhere near as bad shape as high as as the elementary school. >> Can we get the next meaning how much money you spent on the elementary school over the last two years. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's it. >> This improves air quality. >> I tell yes I don't mention. So because right now I mean the age of the system where the units are against the outside walls and the filters that get out the air to get the particles out is three inches off the floor. So as it works now it's actually pulling >> the dust off the floor getting in the filter. What doesn't comes out. So this was that was by far it worse but now all the schools got the dust off. I think I'd be curious
022with that if there's any big lingering projects that need to be done in any curious >> like she for how much is there something else or is that >> so if there is one one more it's going to be half the roof have there was only half the roof was done last last time because the other half was still on warranty. So there is a section of roof that will still need to be done. I believe that's three years I believe on the long range plant. I believe that's three years away. So that's other than that we've gone the doors and windows got the HVAC parking lot. It's been brick has been redone and sealed. I mean it's other now like the important I mean the very core big stuff is done the rest is
023kind of cosmetics and it's not that >> two maybe 300,000 maybe two 300 it's a good chunk of roof >> it's a lot of money >> is the long range plan available online >> for our school system. >> I do not know that. >> Um >> because >> if you could send me what our current long reach plan is or point me to the website, I'm happy to to go through it there. >> So I believe because it'll be on the capital, so it's probably on the town side. >> Okay. All right. >> Yeah. >> Um is it but it's online and available? >> Should be everything that that the town did through online. Yeah. So that should be because that was the tenure. >> Yeah. >> I looked at it last year when it
024happened. >> Can I ask a superintendent question? Is that something you guys keep a hard copy of? >> No, we do it collectively with the first selectman when they come and we all meet. We're all together in the same room with the town finance director. Don is there and so they set the meeting and then the board chair and I >> So is this the nuance that Kira, our our new board chair was discussing that there is a long range planning group that's the mix but then we used to have a separate long range planning group as a board and that's where my confusion comes in because we always had a long range planning group as a board of education separately. So that's why I keep going back to what is our plan. But what's
025happened since then is that there's a combined plan. So that must mean we have a wish list somewhere for the bed that's not in the plan, right? >> It usually ends up there like the rare access for the elementary school was one of those. So yeah, we do talk about that and things come on and off. They rep prioritize constantly. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Uh so the next thing was the HBAC for for the high school. We started uh as you know we put the chiller in. Chiller's got the new air conditioning for the core of the building and the auditorium and the library. But with that, we were able to fund a new BMS system. So we could >> sorry, >> building manager system for the for thermostats basically. So the one we
026had before was from 1994. We actually have to go there and plug a flash drive in and work through it and you couldn't see what was going on. So on the capital, we were able to upgrade it. But during all this, as they're hooking them up, we were starting to find stuff that wasn't reading and wasn't working, which means the control motors and the valves. So, this is like a perfectly example of 1994 when it was insulated with the motor on top and the insulation around with the control with the valve inside. So, as we're hooking them up, they're not able to they're not reading back is working. So, as he's going along to check them, that's like another part. That's the motor. It sits on top. But as he's going along checking to see
027what's going on, this is rose to a priority. And he cuts the insulation back. You can see how that motor is off the top and it's actually rotted inside the insulation >> from the condensation, from the hot, the cold, and um leaks if it was a pinhole leak, whatever. So, we're finding that these things are starting to rot and need to be replaced. Luckily, so far, we've been able to put a band-aid on them, but this has risen to a priority that needs to be addressed sooner than later. Um, here is, it's not a great picture, but this is the one that he did uh air temp was able to cut open, and you can see a lot of like the uh the erosion and the rust around the valves. So, got better. This is
028a great picture. So, this is actually a new one that we that we replaced last year. And you can see how it's all and we are not going to insulate it back because insulation we found is the problem to keep the condensation in there. Uh again, that's how the motor is supposed to be in a perfect world. That's the way they would all be. But they're actually the insulation is is for a reason, but it's actually costing us a problem. That's the rotten shut off valve. Once we cut that off, it actually that little piece right there actually broke. So, we're going to have to get in there, take that that pin out to fix the valve inside. >> Question. So, all of this work, is this done in house or are we using an
029outside contractor to do work? >> We can't we can't do this because they it's over. >> We don't know how to do it. Not licensed. >> I was going to say, yeah. So everything you're showing here is when you say we, you're not talking about internal staff. You mean >> it's me working with them walking through >> with the contractor. >> And do we have a set is this a set contract that we have year round? Uh and or is this a per iss like a per problem issue? >> So right now the company is that's doing the the the BMS system, it was actually a state vendor. So we but he's also our vendor for the the elementary school. So we went down a road which I think is going to be a good
