001Good evening. It is 6:34. Uh this is the Easttown Board of Education Business and Planning Subcommittee. It's Wednesday, March 26 and I'm going to turn it right over to Don from facilities for our maintenance report to start with. Good evening. Uh so the elementary school, the HBAC project has officially started. We are units are being hung in the ceilings. Um we have we're making good headway so far and throughout the building. Radon testing was done and everything passed at the elementary school. We did have a pretty major water damage to one room in the second grade wing that uh costs a lot of work and it costs a lot of money. Um, but she does have the best heat in the building now with the new units we put in there. So, uh, but, um,
002it was I haven't seen the final bills because a lot of them went to the insurance, but I think it was probably 50,000 plus with everything that was done. It was repainted. New ceilings were put in the new electric, new um, smartboards and was repainted. A lot of uh books and a lot of learning material has been replaced because it was totally destroyed with the steam from the unit. I did I'm thinking it probably we found it on a Monday. I'm thinking it's probably started on a Tuesday from the steam. I mean on Saturday, sorry. Saturday until Monday when we found it. It probably steamed off for a good three days before we found it. Uh it was a broken it was a pin hole in the radiator of the heater. It was blowing out
003hot steamed for a couple days or three days until we actually found it. For me it was a Tuesday cuz school was closed on a Monday. Yeah. Yeah. So it was a Tuesday morning we found it. So I think it was two or three days anyway. Is that what happened? It was hot steam coming out but or it was a leak and then hot steam was coming out. Right. No, there was a little pinhole on the piece of copper tubing that's in the radiator and it was just blowing hot steam out. The hot water just kept going through and it was just like a little steam was almost like a cart radiator. When we walked in the morning, it was like raining from the ceiling tiles and the light fixtures. It was just the condensation.
004Yeah. So, it was pretty bad there. We hooked right up. Air Temp was gave us the name of a good company. It came right down and had us back up and running in no time. So, but they deal with all the insurance money and said they paid quarter of a lot and did our deductible. So, I think we're in pretty good shape so far. We did have a $5,000 deductible which you know we have to eat for that. But yeah, I would estimate it was we have at least 10,000 plus just on reading materials and school classroom materials. And that was not the the mechanical site that Don had to deal with. So, I don't want to correct you. That's the first first grade wing, wasn't it? First grade. Yes. ask first grade. Sorry. I
005know Laurel always. So if she comes back and asks us later, didn't we to finish something? I had 205 m on my brain. So uh middle school braon test was done and everything everything passed there. Fields and ground maintenance is started uh along with the the baseball fields are getting worked on. Well, that was something that they started. Uh the contractor came in and we did the infields and they came back today. So, we're still working on those and getting ready for the season. And fertilizer started uh today, actually. They were there for their first day today. Uh the high school, the stage curtain is completed and the lighting is all squared away. The tech building is 99.9% done. They've been holding classes out there. We're just missing a couple odds and ends, but uh
006they're going full using it 100% now. The chiller project at the high school is starting on April 14th for that week. I'm going to be moving the sheds around and pouring the pads to replace the new chiller when it gets in when it comes in. And fertilizer is started there. And also with the fields were rebuilt last week and this week they're ready for the new season. [Music] Yeah. Um, so you're talking about the fields at the middle school and at the high school and it's been 100 years since I've been at the elementary school, but that uh second grade side or no, that third grade side playground area, that deeper field that they usually hold field day in is usually pretty bad with bees and really poor soil quality. Has anything been anything been
007addressed in that area? So in that field, we usually we take care of it, but we don't take care of it to playable level cuz they usually usually play like soccer out there during the day. So we don't spend a lot of money on infield there, but we do mow it. We do take care of it that way. And we had problems at the middle school with 650s, secondies. They're in the ground and they're quick. They come out only for a couple of weeks and they die. Um, so they do EB dig go up and look. It's like there's that. But what do school? Yeah. And is that the same kind of that's at the elementary there? There are some yellow jackets here or there, but you find them. But those they're big. They're like
008these are black. Those are the ground. Yeah. I've never noticed a field just let you know clean up. Exactly. Additional question. Um yeah, just a um little completion date for the elementary school age track. Is there anything that comes about by the end of this season? Where are we at? So, they have a completion hopeful on like December 12th to 15th right in there. But we just got back news Thursday that the switch gear for new service is going to be in first week of November maybe. So, it's not going to be likely they'll have all the power to motor and switch gear by the December date for hope. It's possible, but and that's that's if the switch gear comes with the times that they're predicting. There's no other holders. It's going to be a
009while. [Music] And I was just curious the latest on the the shed or the peries or the just where we are on the shed. SH set back. So there was a little hold up through the winter, but the Florida was built today. So it'll be up hopefully by the end of the week. About a week or so. Is this the shut at the high school athletic field? That's what I was at. Yeah. Okay. Great. So there was a little there was hiccup with the rain, the ice, the snow, and getting all started today. The floor is not dumped. [Music] Perfect. Next item is the varsity softball field. So the varsity field in the high school that's has the light the outfield. We lost the outfield and that was kind of uh the fault of losing
