All right, you good? All right, John. >> Okay, so the purpose of the finance legislative committee is to assist the school board administration with strategically planning long range plans related to district finance and legislative formats. The committee will work with the superintendent and the
director of business services to identify long range economic strategies and maintain the district financial health. Uh like I said, meeting is called to order at 9:30 and the first thing we have on there is welcome everybody. Is there is there anybody
that is new and we need to introduce? >> I don't think so. >> Okay. >> So the first order of business is celebrations and successes. Is that you Mar? >> That's me. So we have a new accountant that's going to be starting April 6th. We've gone two
months without one. So, I am very excited to have her start. Um, this position's been kind of a tough one to fill. We had a couple of canceled interviews and to find somebody with some school finance background is really hard. She does not have that, but she
has been at the county previously, so she's got some government experience. Um, but yeah, it's uh this will be my fifth accountant since I've been here, so I'm hoping this one sticks. >> Yeah. So, um, you said she's starting at April 2nd.
>> April 6th. Yep. >> Oh, April 6th. Okay. >> And what do we know her name or >> um Carolyn White? >> No. Yeah. Say it again. >> Carolyn White. >> Okay. So, which county was she with? Crowing County or?
>> Yep. >> Okay. All right. That's good news. >> Yes. >> Morris. >> All right. Anything else on that? Hey, we'll move on to policy and legislative updates. Peter, is that you?
>> Well, kind of. Um, >> I'll chime in, too, but go ahead. >> Well, John, thank you for the contacts you're making. Um, I I still don't know as I keep checking the House and the Senate, I don't see any movement of
anything in the finance committee on our bill, but I don't see anything on the West St. Paul either. So, I don't know what's the story there. Do you have any >> input? Go ahead. >> Do you have any?
So they both they both referred to um education finance um and usually what will happen is they'll go to well they should go through through that committee and then go to tax committee um and what I've done is I've contacted
both education finance and um tax committee co-chairs um one of my biggest concerns is there's no author in the senate bill a bill has to be authored both in the house and the senate and introduced Right. >> So, um, Superintendent Grant, thank you
for reaching out to Senator Heinesman to to, uh, see if she would do that. Um, and then I, uh, communicated with Representative Heman yesterday asking if, uh, Senator Heman would do that. But I also have reached out to, uh, Senator Grant Hoschild,
um, who's out of Duth, um, who's a good friend, um, and former colleague, um, and he is willing to carry that bill. Um he was looking for the the jacket. So we're making I think we're making progress there. Um
again the deadlines are uh you know well actually the policy deadline is tomorrow. Deadlines don't mean a heck of a lot quite honestly. Um but uh um they you know you have to have them. Um so I also reached out to um Representative
Krishaw from Little Falls who's the one of the co-chair and Representative Yokum though the co-chairs of education finance and ask that they um you know look at pushing our bill through or whatever. >> So I you know um I'm just going to stay
on top of it and do what I can. What role does uh Representative David's have in the is he in the finance or what? >> No, he's a he's a co-chair of um of taxes. >> Okay. >> Um which and so that's probably where it
will end up um along with any other kind of transfer of fund. Um >> so yeah, he's a he's a good guy and you said that you had worked with him. So if you can if you re reach out if you can reach out to him that'd be great. I'll do that today.
>> Okay, that'd be great. Um, >> is there any other information? >> I missed I Sorry, Mars. What? >> Is there any other information you think they need, John? Like, do I need to provide anything? >> Okay, that >> great great question. Um, and Peter
helped me with this, but we talked about Representative Heisman was asking about an $80,000 to $10,000 forgiveness of assessments and um it must be the Wonder Trek Wonder Trek Museum project. I'm not even sure what which one it is. Um,
so I don't know what kind of what kind of he was asking for information on it. Is there anything kind of information we can give to him? So, um, that's the next item on the agenda. I was gonna Oh, okay. kind of lead to that. So, that's Oh, yeah, I see it. I I see it. Yep.
