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[5:00 pm Call to Order]
OF THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT 2022.PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE THIS EVENING.
WE ONLY HAVE TWO OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT TWO OF OUR THREE COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT MYSELF AND DR WAS NEVSKY.
MR. WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND, UNFORTUNATELY HAD AGAIN, HAD A DEATH.
UM, SO, UM, ROBIN, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS TO SEE THIS AFTERNOON? NO.
WOULD YOU WANT TO APPROVE THE AGENDA FIRST? OF COURSE.
UH, RACHEL MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ANY DISCUSSION RACHEL, ABOUT THE AGENDA? UM, I JUST, WHAT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT ITEM D CLARIFICATION ON THAT, IS THAT A ITEM THAT WE HAD NOT APPROVED BEFORE AND WE'RE COMING BACK FORWARD OR DID IT HAVE CHANGES YOU HAD NOT APPROVED IT BEFORE? AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THE MINUTES, THE HIGHLIGHTED AREA IS WHAT YOU ASKED ME TO INCLUDE THEN.
SO, AND SO I HIGHLIGHTED IT IN THE MINUTES BECAUSE THAT'S THE ADDITION THAT WAS ADDED TO IT.
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE'RE COMING BACK TO IT TOO.
IT DIDN'T GET PUT ON PREVIOUS AGENDAS.
ROBIN YOU'VE HAD A BUSY WEEK, SO I APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING BACK AND TAKING STOCK OF WHAT WE HAVEN'T APPROVED YET SO MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A SECOND ONE.
THERE'S ONLY TWO OF US TONIGHT, RACHEL.
SO, UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
IN ORDER FOR ME TO MAKE IT UP HERE, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PUT A SECOND IN THERE.
SO I'M GOING TO PUT YOUR NAME IN JOANNE.
AND I'LL HAVE TO REMOVE TINA'S NAME CAUSE IT DIDN'T BELONG IN HERE.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 14, 20,
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20 A MOTION TO APPROVE.WE APPROVE THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 14TH, 2020.
AND ANY DISCUSSION, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EDITS THAT WERE INCLUDED? NO, JUST SO ROBIN ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT.
UM, BUT THAT WAS, WE WERE ADDING IN INFORMATION ABOUT THE PUPIL ACTIVITY REPORT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THE LINE ITEM FOR THE DISTRICT BALANCE.
MAYBE NON, UH, THE, THE AUGUST 13TH, 2020 FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, THEN MOTION TO APPROVE.
WE APPROVE THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 13TH, 2020.
ANY RATE JOINING COMMENTS OR NO, NOTHING THERE.
RIGHT ALONG HERE, SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2020 FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES, MOTION TO APPROVE.
WE APPROVED THE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2020.
WE'RE UP TO, UM, NEXT SIGNIFICANT ITEM.
UM, FURTHER DISCUSSION ON OUR MINORITY AND WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE REPORT.
I BELIEVE THAT ON OUR LAST MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 10TH, UM, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT TALKING, UM, JUST INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE REPORTING, UM, AND WHAT GOALS IN PARTICULAR, THE GOALS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS AND LOOKING AT, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE DOING THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND WE HAVE INFORMATION, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ON THAT TONIGHT.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE IN BOARD DOCS, A REPORT, A THREE PAGE REPORT, KAYLEE JAEGER IS WITH US THIS EVENING AND I'M GOING TO, UM, TURN IT OVER TO HER TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE DETAILS ON HER RESEARCH AND, AND, UH, SHE'S MUCH MORE OF AN EXPERT AT THIS, UM, THE PROCUREMENT.
AND THEN I, SO I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO HER TO GO THROUGH SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU THIS EVENING.
I THINK IT'S GOOD INFORMATION, UM, VERY GOOD INFORMATION AND, UH, HELPS US OUT TO DECIDE HOW, HOW BEST TO MOVE FORWARD OR MAKE ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAY WANT TO MAKE.
UH, I DO WANT TO MENTION, UM, I DID LOOK UP A BOARD POLICY 2.1 BRIEFLY REFERS TO MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, UH, IT'S LETTER J UH, IT SAYS WOULD THAT WE WILL FOSTER PARTICIPATION IN, IN WITH MINORITIES AND WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, BUT THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC DETAILS IN THAT BOARD POLICY.
SO, UM, KALEY'S GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT CODE AND WHAT KIND OF DETAILS ARE IN THERE.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KAYLEE.
UM, I WAS ASKED TO PUT THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER SO THAT, UM, WE COULD GIVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, UM, THE BEST PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE HAVE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND IN OUR MINORITY BUSINESS WOMEN ENTERPRISE OR AT UTILIZATION.
SO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THEIR OWN PROCUREMENT CODE.
IT'S THE CONSOLIDATED PROCUREMENT CODE AND THEY DO MODEL CODE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, AND THEN 2019, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY REVAMPED THEIR SOUTH CAROLINA CONSOLIDATED CODE COMPLETELY.
UM, THERE WERE MANY, MANY CHANGES.
SO, UM, THEY'RE DEVELOPING FOR CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A NEW MODEL CODE FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, THERE ISN'T A PERCENTAGE LISTED IN OUR CURRENT PROCUREMENT CODE.
IT JUST STATES THAT, UH, THE GOAL, I MEAN, IF I CAN PULL THAT UP EXACTLY THAT THE GOAL WILL BE ESTABLISHED.
LET ME GET THAT WORDING PERFECTLY FOR YOU.
CAN YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT? SURE.
UM, IT BASICALLY ON PAGE 62 OF THE PROCUREMENT CODE UNDER, UH, LETTER D FOR THE MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE UTILIZATION PLAN, IT SAYS GOALS, GOALS THAT INCLUDE A REASONABLE PERCENTAGE OF THE DISTRICTS, TOTAL PROCUREMENT DIRECTED FOR MINORITY VENDORS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A PERCENTAGE IN OUR PROCUREMENT
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CODE.THE STATE'S NEW PROCUREMENT CODE DOES HAVE A PERCENTAGE AND IT IS LISTED AT 10%.
YOU CAN SEE OUR 20% CAME FROM THE BOARD FROM AN OLD ORDER, UH, 25.
I THINK THAT WAS BEFORE YOU CHANGED THE WAY YOU WERE DOING YOUR, UM, PES HALEY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? YOU KIND OF FADED OUT THERE FOR A MOMENT.
IF I TURN A LITTLE BIT, UM, THE, UM, BOARD ESTABLISHED THAT 20% STARTING WITH E 25, AND THAT WAS BEGINNING IN JANUARY 1ST OF 2007.
UM, THE DISTRICT'S GOAL IS FOR A MINIMUM OF 5% OF A TOTAL CONTROLLABLE BUDGET OF ALL NEW EXTENDED OFFERINGS FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF SUPPLIES, SERVICES, CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS EACH YEAR THEREAFTER, FOR THREE MORE YEARS, THE GOAL WILL INCREASE ANNUALLY BY 5%, JANUARY 1ST TO RESULT IN A MINIMUM GOAL OF 20% BY 2010.
SO THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2007 TO REACH THAT 20% GOAL.
AND SO WE'VE HAD THAT 20% GOAL SET SINCE 2010, SINCE THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED, THERE HAS ONLY BEEN SIX INSTANCES WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY MET OUR GOAL IN 2007.
ORIGINALLY IT WAS SET AT 3% AND THEN WE WENT TO FIVE AND THEN IT INCREASED BY 5% EACH YEAR UNTIL WE REACHED THAT 20% GOAL.
UM, AND IT SHOWED EACH FISCAL YEAR ON WHETHER IT WAS THE FIRST HALF OF THE SECOND HALF THAT WE'VE MET AND WHAT THAT ACTUAL PERCENTAGE WAS FOR CERTIFIED AND UNCERTIFIED USES.
SO THIS IS PEOPLE TELLING US THAT THEIR MINORITY VENDORS, PLUS THIS ARE ACTUALLY CERTIFIED THROUGH THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT WE WENT THROUGH AND WE PULLED 23 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SEE WHAT A MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE UTILIZATION WAS.
AND THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND WE GOT SEVEN RESPONSES AND YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTIES THAT ARE LISTED AND THEY GOT THEIR 10% FROM US, THEIR GOAL FROM EITHER THEIR SCHOOL BOARD SETTING IT OR FROM THEIR PROCUREMENT CODE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, EVEN THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE NOT MEETING IT OR THEY'RE HAVING AN AVERAGE OF BETWEEN FIVE AND 7% IF THEY ARE.
UM, SO WE TOOK AN EXTRA STEP FURTHER TO SHOW ALL THE, UH, CERTIFIED MINORITY VENDORS LISTED IN CALLINGTON JASPER HAMPTON AND BUFORD COUNTY.
SO ARE THE THREE SURROUNDING COUNTIES FOR US SHOWING YOU THOSE VENDORS.
AND THESE ARE DIRECTLY FROM THE MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS, UM, WEBSITE FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT ARE ACTUALLY REGISTERED.
AND HOW MANY ARE THERE THERE KAYLEE LOOKS LIKE IT DOES IT THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX.
HERE'S A FEW INSIDE BUFORD COUNTY, HUH? YES.
THERE ARE A FEW, UM, HILTON HOME.
THERE ARE A FEW IN BUFORD BLUFFED IN HILTON HEAD AND ST.
UM, EXCELLENT REPORT JUST TO WRAP THIS UP.
UM, KAYLEE, IS THAT COVER EVERYTHING FOR THE MOST PART? I BELIEVE IT DOES.
UM, SO YOU CAN, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITH THE CERTIFIED PIECE.