010our fertilizer last year and not being taken care of. So, the only solution I really have to do is since the season's over, is to close the field out. I have to work on two different or actually three different options. One is to kind of go in and kill all the grass that's there, put a top coat of top soil on it and reed it. The other is to we're going to do a patch either in the back here or up the high school. We have a reverse tight ro till filler pulling up, pushing it back out. and overseeing it. Um, but I'm also going to talk to one of the site people in town and see what the cause take out to one of the three needs to be done. Otherwise, it's going to
011be in bad shape. So, right after the softball season's over, I like to close it to all outside use, but the high school use, then we'll just work on it. The earlier we start, the better chances we have playable come next spring. Um, but the other ones are good shape. All the fields are in good shape. As we get bad spots, we we have an airator slicer. We overseed the building on this got too far. Why did it sell on its fertilizer last year? the company went out of business and we went on 62 or 65 years from now. Um, so now we have a new company starting today, a company that we talked about a few months ago. It's a lot more reliable glassware. So, and what was the third thing you choices were
012to add top soil and seed or overseed it after you patch it? What was the third? So we the town we bought a reverse time roat tiller. That's it would take a while but we're going to try to patch here or up way in the back and sock build the high school do a 10x10 patch to see what how how it came out and how hard it was. That would probably be the cheapest but I'm not sure it actually be the smartest. So there's kind of our three three options we have. I know we have an outside team that uses it all summer, but I put a priority to the high school team. So we do it right after season's over. If you roto it, you end up with some very loose soil. So you
013have it after we we do we actually we ours pretty good to us equipment. So we got ourselves a a roller retractor to to put down pressure. So in the town also has a compact fiber roller. So those are kind of the three things. So something needs to be done. [Music] You're going to have to talk a little bit why that's here. Next agenda item. It's too bad. I know it's ridiculous. It'll be loud. Uh, elementary school playground. Yes. Portal. Do you want to talk to us a little bit about that? And I We probably both can. So, you want to start or you want Well, I mean, I'm I would like to talk to this other about it, too. Do they is there such thing as playground restoration companies? [Music] So in all honesty
014I mean I know we probably need to update and get some more modern stuff. I mean there's swings there from 1960s. Uh the ones face the first great win by red but everything passes. We have Kerma comes down. they look at it. We repass inspection. We did have uh a couple spots where the like the rubber came off a little bit, but we fixed that. Uh they actually they do pass. They're in I mean do they need to be updated new way? Yeah, probably. and something cuz things get better and they become more I guess age appropriate maybe but stuff that's there is age appropriate the newer stuff is more um but I mean some of the complaints that we get about rusted nuts it's just exposed that's not a big deal all the bolts
015are tight all everything's tight the stairs are tight checked it Um, but I do agree with Megan and I do agree that it needs to be updated. It's all at once or if it's in pieces. I'm not sure how that will work, but it definitely needs to be refreshed. So, but the stuff we have now is not safe. Just old. So, I was wondering cuz I went, don't worry, after school hours, the two free playground is pretty big. And I was thinking about it cuz I went I did a lot of online research and one of them was opening or something and they said the average playground was like $150,000. They got $150,000 installed. And I was taking a look at it. I was like, it's actually pretty good size. I bet you it was
016a lot to replace. You replace it with the same size. Well, that's what I was wondering if um it's not that I won't spearhead. I just doubt the town would fund anything at this point. I think we've asked for how many years in the capital budget for even just $25,000 a year. But that even if $150,000 would take six years and like what does a playground cost in six years? So that's what I I mean I'm all ears from you guys too. I was wondering and I understand that it's out in the elements and it's approximately 30 years old. So the main structure of the 23 side. Yeah. All of that probably all. Yeah. Cuz I think that was I actually believe that was installed by volunteers. I have a picture of the Yeah. Well,
017it said it was a uh Yeah. assistance. It doesn't have a date on it though. I think it was volunteer. Um but the sorry but the other thing we could do is like we did at the middle school we could do 50 grand this year you know if there you can do it in segments until it's all like we did at the middle school that's an option too. So it could take four or five, you know, three, four or five years to get a project done. It isn't working. Well, I think we need some kind of u a plan thinking. Uh I don't think swings inspired. So you've been there by the 60s. No, they they pass. I don't think that's the problem. I mean, and you painted them. They look nice. So to off
018the topic a little bit, I don't know if you remember, there used to be an old steel monkey bar in first grade that got relocated to the beach. It's the only thing that pass that was from the ' 60s. Even that big blue swing didn't pass over there. Uh we had a couple change. What are the rules around used? Because I mentioned to I don't remember who I mentioned to, but there's a Hatam Elementary School. It's closed and they have a relatively new looking playground all fenced off and is not used. They just replaced it. They replaced the house. Doesn't even make any sense. The house the school has been closed now years. They replaced the playground. So that's brand new. So So can we buy that? I don't after the fact, right? After fact,
019school's closed. I don't think so. I think they just saw that. That's not It's great. It's fun stuff. Well, I'm curious too because like places like so important a lot. There's one of my kids favorite. They have a lot of parks. I mean, it's a city, so there's parks, parks, parks, parks, parks. Uh, I was wondering, they just replaced a playground that was like literally 2 or 3 years old and all of a sudden it's all roped off two weeks ago and they have a brand new playground. I'm like, what? Like, all I was thinking is did they throw out like this playground with a couple years old? Where's, you know, is there an industry for this used playgrounds available for sale? That I don't know. But I'm not I'm not sure I'd be comfortable
