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START THE MEETING CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SCHOOL BOARD FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UH, PLEASE RISE WITH ME OR THIS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE 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.
I HAVE AN APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ANY DISCUSSION HEARING NOW? SORRY.
DO WE HAVE THAT? ALL OF THE MEETING MINUTES.
I DIDN'T SEE THE DOCS ABOUT AN HOUR AGO.
WE HAVE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR OCTOBER 14TH, 2021.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 14.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 14TH.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 18TH, 2021 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
THE CHAIRMAN, UH, NOVEMBER 18TH, THE SECOND I SECOND.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 18.
NOW THERE ARE ANY DISCUSSION HEARING.
NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DECEMBER 9TH, 2021 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE DECEMBER 9TH, SECOND INTO APPROVED DECEMBER NIGHTS, 2021 COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY DISCUSSION HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE.
NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE FILING OF THE RATE FUNDING YEAR 2022, A CATEGORY ONE APPLICATION MS. CROSBY.
UM, WE COME BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING, AS WE DO ONCE, SOMETIMES TWICE A YEAR FOR E RATE, UH, FUNDING APPROVALS ARE AT FOR, UH, ALLOWING THE, UH, ADMINISTRATION TO APPLY FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF FUNDING.
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, E RATE IS A PROGRAM THROUGH THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FCC, UH, TH THAT MAKES TELECOM AND INFORMATION SERVICES MORE AFFORDABLE TO SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES EVERY YEAR.
IT IS ADMITTED, ADMINISTERED THROUGH A COMPANY, PROBABLY USE SAC, UNIVERSAL SERVICES, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ADMINISTRATION COMPANY.
UH, THEY FACILITATE THE, UH, APPLICATIONS AND THE FUNDING OF THE, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND JUST AS A, TO KIND OF BRING IT HOME, UH, ON BASICALLY ON OUR TELEPHONE BILLS AND INTERNET BILLS, THERE IS A SERVICE FEE CALLED A UNIVERSAL SERVICE FEE, AND THOSE ARE THE FEES THAT ARE CAPTURED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND THEN REDISTRIBUTED REDISTRIBUTIVE TO SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO IT'S A MULTI-BILLION, I THINK IT'S A $4 BILLION PROGRAM NATIONWIDE, UH, AND WE WERE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THAT EACH YEAR APPORTION OF IT.
UM, SO, UH, GENERALLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS EVENING IS AUTHORIZED TO
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ALLOW THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO AUTHORIZE THE FILING OF E RATE FUNDING YEAR 22.UH, OUR APPLICATION FOR CATEGORY ONE SERVICES, UM, CATEGORY ONE IS OUR WIDE AREA NETWORK.
IT'S OUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, HARD GRAY, UH, THAT WE PAY ANNUALLY.
WE CONTRACT WITH AND WE PAY ABOUT $716,000 A YEAR FOR INTERNET SERVICES FOR THE DISTRICT.
UM, IT IS, UH, FUNDED IN THE GENERAL FUND.
WE PAY FOR IT OUT OF THE TECHNOLOGY BUDGET AND THE REVENUES THAT ARE GENERATED FROM THESE REIMBURSEMENTS GO RIGHT BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE BUDGET ABOUT $620,000 A YEAR AS, AS FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER THESE COSTS.
AND, UH, WE DO PAY IN ADVANCE AND THEN WE FILE AN APPLICATION.
UH, WE QUESTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND WE PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTS AND THEN WE REIMBURSE FOR, UM, FOR THE, THAT THOSE FUNDING CATEGORIES.
SO, UM, THIS IS A STANDARD PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH EACH YEAR AND THE REIMBURSEMENT RATE IS CURRENTLY 80%.
SO BASICALLY WE'RE LOOKING TO GET REIMBURSED, UH, APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR 80% OF THAT 716,000, WHICH EQUALS ABOUT $573,000.
SO, UM, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
UM, AND I'M PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT, UH, I'LL, I'M OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ON THIS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE MINOR, ONE, WHAT'S THE LAG TIME BETWEEN THE TIME WE SUBMIT REQUEST AND WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE THE FUNDS.
UM, IT COULD BE, UM, AS MUCH AS GENERALLY AS MUCH AS TWO YEARS.
UM, SO ONE TO TWO YEARS, AND THEN WITHIN THAT TIMEFRAME, IT DEPENDS ON THE REVIEW PROCESS AND, UM, HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THE DOCUMENTATIONS AND GET THAT BACK OVER TO THE USEC.
SO WE ARE GENERALLY WORKING, RECEIVING APPLICATIONS FROM MULTIPLE YEARS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SO IT COULD SPAN, UH, THEY COULD SEND A PORTION OF IT AND THEN SEND ANOTHER PORTION AND ANOTHER FISCAL YEAR.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A FUN BALANCE, I GUESS, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
SO IT'S SORT OF A ROLLING BUDGET AND FUNDING APPLICATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THAT WE BRING TO THE FULL BOARD, THE, A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE FILING OF E RATE FUNDING YEAR 2022 APPLICATIONS OR ELIGIBLE EARACHE CATEGORY ONE SERVICES.
WE HAVE A MOTION MOVED AND SECONDED, ANY DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
WHICH NEXT ITEM IT IS THE UPDATE ON THE IMPACT FEES MS. CROSBY.
SO I PROVIDED A TIMELINE OF EVENTS, UM, UH, WHICH I'VE BEEN KEEPING A, A ROLLING, UM, UH, ROLLING, UH, TIMELINE FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS OF, OF WHAT HAS CONSPIRED WITH OUR, UM, IMPACT FEE DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNTY COUNCIL AND, UH, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
IS THAT AVAILABLE? UM, IN BOARD DOCS? UM, I SENT THAT OVER ONLINE IS THE TIMELINES IN THERE.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND PULLING THAT UP REAL QUICK.