030road is we're going to try to tie all the town buildings together on one management system. So we have one head end. So not every building is a separate system like it is now. So we can come here it's different. I mean every school is different but now the elementary school and the high school and for the most part this one's kind of the same. All three will be be the same. So it won't be all right. So this system we got to do it this way. This one we got to do it this way. So the long-term goal would to be try to get the middle school, high school, this building and elementary school 100% on one brand >> on one brand. >> And and when we go out to RFP for these uh
031projects, uh do we still have a policy in our town where we give 10% to to a town bidder? So, in other words, we have a low bidder that's outside of the community, but we have a small business that bids on the same job and it's within 10% of their lowest bid price. Our former policy would have awarded that to potentially our local business. Do we still have that sort of desire to make sure that we're creating opportunities for our local community? >> So, it's still in there. It's still it's still in the ordinance and any anyone's welcome to bid on it. Okay. >> Uh we did and I and I'm trying to do this in everything because we did this with the fire panels too is with there's been a bad habit of buying
032systems that were proprietary >> where >> we buy it from ABC. They have to work on it. >> So now we've been buying stuff with the fire panels and this is it's open to anybody. >> So if we get sick of this company, we can hire someone else. No, I have to. >> So, that's been that's been the problem that we're it's been taking a while to correct, but we've been correcting it. >> But yes, there anybody from town >> and do they but but we have that caveat. So, even if they're not the lowest bidder, if they're within that 10%, we could award it to them and go beyond the lowest bit. That's what I want to still in there. >> Yeah, that's still there. Yep. >> Thank you. >> Y I had a
033better picture, I guess. That's better. >> Oh, so this is uh one that we kind of stumbled across. This is in the staff lounge at at the high school. This is the motor that actually moves the valve inside the pipe. >> And he found this because he couldn't stop the flow of the hot water going through. So the the tech from the company pulled the top off. He found that sitting there like that. Now, there was no complaints, but it had been pretty much free flowing heat the whole time. Uh, so that's what it looked like. That's the that's supposed to be the stem that comes up to turns the valve inside on there. Uh, so that's what we've been finding in hidden spots. >> Uh, so it's a lot of this stuff that's going
034to be rising to important level. He is the company is coming. We've been in contact and walking through. They're coming Monday with the school empty and they're going to go through 100% of everything. So, we'll have a number hopefully by the end of New Year's week. That's what I'm hoping for. >> Is this just because these aren't insulated. So, is this just age or is there something happening that's causing this? >> So, good question. That could be condensate, could be sweating >> over since 1994. Uh there could have been a pinhole leak that was never detected. Um, so we've been uh finding this finding this out in pretty much not everywhere, but at least 50%. So we've been finding new motors with old outs, old new valves with old motors. So it's kind of like
035if you're doing one, you might as well do the other. So So that's what he's going to go through Monday and you may actually be there. Oh, so that's that was the motor that sat right there. Okay. So, I think we So, that was uh it for HBSC if there's any questions on HBS over to high school. So, that actually moved ahead of some other things that we were talking about as an importance. Um, so I was telling Teresa that I think we that probably bumped down another thing. So, uh, and the height the BMS we we just kind of touched base about is Oh, no, we did not. Sorry. So, the high school we are currently doing that now, which we're almost wrapped up. Hopefully, we'll be turned on with that if we can
036get all this other stuff squared away in a month. Maybe it gets getting a little bit delayed a little bit longer because every time we find a broken one, we got to go back and fix it. So, it's not happening as fast again. So, the middle school is actually the next one that needs the BMS system. Uh it's the same thing. We go to uh the middle school and it's a set dedicated desktop computer that there's no linking in from the outside to do and it's varied from 2008. I know it doesn't sound that old, but it is in the world of BMS Arcade. Um, you know, it's hard to control the valves. We actually last week it actually didn't turn on one of the circulator pumps in the middle of the night. Steve got
037there in the morning and this building was down like 54 degrees. So, we had to manually go turn the circulator pumps on, reboot the system, and get the system going again. Um, it's not cheap. Uh again, we're meeting next week to walk through it, but this is close to $190,000 tab to replace the BMS system. The high school is 194 to do it. It's a ton of electronics to get put in there. I'm guessing 190 to we'll say 200. We'll throw that we'll throw those two numbers in there. 190 to 200, which um is another it's not a kind of a wish list. is a priority to get out of the top within the top three or four report. Um because that that was a an issue last week with the circulator pump didn't kick
038on. Again, this would go back to you could I could control it from Florida. If I was in Florida, I could have got my phone and if there was a problem, we could turn the heat on, we could turn it down, we could turn the air condition on, whatever we need to do. Uh right now, we're dedicated that we don't know if something goes bad. this new system I'll give it I get a text or get an email in the middle of night a boiler pump went down which we don't have that now we don't know that till the custodians get there at five o'clock 4 to 5 5:00 in the morning and then by then by the time we got to get companies there to get there I mean we have good companies that
