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HomeMy WebLinkAbout19 Business Services Report 8 16 May 2002:�I_ OTTAW A- CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT NO. 8 BUSINESS SERVICES COMMITTEE TO: Board of Education DATE: 16 May 2002 A special meeting of the Business Services Committee was held this evening at 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, commencing at 7:30 pm, in the Trustees' Committee Room, with Trustee David Moen in the chair and the following also in attendance: MEMBERS: Trustees Lynn Graham and Jim Libbey OTHER TRUSTEES: Trustees Margaret Lange, Myrna Laurenceson, Norm MacDonald, Pam Morse, Lynn Scott, and Joan Spice STAFF: Jim Grieve, Director of Education Judy Turriff, Superintendent of Facilities & Physical Planning Michael Carson, Manager, Facilities, Physical Planning and Transportation, Kathy Lausman, Manager of Physical Facilities & Design and Construction Services Wim Jellema, Supervisor of Design & Construction Services Janice Sargent, Management, Policy and Planning Advisor Brenda Cooper, Committee Coordinator NON - VOTING REPRESENTATIVE: Janice Ritchie, Ottawa - Carleton Assembly of School Councils Cynthia Clarke of CN Watson & Associates Limited, was also in attendance. Approval of the Agenda Superintendent Turriff noted that the agenda had been developed in consultation with Trustees Moen and Libbey, with a view to providing additional information to trustees and feedback to assist staff in the development of the Long Term Accommodation Plan. On a motion by Trustee Libbey, the agenda was approved as presented. 2. Uudate to Consultant's Report & Supplementary Information re LTAP Appendix C to the draft Long Term Accommodation Plan containing secondary review area summaries was distributed. Cynthia Clarke pointed out that there are ten review areas, with a key map on the first page, a summary of the entire secondary system, and a summary of each review area. The information is the same as that provided for elementary schools. Michael Carson noted that having just received the report, staff have not had time to analyze it. Business Services Committee/ Special - 1 - 16 May 2001 r 3. Overview Facility Condition Staff distributed two reports, i.e., a chart showing which schools had to close temporarily due to facility conditions during 2000 -2001 and 2001 -02; a graph indicating the condition of schools via various indices; and portfolios for each area. Assisted by overhead projection, Kathy Lausman reported that the Board has 152 buildings totalling 943,916 square metres, on 676 hectares. The buildings range in age from five months to 128 years, and they have a replacement cost of $1 billion. The recent approach to facilities is one of total cost of ownership with the objective of ensuring the long -term preservation of the Board's capital assets. This uses a combination of a life cycle strategy and the LTAP. Ms Lausman outlined the life cycle model, the components of total cost of ownership which extends from initial planning for future student enrolment to ensuring capital funding for the renewal of components at the end of their useful life. She noted that as buildings age, they become less useful /functional, and components wear out. Ms Lausman drew attention to the list of failures since December 2000 where schools had to be closed, and to the Facility Condition Index (FCI). The FCI is the ratio between the amount of accumulated deferred maintenance in comparison to the replacement value. Buildings with the highest FCI are in the worst condition. Ms Lausman displayed a chart illustrating the expenditures required for buildings in critical, fair, poor, and good condition, and commented that to move to the "fair" category would cost $30 million per year. Renewal grants are $10 million per year, and the backlog is $230 million. Of 152 buildings, including the administration building and the Bronson shop, seven buildings can be categorized as in good condition, two in fair condition, 18 in poor condition, and 125 in critical condition. The life cycles of the various components of a building have a wide range, and the Facility Quality Index (FQI) shows replacement cost versus component, program functional, and code /regula- tory renewals as well as operations, utilities and maintenance. When the FQI reaches a certain point, the building is a candidate for disposition or rebuilding, depending on its projected long term enrolment. In summary, Ms Lausman noted that a Long Term Accommodation Plan is not just a 15 -year capital plan, but addresses long term accommodation for public education using the OCDSB FQI, and that it projects student enrolment for 15 years. The intended outcome is projects for new pupil places, for renewing existing pupil places, and for the ongoing costs of owning buildings. Trustee Graham requested a list of the consultants used by the department. 4. Review of Long Term Accommodation Planning Process As requested at the 8 May Business Services Committee meeting, your Committee had before it for information a staff report containing information related to the long term accommodation planning process. This included an outline of the Ministry of Education's Accountability Framework for Pupil Accommodation; the Board's interim Long Term Accommodation Plan, which was submitted to the Ministry in November 2000. Dusmess Services Committee / Special - 2 - 16 May 2001 61. In reviewing the report, Michael Carson highlighted Ministry expectations regarding the steps which Boards are required to undertake in their long -term plans: • assess the relationship between current and projected enrolment and permanent school capacity to identify areas of need and or surplus school facilities; • identify actions that the board plans to take over the next five years to address the need for facilities to accommodate its students; • identify actions that the board plans to take over the next five years with respect to surplus school facilities; • identify processes to assess the condition of existing schools in order to identify necessary renewal projects that are required to improve program delivery; and • identify processes that the board will use to prioritize the work that needs to be done to ensure that an effective school renewal program is in place. He noted that because the Ministry recognizes that school boards are different, no specific format for reporting has been mandated. Mr. Carson pointed out that a great deal of effort went into evaluating the current state of the Board's facilities because the Board does not need just new schools, but to do something about existing schools. The long -term accommodation planning process is a lengthy one, which will require constant refinement. 