Scope of work, funding formula needed
HUNTSVILLE — County Commission has voted for additional planning and making an effort to get a funding formula in place before hiring an architect for a new school at Robbins and major additions to Burchfield Elementary School.
By a 10-0 vote with four commissioners absent, County Commission Monday night approved a motion by First District Commissioner Jeff Watson to let the school board decide the course of action it intends to take before meeting with the Finance and Budget committees to outline the scope of work to be done and determine where the money will come from to pay for new school facilities.
Watson’s motion ended a 40-minute discussion on the needs of the two schools, which began when Second District Commissioner Clyde Zachary pointed out that it had been 15 months since the Board of Education had asked County Commission to hire an architect for a new school at Robbins and additions to Burchfield.
“In January of 2007 the school board voted to hire an architect — Upland Design — to prepare plans for a new school at Robbins and expansion at Burchfield,” Zachary stated. Since that time, nothing has been done, he pointed out. He then made a motion to fund a contract with the architect and “get things underway” on these two schools.
Fellow Second District Commissioner Leonard Bertram seconded that motion, launching a round table discussion about where the money would come from and exactly what was to be built.
Watson was among the first to speak, saying that he would be ‘happy to support” such a move if he knew how the county would pay for it. He suggested that the Finance Committee and school board work together to develop a plan that would include a financing plan.
“You’re talking about spending at least $10 million on these two projects,” Watson said, adding that before an architect is hired, “we need to decide how we’re going to fund it.” To do otherwise, Watson said, would result in the commission doing something it doesn’t want to do.
Sixth District Commissioner Ron Blevins suggested that since the school board approved hiring an architect they should proceed “if they want to pay for it.”
Bertram told the commission that it had no problem when it came to nonessential spending, but when Robbins is mentioned, it’s a different story.
Mike Slaven and Willie Boyatt, the two commissioners from the Seventh District (where Burchfield School is located), indicated that they were under just as much pressure from their constituents as their Second District counterparts, but both sided with Watson on the need to have a funding plan in place before proceeding.
Such was the sentiment of a majority of those present as each commissioner was given an opportunity to express his opinion. Then County Attorney John Beaty sent the discussion in another direction when he stated that the financial management system under which Scott County operates, would require it “to go to the Finance Committee before it comes to this board.”
Ultimately, Zachary changed his motion to send his request to the Finance Committee with instructions to follow the recommendations of the school board to hire the architectural firm of Upland Design for the project.
That was followed by another potential stumbling block when Commissioner Watson suggested that shortly after the school board requested that an architect be hired for the project, there was a change in the director of schools’ position, implying that incumbent Director Sharon Wilson might want to have some input before any action was taken.
After being called upon to comment, Wilson agreed that there needs to be a plan in place and a funding plan.
“I definitely want to pursue this and welcome the opportunity to be involved,’ she stated.
Later, responding to a question from Fifth District Commissioner Paul Strunk, Wilson said that if the school board decides to change architects or if they want to stay with Upland Design, “I want to be involved in the scope of the work.”
Strunk said the school board ought to meet and decide which course to take before it is brought up for consideration by the Finance Committee. Commissioner Zachary agreed to this.
A few minutes later, Zachary’s motion to send it to the Finance Committee failed by a 4-6 vote.
Immediately after that vote was recorded, Watson made a motion to “move forward” with the project, by having the Finance and Budget committees meet with the school board to develop the scope of work and a funding plan for the new construction.
In the discussion which followed the 10-0 vote approving Watson’s motion, Commissioner Strunk, referring to the $10 million jail-justice center project nearing completion, stated: “I think we’ve done enough for the criminals. It’s time to look at the kids.”
On two occasions late in the discussion, Commissioner Bertram threatened to call the State Fire Marshal’s office with information about the unsafe conditions that exist at the Robbins School.
Fifth District Commissioner Rothel “Tub” Cross responded by saying, “I don’t think we need what you’ve got in mind.”
Bertram then said he was “willing to give it a little time,” but stressed the urgency of action for the children at Robbins.
In other business Monday night, the Commission:
• Voted 9-1 in favor of an energy services contract with Ameresco, Inc., which will allow the Board of Education to borrow just over $2.4 million to make energy-related improvements in the schools, with a payback plan guaranteed from the savings on utility bills over a 19-year period;
• Voted 8-2 to participate in the development of a Cumberland Regional Habitat Conservation Plan with adjoining counties “to solve some of the challenges facing a growing Scott County by enabling the planning of growth and increased water supply in a manner that avoids conflicts with the Endangered Species Act”;
• Approved awarding a bid package for the Scott County Justice Center project which includes a gravel base, asphalt, paving, curbing and marking of the parking lot at the cost of $79,000, the bid price submitted by successful bidder Miller & Sons, Inc.;
• Approved the Scott County Ambulance Service’s request that two emergency medical technicians, Stefanie Barton and Michael Manis, be allowed to attend paramedic school with the tuition being paid for by the county, in return for remaining with the ambulance service for a two-year period following completion of their course work;
• Approved a victim’s assistance assessment to be levied against convicted criminals which would result in $45 assessment per case, with the funds generated to be divided equally between the Scott County Women’s Shelter and the Children’s Center of the Cumberlands;
• Authorized the purchase a Stryker battery-powered hydraulic cot at the cost of $10,319 for a newly refitted ambulance;
• Voted to award a bid (from grant funds) of $25,000 for the purchase of a used roll-off truck for trash collection from Municpal Equipment, Inc.;
• Approved a request from the E-911 board that Hertis Phillips and Robert Mehlhorn be reappointed to four-year terms of the board, effective March 2008;
• Authorized a $2,500 appropriation to the newly-formed Scott County Little League program;
• Approved increasing the annual donation to the Scott County Chapter of the American Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” event from $1600 to $2500 for this year, and to consider that amount in the budget for next year, with the understanding that the funds would be used for cancer research;
• Voted to refine the county’s policy concerning grant applications each department being required to contact the mayor’s office or the director of schools before making application for grant funds;
• Adopted a resolution honoring Lillie Young, a eighth grader at Robbins Elementary, who competed against 39 other students from three states, to win the annual News Sentinel Regional Spelling Bee in Knoxville on March 8 and earn the right to compete in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.;
• Approved a proclamation declaring May 2008 as Older Americans Month;
• Approved fund-raising roadblock requests from the Paint Rock Fire Department, South Scott County Fire Department, and Dustin’s Miracle Team;
• Discussed but took no action on the proposed library/recreation building planned for the Robbins Park; and,
• Approved a motion by Commissioner Boyatt that the commission go on record in opposition to efforts by the National Parks Conservation Association’s efforts to have the government acquire additional property for the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, and forward that action to Senator Bob Corker and Congressman Lincoln Davis.