UM, AS FAR AS HAVING, UM, A VARIETY OF VENDORS IN OUR AREA IN THE LOW COUNTRY TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT, WE JUST TOOK A SUB-SECTION OF THOSE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
UM, BUT THERE ARE MORE THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGE OF MEETING THE 20% GOAL IS, IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, UM, NOT, UM, MAKING ANY PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HAD, UH, THIS INFORMATION.
UM, AND AGAIN, THERE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, THERE IS A BOARD POLICY AND THERE IS INDICATION IN THE PROCUREMENT CODE, BUT I BELIEVE IT IS AT THE BOARD'S DISCRETION AS TO WHAT THAT GOAL WOULD BE ON, ON A PARTICULAR, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, IN FACT, SO, UM, THAT'S FROM MY RESEARCH, THAT IS WHAT I'M GATHERING.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, WELL, YOUR MOM GET TO IN JUST A MINUTE, UM, TELLING ME WHAT WOULD BE THE BENEFIT THAT YOU COULD SEE, UM, ESTABLISHING IT, DOCUMENTING IT IN
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OUR PROCUREMENT CODE VERSUS JUST SETTING IT AT THE BOARD LEVEL AND, AND PUTTING IT INTO A OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION.IS THERE ANY BENEFIT OR DIFFERENCE? UM, AS FAR AS THE PROCUREMENT CODE, I THINK, UM, KAYLEY MAY WANT TO TOUCH ON THIS, BUT, UH, AS SOON AS THE MODEL SCHOOL DISTRICT CODE IS ESTABLISHED AT THE STATE LEVEL, WHICH WILL BE WITHIN, I ASSUME THE NEXT FEW YEARS, PERHAPS SOONER IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL HAVE TO ADOPT THAT CODE, UM, WHICH IS A 10%, UM, HAS A GOAL IN IT OF 10%.
THEY ARE THE STATE FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AUTHORITY AND THE, UH, PROCUREMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, OF SOUTH CAROLINA ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NEW MODEL CODE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REMAIN SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THE STATES.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NEW MODEL CODE FOR US.
AND THAT NEW MODEL CODE IS TO INCLUDE THE 10% FOR MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS.
AND THAT SHOULD BE OUT AND WE'VE BEEN ADVISED THAT IT WOULD BE OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT PANDEMIC WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SURE WHEN WE'LL SEE IT.
AND THERE WERE FOUR KEY, LIKE ONE MORE QUESTION WHEN I DON'T EVER REMEMBER VOTING AS A BOARD MEMBER OR PROBABLY DOES TO ADOPT IT OR MIRROR THE PROCUREMENT CODE IN OUR DISTRICT WITH ONE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
HOW OFTEN IS, DOES THAT OCCUR, UH, TYPICALLY, OR HAS OCCURRED IN OUR DISTRICT? MAYBE I'LL CAN ANSWER THAT EARL AS PRESENT.
WHAT IS THAT? DID YOU WANT ME TO REPEAT MY QUESTION NOW? YES.
SO WHEN DID WE ADOPT OUR KAREN PROCUREMENT CODE? OH, HE'S, HE'S BEEN QUITE A HECTIC.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE YEAR, BUT I KNOW, UH, MR. RIVERS SPEAKS WAS ON THE BOARD AT THE TIME.
IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME DISCUSSING IT.
YOU MENTIONED, YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT OUR PROCUREMENT CODE WAS ORIGINALLY ADOPTED IN JULY OF 1985, AND WE'VE MADE CHANGES SINCE THEN, SINCE, SINCE THE STATE HAS MADE CHANGES.
UM, THE LATEST CHANGE WAS MADE IN AUGUST OF 2019 WHEN WE MADE EXCEPTIONS AND ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE HAVE TO BE SENT TO THE PROCUREMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE, FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY AUTHORITY FOR THEM TO APPROVE OUR CHANGES, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REMAINING SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THE STATE.
AND THE TIME BEFORE THAT, I BELIEVE WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS, WE ADOPTED, UM, A NEWER MODEL IN 2007, 2007.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST RECENT.
DO WE HAVE TO SUBMIT THOSE OR ONLY WHEN WE ADD THEM, WE HAVE TO SUBMIT ANY CHANGES WE MAKE TO IT.
SO ANY ADDING OR REMOVING ANY EXEMPTIONS HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST NOTIFY THEM THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
UM, THERE'S NOT A DRAFT OUT YET.
IF THAT NEW PROCUREMENT CODE IS THERE.
I WISH WE COULD PREPARE BETTER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, NO, BUT WE, UM, WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO BE VERY CLOSE TO THE CURRENT SOUTH CAROLINA CONSOLIDATED PROCUREMENT CODE, UM, WITH A LOT OF CHANGES COMPARED TO OUR MODEL CODE THAT WE HAVE NOW, INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF THE 10% WELL KNOW, UH, JUST GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, UM, BASICALLY, UH, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE DISTRICT CAN NOT STAY AT THE 20%, IS THAT CORRECT? AS LONG AS, UM, THE STATE APPROVES, ANY CHANGES TO THE PROCUREMENT CODE, IF THEY COME OUT WITH A MODEL CODE THAT STATES THAT WE NEED TO BE AT 10% AND THE BOARD MAY IT'LL BE THE WILL OF THE BOARD TO ASK IF WE'D LIKE TO REMAIN AT 20%, THE STATE WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMAIN SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR.
WELL, YEAH, WELL, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD, TANYA.
MY SENSE IS THAT IF WE CAN BE MORE STRINGENT THAN THE STATE CODE, UM, MEANING WE, OUR GOAL BE HIGHER.
UM, AS LONG AS WE AT A MINIMUM THAT WE HAVE A 10% GOAL, I WOULD EXPECT, I WOULD HOPE I WOULD.
UM, BUT I THINK CERTAINLY WE WOULD NEED TO NOTIFY THE STATE AND GET THEIR BLESSING ON IT.
AND, AND, AND THAT DOES, UH, THAT DOES CONCERN ME A BIT THAT THE STATE WOULD ONLY PUT IT AT 10%.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY LOW.
I THINK THE STATE NEEDED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT THIS STUFF, BUT THAT'S NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, BUT I, UM, I WAS WONDERING, UH, I SEE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF HOW COME WE DIDN'T GET A COTTON COUNTY BECAUSE I'M GOING TO COLLEGE AND COUNTIES MATCHING, UH, COLLIN COUNTY IS ACTUALLY MADE MAKING THEIR GOAL.
AND I WAS HOT WONDERING HOW, WHY DIDN'T WE INCLUDE A COLUMN COUNTY TO THIS LIST? UM, AS KALEY MENTIONED, SHE SURVEYED 20, APPROXIMATELY 26 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND THESE WERE THE SEVEN THAT RESPONDED.
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UH, THEY, WE SERVE AT CARLTON COUNTY.KAYLA, DO YOU KNOW OF CARLTON COUNTY? THEY CALTON COUNTY HAS GONE ABOVE THE $75 MILLION REQUIREMENT MAKING THEM SUBJECT TO THE STATE CODE PROCUREMENT CODE.
SO MY SENSE IS THAT THEY WOULD BE ON THE LIST, SERVE THAT SHE REACHED OUT TO VERIFYING RIGHT NOW.
UM, IF I'M SORRY, I'M VERIFYING RIGHT NOW, THEY CALL IT IN COUNTY WAS ON MY LIST.
UM, IF YOU GIVE ME JUST, I'D SAY ABOUT A MINUTE OR TWO, I WILL HAVE THAT ANSWER FOR YOU.
UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR ON, UM, THE DIFFERENT, SO THE, THE 18 OR SO THAT WERE LISTED THAT ARE IN OUR AREA.
WHAT I NOTICED IS SOME OF THESE MAY OR MAY NOT BE SERVICES THAT WE EVEN WOULD UTILIZE, IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT IS ACCURATE.
I DIDN'T PULL THE DATA BASED ON THEIR SERVICES.
I BASED IT ON THEIR LOCATION COUNTY WISE.
RIGHT? SO EVEN, EVEN THOSE THAT ARE IN OUR AREA MIGHT NOT EVEN BE ONES THAT, YOU KNOW, ECOTOURISM BY BOAT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MIGHT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD USE.
BUT THEN I'M THINKING OF THAT IN A BROADER SENSE, WHEN YOU EXPAND THE SEARCH TO THE ENTIRE STATE OF HOW MANY QUALIFIED OR CERTIFIED VENDORS THERE ARE, THAT ACTUALLY YOU, UH, SERVICES THAT WE WOULD USE.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO KNOW, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH IS OUT THERE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TO MAYBE POTENTIALLY, IF WE HAD A LIST OF THAT, I KNOW WE CAN'T GIVE PREFERENCE, BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS A WAY THAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE NOTIFIED WHEN WE DO HAVE SERVICES OR NEED RELATIVE TO WHAT THEY DO.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE ALREADY DO THAT.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE ALREADY DO WHEN WE ADVERTISE FOR ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
WE POST ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND I AM GOING TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOTIFIED WHEN THAT HAPPENS OR THEY CAN SEE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
MAYBE NOT NOTIFIED THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE WRONG WORD TO CHOOSE, BUT WE DO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LET THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S KNOW AS WELL, UM, THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE, I COULD POSSIBLY SAY FOUR ON THIS LIST THAT WE USE OR THERE'S THAT WE'RE CONTRACTED WITH THEM AS A SUBCONTRACTOR.