039come quick but it's uh this is another layer of protection they're just going to >> so just to be clear so we have that in the elementary So the elementary school is going to be a little is a little more basic. Again, that was in the budget line. So we will have access to it. I won't be getting tax, but the high school is going to be guaranteed for that. >> So the budget so we're we had a budget for the elementary school. >> Yeah. >> So and we're going to expand on that a little bit as we go, but the high school, yes, we'll be 100%. So the system actually the high school so so modern is we can I can get we can get tax for low water in the sprinkler tank. We
040can get that stuff. I can get low pressure. I mean there's a lot of stuff probably more stuff than I need. >> That's very detailed. The elementary would at least let you know there's a problem. Yes. >> So we we'll get beeped to know there's a problem but >> not be as detailed. >> It won't be as fancy. Yeah. Exactly. It's a little more. It was more generic because we were trying to keep within the >> 5.3 I believe it was 5.3 within the budget within the budget. Correct. Both the high school and the middle school roughly 200,000 each. >> So the good thing if there's any so that 194 is pretty much at the elementary at the high school stayed stable for like the last six eight years. ABS gave a price to Ron
041when he was in my spot before and it was like 194 and this one was 194. So it was stayed pretty stable. So I'm hoping that the middle school stays within that also that pretty stable number. So >> I was just going to ask um you mentioned before you don't know what happens until the custodians get there. We don't have any sort of alarm system when when a failure happens at all in the middle school. I'm shocked by that. We we don't there's nothing that goes out. So we're actually So just a quick thing on the high school too is actually now I can get I'll know when the generator fires with this BM system BMS system they could tie which we didn't have that before either. So which is a problem because sometimes we
042don't the power could go off at two o'clock in the morning >> and we don't know about until 5 or so. The only reason I'll find out about it is we'll get a fire alarm. So then I kind of find out but nobody else knows about it. Um, so that is we're working on you think it's an easy process, but it's really not. >> Yeah. No, I'm sure it's not. >> There's there's so many layers, but we're in a good foothold in high school and I hoping to continue with the middle school that way. I mean, this is not just this one situation like even with food in the freezers and fridges to make sure that we have a monitoring system that lets us know if there's a malfunction because they would find out like
043would be a break. There were days would go by and then they would come back and find that nothing was salvageable. So like we're trying to use the most recent mechanisms to inform us ahead of time so we can you know mitigate. >> I was thinking about pipes. There's no way. Yeah. >> Yeah. So we do actually we do have the food ones. They did hook up to all the coolers, all the refrigerators. We do have that. We can get text emails text and emails. So when the temperature raises I actually took myself off the text because every two or three degrees you would get a message. So Natalie's the only one that gets out. So if there's a problem, she lets us know. So yeah, but it works really good. So yeah, all three
044schools have that work that well. So uh the high school, it's been the time where the doors are starting to go bad. The bottoms the the jams are starting to rot on the bottom. They're starting to settle. Um, this door is in the back of the school is actually electrical closet has was found open Monday. There's no way to get into the building. It was just an electrical closet. So, it um assuming from the rot it sprung open. We've since secured it. We've changed the deadbolt mechanism. So, it's it's closed now. Um, but was from settlement or rock. It sprung open. Excuse me. All there is is electrical panel in there. So there was no access to there. >> Thank you. >> Doing a lot of talk. >> Yeah. So um what >> last time
045we brought we talked about the doors, we were talking about how uh a lot of them were oddball sizes which which drove the cost. >> So Yep. So it does perfect. So this door right here. So actually we start here. So this is the most common door for commercial is three foot wide by seven foot tall. So So these doors are pretty common, but what's not common is the frame. The frame is about 10 inches wide, which is uncommon. So that's a special order that has to be made. This door is a technically it's the 3080. It's a it's a bungal size for height. But what happened was is we think when we measured this, the masonary hole was made too small. So they actually took the door and they cut a half inch off
046of it. >> So it's 35 and 12 inches instead of the 36 that was supposed to be. >> So once we get >> that was good technology when that was put in somebody went problem solved. >> So that's what they did. So, >> so, so technically the 8 foot's a higher. It's a special order. And now when we get the door, they got to take it apart, cut the door down, and make the frame smaller. So, which is driving the cost. >> So, >> uh this is actually the finished product. That was one we had to do this year. This is going into the kitchen because there was so much health department actually wrote it up on it. So, we had to fix the door and this I was pretty pretty sure I'm not a
047month a month to get it because of the frame and uh the opening was too big so for the door. So we had they actually made the frame a little bit wider so we have to put masonry in to make it look high. So we took a little bit more and they're not cheap. >> And they're basically all special. >> Everyone every door is different. Not one door is same on the outside. It's odd. much or the middle school, we don't have that problem because they're all just common. But the high school, I don't understand why every door is there. >> So they're that's driving the cost. >> This is the last one. This is an air handler in the high school. This was, if anybody's been in the attic at the high school, which
