Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Thank you. At this time, I would like to call our Mon County Board of Commission joint work session to order. And I would like to send a sincere welcome and thank you to the Mon County Board of Education and Chairman Breedlove for attending. Um, a couple a couple real quick comments before we get let you guys call to order. Some of our cutting edge technology in this room um kind of hinders the public uh ability to hear. So, I would just like to encourage a lot of the conversation to be kind of spoken into the microphone. That way for public record, it's able to, you know, the public can hear and and uh Commissioner Shur like to pick on him. You know, if we could just make sure we're spoken into the microphone and microphone's turned on.

Got it. All right. Chairman Reed Love. Guess at this time, all we need to do is come in ourselves to come into order. Yes, sir. I think I think we have to see who we have. Oh, they're all here. They're all here. I counted back.

Our intent today to come for y'all was simply to open up doors and uh answer any questions that y'all might possibly have concerning operations board of education. Um I think that we uh and you all share a common common vision which is one of the most that we deal with one of the most important assets of our in our community that's our children and we build in the parent responsibility try to provide the absolute best education opportunity that we possibly can for those young people. They're our future and then they deserve that. So um Mr. Lynch and Laney have have come up with a a very complete package concerning our uh finances and some other issues. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is encourage you as we go in, raise your hand. That's what we're here for. If you have questions, stop us right in the middle of it. We want to answer those as we walk out. I think this is the first step in establishing the type of relationship between the commissioners and the board of education I've sought for for a lot of years. So, hope that's how it turns out today. But, thank you for being here and letting us come before. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, chairman.

Uh, do we have any announcements at this time? Just a reminder that our November meeting will be on November the 13th instead of November 11th due to the Veterans Day holiday. Thank you, Superintendent Lynch. Yes, sir. Are we up? Any announcements? Any announcements? Any announcements? We do not have any announcements at this point. No. Um, and you guys are more than willing to step in. I know we have a couple quick updates. Um would it be prudent to do those first? You guys okay with that? So we've got an update. I think so with uh Vanoi Construction and Caitlyn Jones. Good morning. Morning Kaitlin.

Good morning everyone. Thank you so much for having me today um being part of your meeting. Um I'm here to give an update on the Highlands renovation and addition project. Um we are actually at the com at the end of that project. Um happy to say we've received our temporary certificate of occupancy in all of our areas. Um the first three areas we received our TCO on um August 23rd. That was a full month ahead of our contractual completion date and that's ahead of the 12 claimable weather days that we had.

Um the propane tanks that were needed for the boilers have been installed. The new lines have been ran. These are ran above ground and out of that soccer field. So, we'll make future maintenance much easier. Um, our courtyard between the two buildings is complete. We've got a brand new awning. Um, outdoor space for the labs to meet. Uh, we have the the offices for the new staff um at the lab area in staff are in. It seems like they like that. Uh, the two new labs have overhead doors, lots of outdoor lighting, and very flexible usage. Um, so those are already getting used. Our media center books are going back on the shelves. furniture is installed and the teachers have already been able to use that as a kind of a huddle up space um while they're waiting for the remaining furniture. Our outdoor classroom is complete and again furniture is coming in um as we speak. And then the prek spaces, those have been turned over. One classroom is already being in is being used right now. Um the fencing is in for the playground and that playground equipment is coming shortly. So really everything is tracking well. We have a few miscellaneous items that we're working with um in the lobby in regards to the the very nice uh wall covering that we have and we want to get that perfect. Um but really we're at the tail end of that project. Uh we have no outstanding thirdparty deficiencies. We have um received our final LS3P report. So I've addressed their comments and then we're working with Min County on closing out our uh certificate of occupancy. And lastly, in regards to budget, we have um we still have a few final items that we're working through, but we are coming in on budget, and that is inclusive of picking up some additional scope. For example, the middle school has all brand new casework now, and we've been able to recor the keys at the middle school to get um to help advance the board of education's master keying plan. So, um all in all, I consider it a successful project and hope everyone in this room does as well. Is there any questions or anything I can do to

What was the um cost for the outdoor classroom? Uh I do not have that figure off the top of my head, sir. It was it was included with the media center, but I can get you that information. Does anyone know what the cost was? I think it was around 26,000. Thank you. All right.

Okay. Thank you, Miss Jones. Can I just say one thing? I just want to say thank you. It's beautiful. I can't wait to have you all up there. They just put books on the shelves. The book fair is this week, so they did it just in time. Um when she mentioned that the one of the spaces for the prek was being used. We have two uh onetoone EP children. That space is working beautifully to them right now with um their instructors. And um we're we're not letting anything uh lie dormant. every inch that has been renovated is being used and it looks wonderful. Uh we've gotten so many compliments and I think you guys have done a great job kind of getting in and getting out. I know one day I came in and the trailer wasn't there and I thought, "Oh my gosh, it's it's we're we're there." But uh you guys chose to invest in this project and in Highlands and it does not go unnoticed up the mountain and we're really appreciative and and everybody's really excited about it and trust me this is really way a good way to get bang for your buck up there. We've we've got all the classrooms in use in the office spaces as well and Mr. Lynch and I had a meeting in one of the conference rooms in the media center the other day which was nice. So thank you'all.

Wonderful. Thank you Miss Wils. All right, update on the Franklin High School project. Uh Dave Gotwald and Josh Cochran with Carol Daniel Construction. Good morning.

Morning everybody. Uh at Carol Daniel, we appreciate very much being the construction manager for the county at the Franklin new Franklin High School and Stadium project. We're going to start off Josh I'll show you the current drone video which is from last Tuesday I believe. Is correct? Yes, sir. So, he'll play that and as we go through it, I'll talk a little bit about a couple of the items as we go through it and then we'll come back when that's done and he'll spend a little bit of time just showing you some of the different technological features that we have that we can use along with this drone drone video. So, all right, Josh, this is a silent one, right? No, no music. No music.

All right, you tell me when. All right, we're looking um east. You can see the building 400 kind of there in the center in the front and to the left of the screen is where the auditorium performing arts center area are. You're also getting a good look at what's going on in the foreground there with the the slope the mountain that's being brought up out there. Mount Franklin, I guess we can name it. Uh we're in the 80s right now with our elevations and need to get up to the 97 is the target where we're trying to get to. So you're seeing that there as he spins around on the right hand side. We've been blessed with great weather here last week, this week as well. Starting off. So we are coming down to the final push to get that slope up uh here between this week and as much as possible next week and the week after if need be. In the foreground is which is performing arts center. There building 600 as we call it. On the left there is your fieldhouse building A and between it and the foreman art center is the the weight room the lower level of building 600 which is at the same level as the the the gym itself. In the straight ahead is going to be the fieldhouse that's coming up. Both of those buildings uh exteriors are about complete. Roofing is going on and I think next week or so we'll we'll be into the roofing of the fieldhouse area. Uh now you're looking straight ahead down into the the deep box. We have about threequarters of the uh the tall foundation walls in place

and within the next several weeks we should have that box completely placed. Uh coming around you'll see the you've got your existing gym and whatnot. Anything more or is that that's it. Okay. The lower right hand corner can't see it is the building C which is your visitor's locker room. The rook is finishing up on that. So, those three buildings down at the stadium are all being closed in and and weathertight with roofing and so we'll be off to the to the races. In other words, inside uh with finishes on those. Can I ask a quick question? Yes, sir. Is that area right there inside the poured walls is that slab on grade for the gym the to the left on the left side there? Yeah. Kind of where that

that'll be the slab on grade for the gym for the two the auxiliary and the main gym.

Okay. And so, like I say, the focus is getting finished with the box around it and then we'll be working through underground started in the one area where there's a lot of plumbing for locker rooms and the like. Uh, with the focus then being able to carry on and get a slab on grade down here within the next couple of months tops. So, uh, in the for way the the far away there, you can see the new student parking lot which did get turned over in time for school to start up there at the end of August. some of the plaza work you can see there with the on the west side of the stadium. Uh the three buildings like I said are moving along well. We'll start with spring of next year getting the stadium itself or the football field itself moving. Right now that becomes a great area to use for layown and various activities we have with construction. Um did I miss anything Josh? You can see on the lower left that's the visitor center there that the visitors locker room area. That gives you a pretty good perspective. Like I say, we're off to the races in the big box. And with the slope topping out here in the next few weeks, then you're there's two buildings that sit on top of that. The front portion of them sit on top of that building 7 and 800. That's the threetory classrooms. Uh and we'll get that effort that line of activity started there. Unless I missed anything. Josh, if you want to

let this play out and then we'll get into it. talk about some of the technology that we can use with the various with the drone images we have. So, we just go back and look at this over. So, being a little older than Josh, this technology is cool. It's not anything I dealt with before. So, it's kind of neat what it can do. So, I'll shut up.

So, with us being in Gainesville, I mean, we're not as fortunate to get up on site as much as some of the field people. And especially I try and fly this drone at least once a week. So it gives us a good update on what's going on. So when we're having conversations two hours away, it's a lot easier to talk with something the show and explain that. So this this has been pretty much the bread and butter of all our conversations that we've had. Um so with this being said, this is just a bird's eye view looking down. And I think Tracy might have introduced some of this to y'all in the past, but you're able to pull a 3D model and it will fly in a grid pattern and take roughly 500 pictures to give us this model right here. And so with this, we're able to zoom in on whatever we want to see, whether that's the basement foundation walls, see the progress on back filling, and even see where Frog Town's coming up to. So looking at a model like this on a computer is kind of hard to give a perspective on what elevation we're at. So drone deploy gives us the ability to pick an existing structure and tie in the elevation to that and we're over able to overlay contours and see what roughly elevation we're at in the areas that we want to see. So just kind of give a quick fly around right here. So 20 2077 and a half is roughly level one subgrade. So you can see we're based on these contours we're roughly right there. I saw my suppress box. Is there anything else in that building?

So this is press box. Um I'll spin around a little bit. So this would be concessions right here. You got women's bathroom, men's bathroom, and got a press area right here. here. And then you got a coach's level that sits 2 feet above the press right here. Being that that was last week, that's pretty significantly different today when you go out when you'll do the next drawing video.

And so just kind of going back to the 2D model, looking at the contour, it kind of does get a little bit convoluted in some areas. So kind of just to somewhat dumb it down is you're able to we call it aqua model I guess is to overlay these colors right here and it will give you a good representation of what is level one subgrade and what is level two subgrade. So right here this green teal area is um level one this blue is basement. So it just gives you a good idea on where we're at and somewhat of where we need to be at. Um, so we'll take that off. And one of the cool features that I love about it is you're able to overlay an existing plan. So if we wanted to go back and overlay the just the paving plan gives you the best representation of it. And of course it's not going to load, but let's refresh it. So right here, so this gives you a good idea on where each building is going to sit. Um so right here this is the main entrance of the school. This is 100 and 300 wing as we call it. Um the main purpose of these two buildings right here is level one I know is admin level and level two is classrooms. Um moving over to 200 wing is right here. This this serves as classrooms as well. Um 400 of the basement you have your ox gym right here. You'll have your main gym and back of house you'll have locker rooms, gang bathrooms, and you'll also have concession stand areas over here in the corner. 600 level U1 basement level. Um that will be your um football or main school uh locker room. So, moving back up to level one, that is pretty much for the basement. 600 right here would be is the PAC. This right here is 500. This is the cafeteria.