UM, YEAH, SO, UM, MY RECOLLECTION OF THE DISCUSSIONS BEGAN BACK IN JUNE OF 2017, UM, WITH THE REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AT THAT TIME TO COMMISSION A SCHOOL IMPACT THE STUDY.
AND SO, UM, AND I'VE UPDATED IT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH ALL THE MEETINGS AND JOINT MEETINGS AND COUNTS, UH, BOARD APPROVALS AND, UM, THE THREE COUNCIL
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READINGS THAT WERE NEEDED, WHICH HAPPENED, UH, WRAPPED UP IN MAY AND JUNE OF 2021.SO ABOUT SIX MONTHS, SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS AGO, WE FINALIZED, UM, THROUGH COUNTY COUNCIL AND ORDINANCE THE ACTUAL IMPACT, THE APPROVALS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, UM, WE WERE ASKED, UH, MR. GREENWAY, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE, UH, INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS.
SO THERE ARE THREE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL FOUR, ACTUALLY AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY, WHICH WE, UH, SIGNED AFTER THE ORDINANCE WAS APPROVED AND FINALIZED THAT THERE ARE THREE OTHERS WITH EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE SOUTHERN SERVICE AREA THAT IS, UM, UH, PLANNED FOR THE, UH, IMPACT FEE.
AND AS PART OF THE IMPACT FEE STUDY, THAT IS THE TOWN TALENT HILTON HAD THE COUNT OF BLUFFTON AND THE CITY OF HARTVILLE.
SO EACH OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WILL HAVE AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE, UH, VIEW FOR COUNTY.
AND SO IN ORDER TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND ALLOW THEM TO ASK QUESTIONS AND, AND GET SOME RESPONSES, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, ASKED THAT WE COME TO THEIR, UH, COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS PAST TUESDAY NIGHT.
RODRIGUEZ, UM, ROBERT ODDING, CAROL CRUTCHFIELD AND MYSELF AND DR.
WATTS ATTENDED AS WELL, UH, WENT TO THE MEETING.
UH, THEY PROVIDED SOME QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE AND WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE A DIALOGUE, UH, WITH THEM ABOUT THE, UM, THE IMPACT OF THE STUDY, UH, THE, WHAT THE PROJECTIONS WERE SHOWING.
WERE THERE ANY UPDATES AND SO ON, AND, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, WELL, WE'LL RE UM, EMPHASIZE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS IN THE STUDY AND TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE FOR SOME OF THE INFORMATION, SINCE IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE OVER ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF SINCE THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A FEW OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED DURING THAT MEETING, AND THEN SORT OF WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE, UM, GOING FORWARD.
SO FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE REQUESTING WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST HOW, HOW IS, HOW ARE SCHOOLS FUNDED? HOW IS SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDED IN SOUTH CAROLINA? SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE 8% AND THE REFERENDUM OPTIONS, UH, ALL OF WHICH IMPACT PROPERTY TAXES, UH, AND THAT THE, UM, IMPACT FEES ARE NOT, UH, MEANT TO REPLACE THE, UM, AND WOULD NOT BE LARGE ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE, UH, THE NEED FOR BORROWING THROUGH EITHER 80% OR REFERENDUM FUNDING FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
IT WOULD SUPPLEMENT THAT IT WOULD PROVIDE, UH, IT WOULD HELP TO OFFSET ANY POTENTIAL INCREASES THAT MAY BE NEEDED IN PROPERTY TAXES AS A RESULT OF BORROWING FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
UM, THEY REQUESTED, UH, IF WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, DID ALL MUNICIPALITIES WERE ALL IN THE NEST POLITIES REQUIRED TO ADOPT THE FEE? AND THE ANSWER IS NO, UM, THEY ARE NOT, BUT CERTAIN ENTITIES, UH, WOULD IMPACT THE VALUE OF THE REVENUES, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUES WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE, AND THE PROJECTS WOULD BE ABLE TO BE SUPPORTED, UH, AS A RESULT OF THEIR PARTICIPATION OR NOT.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, IN TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND KIND OF HEARTY BILL, THERE WOULD BE FEWER NEW HOMES, NEW, UH, DWELLINGS THAT WOULD BE, UH, FILLED THEREFORE LESS GROWTH THAT WOULD BE IMPACTING THOSE AREAS.
THEREFORE FEWER PROJECTS WOULD BE PLANNED FOR THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY IF BLUFFTON DID NOT PARTICIPATE, IT WOULD HAVE, UH, UH, A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON OUR ABILITY TO GENERATE THOSE REVENUES.
UM, THERE IS ALSO, WE ARE GENERATING REVENUES OF, UH, WE HAVE GENERATED REVENUES OF $1.4 MILLION BETWEEN JULY OF 2021 AND NOVEMBER 30TH.
SO WE HAVE GENERATED SOME IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY, UH, THROUGH RECENT, UM, AND, UM, UH, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE FOR, EXCUSE ME, UM, BUILDING PERMITS THROUGH THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, UH, IN THE, PARTICULARLY IN THE OPEN T AREA.
SO, UM, WE ARE BEGINNING TO GENERATE THAT REVENUE.
UM, BUT IT, IT WOULD CERTAINLY HELP
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IF, UH, THE BLUFFTON, UM, KIND OF BLUFFTON WOULD ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.AND, UM, OF COURSE WE ENCOURAGING WE'RE ENCOURAGING THAT THEIR SUPPORT.
UM, ALSO, UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT A SHORTER PLAN, THE STUDY CALLED FOR PROJECTIONS AND GROWTH, UM, DATA OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD.