048which drove the cost so high for the high school, is there's no way to get this stuff out. So, in a certain section of the high school, you drive in, you see that that big louver. So, the only way to get everything out is to take that first unit out and then to manually dolly them to that and crane them out. And then when you put the stuff back in, you got to start the farthest one away and then work your way back out. So which drove the cost I I believe I thought the high school was around 10 million for new HBAC. I thought it was around that. I may be wrong in that, but I think it was pretty close to that. So that's why we just went with the elementary school. This
049one is we are going This one is in bad shape. So, we're trying new process Monday. Actually, they're coming Monday where they're going to take this whole front off and they're going to replace the components and leave the old box in there to if that works. Replacing everything on the inside is is 25 grand to replace it all to do the work, buy the parts, take everything out is probably 50 to $75,000 savings. So, we're gonna That's gonna because this one's The only way this one runs now is by by us manually turning it on and off. So, this >> I'm sorry. You have to go upstairs and turn that on and off every day. Is that >> when the cafeteria needs it because the BMS won't work for it anymore? So, we're >> So,
050everything just fell apart at once. >> So, Monday they're going to take this apart. We're going to slide out all the components and put the new components in. and we're hoping and promising that's going to work great. So, if that's the case, that could save a ton of money down the road. So, >> that's all the bad news I have. >> You have any more questions? >> Uh, no. I just um I just if we could get uh you know either if the superintendent through the business manager could send the links out or I just want to make sure I have the latest long range plans so that I'm looking at the accurate information. So if you could just send a link out that would be appreciated. >> I don't have the link. It'll have
051to be through the town. >> I'll talk I'll touch base with Valerie and see if she has >> Okay, Jessica. TA, you have any questions? You might be on mute. Okay. All right. Thanks, >> D. Can you hear me? Yes. >> Okay. Um, no, I don't think I have any questions at this time. Um, potentially when we get to the finance section, but it is a little tough to hear. There's a bit of echo. So, we might want to work on that in the future with that room. Um, just on YouTube, it's like there's a humming um coming just watching the YouTube. So, >> yeah, you're you're absolutely right, TA. I was been watching a lot of town meetings over the last two weeks and this room is terrible and uh I noticed our first
052selectman also was getting complaints at a board of selected meeting and they are talking about doing something in here whether it's putting mics on tables or something. So you are definitely not wrong. >> Thanks for the feedback. like almost like a microphone. Um like you know when it does that thing where everyone wants to plug their ears, it's not like as loud as that but it's like a lower humming. So yeah, it's a challenging um regarding the facilities update. Um just thank you Don. I appreciate that. And I don't have any questions. Um, I'm happy to know though that the generator at the elementary school will work for the rest of the day if we need to. Um, I understand it won't work for the entire day, but um, that will just be helpful because
053obviously this is such a disruption to families when the kids have to be sent home all of a sudden, especially if like parents are working like say they're an hour away. It's just difficult like, oh, your kids's all of a sudden coming home on the bus and what if they're, you know, seeing that they're away from their phone and they don't see it until their kid gets off the bus. That just scares me a bit. So, um, it will be nice to have this in place and maybe we should talk a little bit more about when this all of a sudden has to happen. I would love to know um what what availability is there for families if someone didn't see the message until an hour from that time or whatever and there you know
054so that this doesn't happen. Um so >> okay good questions. >> Thank you. >> All right well actually before the budget. Thank you Megan. We're going to come circle back up to uh A on the art mural. >> Mind if I come up this way? >> I do have some handouts too just to help everyone understand art spot itself. >> Um the group that they are and what they do. I'm sorry I left my glasses behind. So very just um Lauren Bryan, our art um teacher, put this together for you just so you could get a snapshot of um kind of the work that Art Spot does. to give you a little bit of the history. Um, I have worked with Art Spot in the past in a previous district and they do these amazing
055tile murals. So, Mrs. Cryan and I have spoken about it off and on over the years like it might be a really neat thing to do um in our school community. We've done some other plywood type murals with youth and family services on their um the night that they do in the spring where we're not on technology but we're moving around the the the town and engaging in different activities and that's now on our walls and we're just looking for ways to kind of bring the artwork and the work of our community into our school. So, uh Mrs. Cryan had contacted ArtSpot to see um if we would be able to partner with them. So, some information about what this would look like. Um we have a couple designs which you can see in front
056of you and I had a different handout which I couldn't print today. Apologies. Um but I'm happy to send that >> for a good reason. >> For a very good reason. So, I'll send that along um to Dr. Drito and she can distribute. Um but Mrs. Cryan came up with a couple different designs with the theme of, you know, our community, our school as a community coming together, that inclusivity, which is something that we model and practice. So, those are her her designs that she came up with. Um, she had been working with um looking at some of the designs that ArtSpot does to try to choose something or design something that would would work for this kind of a mural. Um so um our thought was that students would get to vote on which