And then moving over to the 700 and 800. These are the two threestory classrooms that sit on top of the Frogtown slope and they'll serve as classrooms as well as well as CTIE classrooms. This gives a good representation of the field as well. And the good thing about this is it gives us the ability to make sure everything is lining up and that seems to be the case. Josh, let me ask you a question. Yes, sir. on on your gym piece there. U I think I know the answer, but I just wanted to hear it again. Uh on the gym, uh the public enters from I'm going to call the top.

Yes, sir. But they play the games down here. I think many of us who been with Franklin High School a long time knows that after basketball games and stuff like that, Franklin High School is the most unsafe place you can be is on the gym floor. Mhm. But you don't have any way to go in or go out other than that way. But that won't happen. I believe we used the Josh, you went down to Raing County High School, looked at that floor, how that gym works. And it's in it's more safe and everything there. So that's way this one's going to be, right?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir. You'll I mean, per code nowadays, you got four stairways in each corner of the building. Um gives you access out. I know basement level, you have exit right here that puts you right back onto the field though. Um, but yes, you will enter from level one. I believe that is the case. Yes, sir. So, uh, one other question. I may need Tracy Talent's help on this. Uh, in the ' 90s, we had a renovation piece. Uh, the community did new new stadium seats, a lot of lot of things. Uh, the wall of honor. Uh, I believe Tracy, can you update me on that? I had somebody ask me about that the other day.

I have those plaques and we will be choosing or someone be choosing where that goes. When I say that, Josh, are you familiar with what we're talking about? I know that there is going to be some memorial of some piece on the zigzag wall of the stadium. That is my understanding. And and I was trying to find where's that going to be? I don't at the stadium. It's going to be located right over here. That wall. Yeah, right here in the plaza area, Mr. Shields. Okay. Where it was before. Okay. I'm reminded of that often. So, thank you. Yes, sir. Any other questions?

Is there a proposed fence around the track? Uh, yes, sir. It's a 4ft chain link fence. Is that is that a have to have to? Yeah. Like between Have you been to the tracks where they have a fence directly around the field and it almost seems like it's a it's a more of a safety issue. I'm just curious. Yeah, it's I mean there I just know that there is a 4ft fence around it. It probably just to keep spectators from wandering onto the track and field as when there is a game time going on with if there's a track event happening. You don't want people going onto the track while people are running. But yes,

I know a recent high school project I did down in in Georgia, there was a same similar fence around the the track itself. So now it I'm I'm can only guess that it's been positioned so that it's not considered to be something a a runner on the outer lane would run into. If you go to Western and some of the facilities, it's open and it's kind of nice. The spectators, they should never be on the on the playing surface. And I was just curious. I didn't know if we we can pass ask that question to the to the architectural team to find out the need the requirements the positioning of

definitely a perimeter fence but um I'm hoping the elevation in the stadium you know there should be barriers right and and and railings but I just curious okay we'll we'll look at we'll bring that question up and I I believe Monday or whatever day it is you're going to start the sidewalk is that uh down the street there. Yes, sir. So, that will begin next Wednesday. Wednesday. Wednesday, we'll do this work along way, which will be demoing the existing curb and putting in a new curb and sidewalk along that street. Okay. Uh working in the night. Yes, sir. Working it. That's right. The Yeah. Later afternoon, evening hours, night hours. Okay.

Mr. Shield, your phone may ring because the time What is it, Josh? from like 3. It's from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 7:00 a.m. all night long. So, it's necessary. Of course, the street will be closed off. I understand. Yes, sir. But the noise of doing that, y'all's phone may ring just like I expect my phone to ring. So, it's part of the process. WDB calling you. I'll give you your number. And I don't think it's an all night long process to I mean, they're going to try to get the concrete done as late in the evening as they can and then have time to set up and cure overnight. Mhm. So they're taking advantage of the the late evening late, you know, the late evening and early morning hours for concrete to be setting up so they can come back and get the lane opened up for the next day.

Uh this was brought up at a board of education meeting last night and Mr. Talent talked about the uh rework not reworking the parking lot but the ceiling process of our existing parking lot. Right. Yes. And that's going to happen uh when the project is over or is it is it one of those things has to be mended annually or what is that? Well, they're uh the parking lots that they're doing, Mr. Shield, should last for ages to come. You know, I'm just trying to refurbish the ones that we already have at our other school and so so we're not talking about Franklin High School.

Thank you. All right. Any other questions? Gentlemen, thank you for your time. Thank you very much. [Music]

All right. Chairman Breed Love, Mr. Lynch. [Music] Well, first of all, we do want to thank you all for this opportunity. And while we do have a presentation that's formal, we would like for it to be as informal as possible at any time during the presentation, um you need clarification or a question, please feel free just to to reach out and we will do our best to find you the answers and if we don't, we will jot them down and get back with you at a later date. Um, but you know, as I'm looking at the the Franklin High School as well as Highlands, uh, I think it's a true testament that needs to be celebrated that our two boards, between the Mon County School Board and the county commissioners, look at the investment that, uh, we have been able to engage in together, not only just for the betterment of the community, but, um, the future of our students. And um I don't think we often times take the opportunity to just realize what we've engaged in. Uh we're so busy and we have to move on to the next. But uh my goodness uh we have engaged in a lot and and the fact that it's going to be here for years to come uh we will continue to see and reap those benefits. Um, other things that we have been able to engage in, if you think about that, is the NALA wastewater treatment plant as well as uh the auxiliary gym at Mon Middle School. So, we are very appreciative and it doesn't go unnoticed. Um, I know there's a lot of sacrifice that has to occur with budgeting and things of that nature, but it's all done for the right reasons. So, we are truly appreciative and um excited for what um is yet to come uh as we continue to work together. One thing that we want to go over with you and um Laney has prepared a great presentation um really looking at our

local current expense. Um, and you know, you hate to use that word deficit, but we want to be able to paint the picture and just give you the facts regarding where we are at. Um, looking at, you know, the county, uh, revenues as well as the contribution, uh, percentages, what is currently taking place. And then just to paint the picture as to what um you know our asks are now as well as in the future and what that might look like uh just for your benefit and future planning as well as you know the funding scenarios that we had presented uh the maintain the top priority as well as the expansion. We will hit that uh briefly and go into um just some clarifying uh moments for that as well. But like I said at any given point stop us let us know what you need. Um, we can back off. We can full throttle whatever relevant to you all. Bless you, Mr. Shields. And I'm gonna turn it over to Lane.

John's perfume's about to kill. Of course, I don't have any on. Maybe you should put some on.

All right. Going into local current expense deficit. So, our total local current expense budget for Megan County Schools is $12,672,24568. The county's contribution to that total is 10,692,020. Um, this comes from solid waste fees, current expense, supplements, and the timber sales pass through funds. Um, that leaves us with a shortfall of $1,980,22568. Uh this shortfall represents real operational pressure. Um these dollars directly impact classroom instruction staff, support staff, utilities, and just our day-to-day operations. Um within this budget, uh we included projected statemandated raises, 4% for the certified um employees, 3% for the classified employees. Um we're planning responsibly based on those expectations. Um, but the state also hasn't finalized a budget yet either, so we will see what they come up with. Um, we've also built in a 5% increase in utilities. This reflects the rising costs we've been seeing across our campuses with electricity, fuel, essential maintenance. All of those have gone up recently. Because the state budget isn't finalized, our deficit could shift if the state provides um less funds than expected. our shortfall grows. If it funds more, then we can reduce that gap slightly. Um, I think the key takeaway here is that the shortfall isn't caused by overspending. Um, it's a result of mandated increases, inflation, and the fact that our funding hasn't kept up to pace with our costs. Um, we are being proactive. We reviewed line items. We've cut where we can. We continue to look for inefficiencies. Uh

but at this point there's only so much we can reduce without it affecting our classrooms and our staff. So our goal presenting this to you is to ensure everyone understands the reality of the gap um so that working together we can plan for sustainable solutions um that protect our programs and our um people.

Any questions in that regard? Just like Laney had said, we have to come line item by line item, especially for programs and things of that nature that yes are beneficial, but in any given budget, we have to prioritize. So those were areas that we could cut. And while those impacts have been felt within the classroom, u teachers have been very receptive. They understand where we are at. Um, one thing that we have, um, been able to do, um, and thankfully for this is still preserve positions that are much needed. Um, we we have looked to see if there's any way possible uh, you know, with with classroom um, K3 legislation, it requires us to have certain number of students um, within a classroom. you can't go over. Um so there we uh don't really have any wiggle room whatsoever. And to be able to teach the core uh in the manner that is best practice and um for student needs and the varying needs that a classroom uh deals with on a daily basis. Um there there's just no way to even shave that down. We have through attrition. Um probably at this point there are five positions that we have not filled this year. And um while we are seeing the effects of that um our teachers um understand that need and while it it may not truly serve um long-term best interest of students, we we felt as though we had to do some due diligence in that regard. Um, so we we have shaved off of personnel, but the one main thing we've not had to do is um send anyone home. Uh, which is great and that will always continue to be our

goal. Um, but we also have to ensure that we can provide for those individualized needs of students and um, of course each year they they seem to progress and just become uncsurmountable from times. But um want you to have that information that like Laney has said, we have tried to be very um cost prohibitive as well as just effective and uh utilizing the the funds that we have available and stretching that dollar to be good stewards. Josh, I go ahead. Go ahead. Got a question about um how many positions were created with Mon County School System using COVID monies or ESR funds.

So at the height we had around 23. Okay. How many of those people are still at the M County School System that you're trying to fund um without those funds?

All of the individuals that were um funded by ESSER have since either parted ways or we have been able to put them into other positions through attrition or openings of that nature. We do have one uh we have one mental health worker that um is still a carryover from ESSER but we've been able to utilize some federal funds to retain that position. So your question would be one individual out of the 23 that um still remains due to ESSER positionwise. Now, we may have individuals who we brought on for ESSER, but if we're looking at the position itself, we only have one. So, we had to send 22 individuals home or we had to find other ways to fund them outside of that dollar amount.

Okay. So, do you have a number of how many were repositioned for a full-time job with county school system out of the 23 that you're talking about finding a position in the school system without the er folks?

