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Minutes - Joint Council School Committee Meeting - Wednesday 2Minutes Beverly School Committee and Beverly City Council Joint Meeting Beverly High School Library — 100 Sohier Road Wednesday, March 22, 2017 7:00 PM A Joint Meeting of the Beverly School Committee and City Council was held on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 in the Beverly High School Library, Beverly, MA. Members Present School Committee: Kris Silverstein — President, Paul Manzo — Vice President, Lorinda Visnick — Secretary, Mayor Michael Cahill Paul Manzo, John Mullady, Rachael Abell and Paul Goodwin City Council: Paul Guanci- President /At- Large, Scott Houseman -Vice President/Ward 4, David Lang — Ward 1, Estelle Rand — Ward 2, James Latter — Ward 3, Donald Martin — Ward 5, John Frates, Jr. — Ward 6, Jason Silva — At- Large, Matthew St. Hilaire, At -Large Absent: Called to Order: Kris Silverstein called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Pledge of Allegiance: Paul Guanci led those assembled in the Pledge of Allegiance Middle School Education Plan Update — Matthew Poska. Principal. Briscoe Middle School Briscoe Middle School Principal Matthew Poska spoke about the Timeline for the Educational Planning that went into designing the new middle school. Planning began in September 2015 with various groups including guidance, main office /administration, representatives from all subject areas, nursing staff, library, special education as well as elementary school staff. Visioning work continued throughout 2015 and into 2016. Staff members designed certain "norms" to establish open communication. The Visionary Work was voted on by middle school staff to accept and carry forward to the new middle school. Administration and central office collaborated to identify possible schools to visit. Visits included Stoneham, Braintree East, Wakefield, Pingree (Library), and Burlington (Library /Technology). Mr. Poska said these visits helped to guide the decision making process in terms of what the district wanted to offer students in the new middle school building. School visits included approximately 20 staff members including middle, elementary and high school staff. Students in grades 1 -8 voted on a mascot for the new building with "Cubs" winning the vote. Logo design has been selected and will be unveiled soon. While the building is in the process of being built work continues in terms of • Staffing needs and Determinations • Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment ( "FF &E ") - to be completed by April 2017. • Technology - working to identify technology needs. • New Schedule -ideally a draft by the end of the FYI 6/17 school year. • Professional Development to include:2 Person Teams in grades 5 & 6, Blended Learning, Project Based Learning, Discovery Ed, Co- Teaching„ Maker Space Areas. Mr. Poska went on to show artist renditions of the new middle school including Outdoor Learning Spaces, Auditorium and Gymnasium, Main Entrance, Main Lobby, Library, 2 Cafeterias, Maker Spaces. The Library has been designed to contain 3 classrooms at one time. The 2 Cafeterias lend to flexibility in scheduling as well as use as learning areas. Maker Spaces located at the beginning of each wing open up and can be shared by up to two classrooms. James Latter inquired if the project is still on target for opening in Fall of 2018. Mr. Poska confirmed it is. Mr. Latter also inquired of the number of egress areas. Mayor Cahill and Mr. Poska reviewed the diagrams to highlight the 2 primary entrances along with other areas of egress. Estelle Rand inquired of the Outdoor Learning Spaces and whether administration had considered using the wetland areas for outdoor learning. Mr. Poska stated there have been conversations regarding the opportunities relevant to the neighboring wetlands and curriculum. While there is not currently a plan in place, they are hoping to access these areas for learning. Impact of Expanding Housing Developments on City Services (fire, police, traffic, schools) —Aaron Clausen, City Planner and Dr. Steven Hiersche, Superintendent Beverly Public Schools City of Beverly City Planner Aaron Clausen presented on current and proposed housing projects. He stated they have been working on a housing plan over the past year to review current and future needs, identify impacts and provide a housing plan for all income levels. Housing Plan Includes: • Comprehensive review of existing conditions • Analyze affordability gaps • Identify housing needs based on analysis • Provides information for existing housing resources • Establishes housing goals • 14 strategies that support goals of the housing plan Aaron Clausen went on to discuss demographic trends. He stated Beverly has had stable population growth and steady growth for households. While school enrollments are up 7% since 2007, they are projecting a 6% decrease in children under the age of 20. He stated that housing