BELLEVUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Bond Oversight Committee Meeting Minutes Bellevue, Nebraska
Official Minutes January 17, 2017

The BPS Bond Oversight Committee met at 6:30 p.m. on January 17, 2017, at the Bellevue Public Schools Welcome Center, 2600 Arboretum Dr., Bellevue, NE.

Advance notice of the meeting occurred on the front page of the Bellevue Public School’s District website.

Attendance:

Present Committee Members:                        Also in Attendance:

Bill Baldwin                                                    Jeff Rippe, Superintendent
Thomas Birk                                                   Ralph Gladbach, GPR Architecture
John Carozza                                                  Greg Boettger, Director of Facilities & Technology
Sharon Hammarlund                                    Susan Brooks, Director of Finance
Michael Parker                                                Richard Casey, Director of Transportation
Douglas Yenzer                                               Bill Richards, Director of Activities & Grounds

Not in Attendance: Mike Hall

Jim Hawkins

 

Welcome and Introduction – Dr. Jeff Rippe welcomed the Committee members to the first Bond Oversight Committee Meeting. Also, he thanked the group for taking the time to serve on the committee. He shared that these meetings will be open to the public, along with minutes being taken and shared on the Bellevue Public Schools Bond website.

Purpose of the Committee – Dr. Jeff Rippe shared the history of the Bellevue Public Schools and what lead to the bond issue. It began when the district over time loss funding from the Impact Aid, which in turn the district didn’t have the funds available to repair building issues. Then a facility assessment was completed of the buildings in the district by Jacobs 3 years ago, which lead to a Facilities Master Plan. The board held community meetings which resulting in feedback on how the district should move forward. It was decided not to close buildings. The Board chose to have a mail in public vote for the bond. Through the vote the $76,000,000 bond was approved. It was requested by the public for transparency that a bond oversight committee should be formed.

Dr. Rippe then proceeded to share the purpose and responsibility of the Bond Oversight Committee. The group was formed to oversee how the $76,000,000 bond proceeds are being utilized and to monitor that the district is spending funds as advertised. The expectancy of the committee should be 5-6 years. The Committee will report to the Board if it believes the bond program is not in accordance with the Master Facilities Plan and objectives. The district will review all bids on projects with the Committee, before presenting to the Board of Education for final approval. Sharon Hammarlund requested to get a copy of the bond language. It was then provided to the committee at the meeting. John Carozza asked if the Board could outline what is expected of the committee. The district has hired Ralph Gladbach of GPR Architecture who will be the lead design architect and program manager. Mr. Gladbach’s company will manage all projects except technology and buses, which will be handled by the BPS district.

Committee Chair – The group had a discussion regarding having a Committee Chair who would attend board meetings to report feedback from the Bond Oversight Committee meetings. It was decided at this time the committee would not have a Committee Chair. Once the group has a better understanding of the committee and each other’s expertise, they will nominate a Chair.

Meeting Dates – The Committee made the decision to meet monthly on the 3rd Thursday of the month. A schedule of dates will be provided to the Committee and posted on the website.

Binder/Projects/Expenditures – Each Committee member received a binder which included the agenda, Bond Projects as per Facilities Assessment, Student Transportation Five Year Vehicle Replacement Plan, White Fleet Vehicle Replacement Plan, Projected Expenses, and Bellevue Public Schools 2016 General Obligation Bonds Summary as of 12/31/2016. The Bond Projects as per Facilities Assessment was completed from the information provided from Jacobs when the building assessments were completed 3 years ago. Greg Boettger explained the technology, safety and security were taken out of the project lists for each of the buildings. These items will be submitted into a separate project list and cost for the entire district. It was requested for Mr. Boettger to send an explanation on how the numbers correlate to the Bond Projects as per Facilities Assessment and the reporting listed on the BPS website.

Mr. Boettger presented a list of projects the district would begin with. A few of those projects have started the process due to timeline for bids and cut-off dates. Sharon Hammarlund asked for an update on Bellevue East. Dr. Rippe shared the process is underway on getting bids, contractors, etc. This project will take time to complete due to the complexity.

Dr. Rippe explained the process that was used for selling the first $10,000,000 in bonds in December 2016. Susan Brooks then provided a financial update on the bond dollars available at this time. An update will be given to the Committee each month. This information will also be provided to the public through the BPS Bond website.

There were a few emergency projects that needed to take place before January. The fire alarms at Bellevue East and a white fleet snow plow. Both items were part of the bond issue and were approved by the Board. The district used general funds, but can transfer the money out of the bond proceeds.

Rich Casey gave an update on the cost for the purchase of new white fleet vehicles and buses the district is in need of. These vehicles are out to bid with 3 different vendors.

The Committee reviewed the project list that would cover the first round of bonds that were sold. Those items would be as follows: bus purchase, white fleet, technology, Bellevue East fire system, and both high school football fields. Bertha Barber, Twin Ridge, and LeMay will have multiple projects. The question was asked why the football fields. Bill Richards explained an outside organization completed an assessment that if not replaced could restrict the fields from being used due to safety issues. Mr. Richards shared the fields are 10 years old and are used by others for curriculum needs and school activities besides football.

Ralph Gladbach distributed a sample report that will be used to show the progress of each project. This information will also be posted on the BPS Bond website. Mr. Gladbach asked for feedback if there were any modifications that should be made to the document. These requests were noted by Mr. Gladbach.

The next meeting will be February 16, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. at the BPS Welcome Center. Dr. Rippe reviewed what the Committee would be discussing and what the district has committed to. The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

 

Board of Education Secretary