AND THEN THEY REPORT THAT TO US BECAUSE IT IS OUR FUNDS THAT ARE THEY'RE PAYING FOR THE SERVICES, RIGHT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK OF WAYS, YOU KNOW, AS OPPOSED TO LOWERING THE PERCENTAGE, UH, UH, WAYS TO IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE MINORITY WOMEN OWNED AND THEY'RE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THEY DO SERVICES THAT WE MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT PER THE PROCUREMENT CODE, IF WE'RE ALLOWED TO INDIVIDUALLY, UH, NOTIFY THEM BASED ON THAT AND NOT PUT IT OUT THERE.
AND IN OTHER SENSES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE IN THAT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT IF WE MIGHT, UM, TICK UP THAT PERCENTAGE, IF WE ACTUALLY GAVE A, A PUSH NOTIFICATION OR AN EMAIL NOTIFICATION, UM, THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESSES, UM, THAT QUALIFY FOR OUR NEEDS, I WILL DO MORE RESEARCH ON THAT, ON OUR AVAILABILITY AND OUR, UM, OUR, OUR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.
WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, THANK YOU.
I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME THING, RACHEL.
I KNOW WE CAN GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE AWARDING PIECE OF IT.
WE CAN SHOW PREFERENCES THERE, BUT I WONDERED ABOUT THE SOLICITATION PIECE, HOW MUCH WE CAN SORT OF, YOU KNOW, EXTEND OURSELVES THERE.
UM, I'M THINKING IF WE HAD A WHOLE LIST OF ALL OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESSES, UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO LINK THEM UP, SAY WE NEEDED A CERTAIN SERVICE STORM DRAIN INSTALLATION, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THIS ONE, THAT'S IN WALTERBORO.
AND WE SENT AN EMAIL DIRECTLY TO THEM AND JUST LETTING THEM KNOW, AT LEAST THIS OPPORTUNITY IS THERE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T MAKE THEM SUBMIT A APPLICATION OR, OR WHATNOT, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST TRY TO FACILITATE THAT CONVERSATION.
GREAT, WILLIAM, UM, ALSO, ALSO, UH, ONE OF MY OTHER ONE OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS WOULD BE, UH, IS, IS NEW CONSTRUCTION, NOT ON THIS LIST.
I DO NOT BELIEVE, LET ME PULL UP, THIS IS A GENERAL CONTRACTOR, BUT DO NOT SEE THEM ON THE LIST.
NO,
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MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE COUNTIES OF BUFORD CALLINGTON HAMPTON AND JASPER COUNTY THAT, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE ON THAT LIST.UM, I KNOW THAT THIS LISTING COMES FROM THE SMALL AND WOMEN, UM, SMALL AND MINORITY BUSINESS, UH, AGENCY.
UM, IT'S A STATE AGENCY, SO, AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST THAT NEIL CONSTRUCTION WAS A CERTIFIED VENDOR.
SO WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO IT AND FIND OUT WHY PERHAPS IT'S CALLED A DIFFERENT NAME, THAT'S ON THIS LIST THAT WE DIDN'T IDENTIFY, BUT, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO IT.
BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S A, A, I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A MINOR MINORITY OWNED COMPANY.
UH, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT THEY, THEY BUILD DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AROUND, AROUND TONYA AND ON BASE.
SO, UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING, OKAY.
DID YOU GET THAT OTHER INFORMATION I'LL ASK HIM TO, DID SHE GET THE LES MIS ABOUT CALLING AND COUNTY? DID SHE SEE WHAT ELSE COUNTY, BECAUSE THEY ARE NEWER.
THEY WERE NOT ON MY DIRECTOR'S CONTACT LIST DIRECTLY THAT I HAVE MADE A NOTE THAT I WILL ADD COLLEGE AND COUNTY, AND I WILL ALSO GET THE DATA FROM THEM ON WHAT THEY ARE USING THAT SINCE THEY STARTED WITH THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ON THE DIRECTORS LIST.
SO, UM, OUR LIST ISN'T VERY LARGE, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THE BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO OPERATE OFF OF A STATE MODEL CODE.
SO, UM, I WILL GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU AS WELL.
I BELIEVE THAT COLLAGEN IS SOMEWHERE NEAR THAT $75 MILLION THRESHOLD OF A BUDGET.
SO IN PAST YEARS THEY HAVEN'T, THEY'VE BEEN BELOW THAT AND WEREN'T REQUIRED TO ADOPT THAT PROCUREMENT CODE.
SO THAT MAY BE WHY, UM, WHEN SHE REFERS TO NEWER, NEW BEING, UH, HAVING A LARGER BUDGET.
UM, SO, BUT WE'LL CHECK INTO THAT.
YES, I WAS, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT NEIL CONSTRUCTION IS A GENERAL CONTRACTOR AND IN THE PAST HAVE, DID WORK FOR PEOPLE KIND OF SCHOOL DISTRICT SOME YEARS AGO.
AND AS FAR AS CLIENTS COMING FROM COUNTY, UH, THEIR DELEGATION, UH, DID CHANGE, HELP THEM TO GET MORE, UM, WORKED FOR MINORITIES SOME YEARS AGO, UH, BECAUSE, UH, THEY, UH, THEY CHANGED THE RULES.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A COPY OF THAT, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT'S A GAME CHANGER, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STATES ARE GOING TO BE REVAMPING AND COMING OUT WITH A NEW CODE AND, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IN A FEW MONTHS, THE BOARD WILL, WILL LIKELY IT WILL BE PUT IN FRONT OF THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION FOR ADOPTING, ADOPTING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I CAME PREPARED FOR THE BUNCH OF MOTIONS TONIGHT.
UH, RACHEL, MAYBE YOU DID TOO ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE TO THE FULL BOARD AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT SOME OF THEM IN MY MIND HAVE ALREADY BEEN NEGATED WITH THIS MUSIC, KAYLEE AND TANYA HAVE SHARED ABOUT THE NEW, UM, STATE PROCUREMENT CODE COMING OUT RIGHT ON THE HORIZON.
UM, I DO WANT TO REVISIT ONE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL.
WE HAD IT AT THE BOARD LEVEL AND EARL, YOU WERE, UM, AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE, UM, THE CONVERSATION SORT OF TRAVELED TO OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVES THAT THEY MIGHT MAKE ON THEIR END TO MAKE IT EASIER, UH, FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN VENDORS.
UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, UH, BUT, UM, WE COULD BRING A RECOMMENDATION OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE TO THE FULL BOARD, UM, PROMPTING THEM TO APPROACH, UH, OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ON THIS.
I CAN'T RECALL IF WE PUT ANYTHING REGARDING MINORITY AND WOMEN, WOMEN BUSINESSES, OR ENTERPRISE, UM, ONE, ANY OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDAS IN RECENT YEARS, BUT EARL, IF I MAY JUST GOING TO KIND OF PICK YOUR BRAIN ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO PROMPT THE, OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO, YEAH.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS AND SEE IF THEY CAN GIVE US SOME HELP.
UH, WE DID SEND THEM A LETTER, I THINK ONCE OR TWICE,
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AND THEN THEY'LL RESPOND.SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT AGAIN.
WELL, I THINK IT WOULD, SORRY.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT US TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION OF WHAT WAS DONE IN, WAS IT CALLED TIM? YOU SAID, YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT US TO HAVE THAT.
SO I COULD USE IT AS A MODEL OF SAYING, LOOK, YOU KNOW, SHOWING SUCCESS, SHOWING THAT THIS, THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IN COLLEGE AND DID SOMETHING IT'S PROVING SUCCESSFUL FOR THEM, THEY'RE MEETING THEIR GOAL, YOU KNOW, XYZ, JUST SHOWING THAT WE CAN, WE COULD POSSIBLY MIRROR THAT HERE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD MAYBE GET MORE TRACTION THAN JUST SAYING WE WANT THIS, BUT SHOWING HERE'S, LET'S NOT RECREATE THE WHEEL.
HERE'S A DISTRICT IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT DID IT.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO TRY THAT TOO.
UM, SO I'M THINKING ABOUT, I'M THINKING ABOUT THE COMMITTEE, UM, THAT THE CURRENT COMPOSITION OF OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY AT A PIVOTAL TIME RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S A BIT OF A DILEMMA RACHEL, WHERE I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYTHING REALLY SIGNIFICANT EMOTION AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE IN A MONTH OR TWO, THE COMMITTEE WILL BE REFORMED, UM, AND MAY HAVE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT TARGETS.
BUT I CERTAINLY THINK THAT WE CAN, UM, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD, UH, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS FOLLOW UP WITH COLLAGEN.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? I WAS JUST THINKING THAT THE EASIEST WAY IN CASE THERE'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, UM, ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO COMMITTEES, UH MAKE-UP AND STRUCTURE COMING UP SOON.
UM, I THINK THE EASIEST WAY TO MEMORIALIZE THE INFORMATION, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO AND SEEKING TO DO, BUT KIND OF CAME UP AGAINST A TIME CRUNCH TO INCLUDE THIS CONVERSATION IN THE MEETING MINUTES.
UM, AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD THAT THEY, UPON RECONSTITUTION OF A FINANCE COMMITTEE.
THEY TRY TO REVISIT THIS CONVERSATION.
ABSOLUTELY BECAUSE WE, WE SORT OF HASHED OUT NOVEMBER'S MEETING ALREADY.
AND WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IN DECEMBER WAS JUST A CULMINATING MEETING, PROBABLY JUST APPROVAL OF THE LAST BATCH OF MINUTES AND, YOU KNOW, MORE OR LESS, UH, UM, UH, GERMAN AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
UM, DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU HAVE EMOTION THAT WOULD EXECUTE THAT OR ENSURE THAT WOULD HAPPEN? SO ARE WE MEETING IN DECEMBER OR NO, WHEN YOU ARE MEETING IN DECEMBER, WE'RE NOT STARTING ANYTHING NEW.