UM, SO THE, THE QUESTION WAS, CAN WE, UM, THE ASSUMPTION WAS THAT WE WOULD IMPOSE THAT FEE OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, AND THEN THERE COULDN'T BE ANY CHANGE TO THAT B UM, IT'S ACTUALLY IN STATE LAW THAT, UH, THE IMPACT FEE STUDY IS REQUIRED TO BE UPDATED AT LEAST ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, UM, THAT, UH, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY NOT ALTER THE RATE OR THE COUNTY, THE RATE CANNOT ALTER BE ALTERED AND NOR CAN THE CALCULATIONS OF THE FEE.
UM, WE CHANGED UNTIL THAT PLAN IS UPDATED.
UM, THE CALCULATION OF THE FEE, UH, WOULD BE UPDATED AT THAT FIVE-YEAR MARK, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO SEE IF THE NEED IS STILL THERE.
AND, UM, EVALUATIONS WILL BE DONE.
IT ARE REQUIRED TO BE DONE WITH THOSE STUDIES.
SO, UH, THERE WAS SOME REASSURANCE THAT IT IS A FIVE-YEAR PLAN AND THAT A FIVE-YEAR REQUIREMENT AND THAT WE WOULD BE REEVALUATED IN, IN THE EVENT THAT GROWTH DID NOT OCCUR AT THE LEVEL THAT WE HAD EXPECTED, OR THAT IT ENHANCED FAR MORE THAN WE EXPECTED, IF ANY CHANGES NEEDED TO BE MADE, COULD BE MADE IN THAT FIVE-YEAR WINDOW.
UM, I ASKED THE, UM, MR. BICE, UH, CARSON BIAS OF OUR IMPACT, THE STUDY CONSULTANT, WHEN DOES THAT TIME PERIOD BEGIN? AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT BEGINS AT THE DATE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S FINAL READING OF THE ORDINANCE FINAL APPROVAL.
SO JUNE 28TH WOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF THAT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD AS ARE OUR UNDERSTANDING.
WE WILL CONFIRM THAT, OF COURSE, BUT, UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WAS, UM, SEEMED TO BE VERY FAVORABLE TO THE COUNCIL, UH, AND THEY WERE, UM, HAPPY THAT THEY COULD REASSESS IN FIVE YEARS AND SEE IF THERE NEEDED TO BE ANY CHANGES.
UM, OF COURSE THERE WAS SOME, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE, UH, WHERE THE PROJECTS ARE AND, AND WHO SHOULD PAY FOR THOSE, UM, THE BULK OF THE LIST OF THE PROJECTS IN THE STUDY.
UM, I'D SAY 85 AND 90% OF THE PROJECTS ARE IN, UM, PARTICULARLY IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, BECAUSE IMPACT FEES, OF COURSE, DO AT THE SPECIFICALLY FOR NEW SEATS, ADDITIONAL SEATS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR STUDENTS, NOT AS OPPOSED TO RENOVATIONS OF SCHOOLS, UM, JUST TO UPGRADE FACILITIES.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE, UM, KIND OF SUMMARY OF THE DISCUSSION.
UM, THE COUNCIL IS MEETING IN FEBRUARY IN A WORKSHOP TO FURTHER DISCUSS THIS MATTER.
UH, AND OUR NEXT STEPS ARE TO PRESENT, UH, AT A FUTURE DATE, NOT YET DETERMINED WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND THE CITY OF PARTY BILL.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT, UH, I WOULD EXPECT THE NEXT MONTH, UH, WE WOULD, WE WILL BE, UH, PRESENTING AT THOSE TWO, UM, ENTITIES AS WELL.
AND WHILE YOU ASK ANY QUESTIONS, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
AND THAT IS, UM, ARE YOU GOING TO READ THIS TO THE FULL BOARD? I WOULD THINK THAT THE FULL BOARD SHOULD GET A, A BRIEFING ON THIS AT, UH, AT, UH, AN UPCOMING BOOK MEETING SET.
UH, IS THAT ALL RIGHT WITH THE COMMITTEE? OKAY.
UM, WELL, ASK THAT, THAT BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA ON AN UPCOMING MEETING.
UH, WE'LL WAIT, LET THE, UH, AGENDA SETTING COMMITTEE DETERMINE WHEN THIS SHOULD BE, UH, SHOULD COME ABOUT ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO A DISCUSSION OF ALWAYS FIVE, SIX AND 18, UH, BOARD MEMBERS.
YOU WERE AT A MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH A
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CONSULTANT TO TALK ABOUT COHERENT GOVERNANCE.AND I MENTIONED THAT THAT TIME THAT I WOULD TAKE A STAB AT REFORMATTING THE STILLING, IF YOU WILL, THE OES, UH, THAT WE HAVE SIX AND 18 FINANCIAL PLANNING, FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION AND THE FOOD AND NUTRITIONAL SERVICES.
SO WHAT I DID IS I TOOK OUR PRESENT ALWAYS AND TOOK IT OUT OF THE, UH, POINT AND BULLET FORMAT AND PUT THEM INTO A NARRATIVE FORMAT.
UM, THE REASON I DID THIS IS THIS IS FRANKLY WHAT I HAVE SEEN OR GOVERNING BOARDS WHEN THEY GIVE THEIR GUIDANCE TO A EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION STOCKING SPECIFICALLY AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.
I WENT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE I WORKED AT AND THE FOUR YEAR A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY AND AT THE, UH, UH, PRIVATE, UH, BOARDING SCHOOL AND WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT WHAT GUIDANCE THOSE BOARDS GAVE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY AND THE HEAD OF SCHOOLS OF THE BOARDING SCHOOL.
AND THOSE WERE ALSO ALL IN A NARRATIVE.
AND, AND IT WAS, AND WHY THIS WAS, IS BOARDS.
