1
CAPTIONING
PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING
AUGUST 26, 2013
***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the ***following meeting. It should be used for informational ***purposes only. This document has not been edited; ***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words ***that did not translate.
>>DEREK DOUGHTY: GOOD AFTERNOON, AND WELCOME TO THE AUGUST 26, 2013, SPECIAL MEETING OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CITY-COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THIS MEETING.
YOUR COMMENTS AND PARTICIPATION ARE ENCOURAGED.
IF YOU WILL PLEASE SIGN THE REGISTER AT THE REAR OF THE ROOM AND TURN OFF ANY DEVICES THAT MAY BE A DISTRACTION.
WHEN ADDRESSING THIS MEETING, WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND SPEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
THE MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED AS FOLLOWS: AGENDA ITEM WILL BE INTRODUCED, AND STAFF WILL GIVE A PRESENTATION WITH A 15-MINUTE TIME LIMIT.
THE APPLICANT WILL THEN GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION WITH A 15-MINUTE TIME LIMIT.
OPPONENTS AND PROPONENTS WILL BE HEARD FOR THREE MINUTES EACH, AND THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE A THREE-MINUTE REBUTTAL PERIOD.
PLANNING COMMISSIONERS WILL THEN ASK QUESTIONS, PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE CLOSED, AND UPON A MOTION AND A SECOND, THERE WILL BE DISCUSSION AND A VOTE WILL BE TAKEN.
WITH THAT INTRODUCTION, I ASK THAT YOU ALL STAND FOR THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS ALL OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS, BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD, AS THEY PROTECT NEWS THEIR DAILY DUTIES FOR ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE MAY PROVIDE.
WE ALSO ASK THAT YOU PROVIDE US WITH THE ABILITY TO PRACTICE YOUR PRINCIPLES IN OUR DELIBERATIONS.
AMEN.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
[ROLL CALL TAKEN]
>> THANK YOU.
WE HAVE A QUORUM.
>>DEREK DOUGHTY: THANK YOU.
THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM NUMBER 2 ON OUR AGENDA FOR THIS AFTERNOON, SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN 2013/2014 THROUGH 2017/2018.
MS. KELLY.
>>KRISTA KELLY: GOOD AFTERNOON.
KRISTA KELLY, PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF.
THIS ITEM IS A CONSISTENCY REVIEW FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES PLAN FROM 2013/14 TO 2017/18.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOARD AND EACH OF THE FOUR JURISDICTIONS, WHICH MANDATES THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL REVIEW THE DISTRICT'S FIVE-YEAR FACILITY PLAN EACH YEAR AS IT'S UPDATED.
MS. CATHY VALDES WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS HERE TO PRESENT THE FACILITY PLAN AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
FOLLOWING HER PRESENTATION, STAFF WILL PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING CONSISTENCY AND ACTION BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THANK YOU.
>>CATHY VALDES: GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
CATHY VALDES, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR, GET TO COME AND PRESENT TO YOU OUR FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE IN OUR FIVE-YEAR PLAN, THAT IS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, LOOKS OUT FOR A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
THE MOST CERTAIN, OF COURSE, IS THE CURRENT YEAR, AND THE OTHERS ARE PROJECTIONS.
BUT IN THIS CURRENT YEAR, 2013/14, WE HAVE NO NEW SCHOOLS OPENING.
HOWEVER, NEXT YEAR, IN 14/15, WE DO HAVE A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE FIRST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WE WILL HAVE OPENED NOW IN THREE YEARS, A NEW SCHOOL.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY NEW GROWTH IN THAT CAPACITY AS FAR AS ADDING NEW CAPACITY FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS NOW.
BUT IN 14/15, IN THE RUSKIN AREA NEXT TO LENNARD HIGH SCHOOL, WE WILL BE OPENING ELEMENTARY A.
WE ARE PROUD TO SAY THAT ELEMENTARY A, WHICH WAS DISCUSSED LAST YEAR AND FUNDED IN OUR PREVIOUS PLAN, IS GOING TO BE A LEED SILVER SCHOOL, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT AND VERY ANXIOUS TO SEE THAT OPEN.
IN 15/16, WE'LL BE OPENING ELEMENTARY B.
THAT'S IN THE MAGNOLIA PARK AREA, WHICH IS DOWN OFF OF PROGRESS VILLAGE BOULEVARD.
AND IN 16/17, IF EVERYTHING GOES AS PLANNED AND THE PROJECTIONS HOLD TRUE AND OUR IMPACT FEES COME IN AT THE ANTICIPATED RATE, WE WILL BE OPENING A MIDDLE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL TT, WHICH IS IN THE SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH AREA, AND THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL IS DOWN OFF OF BALM ROAD OR 672.