THIS IS WHAT WE DID AT THE END OF THE LAST MEETING THAT WE WOULD JUST BUTTON UP ANY LOOSE ENDS, SUCH AS APPROVAL OF COMMITTEE MINUTES AND MORE OR LESS ADJOURNED.
NOVEMBER IS STILL IN FRONT OF US, RIGHT? I WAS THINKING IF WE HAD THE, THE INFORMATION ON COLTON, AT LEAST BY THAT POINT IN TIME, WE COULD THEN GIVE UP, EVEN IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A FULL RECOMMENDATION.
MAYBE IF WE HAD THE INFO BY THEN WE COULD SAY, WE RECOMMEND AT THAT POINT THAT THE FULL BOARD CONSIDER THE, UH, MIRRORING WHAT COLLAGEN DID AND SENDING A LETTER TO THE DELEGATE.
THE QUESTION IS, I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WE, WHAT WE WOULD, THE MOTION THAT WE HAVE, UH, BECAUSE UNTIL IT'S BEEN CHANGED, THEN WE STILL SHOULD BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BOARD BUSINESS.
I, I, I DON'T, EVEN THOUGH IT'S COMING, IT'S NOT HERE AND I DON'T SEE WHY, UH, WHY, WHY NOT MAKE THOSE MOTIONS AND WHY NOT MOVE FORWARD? UH, BECAUSE OF ONCE, ONCE THEY, ONCE THE STATE PASSED DOWN THEIR REGULATIONS, THEN IT WILL CHANGE AUTOMATICALLY.
SO I JUST DON'T SEE WHY, WHAT WOULD BE THE, THE, UH, THING TO DISCOURAGE US TO MAKE THOSE, MAKE THOSE CHANGES? I MEAN, UH, WITH THIS PANDEMIC WHO KNOWS, WHO KNOWS THAT, THAT THE STATE CHANGES COULD COME WITHIN TWO YEARS? I MEAN, WE'RE WHEN WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT SURE OF WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO COME.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD DELAY IT.
I MEAN, I, I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
SO, SO LET ME GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE MOTIONS I THOUGHT THE COMMITTEE MIGHT ENTERTAIN TODAY, AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL GIVE YOU SOME UNDERSTANDING.
UM, I THOUGHT WE MIGHT LOOK AT THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION AND INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THE DISTRICT HAS MET ITS GOAL.
[00:35:02]
AND THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO VOTE.WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THAT WHEN THE BOARD VOTES ON THIS REPORT, WE'RE JUST SAYING THAT WE HAVE WE'RE VOTING ON THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FOLLOWED OUR PROCUREMENT CODE AND WE DO SO THE VOTE IS ALWAYS YES, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE IN THAT OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS.
THAT'S STILL, UM, VERY VIABLE IN MY MIND.
UM, THE OTHER ONE WAS, UH, THAT WE WOULD, UM, PUT INTO, UM, UH, THIS PIECE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA THAT WE CRAFT.
AND I BELIEVE WE DO THAT ONCE A YEAR.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE INTERJECTED THINGS AFTER THE FACT.
SO PERHAPS THAT'S A FLUID DOCUMENT FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATIONS.
THAT WAS ANOTHER MOTION THAT I WAS ENTERTAINING PUTTING FORTH TODAY.
RACHEL, DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON ACTION ITEMS TODAY? AND JUST TO, JUST TO SPEAK BACK TO YOU, I THINK THOSE ARE VALID POINTS, BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES IS THOSE PUT TEETH AND IT SHOWS THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT ACTUALLY MAKING GOALS THAT WE'RE JUST NOT SETTING FAKE GOALS.
AND WE'RE JUST NOT PUTTING THINGS OUT THERE IN THE AIR.
AND IF WE GRABBED THEM IT'S OKAY.
AND IF WE DON'T THEN IT'S OKAY TOO.
SO I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO EVEN VOTE.
YES, WE MADE IT A, YES, WE DIDN'T TO PUT TV AND ACTUALLY HOLD OUR STAFF AND OUR SUPERINTENDENT ACCOUNTABLE.
SO I, I THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE A WAY IT WOULD BE, UM, I THINK IT, IT, IT WOULD PUT THEM ACKNOWLEDGES TRANSPARENCY, BUT IT WOULD ALSO PUT TEETH T FOR OUR PILE POLICIES THAT WERE, THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
AND WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING THAT IT'S OKAY, BUT IT WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT APPROVED.
SO BOTH OF THOSE, I, I DO AGREE WITH, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD, THAT, THAT THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE PUT OFF.
UH, WILLIAM, RACHEL, DO YOU HAVE, UM, YEAH, I WAS GOING TO COMMENT ON, ON BOTH OF THOSE, UM, THE WAY I, I SEE IT, OR THE WAY I PROCESS THIS IS, I AGREE WITH YOU, I'M, I'M PUTTING THE TEETH IN IT, I THINK.
UM, AND PLEASE ANYONE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
BUT THE, THE ISSUE THAT I THINK IS COMING IS THAT IN YEARS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THE GOAL ISN'T BEING MET, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, THE PERCENTAGE AND, AND WHERE IT IS.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'LL CALL IT AND DID WAS, UM, THEY HAD A LEGISLATIVE CHANGE MADE SO THAT THEY COULD MEET THAT PERCENTAGE MORE EASILY.
SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SET THE POLICY, BUT THEN THE DISTRICT IS KIND OF RESTRICTED IN A SENSE BY HOW THEY CAN TRY TO MEET THAT PERCENTAGE BECAUSE OF WHATEVER THE LAW SAYS OR WHATEVER THE PROCUREMENT CODE SAYS.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF HAVE TO GET INVOLVED AGAIN WITH, AND THAT'S, I THINK, WHERE YOU WERE GETTING AT, WITH YOUR ADDING THAT TO THE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS, WE ARE BEING VOCAL AND TRYING TO MAKE IT SO THAT THAT GOAL CAN BE MET.
SO I THINK IT'S A TWO-PART THING.
UM, BUT I ALSO AM ONE THAT TRIES TO DEAL IN DATA AND ANALYSIS, AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THEM THIS HAS WORKED ELSEWHERE.
AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ALL THAT DATA.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF TAKE AND WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I HAVE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT I CAN THEN, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT WHATEVER WE DO PUT TO THE FULL BOARD.
SO YOU, I TELL HIM HERE'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
YOU'VE GOT A TIMELINE IN YOUR HEAD.
YOU'D LIKE TO FIRST, AND I MAY BE PUTTING WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.
I DON'T MEAN TO, BUT THIS IS WHAT I GLEAN.
YOU WANT TO FIRST GET THE INFORMATION ON COLLEGE AND COUNTY PROCESS THAT COME BACK TO COMMITTEE FORMULATE A MOTION THAT VERY SPECIFICALLY GIVES DIRECTION OR THE VERBIAGE OF WHAT WE WANT IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
HAVE ALL THAT ACTION STARTED WITH THE LEGISLATURE, OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, RIGHT.
AND THEN WHILE THAT'S IN MOTION, PROBABLY BY THEN, WE'LL HAVE THE NEW STATE CODE WITH THE 10%.
AND IF WE DON'T, THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE A, MAKE A SUGGESTED CHANGE TO THAT AND ADD THAT, ADD THE TEETH TOO.
UM, I JUST, I PREFER TO HAVE IT MORE, UM, CAR T'S CROSSED I'S DOTTED WHEN WE SUBMIT IT TO THE FULL BOARD, AS OPPOSED TO, WELL, WE'VE KIND OF BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT.
UM, WE THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.
I'D, I'D RATHER HAVE SOME EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT.
WELL, EVIDENCE AND CLEAR DIRECTION FOR THE LEGISLATURE VALIDATION,
[00:40:01]
ARTICULATING WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO, RIGHT.AT THIS POINT, I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT MOTION, CAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW TO DIRECT THEM JUST YET.
I MEAN, USING COLLENTEEN AS A MODEL AND HOW THEY APPROACHED IT, CLEARLY THEY HAD SUCCESS WITH IT AND MAY BE HELPFUL TO APPLY THAT FORMULA IN, UH, IN, UH, IN DIRECTION TO OUR LEGISLATIVE.
I GOT YA AT THE SAME TIME TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT CALL IT DIDN'T HAS IS, IS WORKING, BUT WE MAY WANT TO EVEN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM OR ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM TO FIND OUT, OKAY, WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE POSSIBLY CHANGED TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER? UM, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF RECREATING THE WHEEL, LET'S, LET'S BUILD UPON OTHER PEOPLE'S SUCCESSES AND, AND ASK THEM, AND IT HAS, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH COLLEAGUES AND TO SEE WHERE WE COULD END.
WE MIGHT HAVE CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE BECAUSE WE ARE STRUCTURALLY DIFFERENT OR IN SOME WAYS THAN COLLAGEN.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION TANYA, OR, OR KAYLEE, UM, DID THEY STAY WITH KIM AND CODY EVER HAVE THE 20% GOAL? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NO, NO, NO.
SO THIS IS NEW GROUND FOR THEM.
THAT'S INTERESTING, UH, DOING, STARTING THAT 10%, UM, AGAIN, I GUESS WE CAN MAKE IT MORE STRINGENT, BUT IT'S A PLACE TO START.