DON'T HAVE STAFFS BOARDS, DON'T GO DOWN AND LOOK UP THE REGULATIONS OR, OR THE STATE REQUIREMENTS OR THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS AND SAY, OH, YOU BETTER TALK ABOUT THIS OR THAT BOARDS GIVE GENERAL PLANNING, STRATEGIC LEVEL PLANNING IN A NARRATIVE.
AND THEN IT'S GIVEN TO THE HEAD OF SCHOOLS, THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY, AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WE HEARD YOU, WE'VE GOT IT.
THIS IS OUR PLAN ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US.
SO BASICALLY THAT OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION WAS THAT NARRATIVE AND THE, THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION WAS THE RESPONSE.
AND THAT THE RESPONSE THAT IS GIVEN BACK TO THE BOARD AND THE BOARD LOOKS AT THAT AND SAYS, OKAY, I AGREE WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC GOALS IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
AND THEY WOULD GO BACK TO THE STAFF, TO THE RESIDENT AND RESIDENT STAFF, AND THEY WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH A REVISED PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND I'VE, I'VE WENT AND LOOKED AT, I LOOKED AT MINE AND I, I BROUGHT FROM WHEN I WAS IN CHARGE OF A SCHOOL, I READ MY OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS AND IT WAS IN A NARRATIVE.
AND IT, AND IT TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO DO THIS AND THIS AND THIS AND THIS, BUT IT WAS VERY GENERAL IN TERMS. AND THEN I HAD TO, BEFORE MY EVALUATION, EVERY YEAR, I HAD TO SUBMIT MUCH AS IT FRANK RODRIGUEZ, THIS YEAR, A VERY DETAILED ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WHAT I HAVE DONE IN EACH OF THE AREAS IN THAT GENERAL NARRATIVE THAT I WAS GIVEN THAT INITIAL GUIDANCE.
AND SO THE QUESTION WAS BROUGHT UP, OKAY.
SO WE MAKE A MOTION IN A BOARD MEETING, AND WE SAY THAT, LET'S SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE MAKE A MOTION THAT MS. CROSBY WILL ON A MONTHLY BASIS, GIVE US THE FUND BALANCE, OUR, OUR OPERATIONAL FUND BALANCE THAT THE TREASURER'S OFFICE HOLDS FOR US THAT BALANCE EVERY MONTH.
I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
BUT ONCE THAT MOTION GETS PASSED, THAT MOTION IS THEN GIVEN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SUPERINTENDENT GIVES IT TO, UH, MS. CROSBY AND MS. CROSBY THEN ADDS THAT INTO A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND COMES BACK AT A NEXT BOARD MEETING AND SAY, WE HEARD YOU, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS REPORT.
THIS IS WHAT THE REPORT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
IS THAT OKAY? BOARD? AND THE BOARD SAID, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
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NO, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED ABOUT TWEAKING IT HERE OR THERE.AND SO IT BECOMES DOCUMENTED IN THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, NOT IN THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION, IT'S IN A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION BECAUSE THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY CONSTANT, THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEM NO MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR AND SAY, IS THAT STILL GOOD? IS THAT STILL GOOD? YES.
IF IT'S NOT, THEN WE REWRITE IT OR ADD IT AND THEN GIVE THAT TO THE STAFF.
THEY WOULD WORK IT AND COME BACK TO US.
SO THAT'S WHEN I LOOKED AT WHAT COHERENT GOVERNANCE TALKS ABOUT, IT TALKS ABOUT GIVING GENERAL STRATEGIC GUIDANCE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, NOT AS MUCH SPECIFICS.
NOW, THERE ARE SOME SPECIFICS THAT YOU WILL SEE IN WHAT I HAVE PROPOSED.
AND, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, BUDGET PLANNING, ASSUMPTIONS, INCLUDING THOSE ASSUMPTIONS OF PRIORITY, IDENTIFY THE BOARD IN A WORK SESSION AND MAJOR FUNDING INITIATIVES BY MAY 17TH OF EACH YEAR.
THAT'S SPECIFIC BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A ROUTINE THING AND YOU'VE GOT IT IN THERE AND THAT TELLS OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AS THEY COME ON.
AND WE HAVE ALL THE MAJOR FUNDING AND INITIATIVES BY NIGHT, MAY 17TH OF EVERY YEAR.
DOESN'T SAY HOW THAT, WHAT ALL IS IN THAT.
IT JUST SAYS, YOU'RE GOING TO DISCLOSE BUDGET PLANNING, ASSUMPTIONS, INCLUDING THE ASSUMPTIONS AT PRIORITY IDENTIFIED BY THE BOARD AND THE WORK SESSION.
SO THAT'S A BIT OF A CHANGE OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT THIS OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS ARE, IS STRATEGIC.
IT'S MACRO, BECAUSE IF WE GET DOWN INTO SPECIFICS, THEN WE HAVE TO, WE GIVE A SPECIFIC, AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE STAFF.
AND THE STAFF HAS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
IF WE SAY GENERAL, THE STAFF FIGURES OUT HOW TO DO IT RIGHT FROM THE GET GO.
AND IT COMES BACK WITH THE SPECIFIC.
WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT, WE DO NOT HAVE A STAFF.
AND I THINK WE DO A LOT OF STAFF WORK ON THIS BOARD.
THE STAFF DOES THE COORDINATION, THE STAFF DOES ALL THE EACHES.
AND I, I PROMISED THAT I WOULD DO THIS AT THAT MEETING ON THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE PIECE.
AND I GAVE, SEND IT OUT TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY TO THE INDIVIDUAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, AND I, SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, IS, IS THIS, IS THIS TOO GENERAL? IS, IS THIS NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH? IS THIS TOO CONFUSING? DO YOU, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET THE WAY WE HAVE THE, OH, HE'S NOW THERE'S A NUMBER.
AND YOU CAN REFERENCE THAT NUMBER WITH THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.