057mural they'd like to to participate in to work on together. Um the artist the art spot artist and residence program um is inclusive of everything that's needed to create the mural. So we provide the design but they design the board. So, there's three 5-ft panels that are designed and so they take whichever design we choose and they sort of have it, I don't want to say color by number, but kind of they set that all up on the board. Um, so when students and families and community members are engaging in the project, they know which colors to place in which area to create our our vision of the mural. Um, so they bring us all of the tiles. They're all cut and colorcoded. Um, and they help guide us through the process. But it's really
058like a three-day event, if you will, of all of our students being able to participate in the in the development of the mural, inviting families in to help facilitate um, and volunteer time to help support the students in doing the work, but also inviting community in who would like to participate in the creation of the mural. We really want it to be a community event. Um, the funding has been provided both by our EHES PTO um, and fundraising from the Square One Art fundraiser that Mrs. Cryan does. She doesn't do it every year, but she does it every so often. So, the students create a piece of uh, an an a drawing or a painting in in the art studio and then that gets sent off to Square One. Um, and families are able to
059purchase that design on keychains and computer mouses and things or mouse pads, things like that. Um, and so she uses those funds for different projects that happen within the art studio. So there would be no cost to the board of education. Um, it would be completely funded by PTO and fundraiser money. Um, and it would also hang in the front of the building. Um, we currently have a bulletin board in that spot with our East the Eagle um, for our PBIS, but we would just relocate that. We would really want the mural to be front and center for everyone to see when they're coming going from our building. So, it's really a a piece uh, you know, for everyone to be proud of and and engage with when they come in and out of the
060building. Um the only responsibility to board of education would be um the staff to hang it which Don and and his folks would would be able to assist us with. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> That's a lovely idea. Especially appreciate, you know, the fundraising and the PTO of course always doing a great job of helping out. >> You're so generous. >> Yeah. I have a couple questions. So, I understand the PTO does a lot of great fundraising. I was a proud PTO member back in the day. I'm just curious, um, does the PTO ever come to the school and ask what your needs are before they fund projects like a mural? I'm just curious like if they're participating in any other significant needs in the community or is it kind of are they
061only focusing on things that the school district could never even look at supporting like an art mural in their budget? >> Um they support us in in lots of different ways. So um they provide cultural arts programming for all of our students at every grade level. um usually multiple um um events isn't the word, assemblies or kind of uh engaging events um with different grade levels. So things like the um Connecticut River Museum coming in and doing work with our third graders around um how our indigenous populations interacted with the Connecticut River because that ties into social studies. So, they fund those and they work with our staff on what is our curriculum and what are some things that we could bring in to highlight that, bring it to life for our kids. Um, they
062provide um donations to things like our holiday bear campaign to support families in need during the holidays. Um, other kinds of assemblies and events that are whole school. So, we had the um, sorry, my brain is foggy right now. We had the uh steam STEM um lab science, thank you um come and do a whole school assembly and then workshops with our kids earlier in the in the school year. I guess my question is are you collaborating with them to say hey this is a need can you fill it or are they coming to you saying hey we want to do this is it okay >> it's both it's it's collaborative we meet on a monthly basis and kind of talk about what's happening on their their end what's happening on our end we also
063have our monthly PTO meetings virtually that um we both we all collaborate on and provide different information so teachers will als teachers also have the opportunity to reach out to PTO if there's a specific need for their program. >> Okay. >> Um, bookf fair, for example, sometimes the PTO can elect to um get scholastic dollars or turn those scholastic dollars into into actual funds and they will help with classroom libraries or support different programs that need different things. >> Okay, thanks. >> Is there anything else? >> Any other questions? I like the I like the concept of the community coming in and participating in the school. >> I like a lot. >> How how can we get how do we get the message out to community? I mean we have parents square which is the
064parents community but just thinking of ideas how we get that out to the rest of the community in the paper invitation in the paper. I think outreach to our seniors is critical. For me, one of my continuing frustration is the lack of intergenerational opportunities. I think um we need to make sure that our seniors are connected to our kiddos and vice and vice versa. Um you know, I I'm assuming and hopeful that we have kids going to chest at Christmas and all those kinds of things. So to me, the best outreach is to is to do it intergenerationally, especially in our elementary school. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Well, thank you. >> Appreciate that. >> Okay. If there's not anything else, we can move along to finance things done. Appreciate it. for the 25 26 budget.