I I really don't. We can look at that number. A lot of individuals um have either moved to different districts or they have gotten back into mental health uh at the public sector and things of that nature. But yes, uh we we only have really one retained um from Esser. Um so I think we did our due diligence in that regard. And when we talked about that, they knew they had a three-year term. And that's a hard conversation to have. you're dealing with a livelihood and you're dealing with a budget, but um they knew upfront. So, we wanted to make certain that whenever we brought them home, they knew this was timestamped and they knew the end date would occur.

I think it'd be important information to have as to how many of those 23 positions are still currently employed without those funds um in the make county school system. And we can find that and you understand though even with that that would be during that would be individuals who were put on like a state aotment like that was a position like through attrition right

say I'm a mental health worker for esser and I was doing mental health however I also have a certification to teach elementary ed well knowing my position was going to be cut I as that mental health worker would put in for that elementary ed position once once attrition occurred to be shifted. So, we were able to get a lot of our individuals off of ESSER that way um to still serve the district. Um but most of our positions that they went with ESSER. So, at this point, I understand your question, we only have one. Yeah. Just one. Yeah. Okay.

It's in a lot of those positions where the mental health piece, correct? uh that were that we they knew having served on that same group. Yes. Um we we knew at end of 24 it was over. That's correct. And that's what you're saying. Then you had to go back and reposition some that were capable. Some left, some started their own own uh business, some started practices, some went to other counties. Yeah. Yeah. Uh let me let me ask let me ask a question. I'll just chime in. is we did lose those mental health positions but the need is still very much there. Definitely. Yeah. How many how many positions was that for the mental health?

We had one one at each school. So we would had 11 positions that were mental health providers. Um we have been able to engage in teleaalth. There's been some uh programs such as that, you know, where um you don't have a live individual, so it's a different type of service. Um but we are able to provide some type of service for those students. Um so with the ESR funds, did all 11 mental health provide like all 11 of those are gone? We have one remaining.

One remaining. Okay. We have one remaining and it is with a federal uh grant that we've been able to uh acquire um throughout the years. So just to be clear against your budget, there are no positions that are going against this budget that were funded by ESRE, right? Because the one person you kept was a federal and the five positions that you have now available, uh what category are they in? Are they uh high school academic? Um two secondary math. Two secondary math

and we have three individuals who are at the elementary level. So that would be uh fourth grade through sixth grade, upper elementary that we don't have the class size cap. So, we've been able to rearrange classrooms, larger classrooms to uh to be able to um to make that deficit work. Okay. Now, when the state budget passes, are you going to be able to advertise for these positions or any of these positions or do you going to just have to suck it up or

We we would hope to be able to um you know, pipeline is always an issue to to have a good highly qualified individual. uh we run into that from time to time because you need that licensed individual who is highly qualified. That's a barrier. Um you know, we would have to really determine uh what that impact would look like um at our our local level as well. So those are things we have to consider moving forward if we can actually even post a position. Do we have the funds to be able to pay them right without dipping into fund balance or local or things of that nature? you introduced or last night a teacher that has speaks three languages including English.

Yes. And she also teaches math and English. She she started with us teaching math and she has since transitioned into teaching English. Totally. Or did she teach

English primarily? Yes. So little history behind I was sworn in in 22 and since then the 23 24 U budget for Lake County schools since I've been on this board we've increased funding to you guys for 2 million. We're at $2 million an increase since I've been on this board. Um that's pretty significant amount of money that we've increased our budget to you guys. Um and I still come back to the um the year before last you guys were $800,000 in your undesated fund balance and then the press comes out that you guys had last year $4.5 million um in uh in your fund balance. Um, if you're in a deficit, how do you create a budget or a undesated fund balance for the school system with an increase of $3.7 million in last year alone? How is that possible? Um, I I don't I don't understand.

Well, we built the fund balance right outside of CO years. So what? Two years ago. So that's when those ESSER funds came in, we were able to build a fund balance through that. So then this past year, we've had to dip into fund balance I think by $1.1 million. I mean, if we keep dipping into that fund balance, we're not going to have anything left. Well, if we keep dipping into our fund balance, we're not going to have anything left. So we're in the same boat here. But the whole problem is

since 2008, the taxpayers of Mon County has spent. We're at 214,632,395 [Music] to schools, new schools, renovations, everything else. We're I mean you're asking for 11 million but I also you know I question um I would what is your actual total budget for 2526? What is your what is your total budget? It'll be around 64 million.

Okay. And then your actual budget will be what? It's not going to be 64 million because there's always money floating through um um through this body, the county government, the school system. But what about the um uh timber sales as pass through funds for the school? We budget 60k. Yeah, that's built into our

140k is usually what it is. We also budget 50k for that internship program, CTE, 405k for school nurses in our budget and 1.29 million for school resource officers in our budget. So this this 18.18% that's showing what the county is paying to the school system, that's not all inclusive. There's a lot more stuff out there that we're paying for um out of the county budget. So I mean I'm not I'm all about education and the kids, but I'm also all about our county that we have to take care of. And um and if we can't if the budget does not allow us to give the employees 4% increase, we can't give 4% increase.

We got to state mandate. So that's the problem. The state of North Carolina advertises they have a $4.5 billion excess in funding. So this conversation should be in Raleigh with y'all's help, right? You know. Well, absolutely. Exactly.

Absolutely. We have to fund this, but we also have to fund fund senior services, transit, the sheriff's department, everybody else. And all these people are wanting stuff. We need a new justice center. We need a new um uh senior service center and all this. But if we keep going, um, how much is the county, um, the school debt in the, um, it's like 99% of the debt for Mon County is schools. Um,

this I'm sorry, this this setup is hard for us to like have a conversation and see each other. So, I I just don't want our board to feel like we can't, you know, converse back and forth because usually I'm here in the at a meeting and I feel like if I were to talk, I'm out of order or whatnot. But

I do want us to all have a conversation because I think Mr. Cheryl has one lens of how the budget works, which is a is a true lens. But what happens is when the state says we're going to give raises and we're doing X percent this year and then X percent next year, what we chose as a board to do, which is why you saw our fund balance was where it was, was to say, okay, we know these raises and salary increases are coming. We cannot by law have less teachers because we have to have X amount of teachers, faculty, facilities, janitorial staff, administration. We are meeting those numbers, right? And we know that increases are coming. So, we held fund balance back to meet those numbers. So, when we brought our budget to you this spring, we gave three different options. And one of them was to maintain what it cost, current positions, no extra positions, nothing additional, not even um the cafeteria cost for Franklin High School and Highland School that y'all funded last year. you it was it was just to m actually I did that might have been in that one. It was to maintain no extra and what we received was less amount of money than it was to physically maintain the staff and faculty that we had going into this school year that we know we had going into this school year that didn't change. So that's why we're operating at a deficit. Now I would love for Laney and Mr. Lynch to be able to tell you what our fund balance looks like now and what we are actually sitting on now that we've used that money to continually pay those raises that are statemandated that we don't have any control over. So I I just want you to know that number too.

And I also I would like to add I I mean again $2 million is great. I'm never gonna turn away from $2 million, but we're building on years of deficit that now unfortunately our two boards, the 10 of us, have to figure out a way to come out of. So, it's not just that we we're not overriding the fact that you guys have increased what you just in a big hole and I know the whole county isn't

that that 2 million increase is is fantastic, but it wasn't what we what the fully fund ask was. It's not at maintain level. So, it's an increase, but for us, it's still a deficit. And I don't know if that's the case for law enforcement and public health and others. Might be. It's just the reality we're all living in. So, you're right. That's an increase, but we're still we're still coming in short even with that. So to give them the chance to finish these next few slides to show you that amount that we need just to keep the lights on, let alone kind of expand or grow over a course of several years where it's not coming. We're getting an increase but still not at maintenance level, then we're just we're just dipping into that level of fund balance and having to rely on Esser and other things because we're not meeting year after year after year. not getting our maintenance level.

I think it'd be worth looking into if there's maybe other municipalities or other districts that like have maybe more creative ways for funding that we perhaps have not looked into, maybe to look into that. Well, and the percentage that costs to run public schools across other counties were pretty. So, I I want to give them the floor to finish those.

I do want to echo the statement about going to Raleigh. I think it's important for all of us to lobby our assembly and our uh senate our senators and our representatives because if they cannot fully fund what they're mandating that's a problem at the county level and that's 100 counties that's not just our county we're not the only ones feeling this and unfortunately it from a capital perspective the 11 school buildings we have what $1.5 million I think to work each year in capital outlay 1.1 1.1

for 11 buildings. That is $100,000 per building per year. And if anything is over and above that, we have to come to y'all for that because that's how our funding structure is organized within our state. Not every state is like that. We're actually quite unique in that. Most other states have budgets. the school boards are given budgets or percentage of the county budgets. Um Brunswick County is one to look at because they actually and they're they are a resort community slash tourist um community. That's where I grew up. I happened to get to know the board chair of the Republican who he is a Republican. I think he was chair of the party there, too. But he's a county commissioner. He's the board chair. And that was an that was something that the school board had fought for about 20 years ago. and they get a percentage of funds every single year. So, it seems to work well for them and they're they're getting these monies because of the tourists that are coming into this area, their areas. And I think we can capitalize on those dollars and not our pocketbooks as citizens.

So, I mean, there's creative ways. I mean, if you look at even that quarter cent sales tax, if something like that were to pass, that's extra money coming in. And that's not the only way, you know, and I think educating people to understand like even with that quarter cent sales tax, it's not an extra tax. We're already paying that, if I understand this correctly, we just don't get to keep it here because we won't vote that in. And I think if people were aware of that, that would change that quite a bit. For us, it's from individuals coming into the area as well,

right? And there's got to be a more there's got to be other way. I mean, I'm not saying that I know. I'm just saying like as a means of just doing some research. It's got to be also other districts that maybe have some ways that they're, you know, doing funding that maybe we haven't looked into that would be beneficial to us and we can probably do the same thing here.

John, can I ask I want to address two things that you asked to make sure we're clear on. You ask how do we build fund balance? We built fund balance by the fact that we took extra monies and we kept it. We didn't spend it. All the other court districts took monies, extra monies. It was free money. They would take it and spend it on extra positions. They do this and do that. We force saw what was coming. So, we didn't spend it. We retained $3.7 million of our ESR funding that was put into our fund balance to use. So, that's why we had a fund balance increase. It didn't come from the county. It didn't come from wherever. We saved that money by being due diligence. So, we didn't spend it and that put in fund balance so that we can fund the deficit that that we foraw coming. Okay. Oh, that does that make sense? Okay, but let me ask you this.

Sure. Why was that not presented when you guys said your fund balance was $800,000? When we talk about fund balance being $800,000, that was at that time two years ago. But we didn't make the decision to maintain the fund until after that fact because we saw the handwriting in the wall. We can't we can't function with $800,000 fund balance. Oh, I understand. So, we had to have make an option of do we spend the extra money almost uh frivolously some in some ways like other counties did or do we keep it? We kept it. So, we're able to go from $800,000 to where we're at right now. But every cent that we saved is going to be going back into the school system. Okay.