THAT AGAIN, TO ME IS THAT'S KIND OF STAFF STUFF.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK? YES, DR.
UM, JUST SOME GENERAL COMMENTS BASED ON, UM, KIND OF WHAT, WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED AS A BOARD MEMBER IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, THE TWO MAIN CONCERNS THAT CONSTITUENTS COME TO ME WITH, HAVE TO DO WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT OR FINANCIAL MATTERS.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS WHERE I THINK WE ALWAYS NEED TO BE SPECIFIC, UM, OR AT LEAST STRINGENT AND ARE LOOK AT THOSE DIFFERENT IF IT IS IN GENERAL TERMS THAT WE'RE STRINGENT AND WE'RE VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, MY MAIN COMMENT ABOUT THE DRAFT HERE IS, UM, ABOUT BASICALLY THE, THE FORMAT OF IT.
UM, IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THE OTHER OH EAS OR THE POLICY MANUAL AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER OES AND OTHER AREAS OF THE POLICY INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, SUPERINTENDENT SHALL OR SHALL NOT.
AND THEN IT DOES HAVE THOSE BULLET POINTS IN THE OTHER AREAS.
SO UNLESS WE WERE GOING TO DO A WHOLE NOTHER REVAMP OF THE ENTIRE POLICY MANUAL, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, I WAS ON ALL THE POLICY COMMITTEES FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND THAT WAS A VERY LARGE UNDERTAKING.
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CONCERNING TO ME, UM, FROM A FORMATTING STANDPOINT THAT WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT EVERYTHING.UM, I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
UM, I DO THINK I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY SEE SOME MORE SPECIFICITY IN HERE, UM, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE SOME OF THE OES ARE THE BULLET POINTS THAT ARE PRESENTLY IN OUR POLICY MANUAL COME FROM, UM, PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION.
SO, UM, WHEN WE BRING IT DOWN TO GENERALITIES AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION, OBVIOUSLY THAT BOARD ACTION OCCURRED FOR A REASON.
THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS, THAT PROMPTED IT AND PROMPTED THAT CONVERSATION.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY TIDBITS TO ADD TO IT.
UM, AND JUST MINE, 10,000 FOOT VIEW EDIT.
I, AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT IS YOU STILL SEE SHALL AND MUST AND SO ON IN THIS NARRATIVE AND FOR A SPECIFIC SPECIFICITY, THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS ARE MUCH A TRANSPARENCY OPTION FOR THE PUBLIC AS ARE, OH, WEAVES.
SO IF, IF A CONSTITUENT WANTED TO KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, HOW THE BOARD MAKES THEIR BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS.
WELL, LET ME SHOW YOU THE PES AND THIS IS WHAT THE STAFF GIVES US RIGHT DOWN THE LINE.
WE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MEETING IS WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND THE WAY IT'S FORMATTED NOW REALLY IS BECAUSE WE, WE LOST TRUST IN WE, THE BOARD LOST TRUST IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS LOST IN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS A REACTION TO THAT LOSS OF TRUST AND REQUIREMENTS TO THE BE SO SPECIFIC.
I THINK IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WE HAVE, I KNOW PERSONALLY I'VE GAINED A LOT MORE TRUST IN THE, IN THE STAFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND I THINK THE PUBLIC AND OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE GAINED MORE TRUST IN OUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS, I MEAN, IN, IN OUR, IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE IS AS A RESULT OF PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, AND I DON'T SEE HOW BEING MORE GENERAL, UM, IS GOING TO CAUSE THAT TRUST TO BE VIOLATED BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A PROCESS IN THE PES.
THE PES TO MY MIND ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE.
IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET IN THE WEEDS, THERE THEY ARE.
AND THE PES, THEY SEE EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
RODRIGUEZ, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE GAVE US FOR HIS EVALUATION, IT WAS THOSE PE THAT HE ADDRESSED INDIVIDUALLY.
WE SAID, I'M GOING TO DO THIS, AND THIS IS WHAT I DID.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, UH, EARL, UM, HI.
I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU DID AND I THINK IT'LL GET WORK, BUT, UM, AS FAR AS, AS THE PUBLIC, YOU WOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOME FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC HAS NOT GOING TO AGREE WITH HOW THE BOARD WORKS OR HOW THE DISTRICT.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE, UM, TRUST AND FAITH IN IT, IN THE DISTRICT NOW IS A LOT BETTER THAN IT WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, SO I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I JUST, I, I HOPE THAT WE DON'T GET DOWN INTO DOING, UM, MICROMANAGING.
THAT'S MY, MY CONCERN, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE LISTENED TO SOME OF OUR MEETINGS COMMITTEE MEETINGS WHERE A BOARD NOAH'S SAY, WELL, I WANT TO HEAR IT FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, BUT HE, HE SAID HIS STAFF TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO GO FROM HERE.
UM, DICK, I PERSONALLY THINK THIS IS GREAT.
I REALLY LIKE WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND I, I THANK YOU.
UM, IT, IT WAS CLEARLY, UM, YOU TOOK YOUR TIME AND, AND, UH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT REQUIRED, UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY A
[00:35:01]
LOT OF WORK.I THINK THE, UH, I THINK IT'S REAL.
I THINK IT'S BETTER TO HAVE THIS SORT OF 30,000 FOOT VIEW AS YOU HAVE, UH, PUT TOGETHER HERE BECAUSE THE BOARD MEMBERS, WE WEREN'T, WE'RE NOT THE ONES HIRED TO, WE'RE NOT THE ONES WITH EXPERTISE OF RUNNING THE DISTRICT.
SO WE DON'T KNOW ALL THOSE LITTLE COGS IN THE WHEEL THAT HAVE TO GO BE PART OF EACH THING THAT WE, THAT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE SAYING, LET'S JUST SAY, DEVELOP A BUDGET.