IN 17/18, NO NEW SCHOOLS.
BUT THEN LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR LONG-RANGE PLAN, THAT IS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE WATERSET AREA AND A MIDDLE SCHOOL AT ENCORE, WHICH IS IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN NAMED, MEACHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE WATERSET AREA ALSO.
OUR PLAN PROVIDES FOR AN ESTIMATED CAPITAL REVENUE OF $264,510,660.
OF THAT, $160,618,855 FOR MAJOR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS.
THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE HVAC RENOVATIONS, LIGHTING RETROFITS, EXTERIOR PAINTING, ROOF -- A LOT OF ROOF, A LOT OF HVAC, A LOT OF EXTERIOR PAINT.
THAT'S THE $160 MILLION.
THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, $85,205,609, THAT'S FOR THOSE NEW SCHOOLS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
RENOVATION.
ONE THING -- AND IT DID COME UP AT THE LAST MEETING IN REGARD TO OUR GRADE, IF YOU WILL, FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, OUR RENOVATIONS, WE ARE PROUD TO SAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A FEW YEARS, TO BE ABLE TO FUND THREE RENOVATIONS, $18,686,196 PROJECTED.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO FUND THREE RENOVATIONS.
OF COURSE, WE NEED TO FUND A LOT MORE.
WE DO HAVE SOME UNFUNDED RENOVATIONS, AND WE'LL TALK LATER ABOUT THAT.
THIS YEAR, IN THIS FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, AS WE'VE STATED, OUR NEW SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY B AT MAGNOLIA PARK AND THE ELEMENTARY AT WATERSET, WHICH WE WILL BE PARTIALLY FUNDING IN THIS FIVE-YEAR PERIOD TO BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT IT IN THE NEXT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
ALSO, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TT, AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, AND OUR MEACHAM AT ENCORE THAT WE WILL BE PARTIALLY FUNDING IN THIS FIVE-YEAR PERIOD.
HERE'S A MAP OF WHERE OUR NEW SCHOOLS ARE GOING TO BE LOCATED, AS STATED.
THE ELEMENTARY DOWN BY LENNARD HIGH SCHOOL, THAT'S A.
B UP IN THE PROGRESS VILLAGE AREA, B, ELEMENTARY.
THEN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, TT, ON BALM ROAD.
ADDITIONS TO EXISTING SCHOOLS.
AS YOU WILL REMEMBER, FOR MANY YEARS, WE ADDED AND ADDED AND ADDED AS CLASS SIZE REDUCTION, THAT CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE FOR CLASS SIZE WAS BEING IMPLEMENTED.
WE DID A LOT OF ADDITIONS AT SCHOOLS.
WE AREN'T ADDING ANYMORE.
I THINK WE'VE ADDED ABOUT ALL THAT WE CAN ADD TO OUR EXISTING SCHOOLS.
BUT WE ARE PLEASED, AS I STATED, TO HAVE MAJOR RENOVATIONS AT BING ELEMENTARY, BOYETTE SPRINGS ELEMENTARY, AND CANNELLA ELEMENTARY.
ADDITIONALLY, WITH OUR CAPITAL DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO FUND BUS PURCHASES.
THIS TOO, NOT NEARLY ENOUGH, BUT WE WILL BE FUNDING IN THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD $11 MILLION FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF SCHOOL BUSES.
SITE PURCHASES, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DOLLARS DEDICATED TO THAT.
WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING DEVELOPER DEDICATIONS FOR OUR SITES.
ANTICIPATED REVENUE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE $103,891,805 ALLOCATED TO THAT THROUGH LOCAL MILLAGE.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME YEARS AGO, ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, OUR MILLAGE FOR CAPITAL WAS CUT FROM 2 MILLS TO 1.5 MILLS.
THAT PUT QUITE A DENT IN OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT -- OUR CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, BECAUSE OF OUR DEBT SERVICE, BECAUSE ALL THOSE DOLLARS THAT WE BORROWED WHILE WE WERE BUILDING THOSE 70-PLUS SCHOOLS DURING THOSE HIGH-GROWTH TIMES, THAT DEBT CONSUMES ALMOST 70% OF OUR CAPITAL DOLLARS THAT COME INTO THE DISTRICT.
SO THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCE AND THE ONLY FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE NEW SCHOOLS THAT WE'LL BE BUILDING OR THAT WE'LL EVER BE ABLE TO BUILD IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE WILL BE OUR IMPACT FEES, SO THOSE SCHOOLS THAT WE DISCUSSED AS BEING NEW, A, B, TT, AND THEN ON TO THE ONES IN OUR LONGER-RANGE PLAN, WILL BE FUNDED BY IMPACT FEES.
