Measure H Town Hall
EDITOR: Dear Cloverdale Community,
I would like to thank you for your trust and support of the school district by passing Measure H during the November election. I look forward to continue working with the staff and community to make some much needed improvements to our school facilities. As there have been some questions posed regarding the district projects being completed with Measure H funds, I wanted to share some information with regard to the planned use of these funds.
With the passage of Measure H, the board had intended to pay off two outstanding leases in order to save on interest costs. The leases were entered into prior to the passage of Measure H, and are currently being paid for out of the district General Fund. In 2017, the district entered into a lease to complete a number of energy efficiency upgrades through Proposition 39. The district used these funds to install Wi-Fi-based HVAC controls, integrate occupancy sensors, upgrade all lighting to LED and install high efficiency wall mounted heat pumps. The total cost of the lease was $1.019 million with the inclusion of the interest payments. In 2018, the district entered into an agreement to purchase property in the amount of $1.683 million. The district then procured a lease with an interest rate of 3.35% over 20 years, totaling a combined principal and interest cost of $2.357 million. Through the pre-payment of these two leases the district can save a total of $782,625 in interest payments.
The Cloverdale Unified School District is truly thankful for the trust placed upon them by the voters in Cloverdale, and intends to spend the funds wisely in a transparent, inclusive and fiscally responsible manner. While the district always had the intention of utilizing Measure H funds to pay off these leases because it was the most fiscally responsible action that could be taken, the communication to the public could have been improved. This responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the Superintendent, and I pledge to improve communication with the community moving forward.
Please join us in our Makerspace at Cloverdale High School for a town hall meeting on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. to learn more about the planned projects to be completed with Measure H funds.
Jeremy Decker
Cloverdale Unified School District
Superintendent
Senior center or community center?
EDITOR: After the May board meeting it is becoming increasingly clear to me that there is a change of focus for the senior center. It seems it is becoming a community resource center, not just for seniors but for the whole community. This new focus on the “multi-purpose” part rather than the “senior” part of the center will be more county oriented as Health Action is a big part of the new focus.
I think the board forgot that the paying members who are supporting the center are also part of the decision making. Those who would prefer the old-fashioned intimate senior center experience of the past may have to revert back to the Grange.
Mardi Grainger
Cloverdale