THAT'S NOT AN EXCESS OF OUR REVENUE.
WELL, WHEN SOMEBODY FIRST COMES ON THE BOARD, THEY, THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHAT ALL OUR REVENUE SOURCES ARE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION KNOWS.
AND SO I THINK BECAUSE THE D THE ADMINISTRATION IS THE, THE ONES WITH THE EXPERTISE IN PARTICULARLY THE, OBVIOUSLY THE SUPER INTENDANT OVERSEEING THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
I DO THINK THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO THEN DECIDE HOW TO INTERPRET THESE BROAD STATEMENTS THAT, THAT WE, WE SAY ARE THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS.
THIS IS THE FRAMEWORK YOU HAVE TO WORK IN.
SO I THINK IT'S PERSONALLY, I REALLY LIKE IT, AND I COMPLIMENT YOU.
UH, I SEE, UH, DAVID HERE IS HERE.
WOULD YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? OH, YEAH, SHE KNEW I WOULD, BUT, UM, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MY FEELING, I, I LIKE THIS.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE DETAIL.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT.
OH, HE'S, UM, I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE SOME WAY TO COMMUNICATE TO THE STAFF.
THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS WE'RE GOING TO ASK WHEN YOU BRING YOUR INTERPRETATION TO US AND GIVE HIM A HEADS UP.
UM, AND IT COULD BE LIKE A NOTE, OR I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, THESE, THE OT SHOULD BE HIGH LEVEL, BUT IF WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN QUESTIONS WE'RE GOING TO ASK, WE SHOULD COMMUNICATE THAT WHEN THEY DO THEIR INTERPRETATION, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ANTICIPATE THIS DRIVEN, JUST GOING TO ASK YOU THIS.
UH, SO YOU CAN HEAD THAT OFF AT THAT DISCUSSION OFF, UM, YOU KNOW, BY INCLUDING IT IN YOUR INTERPRETATION, I'M NOT SURE WHAT MECHANISM WE WOULD USE, BUT ALL THOSE BULLET POINTS WE HAVE IN THE OES.
NOW, OUR COMMUNICATION TO THE STAFF, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU.
UM, AND IT'S, SO IT, IT'S ALSO A WAY TO, UM, NOT LOSE ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN THE NEW BOARDS COME ON AND STUFF, WELL, WE CAN PASS OUR EXPERTISE ON, WE CAN PASS WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ON TO THEM SOMEHOW.
UM, BUT I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID TO BE, UH, IN COHERENT GOVERNANCE, THIS IS THE HIGH LEVEL WHERE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT'S INTERPRETATION IS WHERE THE DETAILS ARE.
UM, I JUST DON'T EVER WANT TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE TO THE STAFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT PERSON WENT.
IF YOU GOT THIS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK? UM, WELL, I I'M, I'M NOT SURE.
UM, THIS IS A QUITE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST, JUST GOTTEN APPROVAL OF OUR OES.
WE'VE JUST BEGAN TO REPORT AND GETTING USED TO THAT STYLE OF MONITORING.
UM, SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE ALREADY RESEARCHED ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT AND FOUND ONE WITH A SET OF BOARD POLICIES, ACTUALLY VERY SIMILAR TO THIS, UH, WILKES NORTH CAROLINA, UH, WILKES, WILKES, UM, WILKESBORO, I BELIEVE IT WAS.
UM, BUT WILKES IS THE NAME OF BROOKS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THEIR POLICIES WERE VERY BRIEF.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY MORE BRIEF THAN THIS.
UM, BUT MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO THEM IS HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THOSE POLICIES? AND THEN WHAT REPORTING MONITORING DO YOU DO TO BE ABLE TO, UM, RESPOND TO THIS? SO IT WOULD REALLY ALTER HOW WE INTERPRET THINGS AND HOW WE MONITOR AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE BOARD AND NOT SURE, UM, WITHOUT SOME RESEARCH AND FINDING OUT WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING, UM, HOW TO BEGIN.
I MEAN, I THINK THE DATA'S ALL STILL THERE, IT'S JUST IN MORE OF A NARRATIVE FORMAT INSTEAD OF, INSTEAD OF NUMBERED OR BULLET POINTED.
SO THE DATA THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE HAS BEEN GOING TO BE THE SAME.
WE'RE STILL PROVIDE YOU THE AUDIT REPORT AND THE BUDGET, AND WE'LL STILL COMPLY WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS.
[00:40:01]
BASICALLY THE FORMAT OF THE, UM, REPORT THAT WE WOULD, WE STILL REPORT TO THE BOARD ON, UH, TO SAY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THAT POLICY, UM, OR DO WE LET THE AUDIT AND THE BUDGET SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE POLICIES.SO, UM, JUST, IT WILL REQUIRE SOME RESEARCH FOR ME AT, AT, AT FIRST GLANCE.
UM, UM, I LIKE IT, UM, BUT, UH, WOULD NEED TO SEE WHAT, HOW TO, HOW TO, UH, IMPLEMENT IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY, VERY SOUND.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS JUST A DRAFT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE FULL BOARD NEEDS TO LOOK AT.
AND IT JUST, AS A RESULT OF THAT MEETING THAT WE HAD ON THE, ON THE COHERENT GOVERNANCE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT THE STAFF TO OVERREACT TO THIS OR ANYTHING BECAUSE THIS IS JUST, JUST A STRAW MAN, WHOSE, WHOSE HANDS UP, KATHY, GO AHEAD, KATHY.
SO I THINK WE HAVE A COUPLE THINGS HERE.
UM, THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE A CHANGE IN POLICY BECAUSE ALWAYS OUR POLICIES.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO GO FROM MY STANDPOINT, THIS WOULD HAVE TO GO, UM, BE ADOPTED AS A CHANGE IN POLICY.
AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT DICK, YOU ALSO MENTIONED PES AND WE DON'T HAVE THESE ANYMORE.
SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING PE? SHE SAID SOME OF THIS STUFF WILL ALWAYS, WILL STILL BE MEASURED BY PES.
WELL, WE DON'T HAVE PES ANYMORE.
I, I, WHAT DO WE CALL THE INTERPRETATION INTERPRETATIONS OF THE OES? YEAH.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I CONSIDER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION.
SO, SO WITH THIS, THIS O E UM, I CAN'T SEE THE NUMBER ON TOP OF IT, SO THERE'S OH SIX OR WHATEVER IT IS.
SO THEN THIS REPLACES THE POLICY CHANGE BECAUSE WE'VE ADOPTED THE OTHER AND THEN THIS WOULD BE GIVEN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THAT INTERPRETATION AND WAYS OF MONITORING.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES.
I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I, UM, I THINK IF WE WERE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, SIMILAR TO WHAT RACHEL SAID IS WE, UH, DO WE CHERRY PICK AND DO JUST CERTAIN OES LIKE THIS? OR DO WE GO BACK AND DO EVERY SINGLE OAE TO MAKE THEM BROADER? THAT WOULD BE MY, MY QUESTION.
THAT'S I DON'T WANT TO MAKE WORK OR ANYTHING.
I WANT TO TRY TO MAKE IT EASIER BECAUSE I REALLY SEE THE POLICY.
THAT'S BEEN MY, MY REAL PROBLEM WITH OUR POLICY, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH.
WE HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME, UM, POLICIES AND GETTING INTO THE EACHES THAT IT STACKS NORMALLY DO, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING IT.
OURSELVES POLICIES SHOULD BE VERY, VERY CONSISTENT.
A POLICY IS, IS THERE FOR A LOT OF REASONS, ONE OF WHICH IS TO BE, UH, THE HISTORICAL DOCUMENT.
THIS IS THE WAY THIS IS HOW WE DO THINGS HERE.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ARE, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
AND I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS AND EVERY ORGANIZATION HAS ALWAYS, OR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
I READ THOSE AND I PUT THEM AWAY AND I DO MY JOB.
AND AT THE END OF ABOUT A YEAR, I'VE GONE THROUGH A COMPLETE CYCLE.
EVERY, EVERY BUSINESS, EVERY SCHOOL, AS A, AS AN ANNUAL CYCLE AT THE END OF THE FIRST CYCLE, I BRING THOSE, ALWAYS THOSE SOP.
AND I READ THROUGH IT AND SAY, YEP, I'M DOING THAT.
I WONDER WHY I GOT TO GO BACK TO THE STAFF AND FIND OUT WHY ARE WE DOING THAT? MAYBE WE SHOULD CHANGE
[00:45:01]
IT AND THEN I'D CHANGE IT.AND THEN THE PRODUCT, THEN IT STAYS THERE AND IT COMES BACK ANOTHER YEAR.
AND WE LOOK AT IT AGAIN, IT'S A CONSTANT PROCESS, BUT IT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN A WHOLE LOT OF TIME BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY, THIS IS HOW WE DO THINGS.
BECAUSE AS PEOPLE COME IN TO THE ORGANIZATION, YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM, HERE'S WHAT WE DO.
AND IT, AND, OR WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT POLICY, A LOT OF AN AWFUL LOT OF TIME.
AND WITH VERY LITTLE PAYOFF, I BELIEVE I'M LOOKING AT HOW MUCH RESULTS DID WE GET FOR THE TIME AND ENERGY.
AND FRANKLY, I WOULDN'T SAY IT'S VERY MUCH, BUT AFTER A YEAR OF WORKING AT IT, I'M LOOKING AT IT.
I MIGHT SAY, OKAY, THAT PART'S GOOD.
CAUSE WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T GO.
AND WE OPERATE WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION AS A BOARD, DO WE GO BACK AND SAY, WELL, WE HAVE, HAVE WE DONE THAT? YOU KNOW, WE JUST DO IT.
WE, WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE MAKE A DECISION, WE MADE A DECISION ON COVID.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY POLICY ON COVID IN THERE.
IT DIDN'T STOP US FROM MAKING COVID COVEN ASSUMPTIONS.
SO, YEAH, IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST A PHILOSOPHICAL PIECE.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BECAUSE WE SPENT ALL THIS TIME ON THE POLICY MANUAL.
WE'RE NOT, IT DIDN'T TAKE THAT MUCH TIME TO REFORMAT THIS OUT OF THE BULLETS INTO THIS.
IF YOU, IF YOU READ THROUGH THIS AND COMPARE IT TO WHAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING JUST ABOUT, IS THERE EXCEPT SOME REAL REDUNDANT STUFF THAT I TOOK OUT BECAUSE IT WAS JUST REDUNDANT.
UM, SO I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF OUR OES HAVE REDUNDANCIES IN THEM, UH, THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH THE MONITORING.
UM, BUT, UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S POSSIBILITIES.
I JUST THINK THAT WE JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT, OH, E'S OUR POLICY.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THEM, IT'S A CHANGE IN POLICY.
AND I'M REALLY SAYING THAT THIS IS JUST A RESULT OF THE CONFERENCE THAT WE HAD WITH THE CONSULTANT ON THE, UH, COHERENT GOVERNANCE MODEL.
AND I SAID, I WOULD DO THIS, AND THIS IS WHAT I'VE DONE.
AND I DON'T EXPECT ANY ACTION TO BE DONE ON THIS.
I DON'T AT ALL UNTIL MAYBE A WORK SESSION WHEN WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW OUR POLICIES.
AND THEN MAYBE THIS IS BROUGHT UP, OR MAYBE IT'S NOT, I DON'T HAVE ANY STRONG FEELINGS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT I SAID, I WOULD DO THIS.