065>> So, let me first start out with explaining what the numbers are and and how to read these as you start getting different looking um the first column is the object codes and those are the categories of spending. The first one is um administrative salaries 51110110110. And I apologize I probably should have given you a key to this so that you have that and I will provide that because it'll be a lot easier. The org number the next column if you look at the last page I did do a key code of that. Anything that starts with 501 relates to the elementary school. 551 relates to the middle school. 561 the high school. 591 is systemwide. And um then you have non-school systemwide and then you have special education. So it'll just give you an
066idea of the categories. I did um separate it out by object so that you could see salaries come first and then you'll see instructional supplies, educational supplies, field trips, and those codes as I give them to you later. To the first the third column, the account description is something that was embedded into the financial software. I'm trying to work to make those more um readable as you look no program systemwide superintendent. I had hard times understanding some of those. >> Yeah. And I but they have to be individually typed in to be changed. >> I don't know the rale and how these got created but um they do need to be better recognizable as you're looking through them. So the first yellow column is the 2024 25 budget. um that's where it landed after any
067kind of revisions. That's how much was budgeted in those individual categories. Then the next column is what was proposed for 2526 adopted. Then the the next column is the difference between 2425 and 2526. Second to last column are the reductions that were made in the categories that they were made in. And then uh the last column is just the increase difference between 24 and 25. And so you can see as you go down the um reductions, some staffing positions on the first page, those were reduced tuition and there were some that were added. If you see that there's a negative bracket around it, those were monies that were added um because as we looked at the end of the year, they needed us a little more support. tuition, transportation, those things that are a little
068less ele >> and there weren't that many. So when I look at this column for instance and I see the 287,82 on the second page, >> you're telling me technically that's a reduction even though there's no bracket around it. >> And then when I come down below the bracket actually means an increase. >> Yep. So my brain is going to struggle with this a little bit just because it's opposite of the way that I would be looking at it. So >> and I'm I'm making a correction to the system to do that properly. >> Okay. Okay. You see what I'm saying? >> I'm exactly the same way. >> Okay. Okay. >> And and at the end you'll see a positive $500 um at the bottom of the column and that's what the reduction was. So
069you'll see it started out at 25951. It ended up at 25451 which was 1.4 million more than the prior year and $500,000 cut and that was after the process of board looking at it, tribe board looking at it, board of finance and people approving it and the superintendent's reductions to the bottom line. >> Um I I thank you very much for this detail. Is it possible in future iterations that we can carry the heading on all pages? I don't have to keep looking back. >> So, can you go over this bottom line number one more time so I understand it? So, the 23.9 million is the 2425 budget. >> Yep. The 25.9 million is the proposed budget >> request that came from the board of ed to the town before we went to town meeting.
