Wayne Commissioners, School Board - Wayne-Wilson News Leader, Fremont, NC

21 February 2008 — If the statements of their respective chairs are any indication, the Wayne County Commissioners and the Wayne County Board of Education have entered a new era of clear communication and understanding.

The two boards held the first of four joint meetings Monday afternoon to allow the two boards to discuss the upcoming $23 million school renovation project.

School Board Chair Thelma Smith opened the meeting with a few words, addressing the need for understanding and communication between the two boards.

Mrs. Smith said that the two boards needed these meetings so that each board could understand the needs and mandates of the other board.

She also addressed the issue of perception about the school system within the county. Mrs. Smith noted that sometimes people tend to only talk about what they don’t like and forget to note the merits of the system, and cautioned the boards that their negative words could affect the perception of the system throughout the county.

“We need to be cautious as to how we project what we’re trying to do,” she said.

She added that the boards had already taken a huge step forward in deciding to fund the school projects, and that these meetings would help both boards work out the nuts and bolts of completing the projects.

“We know what we’re going to do, now it’s about how we’re going to do it,” she said.

Bud Gray, chair of the Board of Commissioners, added that he agreed with Mrs. Smith’s comments.

“We want this to be a meeting when questions are asked and answers are given for both of these boards,” he said.

County Manager Lee Smith began the meeting by filling in the boards on the facility needs facing the county. He noted that, in addition to the substantial needs of the school system, the county is also examining several other projects in the next few years.

He noted that the first challenge comes from the emergency communications system in the county. The system is overall at least 35 years old, with some parts as old as 50 years.
“It’s been patched together so many times I’m actually afraid of it,” he said.

The commission had budgeted to use 911 revenues to pay for the project. However, as the project is about to begin, the county finds themselves without those funds because the state has taken control of 911 revenues. That leaves the county searching for s$7 million to cover the cost of the project, which is coming to bid in the next 60 days.

The county is also looking at making improvements to the old Wayne Community College site, which will be used as the new health department facility. Also on the list of projects is an extension of the airport runway, a new library in the southern end of the county, and a detention center.

However, he noted that during the commissioner’s annual retreat this past week, the board unanimously expressed that education was their top priority for the upcoming year. He noted that the $23 million project was just the beginning of renovations to schools, but it was a good start.

With that, he gave the floor to Superintendent Steve Taylor for an update on the schools project.

Mr. Taylor told the boards that the board is currently moving forward with architect selection and hiring a construction manager for the renovations. He noted that the board had hired an engineer to address water concerns at Eastern Wayne and Norwayne Middle Schools, and the engineer had already devised a solution which he guaranteed would work.

The team also has determined where mobile units will be located during construction and has taken bids for the cost of renting or leasing mobile units during the projects.

Once the preliminary work is completed, he said, the board will move forward with applications for the project to the Local Government Commission.

Mr. Smith also explained using Certificates of Participation (COPS) to fund the project. He told the board that the process was a likely method of paying for the project, and allowed attorney Mr. Parker to elaborate.

Mr. Parker said that COPS would operate similarly to a home mortgage. The building would temporarily be transferred to the county’s ownership and be put up as security for the project. He said it would benefit the county because they would not have to borrow as much to fund the projects.

The Commissioners also had several requests for the Board of Education. They requested that the school board establish an annual small projects facility budget, as well as analyzing all current trends and alternatives before considering construction of new schools.

They also asked for a preliminary or draft budget for the project no later than April 1, so that the county could include it in budget plans for the next fiscal year.

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Issue of 21 February 2008

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