UM, WILLIAM, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD TO THAT? JUST THAT EXCHANGE RACHEL AND I JUST HAD THERE MAYBE, UH, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT, I MEAN, I THINK EVA, WE, WE, WE EITHER WE MET IT OR WE DIDN'T, BUT I DO THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO BE DOCUMENTED EITHER WE MET OR NO, WE DID NOT MET IT BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE CAN GO BACK AND GUESS, BUT IF WE HAD THE BOARD ACTUALLY TAKES A VOTE AND TAKE ACTION ON IT, THEN NOW WE KNOW THAT EVEN WE MET AT THE SHOW, WE DID NOT MEET IT.
I MEAN, ME PERSONALLY, I MAY EVEN IF THIS TOPIC EVER COME UP AS A BOARD MEMBER, I MAY EVEN MAKE THAT MOTION JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S ABOUT BEING TRANSPARENT.
THAT THIS POINT TO ME, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER JUST HAVING A WRITING INTO WHEREVER WE WERE, WHEREVER WE MET AT OR WHEREVER WE DID MEET THAT THAT'S ALL.
AND THAT EVERY BOARD MEMBER HAS BEEN PUT ON NOTICE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T SAY THAT WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS.
IT'S A LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO, AS WELL AS A BOARD MEMBER.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO ADD A LITTLE HISTORY FROM MY RECOLLECTION DURING MY TIME ON THE BOARD, EACH TIME THE REPORT IS BROUGHT TO US AS IT COMES UP ON THE WORK PLAN ON THE CALENDAR, UM, TANYA, OR, YOU KNOW, THE PRIOR, UM, CFO TYPICALLY SHOWED WHETHER WE MET IT OR WE DIDN'T THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WHERE I'M INTRODUCING OR ENTERTAINING ABOUT INTRODUCING SOME VERBIAGE IN THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION.
THAT SAYS WHEN THE BOARD VOTES, WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING THAT WE FOUND WITH THE PROCUREMENT CODE, WE'RE SAYING, DID WE NEED TO GO WHATEVER IT IS? IS IT 20%? IS IT 10%? AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WILLIAM, WHICH IS, IT'S A DOCUMENT, IT'S A FORMAL DOCUMENTATION AND IT'S AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY BOARD, RIGHT? YES, MA'AM CORRECT.
SO WHAT DO YOU SEE THE VALUE IN IT? I KNOW HOW I SEE THE VALUE, BUT I'M CURIOUS MY VALUES THAT THE BOARD TAKES THIS SERIOUSLY AND NOT JUST SAY IT'S OKAY IF WE DON'T MAKE IT, IT'S OKAY IF WE MAKE IT IT'S OKAY.
BECAUSE UNTIL, UNTIL BA BA BA BECOMES A, UNTIL YOU BECOME SOMETHING THAT IS A PRIORITY, THEN WE WILL CONTINUE NOT TO MAKE, NOT TO MAKE IT.
AND ME PERSONALLY, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I WON'T SAY THAT I WILL SAY THAT I DON'T SEE IT AS ONE OF OUR SERIOUS PRIORITIES OR ONE OF THE BOARD MAIN GOALS.
AND I, AND WE'D DO A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION AND THIS AND THIS DISTRICT.
AND I THINK IF WE DO CONSTRUCTION AND WE SHOW OUR MONEY TO CIRCULATE AND IN THE, IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT, WE, WE KEEP, WE, UH, UH, GOD FORBID WE HAVE TO GO BACK OUT AGAIN FOR A REFERENDUM.
IT WAS SENDING OUT MONEY INTO, UH, NORTH CAROLINA OR TO SOME CONTRACTS IN IOWA.
I MEAN, AT LEAST THAT I MIGHT CIRCULATE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND ONE BEAVER COUNTY.
SO I MEAN TO, TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, IT W W THE MORE, THE MORE WE SEE, THE MORE WE RECOVER WHEN THE MORE WE TAKE, WE TAKE IT SERIOUS.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY THING.
WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU SEE WHAT'S BEHIND YOU, YOU DON'T SEE.
I MEAN, FOR MY OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, UM, AT OTHER MEETINGS AND IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT AT THE RATE OF GROWTH, AND RACHEL CAN SPEAK TO THIS
[00:45:01]
WITH LOVE TO AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, WE SHOULD BE BUILDING A SCHOOL EVERY FEW YEARS.WE MAY HAVE A STEADY STREAM OF CONSTRUCTION WHO KNOWS, UM, AND, AND BETTER OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE THESE VENDORS WITH WORK, UM, WORK EXPERIENCE IN BUPA COUNTY HAD, I'LL PUT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHERE IT GOES.
UM, ROBYN BY CHANCE, DO YOU HAVE THE FORM THAT THE BOARD VOTES ON WHEN THE MINORITY AND WOMEN REPORT COMES UP? IT HAS THE VERBIAGE THAT SAYS THAT THE DISTRICT FOLLOWED PROCUREMENT CODE, TANYA.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND KAYLEE, WHAT I'M SPEAKING OF, IT'S LIKE THE COVER SHEET FOR THE REPORT, UM, THAT YOU GIVE, UH, WITH THE SIGNATURES ON IT.
UM, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR VERBIAGE.
WELL, I WAS WONDERING IF WE CAN GET THAT UP ON THE SCREEN SOMEHOW, SO THAT IF I MAKE THE MOTION TO ADD SOMETHING TO IT, I CAN BE MORE THOROUGH, MORE CLEAR.
UM, WELL, IT'S IN THE LAST, UM, IS IN BOARD DOCS ON THE LAST FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
SO SEPTEMBER 10TH, UH, A DRAFT OF THAT WOULDN'T BE ON THE SEPTEMBER 10TH.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO, IN A MINUTE, YOU WANT ME TO, I HAVEN'T PULLED UP.
UM, I CAN'T COPY AND PASTE THOUGH.
SO LET ME KNOW WHAT Y'ALL, IF YOU WANT ME TO READ IT OR NOT, I CAN PULL IT UP IN A SECOND.
WE SHOULD PROBABLY GET YOU PACK, EMAIL DRIVING, DRIVING TOO.
AND IT WAS, SHE COULD PUT IT ON HER SCREEN OR I CAN PUT IT ON MY SCREEN IN A SECOND.
IT'S IN THE NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER, SEPTEMBER 10TH.
UM, YEAH, LET ME SEE THE TOP I HEAR BY PRESENT.
UM, I THINK IT'S THE BOLD LANGUAGE BELOW YOU WENT THE LANGUAGE BELOW IT, A LITTLE DOWN IT'S P E BASED PURCHASES UPON, RIGHT.
UM, STATEMENT, SCROLL DOWN MAYBE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, ROBIN.
UM, JUST THAT'S THE ACTUAL REPORT, I THINK.
NOW WE'RE INTO THE ACTUAL REPORT, BUT THIS IS THE INFORMATION ON THE FRONT PAGE.
IT IS, AND I GUESS IT'S UNDER SUPERINTENDENTS.
UM, INTERPRETATION WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING THERE TO 4.5 DAYS PURCHASES UPON THE STATE.
I MOVE, WHAT'S THE NAME OF, WHAT'S THE TITLE OF THIS DOCUMENT? LET'S GO TO THE TOP IF WE COULD.
THAT, UM, RACHEL, DO YOU KNOW THE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION? IT IS.
I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD DIG FOR IT.
I WILL, UH, SPEAK SLOWLY ROBIN, BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY FORMULATING THE MOTION IS, HEY, GO, IT'LL HELP YOU TO, I MOVE THAT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION.
4.5 MONITORING REPORT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE.
ALL RIGHT, NOW I NEED YOU TO SCROLL DOWN SO I CAN SPIT THE REST BACK TO YOU.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS RECITE WHAT'S THERE IN BOLD.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THAT TEXT ALREADY BASED PURCHASES ON THE STATE AND DISTRICT PROCUREMENT POLICIES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PRUDENT JUDGMENT, AND SOUND FINANCIAL PRACTICE, INCLUDING COMPARED TO PRICING ALL TAKING INTO ACCOUNT LONG-TERM QUALITY AND COST.
AND HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO ADD THE NEW PIECE.
UM, WHILE SHE'S DOING THAT, IT, I FOUND IT IN THE DRAFT OF THE OH
[00:50:01]
SIX NUMBER TWO.YOU'RE YOU'RE SUPER WOMAN NOW.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO ADD, ADDITIONALLY, THE DISTRICT HAS MET ITS 20% GOAL FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN AND TO PRIZE.
I THINK I DO BREAST TO EVEN DISCUSS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST THE TWO OF THEM.
GIVE ME A SECOND TO CORRECT SHOOT.
ROBIN, ROBIN LET'S SUBSTITUTE OPERATIONAL EXPECTATION TIME.
YOU, WHAT WAS THE NUMBER? OH, OH SIX.
SO IN THAT FIRST SENTENCE, YOU'RE JUST SUBSTITUTE P SIX.
NEED MONITORING REPORT IN THERE.
MONITORING REPORT INCLUDE, OR YOU WANT ME TO PUT IT IN THE PARENTHESES? UM, THE, WELL, SO IF WE'RE CHANGING THE O E MONITORING REPORT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE NECESSARY.
RACHEL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE MONITORING REPORTS.
WELL, ARE YOU CHANGING? ARE WE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL BOARD THAT WE CHANGED THE O E WHICH WILL BE IN OUR MANUAL OR BECAUSE THE MONITORING REPORT IS SOMETHING THAT'S DONE BY THE DISTRICT, UM, AND INCLUDES THIS SUPERINTENDENT'S INTERPRETATION AS WELL.
I, I THINK THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED EDIT OR ADD TO THE OES AS OPPOSED TO THE ACTUAL REPORTS.
CAUSE WE DON'T THE REPORTS WE DON'T GENERATE.