>> Um, so I linked in the development agreement that the city of Baxter shared with me and it actually started with them. Uh, Heidensman reached out to them and he said, you know, that's not something the city would uh necessarily be able to just wipe off. It'd be up to
the school district. So, it originally started with 17 owners for about 445,000. It's down to eight owners that are 80. It owes 86,000. I don't know if there's ties to Wonder
Trek because the list of people on there I I don't know, >> but um >> Sorry. What was that? >> Okay, go ahead. She my wife my wife put her AirPods in a dis
>> Oh >> yes. >> Um >> gotcha. Um, >> so, so the question is if we can write it off and I I you know I said I why would we turn away money of course and that was the discussion I had with money
of course and that was the discussion I had with Brad >> and the money um owed if the land is developed is my understanding and I asked the city of Baxter if they're aware of anybody developing any of that any on that list and they said no
>> so I'm not really sure what the angle is on that, >> but >> John, do you think we got to play >> full cruel with Heisman? >> Yep. But I but I think at this point I think
it would be worthwhile um Peter for you to send him a uh and I could do that either but I think it's better coming from you uh quite frankly and or Marcy uh send them send him a um just a email
saying we are in discussion about >> your request >> because we because we are I mean we don't we don't have all the information yet but I want him I I think it's important for to let him know um that we are discussing it and we're looking at it and evaluating it.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> All right. >> That's fair. >> All right. We're moving forward then with that. Okay. Any other questions on that? This might be the shortest finance meeting we've ever had. Um
so the next one is uh updated finance report with requested change. >> Yes. So uh I will share my screen. Can you see that, John? >> Yep. Yep. >> So this is last month's financial
report. And then DJ asked that the cash or the balances of the construction and the OPED trust fund be added. So I did add this little section down there. And I just wanted to run that by you guys to see if >> that's what the expectation was. Do you
know is DJ just running late or >> I have no idea. >> Okay. Um so I was I was just going to run it by this committee before I made the change for next month. And so if there's any feedback on like, yep, that's looks great or nope, I was hoping
for something different. Um just let me know. >> I think that's what he was asking for, Maris. I think it looks great. Okay. Well, >> now I could be wrong because I, you know, I've been wrong once or twice before. So, you know,
>> I can follow up with, >> but I think I'm I'm pretty sure that's what he was asking for. Okay, >> looks good. >> Awesome. >> Anything else with that? >> Nope, that's it. Um, I did under additional items, I just did want to just throw out there and and let folks
know that I've also been pushing for um House File 1161 and Senate File 1197, which is a seasonal rec replacement aid bill. And that, you know, that is huge for us and all northern Minnesota. And
we've got great support in the Senate. That bill is going to go through in the Senate. We don't have that much. we don't have great support in the House. So, I've been reaching out to my friends in the House as well, uh, former colleagues in the House. Um, but it's a
bill that, um, that we all should um, you know, uh, advocate for and lobby for and do and do whatever you can uh, to um, ask for their support. And again, the deadlines really don't mean anything, so don't worry about the deadlines, but it's very important that
we communicate our strong support of this bill. um especially if we're going for an operating levy, it will significantly pay an play an impact in uh the in my opinion the result of levy. The other bill that uh a finance bill
that uh looks like it is going through it it is it is being um talked about a lot is the uh house file 2904 and Senate file SF 2909 which is the statewide health insurance for as school
for education employees. I mean, I carried that bill one session and it's a tough bill to carry. Um, but it is it is I've never seen it quite get the support it's getting right now. Now, is is it is it going to is it going to go? Um, I you
know, who knows? It's not over until Snee died, right? But um um that is a bill that has a potential uh to and it covers all all school district employees, not just educators. Anybody 14 hours or more and it and it's kind of
a new group called there's C gap. We know the C gap and um um what's the other one? Mars. There's PEP peep and C gap. >> Yeah, PEEP and Cap. There's now this bill talks about I think it's EDIP educational something something
something. So it's like setting up a whole new um arm of health insurance. So those are some that we want to kind of it it could help all districts uh financially it could. So uh I just wanted to update you on those kind of
things as well. >> Awesome. >> Any questions? Okay. um data review and contracts transportation request for proposal with an RFP proposal. >> Yes, update. >> We did an RFP. It was due at the end of
February. We received two responses. Um we are currently in negotiations with Riker. They were one of the um uh responders. And we had two declines due to timing. So I think in the future we're going to try to do the RFP in the
fall. I did talk to those two declines and just say like, so you talked about timing. How much time do you need then? And they said if we did it in the fall that would give them more time. So I'm hoping that we have a agreement to present at the April board meeting, but
it'll all depend on how negotiations go. >> Who's the other uh uh company besides Ripker? >> Cot. They're down in the cities. Hotkey. >> Hotkey. Yep. >> H O T K E Y.
