Minutes
Attendance: Steve Gniadek (Chairman), Leon Karvelis, Peggy Sullivan, First Selectman Julia Pemberton.
Mr. Gniadek called the meeting of the committee to order at 5:05 pm in the Town Hall Conference Room.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Motion: move that the Long Range Financial Planning Committee approve the minutes of the November 19, 2014 meeting as submitted. Sullivan, Karvelis. Approved. Unanimous.
DISCUSSION
Mrs. Sullivan shared a schedule of Redding Board of Education 2015-16 Capital Requests (attached) and reported that the electrical work at RES, paving and parking lot work at RES and JRMS and the bleacher replacement and gym floor at JRMS are substantially complete, with only a couple of open punch list items. The RES front entrance will receive the new doors and alarm work will be performed on Monday, Sept 14 when school is not in session. The Board of Ed’s facilities committee is meeting next week with the architectural/design firm to start work on the engineering design of the HVAC system work at JRMS and RES in preparation for the work starting at JRMS during the summer 2016.
Mrs. Sullivan shared the Redding Schools Capital Plan (attached) for the years 2015-16 through 2019-20, noting the priority for the 2016-17 year is the HVAC work at JRMS.
Mrs. Sullivan also shared the Region 9 Capital plan (attached) with the committee.
Student enrollment in the Redding schools is declining, but not as rapidly as predicted. At RES, the 2014-15 actual PK-4 enrollment was 502 students, predicted to decrease to 466 in 2015-16. On the first day of school 476 students were present with several more anticipated. JRMS actual enrollment for 2014-15 was 510 students, predicted to drop to 474 in 2015-16. Exactly 474 students were in school on the first day. JBHS enrollment for 2014-15 was 1050 students, predicted to decrease to 1024 for the 2015-16 year. First day enrollment was 1027.
Mr. Gniadek shared a schedule of the Town’s capital projects (attached) separated into projects to be financed through BANS and projects/equipment to be financed through leases. A discussion started about what qualifies a project as capital to be funded through BANS. Mrs. Sullivan will research other town capital expenditure polices and discuss with the auditors and will present a recommendation at the next meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: move that the meeting be adjourned. Karvelis, Sullivan. Approved. Unanimous.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:50 pm
Submitted by Peggy Sullivan