070>> Right. >> The adopted budget is what happened at town meeting with the built-in reductions that were asked for whatever way >> final referendum that governs. >> Okay, that's the final referendum number. Okay. >> And that's what we're operating in right now. >> Okay. And so are you in fact then would I be reading this correctly that you have a $1.4 million surplus right now >> that was a $1.4 million increase from 2425 to 2526. >> So is the $500,000 the current surplus in this operating budget? No >> no we don't have those figures here. >> Okay. >> This is just budgeted amounts in the categories that they were budgeted in what we're spending off of right now. So do we know what we are year end or 24 I mean for the 20 because
071I'm hearing 2425 budget was not completely settled and it's still being massaged. Is that accurate? >> We are still working on that with the town. Um the town receives all funding sources. So um we're still balancing out the grants and how those got applied and then where we land at the end of the year. >> Okay. I over the summer bills keep coming in that get spent back to that amount. So just yesterday I got another bill from that period that got spent. So we're not closed out with the auditors yet and we're not meeting with them until January until January to close out the 2425 budget. >> And if there was a surplus of 2425 once all the numbers came through, what is the process for dealing with that surplus? So, we have the
072right to a 2% um non-lapsing account that we can take 2% of the budget, which is about $480,000 in a reserve that then the board and the superintendent work to create a spending opportunity. So, if the budget surplus potentially, you know, just to be clear, we're not saying we have one or you're not saying that you have one, but if you did and it was over 480,000, is the delta over that go back to the taxpayer or go back to the world? >> Yes. >> And some sort of an account. >> Um, then it would be up to the town's general fund. would go into the town's general fund. >> We're both great. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> I can I can just add one thing to that just as as I'm learning the
073process that that you have here at CSA um they do offer an opportunity through their ordinances for capital um designation. So let's say we had 500,000. It's possible that the town would say, "Okay, the board can keep the additional 75,000 toward a capital project." So they're continuing discussions after that. So So I I'll get into that. So is this money that is like a stiff account where they're holding money, it's earning interest, and then like So I just wonder, you know, when you're saying it's going on Joseph. >> So if we were to get a non-lapsing account, it would not we would not gain any interest. It stays the value of what it was when we deposited it. >> We don't have any interest bearing accounts. >> We don't board does not. >> Okay. >>
074The board does not through general funds, but the city does. >> Yeah. >> Just question is is January normally the close out period of that year? So >> we like to do it earlier than that. Um it's based on the schedule of the auditors and the circumstances and in this case with changing of business manager and >> they gave us some leeway. >> Yeah. Normally they would like to have it done both by December but once we sit with them we'll have a pretty >> quick pusher. Who's our >> um CLA? It's the biggest is state auditors as well. >> When you say state, it's on the list for a vendor. >> They actually they actually do this work with the state to do the state Connecticut's audit. They're >> Yeah, they support um many
075towns. So, I was thankful uh happily surprised to see that you had probably the most um talented and knowledgeable auditor. >> Kudos to the town without >> they started out as Skull and Wolf and then they they grown up >> all of those. >> They've been absorbed many times by bigger and bigger. >> And do they um do they Is it every single line item that they're that they're looking at? For instance, with our um agreements with special education and outplacement services, are they uh doing any audits on our special education uh private provider services or is that only the line items in our budget? >> So, what they'll do is they'll take a look at all the line items and then they'll make selections on every category and get the documentation on it. So
076they will be looking at agreements, payments, um individual salary agreements, um if they find a a payment to a person that is higher than normal, they'll pull that and ask for all the backup documentation on it very thoroughly. >> So they do that with our special education. >> Okay. Because at the state level, there's been a lot of issues with special education providers not providing contracts or other things. So I'm just curious if it >> Yeah. So they'll ask us for contracts, individual contracts and monthly payments >> for everything. Lease agreements for our copers for everything. >> Great. Thank you. >> I think we're good right now. >> Thank you. Good. 26 27 budget schedule >> in light of the tri board being scheduled for January 12th. We're trying to expedite the opportunity for um
077all the administrators to present for the new school budget. So on January 7th, all schools will present and on January 8th it will be special ed districtwide. We'll start early. We start at 5 and we'll go one right after the other. >> Chair sometimes I'm not sure what my schedule's going to be. What is the participation if a member of the subcommittee is revolved? I'm just curious. Do they are they able to fully participate remote and vote and all those things or Okay. >> All right. Great. Thanks. >> Can I just make a request now that for those meetings we make sure we have Zoom links? >> Definitely. >> That would be great. >> January 12th 12. Good. Let's get to it a little sooner. I think with that said, any other questions for us?