>> K O T T K E. >> K O T T K E. Okay. All right. >> And were the two declines um out of the district as well? >> Yes. >> Were they from the city? >> Okay. Yep. >> All right.
So, but we you have two proposals then that that are you that you guys are working on? >> Yes. >> Okay. Very good. Anything else on that? >> Upcoming RFPs, >> Marse, you. >> Yeah. So, >> how else you gonna save us money, Marcy?
Where else are you gonna save us money? Come on. >> So, I need to get an RFP out for school portraits. That's one that we haven't done for a couple years. >> And then the audit as well is one that we haven't done for a couple years. So,
um I'm hoping to get those out soon. And I believe that buildings and grounds is also working on their uh snow removal RFP. So >> Oh, >> just kind of >> we don't have anything we don't have anything. We don't have those all yet, but but we're working on them.
>> Yeah. I just want to give you a heads up so that if you saw the agreement come before the board, you weren't like surprised by it. >> Yeah. Great. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Anything else on that? Anybody? future meetings all at 8:30 at Wesby.
And um to our graduating student in the in the galley there, uh congratulations on all of your awards and and and an amazing high school career. Um uh we we so much appreciate uh your input and
help uh in us moving forward. So best of wishes in the future, my friends. And I I think there's only one student there, right? know Eli Border couldn't be here today. >> Yeah, >> I did want to talk about just uh
>> I am gradu I am graduating and so >> uh June 11th maybe, but July 9th and the ones after that I'm definitely not going to be. >> So, um you do have to find another >> y student.
>> Um I don't know how you guys want to do the selection process. I would maybe recommend uh someone a little younger so that they will then become a junior and then they'll become a senior
so they get a little more time um to kind of understand things. U maybe maybe like one student who's going to be maybe one incoming senior and one incoming junior so you can get kind of those two perspectives and then kind of do it like that. That would be my um only
recommendation. Otherwise, I would do it through student council or key club. I'm sure there'd be a lot of willing >> uh individuals through those groups. So, >> thanks Austin. Yeah, no problem. >> And I don't >> It's valuable information and thank you.
M That's a and we when we um Michelle and I tried to we set this up with uh Andrea that came up as a your suggestion about younger students, but we wanted to get it going. So, we pick the oldest and brightest.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And I thank you. Appreciate it. But, um, I think I think there's there's definitely a value in having a senior there because they've been there the most time. But, there's also value in having kids that are going to be there for longer. And if you if you start younger, then eventually you'll
get them to that experience level. So, maybe like just think about doing that. And then you won't have to like you won't have to find nine new people every year. So >> yeah. Okay. Thank you, Austin. And best best wishes to you. I don't say best of luck because you don't need any luck.
You just go get it, buddy. >> Just go get it. >> So future meetings >> future meetings >> senior too. Yeah. So he'll be out too. >> So future meetings will be at 8:30 at Wesby. All of them on June 11th, July
9th, September 10th, and December 3rd. Any other business before the committee? No, >> I miss you all. I'll be home soon. I know how much you miss me. And hugs and
kisses to everybody. And happy Easter. >> Thanks, John. >> Thanks, John. >> Okay. All right. Uh, meeting. Is there a mo I don't need to do a motion for adjournment. We're just an adjourn. Right. Turn up.