020buying a used one unless it's going to get reertified by someone else. At least when it comes new, we know everything that comes from the factory. Uh and I can't say for sure, but we the company we know that installs them. I'm not sure they would want to install used. But if Kermit is coming through to pass or bail us, wouldn't they be able to evaluate its structural integrity? They won't do that. They only come down for safety. There's balls uh missing paint that needs to be painted. We have the wrong chain swings. Uh if we have enough chips, so if it fall, that's what they come out for. Or if they see that, crack stress factor. They don't want to actually do the engineering. I guess you could always could hire an engineer to
021preserve them. I wonder if there's a market for it. You know, like uh I'll just use the room like a fire truck. You know, sometimes they donate them to like up north or something like to a town that's doesn't have enough money to buy reertify reertified used cars. They must That's what I'm saying. I wonder if there is some kind of service that, you know, buys or whatever or or relocates these playgrounds. I was using that as example personally, but I couldn't believe it was like this playground that was only a couple years old. Where you know, where does where to go? I was wondering I was like, we could use that. Um, well, that's what So, I don't know what I would have thought though, but I was thinking like, is there something such
022thing as a playground restoration? cuz I know like you're saying that I I just think that to clean it up a little more, you know, clean it up or is there something like you're saying bits and pieces or is there a used version like you know like you're saying certified pre-owned certified preamp that's the way that's the so probably the best thing to start with is we actually use O'Brien and Sunset list source. So, we usually get the best price from them. They'll come out for free. They'll do a whole design of the area and they are pretty good at uh phase one, phase two, phase three. This is how much it's going to cost. You can't do this one without that one. They're pretty good with that way. And they're they actually pretty good
023at kind of holding your hand through it for age which ones to use, how to use it, stuff like that. And that's probably that would probably them to come down and get a plan would probably be offering somebody that's probably the best place to start and then at the same time ask questions about restoration. Yeah. And just I I have like mixed feelings about it to be honest. It's just because know the playground well and honestly that it's a very big playground. It's a really big playground and and you just because that's like meant to hold, you know, grades and whatnot. And I'm thinking to myself like like the new playground that was just put in at the beach. I'm curious of how much that was cost. Probably not cheap, but 72,000. Okay. So, no
024one really seen it. I mean, that's kind of made for probably five kids. Yeah. I mean, it's got one slide, you know, you go up and about it's for about five kids. the playground that we have now. I mean, it holds great. We've all been there. Holds great and it's got multiple slides, gadgets, levels. So, I mean, when we talk about replacing something like that, I wouldn't want to see it just get replaced with say something, you know, that happens a lot. You see these big playgrounds get replaced with, oh, it's brand new, it's plastic, but it's like tiny and has one little slide and it's like, okay, three kids are going to play on it. And so, that happens all the time. So, I just would want to be careful when we talk about
025replacing a playground, maybe replacing a couple pieces, you know, because the playground is great, maybe a little upgrade, but when we talk about replacing that playground to actually get it back to replacing it for that amount of kids is going to is not I wouldn't think 150,000. I would think double that. 300 for I mean to actually that's a large area, you know. So, just want to throw that out there as far as that's a nice playground the way it is. like you said, looks, what not, but there's a lot of kids and a lot of people have fun. A lot of kids have fun on that. So, there is I was there last week for the fields and recess came out. There were 40. That's 40 maybe. We are We're all there. It's an
026entire maybe 60. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's just it's just something to think about cuz you see that happen often where you see these big nice playgrounds. They're older, the wooden ones here and there around different towns and all a sudden they get replaced and it's some little thing. It's new. It's great. It's made of plastic and but old, [Music] right? And you know weigh the options of what what's what's better. So do you remember the middle school was that 150? It was uh three phases of 25,000 each. 75 and again nice climbing structure not that large right not that large you know same thing probably half the half the that's why I was kind of I was thinking well it's something at Facebook inspired me but then I looked at the size of it actually
027went there I don't go there every day but I was like wow but this is big it is a big that's why I was thinking of outside the box like restoration like I get it like you're saying that Can you like could it be cleaned up some more? You know what I mean? I just feel like that just give you an idea. The town beach climbing structure just this climbing structure alone was $38,000 just for that climbing structure. Insulation insulation was not [Music] just that was just the one piece. The one she said that's one 38 decimal probably in still but still maybe talk maybe maybe maybe like some cuz again it's a lot of space there's a lot of open space in there maybe adding some things which would add you know to the
028kids fun but getting rid of that whole structure and that would I think that would be so is that I'm not sure that's the which piece are you looking to get rid of is it the one with the circles that they walk across or is it a different piece? Well, I know this was so this is the 23 playground that was slated on our capital budget for $150,000, but it's gotten I don't think you could replace it. What Sean's saying, too. I think it would be hundreds of thousands of dollars because it's so large, but I don't think it needs to. I mean, so it's not side, it's the two and three side that's getting changed. The problem, well, not the problem, but the other thing with these playgrounds is when you get to the