I'm going to look at Lori when I say this debt service. Lori, my understanding is is that the county receives from the state of North Carolina by revenue code two sources of funding. Is it 42 and 43? that is designated strictly for debt service. Is that right? Portions of the sales tax. Yes. Has to be sent to be and that's as for the debt service. How much what uh deficit is there from what we receive from the state versus what the county pays on the debt service right now. Is there a deficit there that that the county has to step up and pay? Just a second. I think I have a chart.

Okay. So yeah, current the current fiscal year um the $1,997,32 that the county is having to pay from general fund for school debt service over and above the amount. Yeah, that takes into account um lottery revenues, a subsidy from the IRS for some of those loans where we had a high interest rate, a subsidy, it takes into account those sales tax you're mentioning that are earmarked, right?

Um and it takes into account some fund balance and the debt service fund to use. So yeah, the shortfall was 1 1997302 which based on the amount of debt service which included various things because at that point we had funding for every school that we had to do in terms of improvements. We have we go borrow the money. So we're down to 1.99 and that should fall off as our debt service falls off excluding the high school debt. That debt should be reducing down very very very quickly at this point in time. Is that not right? as our as as the balance of the loans fall, the amount of debt service we have should be decreasing. I think we're at that peak where it really starts decreasing fairly quickly.

I don't know if we're there because of Franklin High. Um we were there without Franklin High, right? I guess that's what I'm trying to focus on before because the debt we're talking about is is over and above the Frank High School. the debt that we had. I believe we reached the stage where pretty much they we're raised right now where the funding we're getting would pretty much reduce the debt service where it's no longer coming out of the county. Year total debt service is 9 9,554,000 that that is majority county schools. There's a small small amount in there that's not that. Next year it drops to 9,290,000. So it doesn't drop off much next year. Okay. So over the years it does decline.

Yeah. because principal gets reduced because I knew one we have to pay like a million dollars or something annually on it to reduce the balance. But anyway, um the figure is thank heavens is offset by the fact that there's monies coming from the state to offset the fund balance from there. We're able to use that rather than have to pull a fund balance for the debt service. See how we say. Um our intent is that our books are open. I'm glad you're asking these questions because we're going to answer them one way or the other. we're going to give you the answer. Okay. Um bottom line is is I I guess the part that we're trying to uh portray right now is that um I I firmly feel that the funding formula the state uses is inadequate. I think any of us that think about that and you start looking at so-called based on ADM is just simply inadequate to fund the cost of running a quality school system. Um but we're aware of that. So therefore, that's why we've made the decisions that and we'll be glad to explain any expenditures we've had. I've been on this board 17 years and I think we've gone a long way. I first came on bluntly, there were some thoughts where the fund balance have been built up with the previous person that kind of we look to for there. But we realize that and use it. And then the federal monies, we've lost a lot of federal funding, lost a lot of funding as we gone down through through the ages since I've been on here. Now we're at the stage where go back on that we for thank heavens we had extra monies and we in my opinion we used it as absolutely as intelligent at least as we could and that's why we're in the position we are now to fund the deficit but guys that extra money is going to be gone and I but I understand your concern there's a lot of money

also looking at the county's budget the ad valorum taxes that we operate this county off of is pretty much break even We correct me if I'm wrong. We survive off of sales taxes to pay for uh property tax and sales tax. Our two biggest property taxes to operate this county and do the things that this county needs. And so we don't have a whole lot of money. I

understand. But I guess the part we're trying to make sure everyone understands with our the increases we have are not frivolous. We have not added positions. We have not done things to to increase our budget. what we've done as we said even to maintain this year. We truly are looking at and trying to keep our budget as low as we possibly can because we understand the position y'all in. You have your you get requests every day from I think one of the girls talk about from this department that department. It's tough. I wouldn't have your job bluntly if you want to know the truth. I wouldn't have it u because of decisions you have to make. But the purpose that we we asked this meeting is, and I'm gonna shut up because I'm talking too much, is that we want to make sure y'all understand we are conservative with our funds. We do everything we possibly can. We stretch it. We have not added positions in in I don't know how long because we can't afford it. Why put on positions and come back to y'all guys say, "Oh, well, we felt like we had to have another position. So, here's another 50 $60,000 we need." We haven't done that. But, you know, so we're we're taking it very very seriously and uh that's kind of where we're at. So, I appreciate the questions.

And one more thing that I'm going to be quiet so y'all can finish your presentation, but you guys came in and asked us for money to pay for Highland School students, Franklin High School students lunches. And we gave you guys $200,000 that night. And the very next newspaper came out and um you were talking about that all the students was going to have to apply for um free lunches, reduced lunches and um and for whoever had to pay for the lunch. We didn't earmark that $200,000. We gave you $200,000 and said here, go spend it the way you want to spend it. Well, school lunches, the conversation that we were having was not that's what we were having in here. So, we gave you $200,000. Well, then you take that $200,000 and decide not to pay for the Highland School and Franklin High School students lunches. What happened to that conversation?

That went directly to the lunches. That's directly to child nutrition and those lunches. So, are you talking about this year? Yes, this year. So last year you funded the lunches, right?

What we included in our maintain I believe was the lunch amount, but because of our shortfall, we don't we did not have enough money to even meet our needed budget for faculty and everything. So we don't have an extra $200,000. I believe if u Miss Leford and Mr. Lynch presented to you the dollar it would take to maintain. While you gave us more than you did last year, it did not

come close to the maintain amount that we needed. So that there was not an extra $200,000 in there to go toward that. You have to prioritize operational expenses, things we have to by state pay for. Okay. But I still if we had a shortfall

no shortfall then we would have been able to do that if we had gotten the minimum that was asked for to maintain. The the conversation we had the year before last was to nine of the 11 schools qualified for free lunches. Correct.

Franklin High School and Highland School did not. So, we helped you guys fund the free lunches for a one-year one-time ask. The last time you guys were in front of this board in a presentation about the budget when we were in the budget process, we got into the conversation and I believe Chairman Young is the one that said, "Look, we got $200,000 in the contingency fund here. Take it. We're not going to tell you what to spend it on. You were asking for lunch monies for Franklin High School and Highland School, but the next newspaper came out. The students are going to have to apply for this nutrition because the county commissioners did not give us enough money to pay for these lunches.

That's true. And that's 1.98. It's not our responsibility. Fill out the When I was in school, we had to fill out the form. That was the first thing we had to do. I think you would make a whole lot of families happy if you would fund the lunches at Franklin High School and Highland School. But what you're saying is you did you didn't earmark it. You gave it to us, right, as a lump figure with our budget, as a total budget,

which was every dollar of that has to go toward maintaining our expenses and we still don't have enough. That's that's what I got frustrated with is I had a lot of parents coming up to me and saying, "Well, they said they funded it. They told us they funded it." They were shocked on the first day of school that their child was paying $5 for lunch. And I've had those conversations. That's not on me.

I I don't think you understand when you say you gave us $200,000 more and you if you want to earmark $200,000 for that, it can go to that. But it's going to put us $200,000 in the hole either way.

Increase that rent. And that's not to say that the sentiment of funding something like that is not appreciated and we greatly appreciated there Franklin High School last year when it was funded. I think it was the right thing to do. I would love if there I have no idea what funds you have. I think I don't know where what the opioid monies go to, but making sure our kids don't suffer from food insecurity is something that would help a lot of different facets of the county. And I mean, we're open to it. Give us a try and it's done. Okay. We can make it done today. Can I? Well, let me let me just ask you one question.

Back in the day when I was in school, when my kids were in school, we got a form to fill out whether you got free lunch, reduced lunch, or or you had to pay for your lunch. That process has never changed.

So, the people that would qualify for free lunches are still getting free lunches. the people that don't qualify for free lunches are paying for reduced or paying the full amount. So it is not right for the poor people in our community in our county to pay for a millionaire for a child to get free lunch. And that's the you can dispute that if you want to, but it is wrong. By all means, a child should have food. But when you when you are a millionaire,

you should not be looking at the taxpayers that can't afford to survive for free lunch. Well, John, I think that this is kind of a mid point because it's not going to lunches. It's going to operational school system. I understand. So, since we're off on that trail, let's get back on the operational expenses. Um, so I would like to see um your board and our board at some point try to figure out a percentage of our budget that you get every year and that's the percentage you get and then we don't have to do this

back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, you know. Um, so for anybody that's out there listening, the quarter of a penny sales tax increase would go a long way. And I'm not a mathematician and have never been accused of being one. So I think on $100 it's like a 25. Like it goes from $6.75 in taxes to $7. On $1,000 purchase it goes from 67.50 to $70. I mean it's $2.50 on $1,000 purchase. So it as far as a tax increase goes. Obviously there's more people paying it than just the local people. We don't have to, you know, hopefully raise taxes to to do the things we need to do. So for anybody that's out there listening, I think that's a great way for us to to raise some additional funds. Well, it was

but back to the operational piece of this. I think, you know, so over the years we were 18% 18% 18% 17 18, you know, I think there needs to be a way for our board to find, you know, to figure out with their board how to get to whatever that level is, 20%, 21%. because I as our budget grows, yours increases,

you know, it's just kind of makes, you know, makes sense to do it that way. And I don't think it makes sense, you know, if you're spending operational out of your fund balance. I mean, that would be we would be crucified if we were doing that. So, I don't think that makes sense either. Um, you know, so I tend to agree with Commissioner Breeden, but I think it's important to, and again, unless I get this I have this wrong, that quarter cent sales tax, we're already paying this money. It's just not staying here up to a certain if you pay if you spend $5 or less, you're paying 7%.

Okay. So, which means if that was voted in, we'd get to keep that money here, which is additional funds that we need. But I think people out there need to be aware of that because I think it's been put out there too much that it's like just an additional tax when that's not the accurate way to look at that. And if I believe if people understood that more, that would fly would pass with flying colors, you know? And you look at like also just creatively for us there are a lot of ways that we need to incentivize bringing more businesses into this place because again as people are passing through here that's other people from other counties that are paying into our quarters and sales tax. Our citizens go to other counties all the time and do it. But then what's the main reason why they do that? Because we don't have anything here. Just think about it. If they're willing to go elsewhere to do it, if we had enough of them here, that money would stay here. So which means that's an increase in the money that we get to bring in here. So I'm just thinking like again there's more there creative ways that perhaps we haven't thought about but just as a starting point right there that right there would increase our budget you know pretty significantly for us to be able to have enough money to be able to do more.

