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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 03-18-2008-4hORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: March 18, 2008 Action Agenda Item No. 4- SUBJECT: Approval of Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Use of 2007-08 Lottery Funds for Conversion of Lincoln Center Pottery Shop to Classroom Space DEPARTMENT: Budget PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Attachment 1. Lincoln Center Pottery (INFORMATION CONTACT: Shop Conversion Project Donna Coffey, (919) 245-2151 Ordinance PURPOSE: To approve Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools use of 2007-08 Lottery Funds for conversion of Lincoln Center Pottery Shop to classroom space and authorize expenditures for the project via the attached Lincoln Center Pottery Shop Conversion Project Ordinance. BACKGROUND: On February 7, 2008, the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools' Board of Education approved a plan to use a portion of its current year lottery funds to create new classroom space for the Phoenix Academy and Pre-K classes by renovating current space at Lincoln Center. During the February 12, 2008 budget/capital work session, members from the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education informed Commissioners of its intent to move forward with the space conversion. The excerpt below (italicized) is from the February 7, 2008 Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Board of Education agenda: The Board of Education has previously requested an expansion of Phoenix Academy. The Academy is presently housed in three mobile units with a total square footage of 2, 880. An expansion of Phoenix could be accomplished at Lincoln Center by renovating the pottery shop and the two existing Pre-K classrooms. 1. The lease on the Lincoln Center gym and pottery shop has expired and the Town has been informed that the pottery shop will be needed for educational purposes. It will be available the first of April. 2. With the opening of Morris Grove, enrollments across the District will be reduced. Scroggs Elementary is projected to have 583 students, right at their 1 to 21 capacity, without counting mobiles. With that capacity, the availability of two designed Pre-K classrooms returns. Membership growth could be handled by the mobile classrooms or the converted resource room. The two Pre-K classrooms located at Lincoln Center would be moved to Mary Scroggs for the 2008-09 school year. 3. Lottery proceeds could be used to renovate the pottery shop for use by Phoenix Academy. The District has been told that funds should be available in late January, 2008. With the pottery shop vacant in April, renovation could begin there and then work could be completed after the Pre-K year is over. This would be a tight schedule just as the FPG primary building renovation was. 4. This would create three distinct learning areas for Phoenix with a total square footage of 5, 026. In preparation for this possibility, the District has investigated the following factors. 7. Renovation costs are running between $80 to $900 a square foot. That provides a $402,000 to $502,000 cost range, well within the amount of available lottery revenue. 2. Architect fees, permits and approvals usually account for 10 percent of the construction costs thus providing a cost range of $40 to $50 thousand dollars, still within budget. 3. The existing mobiles could be converted to several other uses. a. Expanded office space for Lincoln Center personnel b. Office space for Headstart personnel now located on Willow Drive. This would save the District over $40,000 annually. c. Meeting space for staff development d. In-take and/or Newcomer Center for Limited English Proficient Students The amount of NC Education Lottery proceeds currently available to Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools reflects two quarters of allocations from the State and totals $624,202. The attached Lincoln Center Pottery Shop Conversion Project Ordinance allocates all of the available funds to the project. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Financial impacts are included in the background information above. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools requested use of 2007-08 NC Education Lottery Proceeds and the corresponding Lincoln Center Pottery Shop Conversion Project Ordinance. 3 Lincoln Center Pottery Shop Conversion Project Ordinance Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Capital Project Ordinance Be it ordained by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners that pursuant to Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, the following capital project is hereby adopted. Section 1. The project authorized provides funds to create new classroom space for the Phoenix Academy and Pre-K classes by renovating current space at Lincoln Center. Proceeds from the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools' portion of the 2007-08 NC Education Lottery finance this project. Section 2. The officers of the County are hereby directed to proceed with the project within the budget contained herein. Section 3. The following revenue is anticipated to complete this project: Through FY 2006-07 FY 2007-08 Through FY 2007-08 Sales Tax $0 $0 $0 Im act Fees $0 $0 $0 2007-08 NC Education Lotter Proceeds $0 $624,202 $624,202 1992 Bond Funds $0 $0 $0 1997 Bond Funds $0 $0 $0 Transfers from Completed Pro'ects $0 $0 $0 Total Pro'ect Fundin $0 $624,202 $624,202 Section 4. The following amount is appropriated for this project: Through FY 2006-07 FY 2007-08 Through FY 2007-08 Plannin /Arch/Engin $0 $47,000 $47,000 Land/Assoc Fees $0 $0 $0 Construction $0 $494,000 $494,000 E ui ment/Furnishings $0 $65,000 $65,000 Contingenc $0 $18,202 $18,202 Contin enc $0 $0 $0 Total $0 $624,202 $624,202 Section 5. This ordinance, originally adopted March 18, 2008 shall remain in effect until June 30, 2009. Adopted this 18th day of March 2008.