029bottom of a slide, you have a certain distance that you have to maintain. I think it's six feet. So, when you come down, there's going to be 18 in of chips. Yep. So, that makes the area that much larger, too. And um and heights above and stuff. So, that you know, you may have a small 20 foot round structure, but maybe a 60ft circle that the playground areas Didn't you have ideas about um funding? Well, yeah, there's a lot of um I looked into grants. There's a lot of like larger companies like Eversource um RTX. There you go. RAN um which is Pratt Winnie and there's a uh several larger corporations that I think a lot of people in town are employed at that do some of them are small but some of them are
030large. Actually um 7-Eleven corporate got back to me immediately if they do corporate grants if the local franchise owner will match it which is interesting. So there's a lot of actual like larger companies because I would want to like bombard you know like everyone goes to Shagbark when they want like a gift certificate or something. That's you gota I was trying to think outside the box and go like to the larger company and see if they would um be and a lot of a lot of them do have like community grants. So that's but I think what so what most of them um they want an idea obviously they want an idea of what you're doing and how much it's going to cost. So I think that's what we need to think about next. Preschool
031playground cost over $100,000. Yeah, that was that was and that's not really much. That's why I'm guessing that's going to be 22 250 course that might that trees and stuff but still you're talking the main I mean the total project itself was over $110,000 just for the preschool right I just meant that we'll uh every I think every year I've been on the board they've had we've asked for capital funding and our capital funding Saturday meetings small very small Um, so the playgrounds won't get done again. So I think we just need ideas so we can move forward. And like I said, I'm willing uh personally to seek out those grants, but we just need a a plan. That's pretty easy. Yeah, he's he comes out with very he's done a lot he's done a
032ton of them. Know we've done a ton of actual playground installations. Yeah, he's done a lot. Be nice to get somebody to come in and say, "Hey, like a playground of this magnitude to fit 40 kids in, you know, to actually throw out that or what is that really, you know, what is that really going to cost?" you know, as opposed to rather say, "Here's what we have. We want to keep it that way. Keep the capacity. Here's the size. How do we fill that and what never mind if money wasn't an option? What would it really take?" As opposed to saying, "I want here's my budget now. What could I buy with that?" And then and then putting it here, you know, talking the other way as if money wasn't an option, but just
033to get the reality check. So he actually he did the design for the courtyard and he just did the one beach. Oh yeah. Um I think he did he did a couple of small things like mention just a couple one uh but when we walk through the courtyard you know the courtyard's not huge but whatever gets picked out there's a distance away from something else. So the area may have looked like, oh, we can add a couple things. Sure. So when he does that, he'll do that area and say, okay, you want to have a slide here when you may need 20 ft until 2 and have more access. So that's what he kind of does for us. Uh but it all depends too if you pick something out that doesn't need a lot, you
034put more in. So kind of we kind of looked at him for a little guidance, too. Yeah. of what was popular work, how much can how much we get back for our buckle. [Music] Yeah. So, they're helpful, but he he will do an overhead plan. He'll see all the stuff, all the equipment will be pictures of what it is, what the age group is for, and we'll have everything. It takes him a good while. Sure. Um, have you written a grant application? I I I'm not judging. I'm I'm asking because I I've heard them myself that they can be complex. I know. A lot of them I mean, we'll see what it what it looks like. Okay. Uh, you know, it seems like a a lot of these companies, I'm not saying they're just going
035to give it away. I'm sure they have an application. We had to start with like an email with a plan and to say like you know like a consumer report. So I don't know. I think Consumer Reports did donate to town beach one. Yeah. So I I don't know where that who makes that decision as to where Consumer Reports. No, they get the money in the towns right there. All right. anymore playground. Yeah. Elementary school furniture. You're not doing anything with like Well, where are we landing on this? We're just having a discussion. So, the furniture we ordered it. No, I was the playground. I just wanted to know are we going to pursue something with them? Yeah. Okay. I just wanted to make sure we weren't just dropping it. Okay. John, what is the
036name of that company again? O'Brien O'Brien. Thank you. So the actions of that we're pursuing getting more information from them about how much this plan cost hopefully project have a plan that [Music] yeah furniture school furniture. So, I think we officially bought all the furniture. I think we're going to call elementary school. I think we got it all class and we're Why are we keeping this money around? We're not a forprofit. Let's get everything including the desk for the librarian. Wow. Yes. Holy cow. Are we done? It's official for Yes. For the elementary. for the elementary with all of their furnishing, free classrooms, new stuff by the time we're done, everything. Yeah. Nice. Great news. Oh, when is it coming in? I'm hoping in the summer so we don't have to move anybody on that,
037right? Okay. So, this summer we don't have a delivery move date. The last furniture was like two months. Oh, wait. Two months. I'm I'm okay with two months. That's great. So, I'm happy to be great. Thank you. [Music] Uh, any [Music] questions? Elementary school greenhouse. I'll turn it over. Miss Jackie over there. Is she here? Congratulations. [Music] I think they can see you. What? They see you. They can hear you. How close would you like? Okay. So, I sent you the uh slideshow of all the background information as well as the link for the specific greenhouse that I was looking to purchase with the award funds from the East Hatam Community Foundation uh to enhance the program for the elementary school. Um, my ask is for permission to build this structure at the elementary school