LIKE I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WE SET THE EXPECTATION AND THE REPORT AUTOMATICALLY SPEAKS TO THAT.
SO WE'LL TAKE THE WORD MONITORING REPORT OUT OF THEM OUT OF THE, YES.
THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN ONCE YOU DEALT WITH THAT, LET ME KNOW.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO STRIKE 20%, UM, AND I'LL GIVE MY, MY REASON FOR THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE IT SAY, ADDITIONALLY, THE DISTRICT HAS MET ITS AND WE MAY WANT TO INCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, FISCAL YEAR GOAL FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE.
UM, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK WHEN, WHEN AN F UM, THE PROCUREMENT CODE IS AMENDED, IF IT CHANGES TO 10% AND WE HAVE TO ADOPT THAT, UM, THIS WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO CHANGE OUR POLICIES AND GO BACK AND GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
UM, WHAT EXAMPLE THIS WORDING, ADDITIONALLY, THE DISTRICT HAS MET ITS STATED GOAL THIS WAY.
IF IT'S 20%, IT'LL SPEAK TO THAT.
IF IT'S 10% LATER ON WITH THE NEW STATE ADOPTED, UH, PROCUREMENT CODE, IT'LL SPEAK TO THAT.
IT WILL MIRROR WHATEVER OUR SEX GOAL IS.
[00:55:01]
AND AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS SET, THE BOARD SAID IT, IT'S NOT IN OUR PROCUREMENT CODE, TONYA, IF I'M A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, WHERE DO I GO TO FIND THAT FIND THE GOAL, THE STATED GOAL, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YES.UM, KAYLEE, HAVE YOU FOUND WHERE THAT 20% GOAL IS DOCUMENTED IN A POLICY OR A IT'S NOT IN THE CODE? DO YOU HAVE ANY, IT'S NOT AS CODE AND I SEARCHED AND AGAIN, I'M A, I AM NOT WELL-VERSED IN THE PES AND THE OES AS WELL AS, AS YOU GUYS ARE IN SEARCHING FOR THOSE AND FOR DOCS, I COULD NOT FIND THE 20% STATED IN ANY OF THE NEW BOARD POLICIES.
THE ONLY PLACE I FOUND IT WAS IN THE 2006 POLICY P DASH 25, WHICH I, I DON'T KNOW THE VALIDITY OF THAT COMPARED UNTIL NOW.
SO YEAH, YOU HAD TO DO SOME DIGGING IF I MAY.
UH, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ADOPT WHAT RACHEL SAID.
UM, ROBIN, IF YOU WOULD, UH, ADD, STATED GOAL OF 20% AND THEN RACHEL, IT SEEMS MAYBE THE BOARD MAY HAVE TO MANUALLY CHANGE IT WHEN THE PROCUREMENT CODE CHANGES FOR ADDICTS, YOU KNOW, UPON THE BOARDS WILL.
WELL, NOW I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THERE ALREADY WAS A POLICY OR THE 20% WAS, UM, REFLECTIVE OF SOMETHING THAT WAS IN THE PROCUREMENT CODE.
SO NOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE 20% EVEN DERIVES FROM, I HAVE, I, IT GIVES ME PAUSE NOW BECAUSE IF WE MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION, THEN NOW WE'RE CODIFYING THE 20%.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME DOWN FROM, MAYBE, MAYBE ROBIN CAN GIVE US SOME HISTORY ON THAT.
MAYBE A
AND IT WAS A DIRECTIVE FROM THE BOARD TO START.
WE WERE ORIGINALLY AT 3% IN 2006 AND BEGIN JANUARY 1ST OF 2007 TO INCREASE BY 5% EACH YEAR UNTIL WE MET OUR 20% OR TILL WE GOT TO OUR 20% THRESHOLD IN 2010.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHEN I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
UH, NO, I THINK THE PES AND OES AND, AND OTHER BOARD DOCUMENTS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MADE IT, MADE IT OVER ON CONVERTED IF IT CONVERTED OVER OR WHAT HAPPENED.
BUT WHEN I GOT HERE, THE GOAL WAS 20% AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS MAINTAINED SINCE THEN.
BUT BESIDES P DASH 25, THE OLD DOCUMENT, I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN FINDING IT WRITTEN ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO WE, AND SO WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE AT, OR I HAVE, THAT WAS THE, DID THE BOARD BOARD ON THAT DOCUMENT AS DID THE BOARD AND VOTE ON THAT DOCUMENT THAT SHE'S REFERRING TO? IT IS, LET ME PULL IT UP HERE.
IT IS P DASH 25 BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION GOVERNANCE POLICIES, AND IT'S NUMBER 25 FOR THE MINORITY WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE UTILIZATION PLAN.
AND IT SAYS VERBATIM IN ORDER TO FOSTER EFFECTIVE BROAD-BASED COMPETITION FOR PUBLIC PROCUREMENT WITHIN THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, PCSD SKULL IS TO ENSURE THE FAIR AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF ALL PERSONS WHO DEAL WITHIN PROCUREMENT, UM, CONSISTENT WITH THE DIRECTORS OF THE MARCH 8TH, 2006, DISTRICT MINORITY UW UTILIZATION PLAN.
SO THERE'S A DATE FOR YOU THERE MARCH 8TH, 2006.
UM, BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST DISTRICT'S GOAL IS FOR A MINIMUM OF 5% OF TOTAL CONTROLLABLE BUDGET THEREAFTER.
FOR THREE MORE YEARS, THE GOAL WILL INCREASE ANNUALLY BY 5% UNTIL THE MINIMUM GOAL OF 20% IS REACHED IN 2010.
UM, ROBIN, DO YOU WANT ME TO SEND YOU THIS? YOU, YOU PROBABLY HAVE IT, BUT DO YOU WANT ME TO FORWARD IT TO YOU? IT'S IN ONE OF OUR OLDER DOCUMENTS, IT HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE IT WAS PASSED THAT YEAR.
SO IT STANDS IT'S, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT WAS BROUGHT ACTION A WEEK AGO OR, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IF IT HASN'T BEEN
[01:00:01]
ALTERED OR REMOVED ITS DOWNS, UM, I THINK WE HAVE TO SPEAK TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE AND THEN LEAVE IT TO PERHAPS A FUTURE COMMITTEE OR THE BOARDS WILL TO ALTER IT AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD, EITHER UP OR DOWN.SO IF IT'S, IS IT, IT'S NOT IN OUR DRAFT RIGHT NOW FROM THE POLICY COMMITTEE? I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE NO, I DON'T SEE IT IN ANY OF THE OES.
THIS WOULD BE A CORRECTION, YOU KNOW, OR, OR AN UPDATE AND APPROPRIATE UPDATE TO FALL IN LINE WITH WHAT PRIOR BOARD ACTION HAD BEEN.
AND IF IT DOES CHANGE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THIS ZOE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, UM, IF YOU CAN, MADAM CHAIR IN YOUR REPORT, WHEN YOU MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION, I WOULD JUST, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FULL BOARD TO KNOW, UM, ABOUT THAT CHANGE THAT MIGHT BE COMING FROM THE STATE, CHANGING THIS FROM 20 TO 10, SO THAT WHEN WE'RE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ADOPTING THE NEW POLICIES OR THE UPDATED POLICIES THAT THE AREA WHERE, UM, CHANGING A SINGLE POLICY TAKES PLACE, WHETHER IT BE ONE IN ONE READING OR IN THREE, THAT WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, WHEN IT'S ADOPTED BY THE FULL BOARD.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT, THAT IT'S LIKE THIS DRIVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND I WOULD INCLUDE THAT AND ROBIN, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL I'LL TUG ON YOUR PER THAT DOCUMENT THAT KAYLEY SENT.
YOU JUST I'LL GIVE A VERY BRIEF HISTORICAL UPDATE ON THAT.
THAT IS REALLY INTERESTING INFORMATION.
WE, YOU REALLY HAD TO DO SOME DIGGING THERE.
UM, ARE WE PLEASED WITH THE WORDING AND THIS MOTION? I CERTAINLY AM.
UM, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, WELL, ANY, ANY FURTHER INPUT FROM YOU BEFORE WE GO IN AND VOTE? NO, MA'AM, UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS FORWARD TO THE BOARD AS A RECOMMENDATION FOR ADOPTION.
UM, ALL THE OTHER OES THAT THIS COMMITTEE HAS SENT TO THE FULL BOARD, THEY HAVE NOT APPROVED YET.
THEY'VE SIMPLY FORWARDED IT ON TO THE, UH, POLICY COMMITTEE.
WELL THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UM, COMMITTEE ACTIONS I WANTED TO PUT ON THE FLOOR.
RACHEL, I DO AGREE WITH YOU LET'S GET SOME INFO ON COLLAGEN SO WE CAN CRAFT SOME REALLY KIND OF CLEAR, UM, DIRECTION FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, BECAUSE FRANKLY AT THIS POINT, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DIRECT THEM.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOARD WILL KNOW.
UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS EXCELLENT REPORT? SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ANYBODY'S HANDS UP HERE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
UH, AND THE LAST ITEM DECEIVING COSTS FOR SOFTWARE PROGRAMS. UM, WILLIAM, YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER OF OUR COMMITTEE, BUT YOU DID EXPRESS AN INTEREST AT OUR LAST COMMITTEE MEETING TO SEE THIS, TANYA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, IT'S A BREAKDOWN OF, OF COSTS OF, OF, OF SOFTWARE PROGRAMS WE CAN'T GET INTO AT, IN THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, IF THEY'RE EFFECTIVE OR NOT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM SOLELY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THEIR COST CENTER.
THANKS ROBIN FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
THAT'S I JUST SAID TO CLEAR MY THROAT.