OUR CONSTRUCTION NEED, OF COURSE, IS $221,278,260.
SO WE HAVE MORE NEED THAN WE HAVE REVENUE COMING IN.
WE HAVE NEED FOR THE TWO ELEMENTARY, THREE MIDDLE, AND THE 20 REMODELING PROJECTS, OF WHICH ONLY 17 CAN BE FUNDED.
GOING BACK TO THE CAPITAL DOLLARS SIDE, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT -- AND MOST OF US KNOW -- THAT WE USED TO GET PECO, PUBLIC EDUCATION CAPITAL OUTLAY FUNDS, THAT WE COULD USE FOR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS AND FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY PECO DOLLARS EITHER BECAUSE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THEY WERE GOING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS AND TO UNIVERSITIES, AND NOW THEY'RE TOTALLY HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.
OUR MAJOR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS, AT OUR 263 SITES, $160,618,855.
SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT IT'S NOT.
OF COURSE, AS WITH EVERY GOVERNMENT, PROBABLY, WE DO HAVE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE PROJECTS.
OUR DEBT, AS WE DISCUSSED -- THIS IS OUR DEBT, $1,088,234,652.84.
SO THAT'S A HUGE DEBT, AND THAT, AS I SAID, CONSUMES ABOUT 70% OF OUR CAPITAL DOLLARS THAT COME INTO THE DISTRICT.
SO I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS IF ANY OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN.
>>DEREK DOUGHTY: THANK YOU, MS. VALDES.
COMMISSIONERS?
COMMISSIONER HOLLANDS.
>>BRIAN HOLLANDS: THAT'S A PRETTY STAGGERING DEBT NUMBER.
IS THERE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THAT?
>>CATHY VALDES: WELL, THAT IS -- THAT -- ADDRESSING IT HAS BEEN -- I MEAN, THAT'S HOW WE ACQUIRED THE DEBT WITH THE PLAN, AND THIS IS WITH OUR CAPITAL DOLLARS AND THROUGH OUR MILLAGE.
THAT IS THE PLAN.
>>BRIAN HOLLANDS: SO I GUESS WHAT I AM LOOKING AT IS IN THAT PLAN, IT WAS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR NOT JUST HAVING THE DEBT, BUT THAT 70% OF REVENUE IS WHAT WOULD BE --
>>CATHY VALDES: WELL, NO, THERE WAS NO ANTICIPATION THAT OUR REVENUE WAS GOING TO BE DECREASED.
OF COURSE, IT USED TO BE THAT WE GOT 2 MILLS FOR CAPITAL.
IT WASN'T THROUGH ANY ACTION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT IT'S NOW BEEN REDUCED TO 1.5 MILLS.
THAT IS A STATE ACTION.
THERE IS AN ALLOWANCE FOR LOCAL MILLAGE, AN ADDITIONAL .25 MILLS LOCAL, TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARD CAPITAL, BUT OUR BOARD HAS NOT SEEN FIT TO DO THAT, AND OUR SUPERINTENDENT, BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THERE'S NOT A REAL WILLINGNESS, I THINK, IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE KIND OF EQUALLY STRESSED, TO DO ADDITIONAL TAX FOR CAPITAL FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>>BRIAN HOLLANDS: SO WHAT I'M GETTING AT, THEN, IS IS THERE, IN LIGHT OF THE REDUCTIONS IN FUNDING THAT HAVE OCCURRED THAT WERE NOT ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED, A PLAN TO DEAL WITH THE DEBT IN TERMS OF REDUCING IT, PAYING DOWN THE PRINCIPAL ON THE DEBT, OR IS IT JUST AN ISSUE OF SERVICING THE DEBT AT PRESENT UNTIL SOMETHING ELSE CAN BE THOUGHT OF?
>>CATHY VALDES: THAT'S CORRECT, JUST SERVICING AS PRESENT.
IT'S HARD TO PAY IT DOWN WHEN THE ONLY DOLLARS THAT YOU CAN PUT TOWARD THAT ARE DOLLARS THAT ARE SO -- SO NEEDED IN THE MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION ARENA.
IF OUR REVENUE -- YOU KNOW, WE START BRINGING IN LOTS OF CASH BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE ECONOMIC REBOUND -- WHICH I THINK WE'RE SEEING AND THERE IS GROWTH AS IT'S HAPPENING IN SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH, WHICH IS FUNDING -- THOSE DOLLARS ARE FUNDING THE NEW SCHOOL -- THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT MAYBE DOWN THE ROAD THERE COULD BE SOME DEBT PAY-DOWN.
OF COURSE, OUR BOND COUNSEL TAKES EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME REFINANCING, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR DEBT IN THAT REGARD.