Do we have an estimate on what that would bring in Lori? 2 million 2 million some dollars 2 million a year 2.2 2.2 somewhere $2.2 $2 million. Last year we earmarked it to the board of education. So trying to get into mental health and but it we we didn't get it voted in but I feel encouraged. Uh see we'll do it again in 26. Wow. 26.

Yeah. But in 26 it be voted on and we have to request that I believe in June. Uh that we want that back on there. Uh I I think we have a I I think the board of education, this board here, business advisory council last year went went way out tried to promote this with the public and I believe if I'm uh I think I'm right, we came just a hair of not of approving it. It will be. This is terrible to act sound like this, but talking with the other six counties, we got seven counties. Six counties has this quarter cent sales tax. We're the only one that doesn't. It It takes about three times to run this thing through this tax type idea. And when you use the word quarter quarter percent uh attacks, you got to make sure when you go and talk to people that you're using it's not a qu u a r t e r quarter. It's not that. I went to one of our areas and used the word quarter and was about assassinated before I got out of there. I was going to raise a tax quarter a quarter. No, it was 1/4 of a penny. And finally in the brochures that I use personally to give the people, you had a penny there that had a fourth of it cut out of it. So I think it's becoming more understanding and I'm hoping in 2026 this piece will go through. But last year we did earmark this monies to go to the school system. It didn't make it. as we're talking here, that $2 million would have definitely helped you over the hump. And you did you did a good job uh with with the business advisory

council of getting the information out there. It just we just haven't made it yet. But I'm not sure of any county of our seven counties that made it the first time because it's just something it's that word tax that you got to work through. And uh so I I feel I feel good about the next in 2026. I think the people are beginning to understand it more and more. Follow me. Put it on the ballot. I mean that's there's no there's no better way for uh um you know we give the people a voice. Absolutely. And they voted on it twice and they voted it down. So, um

they got closer last time. You're

right. But um but back to what Commissioner Breeden was talking about. I did talk to the state. 58% of the budget u the state budget goes to education in North Carolina. Um and I asked them a percentage. What the what the percentage? Why aren't you guys funding these state agencies with these unfunded mandates and everything else? The response I got back from the education was the state looks at us paying 80%. the county paying 20% of their fund for all school functions and 10% from federal government. That's what the state said.

80 20 10%. You got 1818 plus the SRO officers. You've got 18.18% plus the ASRO officers plus the school debt plus everything. That's what I'm talking about. So realistically, you're getting 30% of our budget to pay for schooly funded. I'm sorry. Would the remaining 1.8% bring us to fully fund?

No. Because you're already we're already in debt $9 million for new schools. So what they're saying is is we should be paying 20% of our operating budget for education. We're way beyond that. Well, what we're not actually, just so we're clear, John, that money for this debt service is in our capital fund, whatever that capital fund balance that we have. So that's not actually in our $64 million budget. That's in our, you know, we put that money aside and it pays out that. Correct. Well, it's got to come from your But you're talking about our C. You're talking about our You're talking about our $64 million operational budget right here.

Yes. That does not include that. That money that we're paying for debt service is not included in this. Well, where's the money come from, Lori? Lori, I think the qu the 64 million is our operating budget. And then, of course, we have as well. It is in operating capital. I mean the some capital could be the debt that we're paying for the schools is

million within our well not within our within our total general fund budget we have earmarked a little over $2 million that we transfer from the general fund to the debt service fund. So we kind of have set to that number year after year even though our debt at some point in time in the past of course our debt service payments declined but we chose to keep that amount at a minimum which has helped us to be able to afford Franklin High. You know I mentioned earlier when Mr. Breedlove asked the question that we had about 3.398 million in our debt service fund fund balance that we were able to use to help make a Franklin High School payment. So, um, yes, $2 million of our total general fund budget is going to the debt service fund for school debt. It's either school debt in that year or in future years. It's trying to build up some again. So, it was helped us greatly with Franklin Hive to be able to afford it.

So, $64 million if it's 20% would be 12.8. Our cost to maintain was 12.37. Our request was to do top priorities which was 13.2 and within those top priorities was included the funding of the the at lunches at Franklin High School at Highland School but the the first budget to maintain which was just our operating no special project 12.377 to45. So if we had 20% we would have that and a little extra to go towards some of our top priorities which you're right Mr. Carl should be prioritized internally. I don't think you need to tell us how to spend it and but you would certainly be appreciative of that amount going into this year so that we don't have to pull from our fund balance which Laney would you please tell them how much is in our fund balance. I think we'll end the year. I think we used 1.1 last year. So, I think we'll end up with about a million left for 26 27.

Well, where's the 4.5 million? I thought it was 2 something million is what we had at the beginning of this year. 4 and a half million at the beginning of last year. It was 2.3 I think. Then we used 1.1 last year. So, we're 1.2.

But Mr. Cheryl, I would also like to I mean, I appreciate you communicating with the state and getting those percentages, the 80 and 20%. I think that that's well on target and that goes to serve that this is the model that is using counties across the state, right? But I do want to point out the uniqueness of Mon County with having two of the K12 states also with the DPI standards and the mandates that they have on classroom size. If we have and Josh I'm sure can do a much better job explaining this to you but if we have a classroom size at Nana school for instance that's well below what the cap is but then we have an elementary class two kindergarten classrooms we have to have at South Mon because we can't transport students from South Mon to Manahala just to have all of our class size capped and reduce the number of teachers we have to pay for. That's a dynamic that Mon County has that no other county across the state has to deal with. And that's something that makes us unique. It makes us special and we love it. But it's brings some realities to the table that we have to account for,

right? But I but going back to the percentage in my mind and in my opinion, we're already beyond the 20%. We we give you one 18.18%. I just didn't have to. Well, I mean, we got a $2 million debt service that comes out of the budget. So, we gave you 18.18 according to the numbers. Well, 62. If you take the 2 million out and do 62 and we got 20% of 62, that's still 12.4 And we're asked for I'm with no

I think we're strapped just like you guys are. So uh how much is in your fund balance? I have no idea why does that matter. I'm just curious how much did the

I would like to know. We have our budget is 64 million and we have $1 million in our fund balance right now which I think is about the top that we're willing to we don't want to go below that. We can't do that. I think I don't even think we're allowed to go below that. I I have not been to a commissioner meeting in a long time. I know you've spent significantly on projects. I'm curious how much is in your fund balance now? Our last number that's been audited was 48.8 million unassigned. But of course, we took 9 million out to go to um Highland School, you know, during this past budget cycle. So, we're still in the the works of, you know, have posted our final transactions going through audit. So, we don't have final numbers yet, but total fund balance will increase probably by about $450,000. So, and of course you've got to break and Laney knows this. You got to break that total into pieces. You have some that's restricted by state statute that you can't spend. So, I don't have those breakdowns yet. But I can tell you our total fund balance only grew about 450,000. And of course, the biggest factor of that is because, you know, this board had kind of made that choice to try to spend some down for school capital because those are onetime expenditures. and we committed 20 million and we of course moved about 9 million of that during the 24 25 you know budget cycle that we on June 30.

What's your annual budget? The general fund is like 64.8 I think is our current general fund. Well, I've got a few comments. Um I guess we just ripped the band-aid right off, didn't we? That's all right. That's what we're here for.

We just got We just got into it. Um, and I really don't know if there's really a, you know, an actual I think these are just maybe discussion items and discussion topics, but I'm curious like our number of schools that we currently have per our population. You know, you think about the rural aspect of our community, you know, geographically. Um, I'd be curious to know for a population of our size, what a standard, you know, county would have, how many schools they would have. Right. You said we have 11 schools. I just kind of food for thought for me because you know the buses and the children and the isolation and we do get a supplement from the state but we all know that doesn't cover but a mere fraction of of actual operation costs and uh you know I share with a few of your board members you know the ask I mean the ask that we don't get presented that we get asked on the side. You know Mr. B love and I I mean we've been talked about you know some of the women's softball stuff you know we just fix the tennis courts and I mean the asks are just they're everywhere and it's so hard you know you just try to honestly you know at times hate sitting in the seat because you kind of have to say no and in my world you know you try to help and do everything you can but here you're just I feel like you're handcuffed but I think everybody agrees you know we don't either board wants to dip into fund balance to fund operations and I think that's kind of where commissioner Breeden was going um with the percentage mark and I like the percentage, right? I really do. We've talked about it a few of us, but I think the the big problems are the capital items. How do we find a fixed percentage and and make up time for the past 50 years? You know, we're trying to build schools that are 70 80 years old. How do you find a fixed percentage that says if it's 20% or or 22%, right? I mean, I think in my humble opinion, if it were 22 24% of all of our

budget, but that included capital, I still think we would come ahead, be honest with you, if we're talking $150 million school. But I don't know how to even really compute that formula, right? I mean, because you really have to look at the the lifespan of a building and really have to track and put a, you know, depreciation schedule almost on every structure and then all of a sudden kind of play proactive. I think that would be uh a really good deep conversation to get into between our boards to find a fixed percentage. But then I also worry about what happens when there's a shortfall and there's a fixed percentage and it has to happen. You know, then you set a precedent that says you either say no, sorry, which is very hard for this board to do or you say no, we'll we'll help you. And you know, it's it's it's kind of damning at times. you know, you're it's just hard because you sit up here and you kind of squirm, but I also was just curious and and maybe you can follow up later, but like ratio of students to teachers, you know, on a trend on a 5y year, 10 year, I think that would kind of help me compute, you know, the shortfall, you know, are our classroom or is our student population growing? You know, is it steadily increasing? Is it kind of flat? you know, I think if we showed a nice gain there, I think it would kind of help, you know, we put a couple uh new EMS members on um you know, to kind of account for the population increase. And I think, you know, at least if we can show a growth and a trend, I think it does help

ease some of the burden of, you know what I mean? I don't know. I've got a handful of thoughts and really there's no real answers for any of them. I think it's just we need a lot of good engagement between both boards and and uh you know I'm sitting here reading another note I had which is capital capital capital funds versus operational funds. I think we've done an incredible job in the past five years funding capital which is easy to fund because you see what you're spending right when you when you spend a it's kind of like the Georgia spouse tax you know when you know what you're spending the money on it's easier to spend but the operational side lags and and I agree I mean it's I'd love to see North Carolina step up to the plate and I don't know how to make that happen. That's

Chairman Young. I agree with you. I think

we've started the process jointly to be as transparent as we possibly can. And you know, while we may disagree or really not understand fully because unless you're in the seat, you don't truly understand it, but to be able to have the opportunity to speak like this or even the county office is open. If anyone needs to come and sit down and look at books or if you have certain things that we need to really do a deep dive on, we are absolutely welcome to do so and we encourage it. That's the only way that we can really plan for the future. But just like you had mentioned, um really looking at our our buildings, doing those audits and understanding those lifespans to have short-term and long term. That's the only way I feel like we can really plan for capital needs, you know, jointly.