LET ME GET MINE UP HERE, TONYA.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE, THE, UM, STARTING WITH THE TITLES OF THE COLUMNS ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT WHERE IT SAYS DATE, WHICH DATE IS THAT? UM, WHAT DOES THAT REPRESENT? I WAS JUST A LITTLE UNCLEAR ON THAT ONE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT RENEWAL.
[01:05:01]
I'M LOOKING DOWN THE LIST AND MANY OF THEM ARE JUST ONE YEAR.IT'S WHEN YOUR LICENSING PERIOD LICENSING.
THERE WAS A COUPLE, I HAD QUESTIONS ON.
UM, DO YOU WANT ME TO, DID YOU WANT ME TO START AT THE BEGINNING OR RACHEL HAS YOUR HAND UP, RACHEL, YOU GO AHEAD AND I'LL, I'LL PUT TOGETHER MY QUESTIONS HERE.
I JUST HAD A COUPLE, UM, ONE, UH, IS IN REGARD TO THE, UH, COLUMN ROBIN, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE A LITTLE BIT, THE COLUMN THAT SAYS, UM, HOW, WHERE THE MONEY WAS COMING FROM BASICALLY.
UM, YEAH, TH THAT SAID ACCOUNTS THE ACCOUNT ONE.
SO THERE IS THE ONE WITH, UH, DREAMBOX WITH CARES FUNDING FOR 114.
UM, I DON'T RECALL IF THERE WAS ANY OTHERS, BUT I DID SEE THEM IN THE FIRST PAGE.
AND IT TRIGGERED A QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, THOSE THAT ARE CARES FUNDING, UM, THOSE PROGRAMS, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR INCORPORATING THAT INTO A PERMANENT BUDGET ITEM? ONCE CARE FUNDING IS NO LONGER, UM, UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I, WITHOUT, UM, HAVING THE INSTRUCTIONAL FOLKS WITH YOU, I'M NOT SURE I CAN ANSWER THAT.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A NEED TO SUPPLEMENT THE CURRENT, UM, SOFTWARE PROGRAMS WE HAD IN DUE TO COVID-19, UH, OTHERWISE, UM, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE FUNDED WITH CARES ACT FUNDING.
UM, SO WHAT PLANS ARE GOING FORWARD? I DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY RELAY THOSE QUESTIONS, THAT QUESTION TO DR.
UM, BUT CARES THAT FUNDING WOULD ALLOW FOR MULTIPLE YEARS OF FUNDING.
UM, SO THE FUNDS ACTUALLY EXPIRE.
I HAD ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS SEPTEMBER 20, 21.
IT'S ACTUALLY SEPTEMBER, 2022.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE SOME TIME AND WOULD IT BE ABLE IF, IF THERE IS A NEED TO EXTEND THAT TO A SECOND YEAR, UH, WITH THAT CARES ACT FUNDING.
UM, AND THEN THERE IS, UM, AN ITEM THAT IS IN YEAR THREE OF THREE TERM EDMENTUM.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE IT DID LOOK LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THEM WERE FOR ONE YEAR TERMS. AND THAT ONE IS, UM, COMING TO THE END OF ITS THREE-YEAR TERM.
THE NAME OF THAT SOFTWARE IS EXACT PATH.
SO THAT ONE IS IN ITS THIRD YEAR OF A THREE-YEAR TERM THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT THAT ARE, MULTI-YEAR LIKE THAT ON THIS, ON THIS LISTING.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ROBIN, IF YOU CAN GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FAR, RIGHT.
AGAIN, I THINK IT WAS ON PAGE TWO.
AND IF I RECALL THERE IT IS ACTUALLY RIGHT THERE.
IT IS A BLANK UNDER, UH, OVERDRIVE FOR THE WIND RENEWAL IS, IS THIS PENDING OR, UM, SO I, AND ALSO, I MENTIONED, I'M SEE THAT THE TERM IS, UH, 2018, UM, TERM YEAR.
I DO RECALL, UM, AUTHORIZING THE, OR, UH, THE RENEWAL OF OVERDRIVE AND THAT'S OUR DOWNLOADABLE LIBRARY BOOKS.
UM, SO THAT IS RECENT, UH, RECENTLY RENEWED.
SO I WILL UPDATE THAT LINE ITEM AND, UM, I CAN PROVIDE A REVISED COPY TO THE COMMITTEE, UM, AND I WILL GET THAT RENEWAL DATE FROM OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOLKS.
AND, UM, LAST QUESTION, SORRY.
UM, IS IN REGARD TO, HOW DO WE CHOOSE, UM, HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THESE ITEMS? IS THAT BASED ON THE VENDOR'S PREFERENCE, OUR PREFERENCE, YOU KNOW, I SEE SOME OF THEM ARE P-CARD, UM, AND SOME ARE CHECKS AND THEN OTHERS HAVE, YOU KNOW, JUST NUMBERS ALLOCATED, WHICH I ASSUME IS A PO OR SOMETHING.
UM, SO HOW DO, HOW DO WE MAKE THAT DETERMINATION OR, OR WHAT DRIVES THAT WE ENCOURAGE ALL PURCHASES WITH THE P CARD? AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS TO, ESPECIALLY IN LARGE TICKET ITEMS, LIKE THESE SINGLE ITEM PURCHASES, IT INCREASES OUR SPENDING THEREFORE INCREASES OUR REBATE.
SO WE RECEIVE FUNDS BACK AS A PERCENTAGE OF OUR SPENDING.
UM, AND SO WE ENCOURAGE IT AND SOMETIMES OUR VENDORS, UM, PREFER NOT TO, OR WILL
[01:10:01]
NOT ACCEPT, UM, THE P-CARD PAYMENT, UH, PARTICULARLY IN SOME LARGER, UM, SOME OF OUR LARGER PURCHASES AND, UH, BECAUSE THERE ARE CREDIT CARD FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND THEY CAN GET RATHER LARGE WITH, UM, THESE LARGE COSTS.SO IN THE EVENT THAT THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT OUR P-CARD, THEN WE WILL PAY THEM.
AND ONE MORE, UM, I THINK JUST FROM A FINANCE COMMITTEE PERSPECTIVE, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THOSE THAT ARE MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS OR ONES THAT ARE NOT NEW VENDORS, THAT WE HAD A COLUMN THAT SHOWS US HOW MUCH WE PAID IN THE PRIOR YEAR ON THAT CONTRACT, SO THAT WE CAN SEE IF THERE'S ANY TRENDS IN, UM, OR EVEN SAVINGS THAT'S COMING TO THE DISTRICT FROM, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT RENEWALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, ARE WE SPENDING MORE OR LESS THAN WE DID IN THE PRIOR YEAR? RIGHT.
AND WE COULD, UM, HAVE AN INSTANCE WHERE WE EXPANDED THE SERVICE, SAY FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD IT IN K THROUGH THREE THIS YEAR, WE MIGHT EXPAND IT TO A LARGER GRADE SPAN PER YEAR, OR WE MAY HAVE JUST, UM, HAD ONE SUBSET, UM, OF STUDENTS.
AND WE MAY HAVE EXTINCT BANDED IT TO A MUCH LARGER SUBSET.
SO THAT WOULD BE A REASON FOR AN EXPANSION.
UM, OR IF WE SUNSET, UH, A PROGRAM AFTER ITS, UM, TERMINATION, UH, THE END OF ITS TERM.
UM, SO THAT YOU'LL SEE, THERE WERE A FEW AT THE VERY BOTTOM, UH, THAT HAD BEEN THE TWO LAST ONES, UH, NAVIANCE, UH, THAT CONTRACT, THOSE TERMS ENDED AUGUST 28TH OF THIS YEAR.
SO THOSE ARE NO LONGER WE PUT THEM IN THE END OF THE REPORT BECAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER IN PLACE.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE SUNSET FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS REQUIRES A EMOTION OR NOT, BUT IT CAN, I JUST MAKE THE REQUEST THAT WE ADD A COLUMN THAT SHOWS THE PRIOR YEAR COST, IF THERE IS ONE, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE AN EXPLANATION OF, OF THE WHY, IF THERE'S BEEN A MAJOR CHANGE, THEN, UM, I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR THE FULL BOARD TO SEE THAT AS WELL.
CAUSE I BELIEVE THIS SAME DOCUMENT COMES TO THE FULL BOARD AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
IS THIS DOCUMENT, IS IT A, IS IT A PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION CURRENTLY A REPORT? WHEN DOES IT, UM, IT HAS BEEN PROVIDED IT WITH OR PROPOSED TO BE PROVIDED? UM, I CAN'T RECALL EXACTLY.
UM, BUT FOSTER TECHNOLOGY USE IS A PE THAT'S DUE IN JANUARY.
THAT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
UH, I WOULD IMAGINE THE ACADEMIC, I, UM, I WORK AS SOON AS I, THIS REQUEST CAME OUT, I CONTACTED MARY STRATOSE AND SAID, WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER ON THIS ONE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING IT TO YOUR COMMITTEE AND I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING IT TO MINE.
AND SO WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE EFFORTS AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE MESSAGE IS THE SAME.
SO, UM, SO SHE WILL BE, I I'M CERTAIN THAT SHE'LL BE PROVIDING THIS TO HER, UM, THE ACADEMIC COMMITTEE AS WELL.
AND SO THAT CERTAINLY, UM, AT SOME POINT, UM, BUT YES, OUT OF COMMITTEE, IT WILL GO TO THE, I THINK I RECALL SEEING IT WHEN WE WERE IN BUDGET DISCUSSIONS BEFORE I THINK SOMEONE MADE A REQUEST TO SEE IT.