BUT THAT'S ABOUT THE ONLY THING AT THIS POINT THAT I CAN SAY THAT WE ARE EVEN LOOKING TOWARD.
>>BRIAN HOLLANDS: ALL RIGHT.
TOTALLY SEPARATE QUESTION THAT I HAD AS I WAS GOING THROUGH ALL THIS IS AS FAR AS THE STATE'S VIRTUAL SCHOOL AND REQUIREMENT OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND SUCH TO BE TAKING VIRTUAL CLASSES, AT PRESENT, OR THROUGH TODAY, HAS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SEEN ANY KIND OF AN IMPACT THAT THAT'S HAD POSITIVELY ON CAPACITY IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, OR HAS IT REALLY NOT HAD ANY IMPACT AT PRESENT ON THAT?
AND -- THAT'S THE ANSWER I'M EXPECTING -- AS THAT PROGRAM BECOMES MORE AND MORE PREVALENT, I GUESS THAT'S THE WORD, PROLIFERATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, IS THERE AN EXPECTATION IT MAY HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON CAPACITY?
>>CATHY VALDES: THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE WE COULD SEE UP TO PRESENT.
THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT IT WILL.
HOWEVER, MOST TIMES THOSE STUDENTS ARE TAKING ONE OR TWO CLASSES THROUGH VIRTUAL EDUCATION, AND SO THEY STILL REQUIRE A SEAT.
SO WE'RE STILL HAVING TO BUILD SEATS FOR THEM.
NOW, IN THE BIGGER PICTURE OF SCHEDULING, ESPECIALLY IN A HIGH SCHOOL, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THAT WOULD REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SEATS REQUIRED.
SO IT MAY PLAY OUT TO BE A MINIMAL IMPACT AS WE GO ALONG.
THE STATE DID PROJECT THAT THROUGH THE VIRTUAL AND THROUGH CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT WE WOULD HAVE A REDUCED NEED FOR SEATS.
THEY SINCE HAVE COME OFF THAT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY'VE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE'RE NOT REALIZING THAT.
>>BRIAN HOLLANDS: AND THEN FROM THAT AS WELL, THE CLASS SIZE AMENDMENT, DOES THAT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL SEATS?
>>CATHY VALDES: NO.
THERE'S NO CAP TO VIRTUAL, OF COURSE.
>>BRIAN HOLLANDS: THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
OKAY.
GOOD.
THERE WAS A THIRD QUESTION THAT I HAD, BUT IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN AS IMPORTANT AS THE OTHER TWO, SO I'LL YIELD BACK.
>>CATHY VALDES: THANK YOU.
>>DEREK DOUGHTY: THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOLLANDS.
BEFORE I GO ON TO FURTHER COMMISSIONERS' QUESTIONS, I NEGLECTED TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHED TO SPEAK EITHER FOR OR AGAINST THIS ITEM.
OKAY, SEEING NONE, I WILL MOVE ON.
COMMISSIONER CURY.
>>BRUCE CURY: MRS. VALDES, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION INVOLVED THREE SCHOOLS, ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TWO ELEMENTARY.
THE ELEMENTARIES ARE CALLED A AND B.
>>CATHY VALDES: PRESENTLY.
ON SEPTEMBER 24, WE WILL BE NAMING ELEMENTARY A.
>>BRUCE CURY: I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME WAY TO REFER TO THEM.
ALL RIGHT.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL A AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA; YES?
>>CATHY VALDES: THAT'S CORRECT.
>>BRUCE CURY: IS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL B WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA?
>>CATHY VALDES: IT IS.
>>BRUCE CURY: THANK YOU.
THAT WASN'T CLEAR.
IF IT WAS NOT WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA, I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU WHY IT WASN'T.
I HAVE NOTHING ELSE.
>>CATHY VALDES: IT IS, BUT I AM GOING TO VERIFY THAT WITH LORRAINE DUFFY SUAREZ.
I FORGOT TO MENTION HER.
LORRAINE DUFFY SUAREZ IS OUR PLANNER AND OUR GENERAL MANAGER OF PLANNING AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED THAT SHE IS ABLE TO JOIN US.
I THINK SHE WAS PART OF YOUR GROUP FOR MANY YEARS.
THAT'S THE ANSWER, YES, SHE CONFIRMED THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
>>BRUCE CURY: ALL THREE WERE WITHIN THE URBAN SERVICE AREA?
>>CATHY VALDES: THAT'S CORRECT.
>>BRUCE CURY: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>DEREK DOUGHTY: COMMISSIONER GREEN.
>>THEODORE TRENT GREEN: BESIDES JUST DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PROJECTING WHERE NEW SCHOOLS WILL BE NEEDED AND THEN FACTOR THEM INTO YOUR LONG-TERM PLANNING PROCESS?