038and I am here for any and all questions. Does this greenhouse need accommodation? Yes. Does the grant cover the greenhouse and the foundation? Yes. The grant I'm sorry, gift the gift. Everything is covered um by the award money. This garden since uh it began in 2023 has been funded outside of the uh school's budget through the community. Um so it will continue to be funed as such. Is there any expense to manage the greenhouse in addition to the installation of the greenhouse? Like will there be an annual amount of money that you'll need to invest in order to keep it up and running? No. Um the most that I would take from the school or the town would be uh electricity, but I have plans for uh using solar power to power heat the heat
039and the airflow um which will be in place before the 2026 spring, which is when it would need to be heated. by the time it's built in 2025, it will not need heat. Is the solar covered under your money as well? Yes. And one thing I did want to make abundantly clear, um, so the the structure is steel with clear poly plastic panels. So it will be a structure that is out there. It will be see-through. So, it's not like a hidden spot where students could possibly get lost or not be seen. Um, students, it's not going to be a a place for students to do any work in. It is essentially just a structure with shelving to put plant trays in. Oh, water. I mean, any additional water from the school or that would
040be needed. I mean, do you use water now? I'm sure honestly we haven't used water from the school since the first year. Um, I installed rain gutters to the shed that's back there that uh moves water into essentially four rain barrels. So, we collect rain and use that. I have a pump that can pump through a hose out or the students use um little watering cans. And there are four other additional raincatching um excellent things. So it won't take more from the school at all. That's the most I mean if we find ourselves in another drought like the first year might need to use water from the school but what we plant is intentional where most of it is native and most of it is drought tolerant. know it doesn't need to be watered and
041we do not plant summer crops because the students aren't there. So we plant stuff for the spring, we plant stuff in the fall and we plant stuff that's meant to tolerate all conditions year round. [Music] What is the heating situation that you're talking about? If it needs to be uh heated, it would be a it's a very small I have it at my house for a greenhouse. It's a very small greenhouse specific heater that has a three-prong plug. Uh low, medium, high, manual on and off. Would only need to be used at night because the the poly plastic enhances the heat inside. Um, and that would be February and March only because the rest of the year it's fine. Is that something that you already have for this structure or you would have to purchase
042that in addition? Uh, purchase an addition and that would also come out of the the gift money. my husband and myself, we will be building it. Um, it will be built on uh 4x4 cedar wood. Um, that will go basically it's it's 8t x 6 ft structure. So, the 4x4s will go first slightly dug down with holes d uh drilled through so that the greenhouse structure is built on top of those and then with steel rebar through the greenhouse structure through the fulite boards down into the ground. the greenhouse is already um guaranteed up to like a 40 pound snow load, 65 mile per hour winds. Um and that will give it the extra security that it's not going to flip over or blow over and I think our insurance covers that. Yeah. I mean,
043yeah, we're putting it on school campus and where it's positioned. Um, I know originally I had put it more towards the woods, but positioning it in a way where it's protected by the first grade, uh, Mr. Sally's class and the shed gives it the three rounds of protection from like very strong wind. I mean, it is a bit of a wind tunnel back there, but it's not straight on dusts. We may have to because we're losing a big chunk of that back there for the outside children. So you were talking outside shed uh shed school school. So it's in the garden. No, it'd be right here. [Music] So we are losing a big chunk practicing. We got plenty of lawn. There's plenty. There's plenty of law. December. So this is like the music room. Yep.
044This is first grade. Yep. This is where the garden is already. Yep. This is where the greenhouse would go. So they're losing all that right here for the outside. over here. I mean, that's fine, too. All right. So, actual placement to be determined in future discussions. No, that's great. I'm glad I brought it up to be, but I'll work with Don and uh the principal and everybody to approve the final light spot where it came out. So 6t by 8 foot just be shelves we have done that stuff. Yeah the unit I didn't realize how big it was going there's going around it big chunk the [Music] building chunk right here. Well there's plenty of room. There's still tons of room. Yeah. Oh yeah. I'll just meet with you at some point that you're already
045there. I'll meet you there and just Yeah, we could totally rethink a different spot, too. Yeah. Do you have any additional questions? We're going to move this for the full board to uh we can vote on it. Full board questions. And I will have that cute little presentation for the full board and Dr. and everybody else that's there to kind of see what the students have done for the last two full growing seasons and what they're doing now. Thanks, Jackie. Congratulations. Exactly. Thank you. We would have been there if we knew. There was this little reception. It was honestly sweet. It was like me, Terry, the other winner, and like four other people just It was It was intimate. It's fun. Thank you. Number nine from facilities to finance February January and February your date
046warrant we have them attached for you um I gave you the summaries for January and the details for February because it's a lot of paper so and the detail is more important than the most current month. Um but we're on target. We're about uh percentage wise the same place that we would be from this time last year. um with approximately 4.9% of the budget remaining, which I know doesn't sound like it's a whole lot, but there is a you know there's quite a bit in coverage in there. So, um but I think we're on target. There's a a possibility of um a little bit more um money coming in from excess costs this year from this governor. Um not PCS, which is the one that goes to the town. We don't get extra for that.