growth in general has decreased and there has been a total of 91 single family homes and 534 multifamily units build since 2014. Based on housing analysis of single family, suburban multifamily and downtown multifamily units, there will be a projected increase in approximately 238 students. Mr. Clausen reviewed 40R zoning and the proposed Harborlight Community Project which will include a mix of 2/3 bedroom units to support homeless, low and middle income households. He also reviewed the 40S additional state funding that would be directed to cities that establish a 40R district that will pay the additional (net) cost of educating new school age children located in the overlay district. This option provides the much needed affordable housing in Beverly as well as the funds to support the education of the additional students. Mr. Clausen went on to discuss the impacts of Transit - Orientated Development that include: • Provide transportation choice • Increase transit ridership • Reduce reliance on automobiles • Reduce air pollution and energy consumption • Increase households' disposable income • Bolster local economy • Increase the municipal tax base • Contribute to more affordable housing Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Hiersche stated the city and school departments have collaborated on the Housing Plan impacts. He presented enrollments for FYI I -FY 17 which showed overall growth of 205 students. Two important considerations went into deriving the capacity at the new middle school. The district planned on the need for increased capacity at the middle school level as well as at the elementary schools, thus choosing a grade 5 -8 configuration. Dr. Hiersche went on to present enrollment capacities at the elementary schools: • Elementary Additional Capacity (25 per class average) 0 200 assuming Specialty Rooms restored 0 400 assuming fifth grade space remains classroom space • Middle School • Build capacity 1395 • Each floor has additional space if necessary • High School • Build capacity of 1275 • Maximizing classroom use creates greater capacity Dr. Hiersche stated there are strategies available to increase capacity for Beverly schools such as closing School Choice, redistricting and flexible grouping strategies, all of which have potential additional costs involved. Lorinda Visnick inquired about the maximum capacity of the 40R Project. Aaron Clausen stated there is a difference between what is allowed and what is actually constructed. Due to the nature of the challenging building site he believes the build would be closer to 61 units rather than the maximum. Paul Manzo inquired if the 40S incentive is a one -time payment. Aaron Clausen stated there is a one -time payment of $3000 per unit and also a per student yearly reimbursement for students in the overly area. Matt St. Hilaire inquired if the capacity for Full Day Kindergarten was factored into the figures presented. Dr. Hiersche said they were not but there would be space. Scott Houseman inquired if the district is anticipating the need for additional teaching staff once the new middle school opens. Dr. Hiersche stated teaching needs will be re- configured as the 5 grade teachers move up to the new middle school. He went on to state that the district is projecting the need for 10 staff such as a clerk, custodian, and exploratory teachers. Scott Houseman inquired how the district will deal with enrollment growth over the next 5 years. Dr. Hiersche stated the district plans to move to 2 Teacher teams for 5 and 6 t ' grades. This will allow for more flexibility to adjust to an enrollment bubble. Jason Silva inquired about how they derived the projections for building capacity and student enrollment increases. Aaron Clausen said one of the challenges is to estimate how people transition between their households. Many Beverly residents downsize from homes to condos. Calculations can be difficult though projection numbers are fairly accurate for use as a planning tool. One trend to keep an eye on is the fact that the school age population is shrinking and will likely level off as students decide to choose public over private. Dr. Hiersche stated as soon as the middle school project began the district saw a jump in enrollment as did the high school. Jason Silva inquired if a cost/revenue analysis has been done relative to closing School Choice. Dr. Hiersche stated the question is really whether or not to free up the slots for Beverly residents. Most districts choose to decrease School Choice in response to increased enrollments. Mayor Michael Cahill reiterated that it is always an option to limit School Choice at certain grade levels as the need arises. David Lang inquired about the potential growth at Folly Hill. Aaron Clauses said the property is available but currently there is not a project in place. The estimates are general and the goal would be to minimize the scale of that project. Jim Latter inquired if Briscoe were to be