Um, well, we have the talent that can be able to help us gather those metrics. We just need to know what we need to capture.

And I think the only way to do that is to sit down and have these conversations with each other, you know, across the table where we can feel comfortable enough to engage. Um, and if it gets a little uncomfortable from time to time, we can push through it. But um that's the only way we can make progress and that's what we're all here for is progression of Mon County. Yes. My lens is the students and the teachers of Mon County. That's what I've been tasked to be able to lead and and I am grateful for that. You all have a different purview. It's everything. So the only way you can get a snapshot of what our educational system looks like is for us to sit down and engage in this very thing. So, I encourage us um to do this, but even from this point forward, once we wrap this up, if there's anything that Laney or myself or any of my team can provide, shoot me a text, email, calls, swing by the office, whatever. We may not have it right there readily available, but we can gather it. And just like you were talking about the trends, that would be helpful. So, we can gather things of that nature to really help inform your decision-making process and allow us to to help inform that as well.

Well, and and just to double down on a point of capital, you know, this board has some strong interest in pursuing senior, you know, a senior service center and and a justice center is, you know, very needed. And if we really are in the high 90s percents on the school, I mean, looks, that's needed, right? it's warranted and the school projects we have going are they're overdue. Um, I'd be curious to know, I really would, exactly what the percentage of our budget is right now towards Mon County Schools. Okay?

And I think it'd be a good indicator. And I'm in capital and everything, all of our debt service schools, SRO. I mean, the whole if we put everything in our school system, I mean, really, that's that's a good strong budgeting item that essentially we may hand you 18%, but really what what's the real percentage, you know, coming from our budget? I mean, I really do think it's in the low 20s, maybe 25%. But I feel like that's a safe budgeting item that essentially I don't have a problem budgeting that as long as it's all inclusive and then you guys can you guys can focus on your needs, right? And and uh but I really would like to see if we could somehow compute that. Maybe Miss Laney and Miss Lori can get together and and really just find an all-inclusive, you know, percentage.

Goes back to John's point. You know, I I understand. Yes, you guys gave us that extra 200 grand, but we had the deficit. So, we had to prioritize. You know, we really needed those school lunches. We would have loved to have done given that. However, we have teachers that were still not fully funded. I had positions. So, just like your own household budget, you have to make priorities. You know, if the money dollars not there, it's not going to stretch. Then, yeah, this month we're not doing that. Same thing for us this year. We were not able to do that unfortunately because we had to make up that deficit. So I think that could be helpful having the two really sit down. We approach it from an operational standpoint and that's what Laney and I have captured today the percentages operational. Now, we don't have the full the the full budget. Um, and Lane or um Lori could definitely help us out with that, but we could give that snapshot just to give you an idea of what we look at through our lens on an operational standpoint. Um, and that's a start and then we would be able to kind of flesh that out a little bit more overall to get the full big picture. I I want to just uh sum up a little bit about my thought process. My entire life growing up as a poor person. No, I wasn't dirt poor. There were other people more poor than I was. But my heart and soul, and thank you guys for looking out after our kids and educating them, but my heart and soul is with the poor people and the elderly people. And that's why I made the comment just a minute ago. By all means, let's take care of these kids that can't afford

food. But I don't think we and the poor people of this community should be responsible for paying a rich man's kids lunch. Let me finish now. I understand what you guys are saying. I look in the newspapers at all the foreclosings in Mon County where the people have lost their homes and everything else. They can't afford it. Whatever the case may be, those people are who I I look out after. The people on a fixed income are the people that I look out after. They can't pay anymore. Now, if the state really wanted to do something, they would be like these other states and take when you're 65 years and older, you don't pay state taxes for schools. That's what the state should do. And put all the burden of this back on us that are still working that can pay more. By all means, we should be paying more. and leave them alone. They can't p buy buy their medicine. They can't buy their groceries. Those are the people that I have in my heart and soul. And that's why I'm not against you. I'm not against the school system. I'm not against any organization in this county. But somewhere along the line, people can only pay so much. Yeah. It's only a quarter of a penny. Yes. Absolutely. It's still tax increase. I don't care any way you want to dice it, slice it, whatever. It's a tax increase. So if you want that to pass, put that on the ballot for a new senior center and the seniors of this county will vote that in. But you earmark that for a new senior center, it'll pass. But our people can't pay anymore. Can John Cheryl pay more? Yes, I can. I pay whatever they tell me to pay. I feel for you, but you also got to

understand our side. You know, I think while serving on this board, we have done a tremendous job for the Mon County School System, giving you more money, capital improvements, find the area of a new track. We put a new track in. And one of the, and I've said it before, one of the best things that I've seen out of this, you guys came at us for $600,000 for Nana Hala schools for a wastewater treatment facility. We as business people up here look at it as, wait a minute, there's got to be a better way. So, we invest money to buy joining property. Then all of a sudden, Mr. talent finds a company or whoever it was redoing the wastewater treatment facility plant for $75,000. That's what we are to do. Get a good product for a fair price and research it for everything it's worth. We spend a lot more money out there on that track at making middle school than um than we had planned on, but we got it done. But it's still an added expense that we should have never, in my opinion, never incurred with that project. So, I'm just trying to look out after everybody that um and not bankrupt our citizens. And the average age of citizens in Mon County is 58, 59 years old tells me we got a lot of people on fixed income. So, um I just u and I'm not saying you guys are not looking at uh every uh penny in your elected body. Y'all were elected to run the school system. We were elected to run the county. We can only do so much for the school system.

Since since I'm an advocate for the quarter cent sales tax, u we are paying it. Give you an example and I shared with us with Mr. Antoine, some other people. Stopped at the Dollar General store in Swan, uh, Savannah over here. I bought a pack of Dynamance for a dollar, it cost me $1.7, Jackson County. When I came to Mon County, went to the dollar deal, bought the same thing, it still cost me $1.7. We We are paying that already. We just want to get the monies back and we're paying that quarter cent needs to come back to us. If it's two $2 million come back to us some county down the road is enjoying our quarter of a cent. Now Laura can tell you more about that. She's tried to explain this to me and my head's so hard I can't sink into all of that. But but we do not but we need that quarter% to come back here. Lord, how far did I miss that? We're not paying it on every transaction, but of course because of rounding, you can't pay a dollar, six and three/4 penny, you know, sense, but um yeah, just as you go within the chart, like Barry pointed out earlier, you know, you spend $100, it's costing you a quarter. Spend $1,000, you know, it's costing you $2.50. So, I think if you explain it to people that way, you know, um in the grand scheme of things, it's you know, $1,000 $1,000 purchase, you're only paying $2.50 additional.

Um, and it's staying here. It's staying here. Yeah, I think the overages probably that retailers collect it goes to the state. I'm not sure what the state does with that, but again, there are on some transactions, yes, you are already paying it because the retailer can't again, you can't break a penny into quarters, but um on some transactions, you're not. It just depends on what level of transaction, but there would be an impact to people purchasing goods, but it's minimal. Again, if you went out, made $1,000 purchase, you're only paying $2.50 more or so

as a as a U. What would you all like for us? Pray to do with this team.

Pray. We can start in here or silence where I end on this or where we're at. Um I truly believe that y this board and boards are are struggling and suffering from years ago in the capital needs of the of the school system. You all have unfortunately being tasked with trying to catch up to that. I still remember my first year the on the thing we went in and I don't use names but uh something was going on and the school system received zero money zero clay zero and we have had 11 buildings schools not 11 schools buildings everywhere we got zero and then that trend continued for quite a while where I don't know I was chairman maybe I made someone mad whatever but every year it seemed like the amount we requested, we were being cut 50%, 75%. And that adds up. So, here we are. Which leads me into we have a we have an elementary school right now sitting over on East Franklin that is falling apart.

Uh we have structural issues in there. We have a sewer line that runs right down through the middle of the hallway. We have other things going on. We're overcrowded. That's the biggest growing area of our of our network. And guys, we've done everything we can do, but I think we're at the stage where we've used every bit of space we can possibly use for things we shouldn't be using it for, for storage, for this or that. So, it's here. We are in desperate need of a new elementary school. Um, Mr. Lint, uh, Mr. Young and I have talked about it some. I think he has some really great ideas about some about part of that, but just to finally say stage is the high school. Thank you. Y'all don't know how much it means to me to be able to watch these slides today and see what's going on. Uh I get a little melancholy cuz I went to school there. Sometimes I that school I was at is going to disappear. But then I think about I have a grandson that's going to be a freshman the first year we open that new school and I'm just almost it almost brings him to tears to think this is what that young man through y'all's help and the contributions are going to be able to to access and to benefit from. Okay. But we need to at the elementary level we also need the same type of uh facility for them. So it's here. We've got to do something about that. Just you all know. And I'm glad you mentioned that because that was the next thing that I was going to mention was the fact that, you know, you guys have mentioned a new uh East Franklin school. So,

you know, that's hanging over our head and Exactly. and you know, what do you do? I mean, um

Well, you learn from the past. I mean, if you think about it, we find out 30 years ago that we needed a new high school. Waited 30 years to build that high school. If we would have built this high school 20 years ago, not even 30, if we built it 20 years ago, we wouldn't have been in the debt, you know, to go into it like as we are today. So, it's no different with the elementary school. If we keep playing catchup because we keep pushing everything back in the long run, we end up paying more. My point is that it's not that I just want to spend money. But the point is, if there's things that need to be taken care of, take care of them in a time that it should be taken care of so that you don't put it off at a later time and you end up paying twice the amount of money that you would have if you would have just took care of the problem when it was there. You know, when I came on this board, I just came to realize, I mean, the public won't understand this. And unless I came onto this board, I would have never understood just how far behind we were in just allowing for things to deteriorate and never did anything about it. So, even with East Franklin, yes, we got to have a new elementary school. How do we do that? I'm not sure yet, but I know for certain we don't need to wait another 20 years to be able to do that because we're going to end up in a worse situation than we are right now. So, it's just a matter of just our boards. It's not it shouldn't be a point of contention because ultimately we're trying to do the same thing. We're trying to serve the people of Mon County one way or the other. So, there shouldn't be a point of contention in any of this. What we need to do is just get creative with our just thought process. I mean, we got brilliant minds in this room. Let's get together more often and just figure out some more solutions on how we can do this. You know, we've tal we've kicked around the quarter cent sales tax idea. That's cool. Well, there's more than more just that idea that we can come up with to bring more funds into the county that we can start taking care of this stuff. So, my point only is this. Let's just get together more often and figure out more ways to do this and let's not wait again another 20 years to take care of something that we could take care of in five years. We've encapsul

you know. So I think that's part of what we're doing is is opening the doors uh which likely in the past has not always been possible. I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, but it hasn't always been possible. So, I think that's what we're looking at now. Let's establish this relationship. Let's open the door. So, we have the flow of information back and forth between the two and there's no there's no mystery. We all know what we needed and where we're at and all those good things. I think that's Thank you for saying what you did because that is our intent. We would love to meet Well, basically, we'd love to meet with you how to how often you'd like for us to meet with you. I like it. Okay.