047We're We're on the low side of that side. But excess cost, the governor did um pass a $40 million bill to increase excess cost to help towns. Um we were actually going to get less than what we budgeted for for this year. So, it was about a $20,000 loss that I was looking for in excess cost this year. Um we might, I'm hoping, at least break even. Um but we won't know unfortunately till probably June 30th. So, we'll get our 25%. We got our 75% already. We'll get 25% um sometime in May and then whatever the final number comes in, we won't get that number until June 30th. So, it's not going to be a number that I can count on. But, um I'm hopeful that we at least hopefully will end up where we
048budgeted, which would be nice because we ended up shortfall on that. Um but everything else on the budget wise is it's moving on fine. Um we're in the heat of field trips right now. So, it's funny flying out the door for field trips. That time of year, but um a lot of great experiences going on. So, but we're in pretty good shape. If you have any questions, the legal breakdown is in the back as well. Um by month there in February. So, see where we're at with that. Did we really not spend any money in January? We didn't get a bill until February. Sorry. So, February, you'll see there's a large bill for 11,000. Um, but that's two months. So, more. [Music] No, sorry. So, we're still under budget. Budget 75,000. Still, you have any
049questions on the floor? Anything stand out to anybody? we went over with uh oil. Um so we still have um oil in reserve like that we purchased and lowered um done negotiated a good deal for us. We got 30,000 I think it was 256. So I had covered that entire amount. It does come slightly over. Uh we may not use it all before the end of the year. This is now the time when we're going to start slowing down on oil. Um, and I'll have a better idea of where that incumbency is, whether we need to use that all or not. So, um, I guess this is the best place to ask this kind of question and then we can move to wherever it needs to go. But I have had at least two conversations
050with Dr. about that word tuition which is problematic in its in special ed. Yeah. Special tuition. Yes. Which it's just too all-encompassing to not understand exactly where we talked about breaking that apart from the future so that adult ed even though somebody might consider it tuition, it's not special education tuition and adult ed. It's in two places. like part of the money is in one bucket and the other part in another. We're going to have a line item for adult ed and have the entire right now in the budget for 2025. It's still split. Um but we've been um Middle Sex has been very good to us over the years. They've um kept it. Yeah, that's not that's not the point. The point is the way that it doesn't show up, right? We we have
051magnet school tuition. We have placement tuition. We have we need to understand more so because we're talking about it. The community needs to understand where our responsibilities are. And so when you see the word tuition, it's very easy to just dismiss that word as a line item that has to do with education as opposed to specifically related in our district or elsewhere. And if we're responsible for it elsewhere, the community needs to know that. So, the line item for tuition. I really, really, really want to see it. I I realize this is my last budget season, but it's no point as well. Not a problem. Right here, the magnets wall. Yeah. But it hasn't been in general been broken down that way when we start to work on the real margin. Right. And I if
052I have anything that I can do before I go, I want to rip that one apart. Well, it should be reliable, right? What comes to your mind and what's in there should be coherent. So, it's too big of a word. It's too big of a grouping for that word. It's not the right word. Well, and it's in a special ed. So, if it's special ed tuition, it should only be special ed tuition. If it's a purchase service, it should be a purchase service. If it's adult ed, it should be adult ed. Even though somebody might look at that as tuition, but it's not special ed tuition. I I just I really wanted and I never knew why they split. It doesn't make sense, but I I don't know either. Okay. It's I guess it's been
053a long-standing practice. Yes. It's been like that since. Yeah. No, and I and I only learned of it because we happened to be together and the discussion involved and I went that didn't make sense. Yeah. And for five years, I should have maybe thought to say something that there were many other things in regard to now wish. So also just uh well we're going to talk about vision anyway in a minute. But so I kept line items as is with the 25 26 budget because the discussion conversation when you start moving things like you know we're moving um custodial all out of the schools into special into systemwide but in the 25 budget it's still in the schools because the conversation initial with the board of finance and with the public it's a lot of
054conversation to say well how come all of a sudden the the elementary school is $30,000 less than it was last year. And so it it caused so when you're looking at the 2526 budget, you'll see these things with these conversations. Um T's definitely wanted to to do some movement of items around. Um but we can do that. We just want footnotes with clarity. Yeah, absolutely. So not a problem at all. Thank you. [Music] You don't want to hang till. You didn't want to hear all that. Are you sure? Did you hear that twice? Have a great night. Thank you. Do you have any questions about the uh [Music] always email Cindy? We have a fulltime business manager. Throw her some questions. comes to visit me. You're always welcome to visit me for visitors. I spend
055time with you. You should do spend time. Any additional questions? I do not have any additional questions. I like all your questions. Our next item, I will uh you sure you don't want um 2526 budget update. Um it was the to everybody's surprise on Saturday March 22nd the board of finance um they voted to reduce our operating budget by 600,000 or proposed I'm sorry 2526 proposed budget by $600,000 and then what is the capital and that out the way it ended up end of the meeting was that they did a reduction to the town operating budget of 75,000, a reduction to the board of education operating budget of 600,000 and then capped capital at 1.3 million for town which is board of education and town combined. They did have a $653,000 list of capital that
056the board of finance said they would like to get done. So that lee is 633 or 733. My bad. It's not going to have a calculator. Um to split between the town and the board of ed um as far as as items, you know, obviously they're all town capital projects, but that things that would be related to board of education versus things that are related to the town. They did not make a final decision on Saturday as to what that slip would be, whether it would be a 50/50, 6040, I don't they did not make that decision. So, and it it was more of a conversation of the total amount that they're putting to public hearing for capital within the budget is 1.3 million. And how much did you say that they had? Three. 1.3.
