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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2010)
Page 12 The INDEPENDENT, February 18, 2010 Banks School Board hears update from Facilities Planning group The presentation of the work accomplished to-date by the Facilities Planning Committee 3 (FPC3) was the principal busi- ness of the Banks School board at their February 8 meet- ing. Pete Edison, chairman of FPC3, said that the district is being well served by the dedi- cated and diverse group of vol- unteers and professionals who have been working to develop a realistic facilities improve- ment plan for the district. Edison told the board that the committee reviewed all of the existing research to identify facilities that needed updating, improving, or planning for maintenance or expansion. Heaping praise on the commit- tee for their enthusiasm and commitment, Edison said all of the meetings have been well- attended by the nine committee members, their alternates, and members of the administrative team. The district’s bond con- sultants are “fully committed”, and attend every meeting, where they provide invaluable input and guidance. Scott Rose (DLR Architects) brings a con- ceptual drawing which the com- mittee discusses, then Rose transforms each conceptual drawing into another, more comprehensive design for each meeting, while Rick Rainone continues to keep construction costs within the projected budget and Marsha Latta (C&M Communications) collects items to test in public opinion and helps develop a positive conceptual base for the plan. FPC3 has also done “a con- siderable amount of work” on traffic according to Edison. Banks City Manager Jim Hough attended a meeting with Kirsten Pennington (CH2MHill) who is completing the city’s transportation system plan. The school property, located on state highway 47, is classified as a special transportation area by the Oregon Department of Transportation according to Pennington. ODOT will eventu- ally have to approve a traffic flow design that tries to better meet the needs of pedestrians, Special Offer While Supplies Last! l h i t e S ain! e r F h C Saw + = Buy two Stihl saw chains and get one FREE!* *Buy two saw chains and get one free saw chain of equal or lesser value Chain Saws Starting at $179. 95 MS 290 Chain Saw Our most popular model. Designed for rugged farm use. PRECISION OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT Banks Hardware 503-324-5221 • 150 N. Main Street, Banks MS 310 Chain Saw All the features but with more power than the Stihl Farm Boss®. • Mon - Fri 8am to 6pm • Saturday 8am to 5pm • Sunday 10am to 4pm bikes, cars and trucks in the fu- ture. Edison is determined to have FPC3 create a master site plan, or map, showing the physical location and dimen- sions of facilities with as much detail as possible. The purpose of the plan is to create a frame- work for future development and utilization of all district property. Edison concluded by telling the board that FPC3 will present three options for board consideration in March. In an additional attempt to secure support for facilities im- provement, the board decided to invite a select group of influ- ential community members to a special meeting with FPC3 on March 10. Following the pres- entation of options by FPC3 to the board on March 8, the board considers input from this group to be critical to the even- tual success of a bond meas- ure. A second meeting of the group will be held March 17 to collect the group’s comments. This month’s consent agen- da included approval of the budget calendar, minutes of previous meetings and the fis- cal report, approval of contract extensions or continuation of probationary contracts for teachers and Special Services Director Shelly Mitchell. Addi- tional items included three-year contracts for high school Princi- pal Jim Smith and junior high Principal Mark Everett; renewal of contracts for Maintenance Supervisor Skip Smetana and Business Manager Simon Lev- ear; and the approval of Jim Foster as interim superintend- ent for another year. Items in- cluded on the consent agenda, which is used to streamline meetings, cannot be discussed unless specifically removed from the consent agenda be- fore the meeting agenda is ap- proved. Timelines become increas- ingly important as the budget season approaches. Concur- rent with a public opinion sur- vey in April, the board will be appointing two new members to the budget committee. In an effort to make the budget process more understandable, a preliminary informational meeting with the budget com- mittee is scheduled as part of the April 12 board workshop. The first meeting of the budget committee will be April 29. At the workshop prior to the business meeting, Foster dis- tributed the Oregon School Board Association “Frequently Asked Questions” about ethics law, along with Levear’s re- sponse to financial statement findings by the auditor. Three minor findings will be controlled by increased documentation, according to Levear. The audi- tor also suggested that the board investigate the Local Government Investment Pool which would provide profes- sional management of district investments. Board chairman Will Moore opened discussion at the work- shop by explaining that the See School on page 14 Banks Christian Academy Now Enrolling for 2009 - 2010 Affordable Tuition for an Excellent Education Established since 1983 Challenging academics, Christian values and small class sizes. • Preschool thru 12th Grade • Before & After School Care • Languages, Music, Art & Computers • 3 or 5 Full Day Kindergarten • Many Educational Field Trips • Transportation Vernonia/Banks 22785 NW Fisher Rd. Buxton 97109 503-324-4500 www.bankschristianacademy.org