078>> The only other question or comment I have is um what was the direction you gave to our school administrators for preparing a budget? What is it that they need? So, it was there was no direction to keep costs down or stay within a 5% or a 10%. It was basically tell us, you know, everything you could possibly want. No. >> Okay. >> So, they definitely knew that there was this request for a 0% increase. And what I said is, "What do you need?" >> Okay. So, there was no specific >> No, there was no specific amount. What do you need? >> Because there's still a step after that, right? Then I put together superintendent's budget to present to the board. So I might make adjustments based on the initial request that everybody hears. >>
079So what is what are we going to see on the seventh? Are we request or your request? >> No. >> Correct. And then can you talk to me about what happens after January 8th? Then it's internal process. >> Internal process and then I go to the full board with a presentation usually but it might be expedited this year. >> Okay. Um, >> okay. I just want to understand kind of the timing of it because what I always find is that things get bunched up at the end and we could have taken more time in the beginning and >> if if you know you know when by the time May comes I'd like to know that you know we've we've really taken every opportunity before we go to the public. So and the board adopts the
080board's budget. So once I present the board will scrutinize line by line and the board will decide if we need to cut back if there's a certain dollar amount you're looking to reduce and then I take that information and really look where could I streamline to accommodate the board's adopted budget. >> I see. When you say board the full board >> I mean the board of education. I mean the board. Correct. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. Great. >> And by then we would know if we had a service. >> Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Because there before two years ago when the law changed >> the money any money would go into the capital line and we would always go to the board of finance and say we know that there is this in reserves. It was
081always referred to as reserves. um and we have this project, whatever it is, our tanks need to be updated, whatever it is, and we would make requests. And I know there was people always nervous about how low it potentially would get. Um but since then, the law has changed for the past two years that the board of education can have their own non-lapsing account for 2%. in which case we don't go to the board of finance to make requests and there is a policy >> new policy that actually sets parameters in regard to the use of those particular funds. >> What policy is that? Gosh, non-lapsing account. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Like there's a you know information in there about not using it towards salaries. Okay. But if the board were to feel like no,
082we are going to use some funds to retain these particular positions which means salary line item. the board as a whole could choose to um vote to not follow that particular policy or go back to the policy committee and say, you know, can you loosen this a bit so that we can because the board would have to make the decision anyway. The board has to decide the use of non-lapsing funds. >> So, does this sub ever vote on anything? >> No, it's just a pass. >> It's true. Yeah. >> Okay. just want to say for that non-lapsing money, one of the things that it has to be used for and I I I haven't read the policy um is if I were to get a bill, let's say we had a special education student and
083they didn't bill us until September, I have to use last year's money for last year's bills. Um, so lots of towns don't get an opportunity to have an account that they can spend because it covers bills that come in later than than expected. >> The 2% policy is very controversial at the capital. There's a lot of lobbying happening happening around that issue. Wow. >> Will you let me know because I'd be happy to join that conversation because if let's say we did so I came from New Haven and there were hundreds of thousands of dollars of bills from facilities. Things happened in June when the schools closed and and that's when facilities could do it before camp start. And so then those uh bills would come in and I can't use current money to pay
084for last year's bills. And so then without that non-lapsing account, I have to go to the town and say, "I'm really sorry, but your general fund is going to have to pay this because our pipes and they could say no." >> And now you have an expense that doesn't happen >> or making sure board's beds don't get ahead of themselves and spend that 2% knowing that they have outstanding bills, right? It works both ways for sure. >> Thank you. It's very helpful in the policy. The full year has to be closed out before the full year has to be closed out completely before I >> Oh, okay. That's good. >> Okay. >> Can I just ask one question about that that 2%? So just so I understand it, not that it's going to happen, it's
085kind of dream world, but um if so it's 2% of the current year budget is the maximum you can have in that account or is it 2% for a year ended up over >> it could >> I was just trying to understand the regulation. I'm not in any planning expecting that to happen. I'm just wanted to make sure I understood. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. It's really beneficial to have the auditors to really look at everything and and what has been done in the past. And Christine being new with fresh eyes, asking lots of questions is critical because um funds come in from the state and they don't come to the board, they go to the town. And so that communication is crucial. So, you know, when you you end your year sometimes a little extra
086money because hired a teacher cheaper or a lot of maternity leave where there was less um expenses than you expected. So, it was a good way. I was part of the legislation when they adopted that 2% because you're putting districts at a disadvantage trying to end the year at zero who are working with towns, especially regional districts that have to work with more than one town. Um, >> I think that the the controversy also encompasses NBR and how that how that 2% impacts FBR, right? So there's I think there's a lot of I think you'll maybe you know it's a short session what will happen but I think that there is a lot of conversation anyway. >> Well it worked prior to this as a lobbyist that's always starting so that's where my love is
087>> I want to make sure that you know we get what we need to we have to advocate for that help. >> Thank you for lobbying for us on our behalf. And on that note, >> um, no. 3:35 to return.