057Yeah. I 1.3. And how much did you say that they had put to the one portion was going to be for X and then 730? So they have a list from the long range capital landing committee and that amount is Michael here. That amount is 667,000. Right. Okay. Thank you. Does that include any does include the security stuff on there? No, it was mostly recurring. The only things that were included there for education was the recurring systemwide carpet flooring, uh, recurring systemwide interior paint, recurring systemwide field improvements, and systemwide radon testing. Those are the only things that were included in this. So the flooring for the middle school wasn't included and neither were any of the requests to include security. So like that is a concern. So all of that $667,000 is floor and paint
058fields and radon. Yeah. So for education and I apologize, give me one second to tell you how much it was education. 12 + 25 is 37 is 50 just around $80,000 of that. And interestingly enough, those items have traditionally in the past came out of our reserves, not out of the capital, not out of the taxation. Um, and just to be clear, what I mean is that every So, last year, um, the board of finance appropriated $413,000 to the board of education for capital that came out of taxation. Um, the board of education then came up with another $213,000 of projects that they wanted to pull out of our reserves. So, we have a reserves account. at the beginning of the year was $88,000. There's $373,000 of of uh funds that are being held for
059for projects that are still in progress. The board of education paid $213 worth of additional projects. So, right now in our reserves, we have about $200,000 left in that into that account. Um, and that's not audited numbers. So don't don't take those directly to card yet cuz I have not got the 24 done numbers done. Um so interestingly though the projects that they did talk about within that 630,000 whatever it was are projects that we traditionally had always taken out of our reserves the system interior paint the the fields modernization those are always traditionally come out of our reserves account not taxation. So, it's a conversation that I think still needs to happen. I think and I don't think the board of finance really had that full conversation of how they wanted it. It was
060very important to board of finance from what I could gather from the meeting on Saturday that they started ticking off the boxes on on they wanted to takeick off some of the boxes. They wanted to get things done. And so that's why they really wanted they started wanting to do what 1.7 million in in um capital and that was cutting more and more into our budget. So it was a reduction of what we started at a million dollars at one point then we were at 750 then it went down to five and it was solid at five for a little while but then they really wanted capital to go up so they upped us to six and moved $100,000 in capital made 1.3. So that was a big conversation. So I recommend anybody listening to
061it, wanting to listen to it, they should on the board of finance second half of the meetings where they really have that neat dataless conversation. Um, but nothing in the in the split was set in stone in regards to CAP other than the dollar figure of 1.3 and the cut of 600 and the cut of 75. Those are six. Um and I believe that after all the things the conversation was the mill rate increase and again I don't quote me exactly but it was about 1.8 million increase just under two just under um there also a large conversation regards to uh loss of brain list. So there was something shared at that meeting that was grossly um inaccurate and that had to do with our change in medical insurance last year. I recall we were
062expecting around a 19% increase and then we went out to bid and fortunately were able to join a consortium and it was 3 and 12%. So the town cut us $240,000 last year. So that difference we had budgeted for about 19%. It came in at 3 12 that covered almost 220 of it about 218 of it and then we took a little bit here 3,000 here to get to the 240. It was stated at that meeting that that was like the difference from the 3 1/2 to the 19% was still in the budget like it was carried forward. So I did look at numbers as I asked Cindy I wanted to count dollar by dollar by dollar and can see exactly the amount that we ended with is the amount we're starting with this year
063and everything is accounted for. So, I I'll be happy to share that with all of you. But it was um alarming that Val said that with assurance. That was that was alarming to me. Yeah, it did definitely make it sound it was alarming to me and it was 1:00 in the morning. I almost texted her and then I held back. But, um it did make it sound like we had this nice padding in our health insurance line. And we do not. Um we're really good about we we do it by people. Um I actually missed some people so that was a problem but um but in our favor like as far for coverage for coverage for coverage. Um but just for instance last year our 24 budget I was within $1,000 on my health insurance
064line. So we're not patting our budget in any way, shape or form. So yes, the we got very lucky last year. So with the $240,000 and the change of insurance, we were able to do that. Um, and and I know percentages sound huge between 18% 3%. It's not a big dollar figure. It's not a lot of money. So like even now we're budgeting at 15%. I'm not going to say it out loud, but if they come in at a lower rate, the max I can reduce out of insurance if they come in at a lower rate this year might be $150,000. It's not a huge dollar figure. So the percentages sound massive. Um and it was definitely the way it was presented um was unfortunate. Definitely sounded like we were we were somewhat loosey goosey
065with our insurance line and we are we are not we do it by people. So well, Teresa has all the 100,000 is a salary. So that you know that is a functioning amount of money that mistake that they assume. Well, they assume that it happened from last year, right? So I mean we'll see. They they always wait. the insurance company waits because they want to make sure they don't lose money, right? Are there any new claims? What are the claims? Things like that. So, and people change, right? You didn't have a baby, now you have a baby, now you got family plan as opposed to just a two person. Like, so all these things being on top of all of that. So, we've accounted for that. and and I just I was I was just
066really alarmed alarmed that needs to be like retracted by that individual. Have you been apologized to for the way that you were treated during your first budget presentation? Uh by the chair for sure gentlemen not not by the other person. There were um that was really inappropriate. There was a lot of inappropriate comments. If you I would highly recommend anyone to watch the second half of the Saturday, March 22nd meeting. Um I I was disappointed in a lot of things that a lot of people said and we weren't expecting them to vote that day. So they weren't expecting to vote either. You could hear it. No, they they didn't want to come back. They had a meeting for Monday and they literally just didn't want to come back. So they just like pushed through and
