2013-10-16 Special Meeting NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 32
SPECIAL MEETING,OCTOBER 16,2013 PAGE 722
ASSEMBLY
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners met for a Special Meeting for the purpose of holding a
Joint Meeting with the New Hanover County Board of Education on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. at
College Park Elementary in the Cafeteria located at 5001 Oriole Drive, Wilmington,NC.
Chairman White and New Hanover County Board of Education Chairman Donald Hayes called the meeting
to order stating that the purpose of the meeting was to tour College Park Elementary, discuss school facilities and
needs priority list, and hold a discussion on the need for the proposed bond referendum, bond referendum amount,
and timeline.
Members present: Chairman Woody White: Vice-Chair Beth Dawson: Commissioner Jonathan Barfield,
Jr.:and Commissioner Tom Wolfe. Commissioner Brian Berger was absent.
Staff present: County Attorney Wanda M. Copley: County Manager Chris Coudriet: and Clerk to the Board
Sheila L. Schuh.
School Board members present: Chairman Donald Hayes: Vice-Chair Jeannette Nichols:Members Tammy
Coy-il:Lisa Estep:Derrick Hickey: and Edward Higgins, Jr. School Board Member Janice Cavenaugh was absent.
School Staff present: Superintendent Dr. Tim Markley.
Chairman Hayes provided the invocation and led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
The respective Boards adjourned the meeting at 3:35 p.m. to allow College Park Elementary School
Principal Maria Greene to lead attendees on a tour of the school facility.
The Boards reconvened at 3:58 p.m.with Chairman Hayes requesting Superintendent Markley to make the
staff presentation.
Superintendent Markley introduced a video overview of the school system and a provided a PowerPoint
presentation with highlights as follows:
Critical needs identified from 2010-2011 Facilit-v Needs Smvev:
• Increased capacity
• Renovations for todav's curriculum
• Modernization of an aged infrastnncture
• Technology improvements
• Building code compliance and safety
• Deferred maintenance
• Energy efficiency
• Current enrollment 26,247:over capacity by 3,548 students
• School facilities list of priorities:
• Cost Summaiv—0 to 5 nears—total cost estimate in the amount of$225,049,468
• Cost Summary—6 to 10 nears—total cost estimate in the amount of$165,198,536
• The 2010-2011 Facility Needs Smvey identified the following riventy-five items as priorities:
• Replace four schools: College Park,Williams,Blair,and Pine Valley Elementary Schools
• Construct rivo new elementary schools: locations in Porter's Neck area and River Road area
• Land acquisitions for new schools
• District-wide building systems and infrastructure improvements
• Renovation of twelve schools
• District-wide teclmology improvements
• Estimated total project cost including fees and contingencies-$284,464,982
The Boards held a question and answer period with discussion concerning the list of priorities and the
associated costs.
In response to Board questions, Superintendent Markley reported that some of the items listed in the
security audit are included in the costs of the renovations of schools and in the proposed new schools while some of
the security audit items are currently being accomplished using existing finding. He added that the list of priorities
does not address the issue of the 84 mobile units and all items from the security audit.
In response to Board discussion concerning the proposed elementary school in the Porters Neck area,
Chairman Hayes stated that the location of the school will help to address traffic congestion concerns on North
Market Street. Chairman White added that the Board has committed to this school using General Fund fiords over
the next three years with the goal of doing more pay-as-you-go projects.
In response to Board questions concerning the bond referendum amount, Superintendent Markley stated
that $280 million was needed to complete the riventy-five items listed on the 2010-2011 Facility Needs Smvey list
but that it was not a hard number.
NEW HANOVER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS BOOK 32
SPECIAL MEETING,OCTOBER 16,2013 PAGE 723
In response to Board discussion, County Manager Chris Coudriet reminded the Board of the County's debt
management policy and the importance of the timing and amount of bond indebtedness to keep the County within
per capita debt limits.
In response to Board discussion concerning the timeline, the Board of Commissioners came to consensus
that the best time to place the bond referendum on the ballot would be during the general election in November 2014
with a determination on the amount to be made at least six months before that election.
A copy of the New Hanover County Schools 2010-2011 Facility Needs Suivey List is hereby incorporated
as a part of the minutes and is contained in Exhibit Book XXXVI,Page 17.12.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further discussion, Chairman White and Chairman Hayes requested motions from their
respective Boards to adjourn the meeting.
Motion: Vice-Chair Dawson MOVED, SECONDED by Commissioner Wolfe, to adjourn the meeting. Upon vote,
the MOTION CARRIED 4 TO 0. The meeting was adjourned at 4:48 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sheila L. Schult
Clerk to the Board