Two dozen parents, community members, and concerned individuals addressed the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education during the public hearing on a bond agreement for the proposed transportation facility, talking the board into rejecting the resolution. The resolution was for the district to enter into a bond agreement not to exceed $16 million to cover the project’s entire cost, no matter which route the board members voted to proceed in. Three community members all addressed the $16 million price tag and claimed it was a robbery and that the district should not proceed with spending that much money. District 2 Carroll County Board of Supervisor Mike Andersen mentions how $16 million would not be the top dollar amount.
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Brian Tiefenthaler agreed with Andersen, saying if the district paid $1,000 a month for each bus to store, over the course of 40 years, it would pay less than $20 million, which would save the district almost half a million dollars. Kim Tiefenthaler says he notices a common thread between what each of the objectors says about the project.
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Other community members agreed, saying that building a steel building would serve the same purpose. They claimed that DLR Architect Firm is trying to propose building what would be called the Taj Mahal of Carroll. Board Member Jim Friel addressed the concern of a petition and mentioned an idea to allow the community to decide what route the board members should approve of.
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However, this idea was not feasible due to the requirements and time restraints of getting a vote like that in the November election. It was also noted that the vote would have to be a yes or a no on whether to enter into a bond agreement of a certain amount and could not have multiple choices to vote on. Board members discussed the possibility of lowering the bond agreement amount to address the concern of the $16 million price tag. Director of Business Affairs Nicole McCarville presented the board with two options: to approve the resolution for a bond agreement not to exceed $16 million and then schedule a special meeting to set a cap on how much the district will borrow, or to reject the resolution and create a new one with a lower bond agreement amount. McCarville explained that by rejecting and creating a new resolution, the board would have to hold another public hearing and follow all the necessary steps required to inform the community of it. Board Member Jill Johnston questioned the need for further delay, suggesting that by approving this resolution and establishing a limit, the board could save time and still reach the same end goal.
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Board members disagreed, stating that the public would prefer a lower bond agreement resolution amount. The board suggested that the district could then confirm which route the community members would approve of when selecting the final design for the facility. A motion to reject the resolution was made by Board Member Duane Horsley, and seconded by Friel. The resolution was then rejected on a 3-2 vote, with Johnston and Board Member Kristen Lundstrom being the two nay votes. The next steps for the Board of Education involve adopting a new resolution with a lower bond agreement amount. The members will then decide whether to construct the maintenance shed or include a cold storage unit. The members plan to meet again on Thursday at 8:15 a.m. at Adams Elementary to issue a new resolution and to set the new public hearing.