Loading...
2010-11-01 MinutesJOINT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WITH THE CHESTERFIELD LEGISLATIVE MINUTES November 1, 2010 Supervisors in Attendance: Mr. Daniel A. Gecker, Chairman Mr. James Holland, Vice Chairman Ms. Dorothy Jaeckle Mr. Arthur S. Warren Ms. Marleen K. Durfee Mr. James J. L. Stegmaier County Administrator School Board Members in Attendance: Mr. David Wyman, Chairman Mr. Marshall Trammell, Jr. Vice Chairman Ms. Dianne Pettitt Mr . Omarh Rajah Ms. Patricia Carpenter Dr. Marcus Newsome, School Superintendent Legislators in Attendance: Senator Stephen H. Martin Senator John Watkins Delegate Roslyn R. Dance Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi Delegate Delores L. McQuinn Delegate R. Lee Ware, Jr. WELCOME AND CALL TO ORDER DELEGATION Staff in Attendance: Dr. Sheryl Bailey Deputy County Admin., Management Services Ms. Janice Blakley, Clerk to the Board Mr. Allan Carmody, Dir., Budget and Management Ms. Jana Carter, Dir., Juvenile Services Ms. Mary Ann Curtin, Dir., Intergovtl. Relations Mr. William Dupler, Interim Deputy County Admin., Community Development Colonel Thierry Dupuis, Police Department Mr. Michael Golden, Dir., Parks and Recreation Mr. Donald Kappel, Dir., Public Affairs Mr. Rob Key, Director, General Services Ms. Mary Martin-Selby, Asst. Dir., Human Resource Management Ms. Sarah Snead, Deputy County Admin., Human Services Mr. Kirk Turner, Dir., Planning Mr. Gecker called the joint meeting to order at 3:15 p.m. and expressed appreciation to the members of the delegation for attending the meeting. He informed the delegation of several recent administrative appointments within the county, including Ms. Sarah Snead as Deputy County Administrator for Human Services, Dr. Sheryl Bailey as Deputy County Administrator for Management Services, Mr. Bill Dupler as Interim Deputy County Administrator for Community Development and Mr. Jeff Mincks as County Attorney. Mr. Wyman stated the School Board appreciates the opportunity to share information with the members of the delegation and 10-691 11/1/10 expressed appreciation to the delegation for their support in the past. Mr. Gecker stated at last year's meeting there was talk of the fiscal challenge the county was facing. He further stated Chesterfield has prided itself for years on two fundamental priorities, public safety and education. He stated this Board's initial plan was to bring the size of county government down to a sustainable level. He further stated one of the first things the Board did before the economic downturn hit was to direct administration to itemize government programs, the cost of the programs and the number of residents who would benefit from them. He stated the purpose of that initial analysis was to assist the Board in looking for places to trim the size of county government back to a level that would be sustainable long term. He further stated, after the downtown, there were no longer resources to move forward. He stated in two years' time, the county budget was reduced by $50 million and the number of employees by 300. He stated education took some hits from local funding that was necessitated by the downturn and decreased funding from the state. He further stated the purpose of today's meeting is to stress sustainability and plans to work cooperatively with the state delegation to ensure that public safety and education that define the county are not. diminished any further. He stated in the last session the delegation and General Assembly as a whole faced issues such as eliminating the BPOL tax and machinery and tools tax. He further stated years ago the county revamped the BPOL system so that small businesses would not have to pay the tax. He further stated BPOL revenue is an economic development tool, noting that BPOL revenue helped to fund the Meadowville Interchange. He stated the machinery and tools tax is often bargained away with economic development prospects. He stated in closing that the relationship between the Board of Supervisors and the School Board is strong as the two were together to address present issues. COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS Mr. Stegmaier presented the members of the General Assembly, the Board of Supervisors and the School Board with an overview of sustaining a strong community including community engagement, planning for the future, a focus on economic development, fiscal stability and looming challenges. He stated the county has done a lot of engaging the public in the process through budget workshops, citizen committees on the budget, Comprehensive Plan and recycling, and web and phone feedback opportunities. He provided details of positive Citizen Satisfaction Survey results. He stated the Alliance for Youth has selected Chesterfield County as a four-time winner of the award for "One of the 100 Best Communities in America for Young People." He further stated the Board has moved forward on a major revision to the county's Comprehensive Plan. He stated Richmond and Chesterfield worked together to secure a $400,000 grant to begin looking at Hull Street Road and ways to revitalize that area. He further stated economic development is the key to funding the services that the citizens expect. He stated Meadowville Technology Park and SportsQuest are partnerships that continue to supply economic growth to the county and noted that the Board has worked hard to generate a pro-business 10-692 J J J 11/1/10 climate. He further stated a new process has recently begun through the county libraries and Shop Chesterfield First to help small businesses get started. He announced that the county's AAA bond rating has been reaffirmed by the three bond rating agencies during the review of financing of the Meadowville Interchange. He stated the reduction in the county's general fund budget between FY09 and FY11 was $48.4 million and the number of full-time and part-time positions eliminated in FY10 and FY11 was 300. He further stated public safety and education are critical to maintaining interest in a particular locality. He discussed the continued housing market uncertainty. He stated there is a weak general fund revenue outlook and FY2015 is projected to be less than one percent above FY2008. He stated a good quality of life and service is being maintained throughout the county. SCHOOL CHAIRMAN' S CO1rIl~IENTS Mr. Wyman stated many different mechanisms were put into place over the last year to assist the Board of Supervisors and School Board in working together. He further stated Chesterfield County Schools stands out in this region, in the state, and in the nation in terms of performance from a financial standpoint and from an academic standpoint. He expressed appreciation to the delegation for identifying education as one of the main priorities in the state. He stated all county schools have