AND LET THAT GO FROM WEATHER, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WORK IT HAS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? WHO'S OKAY, DAVID, THANK YOU, DEC.
UM, THERE'S A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION THAT THIS BRINGS TO LIGHT AND THAT IS, ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO BECOME MORE FAITHFUL TO COHERENT GOVERNANCE AS ADDISON INTERPRETED BY PAYING? UM, OR NOT? IF WE SAY YES, I MEAN, WHEN THIS COMES THROUGH FOR THE BOARD, THAT'S A DECISION, ARE WE GOING TO BECOME MORE FAITHFUL? UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO DURING TWO YEARS.
AND WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO A BOWIE NO MORE NOW.
UM, SO IF WE DECIDE TO BECOME MORE FAITHFUL, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND MODIFY THE POLICIES.
UM, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL.
THE BOARD HAS HAD TO SAY, YES, WE WANT TO AVOID REDOING POLICIES OR YES, WE WANT TO BE, WE WANT TO FOLLOW PEGGY'S ADVICE AND GO IN THIS DIRECTION.
UM, SO I, YOUR STRAW MAN YOU'RE IS, IS GOING TO BRING THAT FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE TO THE BOARD AND WE NEED TO DECIDE WHICH WAY WE'RE HEADED.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT IT'S BEEN, I MEAN, WE'RE AT, I THINK OUR, OUR POLICIES WERE FORMALLY ADOPTED IN FEBRUARY OF LAST
[00:50:01]
YEAR, SO WE'RE COMING UP JUST NOW ON ONE YEAR OF THOSE POLICIES BEING IN EFFECT, UM, AND FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO, UM, LOOK AT THOSE OES, PUT THEM INTO A REPORT TO THE BOARD.AND THEN FOR US TO ASK QUESTIONS, UM, JUST SOME FINAL COMMENTS ON IT, UM, IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE TIME FOR THAT TO PLAY OUT.
AND FOR THOSE ALWAYS TO COME FORWARD TO US AND US TO ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE THERE IS ANY TYPE OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE TO THE POLICY MANUAL AS A WHOLE, UM, IN FORMATTING, UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON WITH COVID AND WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT GOING ON AS BOARD.
AND I THINK TO, TO GIVE IT SOME TIME, UM, TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT WOULD BE, UM, MOST PRUDENT.
UM, AND THEN IF WE DID BRING THEM FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT SIMILAR TO HOW WE DID IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE, WHERE WE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FULL MARKUP VERSION OF REDS WAS STRIKE THROUGHS AND BLUE TECHS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE CAN REALLY SEE WITH OUR EYES HOW IT CHANGED.
I MEAN, I CAN GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THIS DRAFT GROUP AND OUR CURRENT POLICIES, BUT WITHOUT A MARKUP, I DON'T REALLY KNOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN THERE.
UM, AND THEN JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
THE REASON WHY WE HAVE OUR POLICIES, THE WAY WE HAVE THEM NOW IS BECAUSE THAT THERE WAS PERHAPS SOME DISTRUST, UM, PREVIOUSLY EITHER BY BOARD MEMBERS OR ADMINISTRATION CONSTITUENCIES.
AND I THINK THE REASON WHY WE PRESENTLY HAVE REBUILT THAT TRUST HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LENS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE DID PUT INTO THE POLICIES AND THE QUESTIONS THAT NEW BOARD MEMBERS BROUGHT ON.
UM, AND, AND THE WAY THAT WE ALL WERE RESPECTFUL IN THAT TONE AND THEN THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO I THINK THAT THAT HELPED TO REBUILD THAT TRUST.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, LEADER AT THE, IN THE SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL.
AND, UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE US CONTINUING ON THAT PATH BEFORE WE TRY TO PIVOT AND CHANGE ANYTHING YET.
ALTHOUGH I DO AGREE WITH DAVID WHERE IT COMES DOWN TO, UM, THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD WITH MS. TORI ABOUT COHERENT GOVERNANCE AND, AND HOW THAT SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT THOSE ARE JUST MY COMMENTS, UH, TAKE THEM FOR WHAT YOU WILL, AND I APPRECIATE YOU DOING ALL THIS WORK DICK.
I KNOW THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT EASY TO PUT ALL THAT INTO A NARRATIVE FORMAT AND I COMMEND YOU FOR DOING IT.
UM, I WAS ASKED BOARD MEMBERS, DO WE THINK THAT WE NEED TO REVIEW OUR ALWAYS, UH, EVERY YEAR, LIKE WE USED TO NEW POLICY BEFORE WE DID THAT, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT FROM THE BOARD OF GUESTS, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, PATIO MR. SMITH.
AH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT I DEFINITELY WAS NOT AS KEEN AND I ALSO, UH, WITH, UM, MOVING, UM, AS WELL.
UH, AND THEY BOTH BRING UP A GOOD POINT THAT WE'LL NEED TO, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE DAYS TO COME.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS DISCUSSION OF ANY FUTURE TOPICS, MS. CROSBY, I THINK YOU, YOU HAVE A FUTURE TOPIC.
I HAVE TO ACTUALLY, UM, I HAVE, UM, THE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT AVAILABLE, UH, READY FOR THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND, UH, IT'S STILL EARLY, BUT WE WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF A BUDGET UPDATE.
IT MAY INCLUDE A CALENDAR OF OUR WORK.
UH, AND SO YOU ALL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE WORKED ON SO FAR AND WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE.
SO I WOULD SAY A BUDGET UPDATE 2022 DASH 2023.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER TOPICS? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING EITHER.
THERE'S NO OTHER, UH, TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? YEAH.
SECOND THEY MOVED IN SECOND AND TO ADJOURN ANY DISCUSSION,
[00:55:02]
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.