AND I THINK IT WAS IN, IN ONE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL.
UM, TOMMY, IS THIS MY IMAGINATION OR IS THIS LIST SIGNIFICANTLY PARED BACK? UM, WHAT I'VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS, IT LOOKS MUCH THINNER TO ME.
UM, WELL I DID NOT DO A COMPARISON OF THE TWO, UM, BUT I DID INCLUDE SOME THAT SOME OF OUR ITEMS WERE SUNSET AND WERE NOT, UH, IN THE, IN THE PAST BUDGET WHERE THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CUTS.
UM, THERE WERE SOME ITEMS THAT WERE NO LONGER INCLUDED LIKE FLOCABULARY ROSETTA STONE AND BIG UNIVERSE.
SO THOSE ARE A FEW AT THE BOTTOM THERE.
UM, I, I DIDN'T COMPARE IT TO THE PREVIOUS LISTING.
I KNOW THAT WE DID HAVE ALSO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNOLOGY LISTING.
THE LAST TIME WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION AND THAT'S A WHOLE SEPARATE LISTING, BUT, UM, THIS, FOR THE MOST PART, UH, WOULD, UM, UM, WELL, THIS DOCUMENT WAS CREATED BY THE INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOLKS.
SO, UH, AND IT IS TRACKED, UH, FOR BUDGETARY PURPOSES HERE AS WELL.
SO, UM, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS REPORTING AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY DIFFERENCES THERE AND, UM,
[01:15:02]
UH, BRING A SUMMARY OF THOSE DIFFERENCES BACK TO THE NEXT MEETING WE'LL SET UP FOR JANUARY.UM, WELL, UH, COULD YOU, UH, POSSIBLY TELL ME WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING THESE PROGRAMS AND, AND WHO PURCHASED IT? WELL, WHAT'S THE PURCHASE, WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING ANY PROGRAMS IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, AS FAR AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE, I'D HAVE TO YIELD TO DR.
STRATUS TO DETERMINE HOW THEY SELECT, YOU KNOW, WHICH INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE.
SO ONCE A SOFTWARE IS SELECTED, UM, WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY, UH, THE INFORMATION WOULD GO TO THE DEPARTMENTAL BOOKKEEPER.
UM, AND SO THEY WOULD THEN IDENTIFY WHAT PROCUREMENT METHOD TO BE USED, WHETHER IT'S, UM, INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE, WHETHER IT'S AN EXEMPTION, UM, OR IT IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PROCURED, UH, THROUGH AN RFP PROCESS.
UM, ONCE THAT IS IDENTIFIED, UM, THE REQUEST, THERE IS AN INSTRUCTOR, UH, AN ONLINE JOT FORMS, UH, REQUEST TO ADD AN INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE THAT GOES THROUGH A WORKFLOW APPROVAL PROCESS TO INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNOLOGY.
SO, UM, SO THAT IT INFORMS BOTH THE INSTRUCTIONAL FOLKS THAT WILL HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE FOLKS WHO WILL NEED TO MAKE SURE THE SERVERS ARE ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT THE, UH, THE PRODUCT.
UM, ONCE THAT APPROVAL IS DONE, THE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT IN THE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES OFFICE WOULD SUBMIT A REQUISITION, UM, WHICH WOULD COME THROUGH.
IT WOULD BE SIGNED OFF ON BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE TECHNOLOGY OFFICER.
IF IT'S INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY, IT MUST BE SIGNED BY DR.
STRATOS, UH, IT COMES TO ME THEN, UH, FOR, TO ENSURE THAT THE PROPER BUDGET CODES AND, UH, AND THEN I WOULD MONITOR WHETHER OR NOT BOARD APPROVAL, UM, WOULD NEED TO OCCUR.
RODRIGUEZ WOULD SIGN ANY, ANY, UH, CONTRACTS AS WELL.
UM, SO IF THERE IS A CONTRACT INVOLVED THAT WOULD GO TO LEGAL COUNSEL TO REVIEW THAT, UH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, AS ONE ELEMENT OF THAT PROCESS AS WELL, SO PRETTY LENGTHY PROCESS TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT.
SO, SO, SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE ACADEMIC, THE CHIEF OF ACADEMICS NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, SEE EVERY PROGRAM THAT IS PURCHASED BY THE DISTRICT? PRETTY MUCH.
I JUST SAW A COUPLE K I JUST SAW A COUPLE K-12 PROGRAMS ARE
AND BASICALLY EVERY SCHOOL CAN MAKE HIM MAKE ITS OWN PURCHASE, CORRECT, OR NO, NECESSARILY.
UM, WE GENERALLY LIKE TO STANDARDIZE THE PR THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANCILLARY PRODUCTS POPPING UP, UM, THAT WE MAY, THAT MAY CONTRADICT A PRODUCT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, OR DUPLICATE A PRODUCT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO, UH, WE GENERALLY, UM, ANY, ANY NEW PRODUCTS THAT A SCHOOL WOULD WANT TO IMPLEMENT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH DR.
STRATOSE FOR REVIEW TO SEE, UM, THAT FOR APPROVAL FIRST.
SO, SO, SO W IN THAT PROCESS, AS A, AS A PRINCIPAL, I JUST CAN SAY, I WANT THIS, UH, I WANT THIS PRODUCT HERE.
I'M PROBABLY GOING TO SAY, THIS IS THE PART THAT I WANT, AND I CAN'T JUST GET STUCK IN THE, TO START THE BALL ROLLING.
YOU CAN, THEY CAN REQUEST IT, BUT WHETHER THAT WOULD BE APPROVED, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ANALYZED.
AND, AND, UH, IT WOULD BE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE, THE, THE CHIEF INSTRUCTIONAL OFFICER IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COMPARE IT TO THE PRODUCTS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, MAKE SURE IT'S NOT DUPLICATING SOMETHING AND SEE, WHAT IS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THAT PURCHASE? UH, LAST QUESTION, UH, DID THAT SEE THAT? DID, DID I SEE LEADER IN ME ON HERE, OR I DID NOT.
SO THAT IS NOT A SOFTWARE PROGRAM.
IT'S MORE OF A, UM, IT CULTURAL PROGRAM,
[01:20:01]
I GUESS, UM, THE LEADERSHIP TYPE, UM, WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND MATERIALS AND THAT SORT OF THING.SO IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T HAVE, IT'S NOT AN INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE PROGRAM.
I, I, I CA I I'M I'M, CAN YOU EDUCATE ME ON SOMETHING? SO THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS, WHAT WOULD THEY FALL UNDER, UM, AND INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM? UH, JUST, UH, LIKE A, SORT OF A CURRICULUM.
I, I GUESS IT WOULD BE AN, A LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE THE SAME WAY WE HAVE A SET OF TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS. DO WE HAVE A SET OF THOSE TWO AS WELL? UM, I, I'M NOT AWARE OF A LISTING OF INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS. THAT WOULD, IT WOULD BE PRETTY EXTENSIVE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
I WOULD ASSUME I, I'M NOT AWARE OF A LISTING.
CAUSE YOU ACTUALLY HELPED ME OUT.
NOW IN CONSTRUCTION, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT QUESTION FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FOLKS.
UH, I, I, I DON'T, I'M NOT INVOLVED ON A DAILY BASIS WITH OUR SPECIFIC ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS. SO DR.
STRATAS, I'M SURE COULD HELP ANSWER THAT OR CLARIFY THAT.
THANK YOU, RACHEL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, MA'AM WELL, MISS I DON'T EITHER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
EXCELLENT REPORTS TONIGHT, KAYLEE, TONYA, AND REGGIE.
UM, MOVING DOWN TO FUTURE TOPICS AT THE END OF OUR LAST FINANCE MEETING, RACHEL AND I, AND DICK JUST PRETTY MUCH BUTTONED UP THE NEXT TWO AGENDAS, BUT COMING OUT OF THIS MEETING TODAY, ROBIN, WE'RE GOING TO ADD ONE MORE, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION, UM, IN NOVEMBER ABOUT COLLEGE, HIM AND, UH, WHAT THEY DID AND HOW THEY APPROACHED THEIR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, UM, REGARDING THE MINORITY AND WOMEN'S, UH, ENTERPRISE.
I THINK KAYLEE, THAT SHE WAS ALSO GOING TO TRY TO GET COLLEGE ATTENDANCE NUMBERS AS WELL, SO THAT, UM, BECAUSE SHE HAD PULLED AND DIDN'T HAVE COLTON'S NUMBER.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE IF SHE CAN GET IT BY THEN.
NO, THAT WOULD, THAT'D BE GREAT.
WE CAN PACKAGE IT ALL UP AT THAT POINT, SEND SOMETHING OFF TO THE BOARD AND WE'LL HAVE HOPEFULLY DICK HIGHER WITH US AS WELL, THE FULL COMMITTEE.
UM, AND RACHEL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? DICK DIDN'T MAKE ME AWARE OF ANY NEW ADDITIONS FOR NOVEMBER'S AGENDA.
SO, NO, MA'AM NOT AT THE TIME.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, EITHER ROBIN, UM, WE'VE ALREADY DETERMINED OUR MEETING DATES.
THEY'VE BEEN ESTABLISHED AT THE END OF THE LAST MEETING.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT DECEMBER TO BE THE COMMITTEE'S FINAL MEETING.
UM, WE'LL SAMPLE AGENDA, APPROVING, UM, MINUTES AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BUTTONING UP ANY LOOSE ENDS.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU, MOLLY AND ROBIN AND EVERYONE.
RACHEL HAVE FUN AT THE BIRTHDAY PARTY.
HAVE A GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.