developed as housing what the impact would be. Aaron Clausen stated it would more than likely be Transit Oriented Development. Financial Update — Bryant Ayles, Finance Director City of Beverly Finance Director Bryant Ayles reviewed the importance of Forecasting with respect to the city budget. He went on to review the FYI Revenue Categories as well as estimated Revenues through 2021. He reviewed FY 17 Expense Categories. He said that Debt Obligations will spike in FY 19 and begin to decline in FY20. Comparison of Revenues vs Expenditures shows FYI 9, FY20, FY21 are expecting tighter budget constraints due to the new middle school coming on the books. Reserve balances will cover these deficits for those 3 years. Mr. Ayles stated they will use the reserves as expected but need to work to build them back up again as soon as possible. Considerations: • Bond Rates: o Major borrowings are scheduled over the next two years 0 1% fluctuation in long term rates could equal $275K per year in interest payments for the remaining middle school debt. • Health Care Cost Trends: o Must stay below the regional cost growth averages 0 1% fluctuation in premiums equates to $105K in City costs and $70K in school costs. Total budgetary impact equals $175K per 1% • Payroll: o Ensure any growth is sustainable long term • Regional Economic Trends: • Direct relationship to state aid, excise, meals, permit revenues • New growth — people purchasing homes, $13M in new growth last year due to personal property and building permits Jason Silva inquired if it makes sense to review the health plan design as a way to keep health insurance costs from growing. Bryant Ayles stated the ability to restructure the health care is always an option, however, Beverly's current plan is less expensive and a better plan when compared with GIC plans. Jason Silva stated when it comes to investment in roads and signs he would like to consider borrowing rather than paying out of reserves. Bryant Ayles stated that given the amount of the revenue budget that can fluctuate it's important not to over - obligate. Change in Marijuana Law, Bullying, Hate Crimes — Police Chief John LeLacheur Police Chief John LeLacheur discussed the changes in the Marijuana Law. He stated residents are allowed to cultivate plants in their homes and carry up to 1 oz. but it must be kept under lock and key. They have seen the number of overdoses grow in young children and pets. Residents cannot smoke in public or openly use marijuana in a motor vehicle. Currently there is a $500 fine for using a marijuana product in a moving vehicle. Residents under the age of 21 that are found using marijuana products will be subject to a Possession charge. He stated that using marijuana products is still illegal by federal law standards. Chief LeLacheur went on to discuss safety in regards to the new middle school. He stated they will review Safety Protocols with all staff as well as configure security cameras once the building opens. John Frates inquired of the city's plans for monitoring retail sale of marijuana. Chief LeLacheur stated that he is meeting regularly with the Mayor to discuss implications. They haven't had any applications at this point. They will be looking at zoning and reviewing regulations that are in place to plan on how to enforce the laws. Chief LeLacheur stated over 50% of the city voted for the new marijuana law. Paul Goodwin inquired about safety in the schools when school is in session on voting days. Chief LeLacheur said he and City Clerk Wes Slate go by all polling sites to check and make sure everything is in order. There have been no incidents. David Lang inquired about the Opiate Crisis. Chief LeLacheur stated they haven't seen an increase over neighboring communities. They are ramping up efforts and changing enforcement strategies. Mayor Cahill stated that Beverly Hospital has partnered with the city to provide a prescription drug drop -box in the lobby. In addition, the school district health educators have worked to realign the health curriculum to better educate students regarding opiates and other drugs. Paul Guanci inquired about the need for an additional Resource Officer once the new middle school opens. Chief LeLacheur said the current caseload for Officer Hathon is difficult for one officer to handle. He would like to be able to find the funding for an additional Resource Officer within the budget. Lorinda Visnick made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Paul Manzo and approved by a School Committee vote of 7 -0. The City Council motion to adjourn, voted unanimous 9 -0. The Joint Meeting adjourned at 9:35 PM. Respectfully submitted, Attest: Stephanie Walters, Administrative Assistant D. Wesley Slate, Jr., Clerk Beverly Public Schools Beverly City Council Documents Presented: Preparation for Beverly Middle School Presentation Housing Development: Community Impacts Presentation School Capacity Presentation City of Beverly Financial Update Presentation