067said that I'm a firm believer you can't unfake certain things and there are some certain things that I would highly recommend. Right. But that's not appropriate. No, of course. Of course. Maybe I'm quiet sometimes, maybe I'm not, but I would rather uh not say anything working towards the same goal for the town. Sure. That is really services for everybody and that Saturday meeting wasn't supposed to happen. The public works was supposed to come last week when we were on the agenda. They were first and we they didn't and so they had to adjust and they added the Saturday. Well, the Saturday meeting not the Saturday meeting was planned because the uh ambulance association was planned. They were on there but they weren't they weren't scheduled to vote until Monday. That was the big difference. We
068were not expecting I thought that they would wait till Monday and then we would have had an opportunity to be at that meeting to maybe discuss or answer questions again. Yeah. Um they definitely said that it would be very easy to cut. That was the only thing that over and over and over again. They were very chummy. Um, and I take it like a very serious cup, but there was this um pleasure. That's the word. There was pleasure in the cup. Well, I've heard in the past people talk about cans getting kicked down the road. And so, this is an example of a can potentially being kicked down the road. Just saying. Okay. Okay. Um, I would advise anyone also listening that the public hearing is on Tuesday, April 8th. So 7 p.m. at the
069high school 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium, you know, our beautiful schools and uh new curtain, my new curtain and lighting. They should uh you should join. And that's where that's the public hearing so people can speak out. You could reverse the course of a $600,000 decrease. I mean, they do have a meeting scheduled right after the public hearing. So, the board of finance plans a meeting immediately following the public hearing. So, last year at the end of the public hearing, they had a meeting at the end of the public hearing to make a final decision on what was going to be sent to referendum. And of course, as you guys all know, once they've made that decision to send it to referendum, um then we're silent. We're radio silent. So, um, so it's
070up till now until the public hearing. So, this is the last chance community for you to come out and say something. April 8th at 700 p.m. Okay. Thank you. Do you guys have any comments, questions? Finally, a discussion on the healthy food certificate. Do this lovely thing every single year. Um it does save us about or uh gives us about 8 cents per meal that we sell. Um just as a quick reminder, the healthy food certificate, first of all, all of our food is healthy. So this is not anything above. We follow very strict guidelines within Connecticut State um Department of Nutrition. But the healthy food certificate means that we will only serve items that are sanctioned by the FDA and by the Connecticut State Department of Education during school hours, which is from considered
071from midnight to a half hour after the school closes. And no other sales will take place, meaning we won't have vending vending machines with candy bars or sodas in them. We won't have school stores that sell candy or anything that's not sanctioned by the um covered under the the health laws. Um and any um fundraiser PTO fundraisers, pies, cookies, whatever um are welcome to take place, but you can't pick up or um get your food items until 30 minutes after the end of the day, and it has to be part of an event. So, a PTO is doing a butterb braid fundraiser. They can make the sales during the day, but for the actual pickup, the pickup has to be a half hour later and it has to be part of like the basket bash
072or something along those lines. Um, so that's what this does. Every year we have voted on it. What this does is gives us some little extra cash every year, which is a nice thing. Um, it has not really caused any disruptions to anybody. It just means, you know, your kids aren't taking butter braids home on the bus. They have to actually disruption. Those high school kids want the vending machines. Yeah, they've been asking for them. Well, it's How much do we get? Over $8,000 over the year. It's not worth them getting a vending machine. You never know how much you can make on a vending machine. I'm just saying we haven't tested those walkers. We would be discounted not only with the healthy food certificate, but those vending machines would have to be turned off
073until after school is over anyway. So it's not Yeah, it's not. Well, they they they remember seeing them there and then they're like, "What happened to them?" Well, there are vending machines with water. You can have water and granola bars that are served from um purchased through the kitchen. So, we could do vending machines, but they would have to be items that are alikart that are available in the kitchen. So, they've had can't be soda, can't be Gatorades. Is that what they're asking for? Sodas and Gatorades, or are they just asking for a vending machine? Hungry? Potentially. Potentially. We didn't go over what would you like in that vending machine. So, we could have vending machines as long as those vending machines only serve food that was purchased through the um kitchen. You could have
074them on timers though too, right? Yeah, you could have on timers and they could be available at 30 minutes after the end of the day and they have to shut off at midnight. Torture. You walk by the Kit Kat every morning at 10. I think our high school had a vending like the food didn't have those rules, but the soda machine always kicked on like X amount. very rebellious buying soda after school. So anyway, so these are the motions. The motions do need to be read out in in their entirety at the board of education meeting and I need to present the approved minutes um no longer no later than June 1st. So they are on the April if you guys approve April meeting and then uh the minutes on the May. So you have
075any questions Laurel? I do not have questions. I do have problems with the food that's served, but I don't have any problems with this writing. Talk to the state. That's a tough part. That's like processed food. It's awful. Don't even I can't even stand. I have to say improved over the years. Still not the same. And we do do a lot of farm. We do a lot of farm table. That's good. And we do do farm. I'm so excited about And we do a lot of farm things at both middle school and the elementary school. produce. So, right. Anyone have any questions before we adjourn? Not from me. No, we'll adjourn. 7:44. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.