been fully accredited for the past three years. He further stated student achievement is at an all-time high within the county's schools. He stated Chesterfield schools are in the lowest quartile of all school systems in the state in terms of cost per pupil. SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT'S COMMENTS Dr. Newsome expressed appreciation to the Board of Supervisors as well as the School Board for hosting the event. He further expressed appreciation to the delegation members for their service to the citizens of Chesterfield County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. He stated he is proud to call Chesterfield County home due to the quality of life it provides for his family. He further stated his first opportunity to meet before the Board of Supervisors was a request for $1.7 million dollars to be reallocated to the school division to support safety in the schools. He stated the Board voted unanimously in support and since that time surveillance cameras have been installed in all Chesterfield County schools. He presented an overview of preparing students for the 21st century. He stated statistics have changed in regards to demographics in the last ten years. He further stated families in poverty, indicated by participation in the free and reduced-lunch program, increased from 20.68 percent five years ago to 27.4 percent this year. He announced that Chesterfield County Public Schools is the largest division in Virginia with all schools fully accredited, and pass rates for three consecutive years on state-mandated standardized tests continue to exceed state averages. He stated the county's schools remain safe as a result of new technologies. He stated during the past two years, the school division's operating budget has been reduced by nearly $80 million, and $27-plus million will be cut next year, for a total reduction of nearly 18 percent. He announced that nearly 500 positions have been eliminated, 10-693 11/1/10 class sizes have increased, fewer administrators are in schools, class choices have been eliminated or limited, teachers are being lured away to work for other school divisions that are not reducing compensation, and capital projects were postponed as nearly $100 million was cut from the Capital Improvement Plan. He further stated the FY2011 projected shortfall is $27.1 million. In closing, he stressed continuing to embrace the School Board's vision that every Chesterfield school will be a thriving, dynamic and inspiring educational environment that produces self-directed learners with 21st century skills and stimulates citizens of all ages to trust in, invest in and benefit from public education. Mr. Wyman stated in regards to the Jobs Bill revenue, $12 million was allocated to Chesterfield County to be spent between this fiscal year and next fiscal year, and it has yet to be spent. CO1~Il~lENTS ON 2011 SESSION In response to Delegate Dance's question, Dr. Newsome stated 1,900 students were enrolled in dual enrollment courses last year. Mr. Wyman stated over 5,700 students were enrolled in advanced placement courses. He further stated it is a struggle to fill those classes to full capacity. Mr. Rajah stated parents have indicated that many colleges do not accept the advanced placement classes as credits. Delegate Dance stated there should be a smooth transition from high school to college in regards to dual enrollment courses. In response to Senator Watkin's questions, Mr. Stegmaier stated in regards to the size of the reduction in the general fund budget the $50 million is inclusive of the school system. He further stated the number of current employee positions within the county is over 3,000. Discussion ensued relative to decreased revenue from real estate taxes and real estate market trends. In response to Senator Watkin's question, Dr. Newsome stated the number of students enrolled this year is approximately 59,801, with a decrease of 228 students. In response to Senator Watkin's question regarding the lunch program, Dr. Newsome stated only elementary and middle school applicants are included in the percentage. In response to Mr. Rajah's question regarding the VRS system, Senator Watkins stated a 5 percent employee contribution was offered by the General Assembly for all new employees who were hired after July 1St and asked the School Board to rethink their position regarding the contribution. Mr. Wyman stated salary reductions as well as benefit reductions were needed in terms of the budget. He further stated the Virginia Retirement System is on the School Board's agenda for consideration in the future. He stated when going through those reductions the School Board has 10-694 J J J 11/1/10 looked at discretionary spending, reductions in positions, benefit reductions and PTR increases. He further stated there are transportation issues and, stress on teachers regarding class size. Dr. Newsome stated of the 133 school divisions in the state, only six went to the two-tiered VRS system. He further stated the School Board is in a reduction mode and even if that strategy was implemented, there would be very little revenue. Senator Watkins stated he understands the tough choices local governments have to face. Mr. Trammell stated there was a lot of debate and questions asked regarding VRS, indicating that the 5 percent contribution for new employees would be a viable option in the future. L In response to Ms. Durfee's question regarding transportation, Senator Watkins stated he supports the user- pay system. In response to Delegate McQuinn's question, Dr. Newsome stated the teacher pupil ratio has gone from 24:1 to 25:1. He further stated at the end of September, the average class size was 30. Mr. Trammell stated elective courses such as foreign language classes have decreased. Ms. Pettitt stated these reductions have fallen back to the middle schools. Mr. Holland expressed appreciation to the members of the delegation for their hard work. He stated the growth patterns seen in the past will not continue and the spending associated with that growth is unsustainable. He further stated we are going through a very challenging economy with 12 months of housing inventory and unemployment rates at 7 percent. He stated there will be opportunities in the midst of this challenge. He further stated it would behoove the Board to take a look at the processes and procedures in place that could use some improvement. Mr. Gecker expressed appreciation to the members of the delegation for attending the meeting and for their contributions to the community and constituents. CLOSING CONa2ENTS On motion o~ 4 35 Holmando Novemberd b7, M2010uate3:00hp.moain add ourned a p the Public Meeting Room. Ayes: Gecker, Holland, Jaeckle, Warren, and Durfee. Nayes: None.. mes J Stegm er Daniel A. Gecker Count Administrator Chairman 10-695 11/1/10 J J J