Y'all have any solutions or ideas for East Franklin right off the bat? I think one major thing we need to consider um we we would be up for applying for that needs-based grant again. Um on the rubric you can't apply for it within three cycles or you won't get credit for that piece. So we need to make certain that we hit it when the time is right. We would be able to apply for it again in 2627 school year. So, you know, I think we need to work backward from that date if that's when we need to apply for it. What are the things that we need to be doing now

uh to get to that point? You know, is it looked like an assessment of the current East Franklin? There are some things I think we can learn from when we went through this process the last time that's going to help us along the way. So, I feel like in the near future, um just like you all have mentioned, it would be great to sit down and let's let's look at this. Let's get a timeline established and then we all have things that we can be doing to contribute towards that and let's move along those lines. We learned a lot this last time. Senator Corbin was the help he gave us cannot be overstated. I promise y'all. Uh but we learned a lot about that process that we didn't know before. So

not I'm going to make a statement and then I may have to eat crow as the old saying goes. I think of all the districts that can put a package together that that received strong consideration, we can do that now. We've learned how the process works and it's it's a difficult process, but hey, we got $62 million by following that. And I think new on a new elementary school, Josh, it's up to 42 up to as high as $42 million of a grant that we can get. Another grant. So, we're going to pursue that. just a matter of getting the things getting assessments done and and something we'll talk with y'all and make sure you're in line with it so you know what what we're planning and how the how each step has to take

Tracy's already talked to uh an architect about this very thing in terms of about how we have to do an assessment that's what we had to do at high school we had to do an assessment about renovation versus new school and bigers came in so close well it was a no-brainer about about how you go it's new school rather than trying to patch it existing buildings that you're just hiding. You're putting lipstick on a pig as the old saying goes because there's still like an at East Franklin school. It's not the exterior or the appearance of the school. It's it's just the structure itself is is deteriorating.

It's I mean I mean show how old it school is. I went to school there. I'm old. Means that building is what was it in the 50s? FHS. Same as FHS. And the fact of the matter, you know, our maintenance crew, they are there on a weekly basis. Tracy, we've had what, two issues with the sewer system just since we started up. You know, our our men work incredibly hard and they're able to do a lot, but it comes a time where it's just not effective and efficient anymore. Yeah. It's got to get done. I mean I we pick up obviously you guys know we pick up kids from schools and I mean East Franklin last year I mean I can't count how many times we had to go pick up the kids early.

Yeah. You know and help these parents out because they had to close because of these issues. Um and I think also looking at like whatever if there are mistakes that were made like even in a build for the high school to be quite honest with you that can save money on the next build. We need to outline those things and just have a record of it so that when we do get into this East Franklin project. If we just eliminate making those mistakes, we're already ahead if we can just do that part of it. Virtual Walker, that same stuff, Danny, is happening at the jail next Wednesday and the health department building. So, I mean, we're faced with a huge problem at the It is. I I I think there's Excuse me. Go ahead.

Wow. I'd like to extend an invitation, Mr. to you and all this board on the 29th out at our central office at 10 to 12 10 to 12. We're going to have a what's called a virtual walk through from LS3P where you can actually sit and do a walk through through the proposed building, the interior and some things like that and we can have some discussion because I think there are some ways if you look at for example the interior versus what they may propose for which you can do just as well. We can save monies. So, please mark it on your calendar and y'all are more than welcome to come out and see it because I think it'll be eye opening to see what the what they're proposing and then see what we can possibly do. Is it at the school board? At the board of education board education at East Franklin or Franklin High School? Franklin for Franklin High School.

Yeah, it's it's virtual walkthrough where they've now gone in. They're going to give us a proposal about the interior, the walls, the coloring, the flooring, all that. So, please mark it down and come. I think it'd be eye opening for everyone. I I think there's three things that you have to do at at right now that we had to do for Franklin High School. You got to look at the the first R. You're going to have people want to know relocate. You got to look at that. Correct.

Then you got to look at that second R renovate. You're going to have to look at it. Then what it'll come down to is to the third R, relevance. What is relevance in the academic arena today for elementary kids? Uh was it MVI last night? Went to our uh program they had back there. Kids are sitting there dissecting hearts off of computer

and uh th this thing this relevance piece is very very important because you're entering the AI arena. If you want to see something, go see Mr. Burns class at the MVI and see those kids dissect a heart and those type things people. It's not in there with chalk and race boards anymore. It is something that but you got to have something that's revolent or like we're talking about here 10 years you've got you've got an antique. So it has to be explored. And what I found out high school, those the relocation, it could be a conversation piece, the renovation conversation piece, but you got to come back down to the third hour of reverence. What do you want it to be? And I'm telling you, this world is changing fast. What I saw last night, Gary Shields was lost. I saw a heart, but I saw the little little kids was dissecting that heart. So, well, the other thing you're talking about, Michelle, I'm interrupting about relevance. I can't think of a section in our county that needs more relevance in a newer school than East Franklin. And I'm not saying anything bad about the neighborhoods. I want everybody to make sure I'm saying that, but

there are children out there as as John pointed out or they're social anxiety. They're on the on the bottom part. And we have got to make it just as good for those kids as you can for the other children we're talking about. And unfortunately that's what it's going to take is a new is a new school there to do the things Mr. shield you're talking about have the facilities to educate them to explore with STEM and with all those things expose these kids to a world they have they probably have no clue exist and then they can dream and then hopefully then they can achieve and I think the revelence part is the career technical education part we put in the to the high school building and and what we've done from my experience

of building schools we did brick and mortar first then you tried to take your careers or your subject matter and plug it in there and there's no there's no place to plug it. So what we did at this time with the board's help, this this group's help and with the business advisor council, we came up with a curriculum first. Said, "Okay, now we want you people, the architects to make sure that this curriculum will fit in that brick and mortar." And it's going to. It's going to

it it it's it's it's going it's going to be there, but you had to do it kind of backwards to in the thinking of trying to get make sure that we get out here and get our curriculum piece that can adapt to this new brick and mortar. Correct. And we did. Well said. Exactly right. Everybody, I'm going to go sit back down and shut up now. I'll quit I'll quit preaching. Before I go, y'all let me understand you're leaving us. Is that right? returning on behalf of our school system want to say thank you.

I don't think you can be replaced bluntly. Y'all have a tough job in front of you, but you've been a wonderful help. I know when I've whenever I've tried to call always immediately you reacted. So you've been an asset and you've been a friend to our assistant. So thank you from from our system guys. Thank you all. We will continue doing this again. And like I said, if you have any questions, any followup, reach out to us. Uh Laney will be glad to share the presentation with you just so you can have that for your reference. So once you get into it and dig a little deeper, if you need clarification, reach out. We appreciate you all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,

Mr. Chairman. I have one other unrelated item if you're finished with school business. Sure. Any other comments on the Mon County school system?

I I do have that have asked me to follow up about the soccer field and I was reminded that it was in the budget at one point and they've asked me to find out sort of where you all are with your intention of moving ahead with the project. We did have a quote this year to get this the beginning work done. just to remind and I know Mr. Breeden was not on the board when this happened. I think the first conversation we had about this was right before um two of you came on, Mr. Antoine and Mr. girl and it had been voted in as a a budget line item to redo the soccer field. And then we were asked to do a soil survey for a year which we stepped back and that started about four 3 four months after the budget was approved to move forward with the project. So we did that for a year and then we took those results and then tried to get some um estimates on quotes and things on how to move forward with it. It took us some time to come up with that. We did manage to get those uh earlier this spring and we were trying to move forward with getting that work done.

I would just love to know where your positions are. I would bring this up in liaison committee, but we haven't had a liaison committee in a while and I think that would be good also to get back to because I think it's good to have some conversations internally so that we don't have to use the meeting time to do work like this. But um I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to ask because I haven't seen you all in a while. So

I haven't had any updates um Miss Wils um on any quotes that you guys have um received or anything like that. The u last conversation I remember was you guys were leading towards or leaning towards the um uh astro turf on the field. I I guess the question right now is um are they playing soccer on that field right now? Yeah. Well, because it's dry season's done, but we've had a dry fall. Um there are some uneven patches.

I don't we have I don't believe we've had any delays due to rain. And in fact, it's an odd soccer season. We actually I know my son's on the middle school team and we've not had one rain out which is highly unusual up there. We never had a a delay. We all of our games are able to be played because it has been so dry.

Okay. So the problems on that field is not surf or subsurface. The problems on the field is surface water because we've had no rain. So you can't drain a swamp. Number one. Number two is if we would spend a little money and a little action back there in that back corner and blast out that rock wall like it was stated before. Uh that should have been done in the original project. Um your drainage ditch there is probably a foot foot and a half above the final grade. If that ditch was opened up to carry the water on down through there, it would stop the water from shooting over that rock face onto the field where it gets trapped because it can't go anywhere. The drainage of surface water is what's killing being able to play on that field. So by you guys being able to play in a dry fall, it tells me that all the problems are surfaced. Now, it's not uncommon for a athletic field to need to be top dressed. When you have holes, you you even in your lawn when you have holes form, you go in and you top dress that and you top dress it to where it's about a third from the top of the blade of grass and that grass roots in and it fills in and you get rid of those pockets. The problem with Highland soccer field, yes, it's a swamp. However, that water coming off of Satula is allowed to enter that soccer field. Stop allowing that water from entering the soccer field. Open up the ditches. Get rid of the walk rock wall. And I believe we've got a problem solved.

[Music] I see you looking at me for a response. I guess it all boils down to money, right? And I remember starting the Highlands project in a conversation with Mr. Tate and I and we anticipated the cost to construct 5 to 6 million. I feel like we're closer to 11 to 12 million and I think we still have furnishings um that aren't in that allocation. Said we didn't go over. Yeah, we're we're going to be close on that. It's 9 something. And I've got those figures. I

just remember the loan I thought was somewhere around 11, but I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but like I said, I think we we we budget according. It's it's hard. There's a lot of asks and uh really I think it's it's it's your job to to fund and it's our job to fund you with all we can and I think it's your job to appropriate. Similar to the money John was talking about with the $200,000. It's like we're all in a, you know, in a cave trying to climb out and money is the answer and it's just so hard. I don't know. There's not a simple easy answer to give you.

