AT A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD HELD ON THE 16th DAY OF MARCH, TWO THOUSAND AND ELEVEN AT SEVEN OâCLOCK P.M. AT THE RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM IN WASHINGTON, VIRGINIA

Present	Present	Absent
Roger A Welch, Chairman S. Bryant Lee, Vice Chairman Ronald L. Frazier I. Christopher Parrish Michael J. Biniek	John McCarthy, Co. Adm.

 

 

Chairman Welch called the meeting to order. Chairman Mills called the School Boardâs meeting to order as well.

 

The Pledge of Allegiance was observed.

 

 

REVISED AGENDA: The Board amended a draft agenda as shown attached..

 

On motion of Mr. Parrish, seconded by Mr. Lee, the Board voted unanimously to approve the revised agenda.            

           

The Chairman called for the Superinendentâs Review of the Proposed Budget. Dr. Boone presented a detailed Powerpoint presentation on the development of the School Budget and the process that had been followed over the past several months. He emphasized that advancement of education goals was their first priority, but that the Board and he had worked to keep their request for local funding level.

 

Following his presentation, Mr. Lee asked several questions touching on special education and the Comprehensive Services Act, which both Dr. Boone and Mr. McCarthy responded to in detail. Both emphasized the inherent difficulty in predicting where qualifying children would ãappearä within the school division, thus necessitating spending on special needs.

 

Mr. Parrish asked several questions touching on pupil transportation and planning for uncertain energy costs. Dr. Boone agreed that there were some uncertainties, but observed that a previous budget yearsâ ãspikeä in costs was associated with a change in the reimbursement process with other agenciesâ use of the fuel tanks, and was not reflective of an actual fuel cost increase.

 

Mr. Biniek asked about the proposed phase-out of the Cambridge program, and Dr. bone, while praising the program, noted that a pre-advanced placement program would better meet studentâs education needs, and would be a better fit with the plans for dual enrollment at Lord Fairfax that were progressing.

 

Mr. Frazier emphasized that he felt that in previous years, to many costs, mainly touching on compensation packages for administrators, were left out of the budget process, and that his constituents wanted to know if what was committed was reflected in the budget. Dr. Boone assured him that all obligations were shown.

 

All of the Board members praised Dr. Boone for his presentation, and agreed that this meeting was useful in understanding the process of the budget preparation.

 

The Chairman next called for Mr. McCarthy to update everyone on the school energy improvement projects. He reported that the lighting, controls, and asbestos abatement portion fo the project was out for bid now, with bids due on March 23. He hoped the Board would be able to award on April 4. He noted that he had signed agreements with project engineers SRP to commence work on the elementary school boiler replacement and that planning would now commence on the H.S. window replacement. He did express some concern about the possibility that asbestos abatement might need to take place with regard to the window caulking and insulation, but that would be investigated immediately.

 

He outlined the need for a Clerk of the Works on the projects, emphasizing that neither Dr. Boone nor himself had the competence nor time to ensure that all of the ãmoving partsä of the various projects were to be coordinated and completed in timely fashion for the school divisionâs reopening in August. He noted that one of the Energy performance Committeeâs members, Mr. David Breeden, had provided several job descriptions from his work in Fauquier County that Mrs. Hilscher was using as a template to prepare our own. He requested approval from the Board of Supervisors, and concurrence of the School Board in:

 

1.)   Authorizing the funding of the position of Clerk of the Works, competent in building trades and construction management to oversee the various projects, Mr. McCarthy to report on costs as the project proceeds; and,

2.)   Delegating to Dr. Boone, Mrs. Hilscher from the School Board (or other designee from the School Board) and Richie Burke, Building Official, the task of selecting the Clerk from either qualified applicants or professional service providers; and

3.)   To be sure that the Clerk was fully briefed on the projects as approved, and was on board before commencement of activities in June.

 

Mr. Lee stated that this was money well spent. Too often the county had cut corners in commencing projects that lacked a clerk, leading to such problems as shingles and windows being installed improperly, resulting expensive repairs and poor quality. Members expressed agreement.

 

Motion was made by Mr. Frazier, seconded by Mr. Lee, and approved unanimously. The School Board members expressed concurrence.

 

Mr. Lee and Mr. Parrish thanked the School Board of the meeting opportunity. Mrs. Johnson and Chairman Mills both echoed that they thought the meeting had been productive, Mrs. Johnson, urging the Board to understand that the School Board had worked hard to present them with a level budget. Mrs. Crocker and Mrs. Hilscher both felt that the process was very useful.

 

The School Board recessed their meeting until 8:45 PM, and the Board of Supervisors, on motion of Mr. Lee, seconded by Mr. Biniek, voted to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

 

The meeting was adjourned.

 

                                                                       

                                                                                    ____________________________

                                                                                    Roger Welch, Chairman