Is it because it was in I guess the reason I brought it up is because I'm uneducated on how it works when the money is there a few years ago. And that's that's what has been asked of me is well it was in the budget. Where did that go? In the budget. So, I thought the money was on hold based on the research we were asked by the commissioners at the time to come back to the table with. And I felt like we we kind of we've just kind of been around a few times about it. And if we bring you a proposal, is it something that you're interested in entertaining? I I don't know what else we can do on our end because we've had meetings at school. We've brought all the players to the table of of people who have worked on the field before and people who have knowledge about this the grading and Mr. Shorl was there. You know, we've had lots of conversations about it and I think the parents are are pretty frustrated that are, you know, sports supporters and boosters and I just wanted I want to be able to do all I can, but I'm not sure what else I can do. But I would like to work with you all if if you can direct me on on what you need. We had a quote. It did not come before you because we we're having to go internally to prioritize cuts unfortunately and that's not something when we don't have extra. I don't have extra to ask this board for. So uh you know it's a it's a hard position. If it's something you're willing to move forward with, I can bring you whatever information you need. I I just haven't gotten the impression that it's it's, you know, priority. Well, as Highland's representatives, um, absolutely

our students and athletes need adequate facilities. They don't need the best of the best. As it was just stated, we spent $214 million on school and uh since 20089 we're in uh just spent I'm just going to round it off $10 million in Highlands uh which was cash. There was no financing. Um so you know and all the things that we we have to do um in this county with the limited funds that we have. Um I think if you really researched and um everything of exactly what I just said to create a better field condition at the soccer field it will buy us some time. Now, I remember some time ago, you know, um we were talking about the soccer field and we did this the year-long study and everything else and it came back as to the unknowns. Um and we were talking at that time six or $700,000.

Exactly. To Mr. Antoine's point earlier, four years ago when we started talking about this, we thought we had a quote in hand to t reurf it for $800,000. Now we're talking about having somebody design it and then another turf company come in and it could be pushing one or over. So do we wait till there's a sinkhole? I mean I I don't I don't turf is not my specialtity and I I think Mr. Young and you Mr. Shur have some background in that. Is this a project you think the county can take on so that you can do it to your specification?

No. And I really don't want to get real real deep. This might be better for a leazison committee meeting, but I feel like, you know, the county appears has a track record of sometime making investments that are kind of halfway. And I don't mean that, you know, but this is one of those projects that it's a swamp, right? We have to undercut, Lord only knows 4, 6, 8, 10t of aluvial mucky soils, right? replace it with clean stone fabric, French drains, 4 6 8 ft of 57 stone, turf it, it turns into this monumental, you know, project that really I don't even know is regulation size. You know, I'd love to put a walking track around it and do it the right way. We've talked about that and it's kind of hard because Highlands is an anomaly, right? I mean, you can't you don't have the space to put a track in the field. I think,

you know, going back to we we've chased this rabbit a lot. But I mean, I'd love to see a nice track, a nice regulation size field somewhere that's on better ground, you know. I think we're going to spend an incredible amount of money, an incredible amount of money on a site that's subpar, you know, and I feel like if we were to check the easy boxes first, I think it cost $75,000 to do the planning. I would rather take a portion of that and completely resurface that, you know, put more of a crown effect on it. Kind of keep the water off of it, maybe some really clean, you know, dense grass. And I feel like that's an easier box to check than a multi-million dollar, you know, investment into I hate to use the term swamp, but it's it's just incredibly, you know, aluvial soil. And you can look at the footings at the at the Highlands school project. I mean, you see how how much water we hit and how poor this wall were was. So, I think my reservation is just that we're going to spend an incredible amount of money on a track that is not going to be regulation size. I'm sorry, a field that's not regulation size. And it'll be nice, but I don't know. There's not an easy answer. And uh I wish I had one. Well, I appreciate keeping the dialogue going about it because I I think we've identified that there is a problem and like someone said earlier, we have a lot of talent in the room that can get together and come up with solutions. And I I only bring it up because I I don't want to the project to die. I feel like something's going to have to happen to to continue that that land and, you know, keep it from getting worse and deteriorating. So, I agree. Maybe the next liaison meeting we can identify some steps that can be taken. I'd love to have anybody up there together or whatnot that that can walk it and get with our folks up there who have kind of been in the room as well, but it would

be nice to to continue this conversation and move toward a solution. And I don't have to have a million-dollar solution. I just want the solution, the best one.

Well, and and maybe we take a hybrid approach. I mean, realistically, I think we could put a nice, you know, top coat, a nice crown, a nice clean surface on it potentially for less than what the architectural design will cost. And, you know, it buys us time. It's not perfect, but I feel like, you know, we're trying to pick low hanging fruit here. And I think you guys see the the deficit that we face countywide, and it's just hard. I mean, I could name six or eight projects from, you know, affiliates with Mon County Schools and sports, and it's so hard. every every project is needed. And what's incredible is there's a large amount of volunteer coaches. I mean, they may have a supplement, but it's nominal, who pour their heart and soul into these projects and these kids in our community, and they're willing to donate all their time, labor, and effort, and all they want from us is a little bit of money that they can go out and hire donated work. And it's hard. How do you say no to somebody willing to donate all the time and and effort, energy, and us just fund the materials? And we're having to say no to that at some point in time. It's just it's incredibly frustrating and it's hard. But I think we keep the dialogue the dialogue going and and we we check the easy boxes first.

As I'm asked about it, is there money in a budget or is that just gone? That's years past.

I I can't speak to to what happened back then, but typically what happens there's no money set aside specifically for a capital project for the soccer field. And we made mention that the board, we talked about our fund balance a little earlier, and we said it was a certain number, but yet there was $20 million that had been committed out of that over the last year. So, you know, that's that's a verbal commitment or it's a a commitment in our capital improvement plan. So, Lori might be able to answer this better than me, but there's none of that money that has specifically been set aside in our budget for that particular project.

But it has not been forgotten. We we talked about it and everything else. So, it's it's just how do you fund all this stuff? It's and how to do it the right way. Thank you. I appreciate it.

When we did our annual update on capital outlay, we always ask Mon County Schools, Southwestern Community College, and of course, county departments, what are your needs for the next 10 years? You know, your school folks did still submit that. So it is still on the radar but no at this point in time there's no money specifically earmarked or budgeted for it but is it is still within the radar of the CIP as a consideration at some point in time. One more thing that I would and I mentioned it I think at the last meeting. You know, North Carolina legislature said that municipalities could now pay into the operating costs of the school system. Correct, sir.

That's what they said, which totally against our constitution of things, but you're exactly right. Okay. So, so you know, if that is the state law, then by all means, maybe um uh town of Highlands, town of Franklin could help fund something that is in our shortfall. So,

let me say one thing about East Franklin. I can't get it spinning out of my head. If you want to set a fire under people, whether it be legislators, superintendents, Gary Shields, or whatever it may be, it happened when we started developing this idea about a new Franklin High School. Tracy was a big part of this. You have to have that safety piece evaluated if that school is safe or not. And you lawyers understand this next piece. Exceptional children. If you want to light a fire under something, get it moving. You you you find out those exceptional children are handicapped. You're making them more handicapped. You'll get that call from the ACLU, right? You'll get that call. You'll be in that meeting with them while they tell you you are going to build this school. But but then we did it through a video thing through the county. People could see the video. The need was out there. But if you go find those exceptional children and those parents, those exceptional children are to be able to go from point A to point B just like regular John Doe or Mary. And if they're not people, you will tear that school down. Something will have to happen. When Tracy brought in that information of the infrastructure at Franklin High School and how unsafe you had 120ome doors and stuff like that in there, kids are couldn't go from from one classroom to the next. Couldn't take their subjects and things like that. You will light the fire. Now, you say, "Well, I'll just do that with regular students." No, you light the fire. You use Mr. Clap Saddle.

Miss Kener was our major person with Franklin High School. We have a heart for mentally and handicapped students. We won't we wouldn't be in education if we didn't. And if you'll take that now and start moving that little piece around, this thing will you won't have a choice. It'll happen. So, God bless you. I'm with you. Well, in in closing, I feel like it's important to highlight, you know, as a team, all of us together in the past couple years to Mr. Lynch's point, you know, I think we check a box and move on from a project and we're looking at the next project and none of us stop and look behind us and really, you know, just let it set in what we've accomplished. So I feel like it's important to highlight, you know, the big items that we've really chipped away yet. Going back three years in our priority list, you know, there's a lot of items not on that list anymore. You know, when the middle school sewer gas and Nana Hala, I mean, you know, we've been very very productive and I think these conversations are they're critical. Sometimes they're, you know, a little stressful, but I think uh if it wasn't, you know, they wouldn't be real. And uh we do appreciate your passion and uh I think look open lines of communication are key. So I think we uh schedule you know at least a quarterly liaison meeting and uh just keep the dialogue going you know but I do want to say thank you for for your time and being here today and any other comments from anybody.

I just have one thing which is to say Lenny worked so hard on that presentation. She got to slide one, I think, or one point. So, please do do her the the honor of just really take time to look through the rest of that. And that's good. I'm not complaining. We had a great discussion, but look at the rest of that package if you would, please, and just see see the story that she put together for y'all today and and takes take a few minutes to do that for her. And um I just I thank you for that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for doing that for sure.

Any other comments will disagree with you on is this. We would love to have a quarterly meeting just like what we had not just leaison you know have both at least quarterly come together. We feel like that would establish I think we've covered a lot of ground today and I think we establish a rapport that has been missing for a long long time. Really great. So, if we can, we would love to do it on a quarterly basis and I know you guys are busy, but if we can, that would be that would be our I think we'd appreciate that.

Just one more thing about the uh the funds for the U county. We're in the process of the landfill. It's changing the subject, but it also goes on with the funds. We're short on funds to open the new sale of the landfill. So we are in the process of waiting on our Davenport uh to give us information on debt service where we are. So that's how strapped we are as with our funds as well. So anyway,

so out of respect for your time, I know we have other business to tend to. If you guys wanted to adjourn, you're welcome. If you would uh like to stick around, you're welcome to hang around. At this point, I entertain a motion to adjurnn. So move second. Second in favor. Mr. I apologize. That was my cologne earlier. I didn't hear Jim was sneezing. He knows I can't afford to buy you. I know. Perfume as he called it.

I meant men what men or what you put on there. What are we eating? These life are these life savers. I eat them. Oh, you did? There's a whole bag full right there. I stuck them in my pocket. I got to try this. So, the school board their meeting. All right. Sorry to take your thunder. M

Mr. Mr. Chairman, I actually need to request approval of a resolution present North Carolina general statutes requiring a performance bond for our future interim finance officer, Miss Lindseay Leopard, in amount of $1 million. Make a motion we do that, whatever procedure it is. I hear a motion by Commissioner Shields, a second by Commissioner Breeden. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor, please raise your right arm. State I. I. Thank you. Any oppose? All right. Miss 5, Miss Tammy. Thank you. All right. Any other items? Manager Kade. Commissioners here. A motion by Commissioner Breeden.

Second. Second by Commissioner Antoine. All in favor, please raise your right arm. State. I I Well, that was quick and easy.