5. Review of Consultant's Report in Reference to Key Assumptions As requested at the 8 May Business Services Committee meeting, staff distributed a report containing the consultant's comments with reference to key assumptions regarding demographics, utilization, market share, pupil places, portables, and financial considerations. Appended to the consultant's report was a staff report outlining staff recommendations to the Ministry for improve- ments to the pupil accommodation funding formula. Cynthia Clarke reviewed the information regarding the basis for the LTAP forecast of residential dwelling units, and pointed out the section of the Planning Act which stipulates that the City must use the 1997 forecast until the City's official plan is approved. She pointed out how accurate the forecast has been, and noted that dwelling permits would have to double recent trends to meet the new projections. If the newer projections were used by the Board in its LTAP, the result would be higher enrolment projections, etc., and a less reliable forecast for the future. During a brief review of the projected school -age population, it was noted that the Board's market share has dropped to 48 %. This figure has been maintained in the projections. When reviewing the basis for the 110% utilization rate in the draft LTAP, Ms Clarke explained that this would consist of 100% utilization of permanent space, with the remaining 10% accommodated in temporary space. She noted that two capacities are shown in the Long Term Accommodation Plan: the GNPP capacity, which does not change unless the Board disposes of space, and the LTAP capacity. Business Services Committee/ Special - 3 - 16 May 2001 M Ms Clarke emphasized that, across the province, this utilization rate has proven to be the most effective in generating funds for new pupil spaces and renewals. It also optimizes the use of operating grants, and reduces the amount of permanent space that would have to be consolidated as the number of students starts declining in about fifteen years. Ms Clarke noted that an electronic version of the model is not part of the contract with the OSDSB. The projections developed by her firm are calculated using several different spreadsheet models, which are proprietary, but arrangements could be made for a cost adjustment to provide specific components of the model to run diverse scenarios in house. Ouestions During questions Ms Clarke and staff provided a wide range of clarifications, and the following points were noted: The GNPP capacity was established by the province in 2001, and does not include relocatable classroom modules. Planning capacity is the GNPP plus new schools, relocatables and adjustments (e.g., limiting the capacity of Hopewell to 800). The on- the- ground (OTG) capacity is similar, but also addresses changes to the use of a room and /or a change in how the room is loaded (e.g., special education classes are loaded with fewer students than regular classes). • When a school has been recognized for disposition, only health and safety needs would be addressed in the years leading up to that point. • Following discussions with Ministry staff, it is estimated that a $1 billion debenture would be required over fifteen years. • The projected decline in the student population in fifteen years is due to a drop in the birth rate, a failure to attract immigrants, and lower fertility rates. • The projected student population will be modified annually • Ms Clarke noted that the Board is 30% over the benchmark for its spending on new schools, as are one or two other boards. Staff noted that a number of factors affect the cost of new schools, including higher construction costs due to a "hot" market, and program considerations. • The Ministry's formula does not include accommodation for shops etc., therefore flexibility has to be designed into classroom spaces. • The closure of two schools in the inner city may result in the construction of one new school on a larger site. • With respect to the number of elementary schools to be rebuilt, at this stage renewal addresses the number of pupil places required rather than schools. The meeting recessed from 10:15 to 10:30 pm. Business Services Committee/ Special - 4 - 16 May 2001 (� 3. 7. Directions for the Development of OCDSB LTAP In response to Trustee Libbey's remark that there are capacity issues around standards versus needs (family studies, etc.), Michael Carson reported that staff are planning to bring a report to the June meeting of the Business Services Committee regarding work to date on functional capacities. Trustee Moen remarked that there is a danger that the current government's point of view about school needs (e.g., no funding for computer labs, etc.) may become accepted practice. He also pointed out that if the LTAP is built on an assumption that a certain percentage of students will be in temporary (portable) accommodation, this should be acknowledged. Mr. Carson advised that there is no urgency about filing the LTAP with the Ministry, and confirmed that the provisions of the plan are subject to approval by the Board before implementation (e.g., disposition of schools, acquisition of sites, etc.). Trustee Spice noted a number of areas where the OCDSB differs from other school boards. Among them were the number of older schools, the Greenbelt, and the high enrolment in French immersion. Noting the devastating effect of dosing six out of ten schools in downtown Ottawa, she urged that the Board come up with its own plan and sell it to the government. Janice Ritchie reported that OCASC members from inside the Greenbelt are very concerned about the future of their schools. Trustee Scott noted that the LTAP is a plan, not a decision, and that it will give a consistent context Board -wide for the consideration of facilities and programs. She suggested that it be thought of as a tool for presenting the OCDSB's business case to the province. A vision about the Board's schools needs to be established in the context provided by the LTAP. On a motion by Trustee Scott, it was agreed to continue the meeting until 11:30 pm. Trustee Lange expressed pleasure that renewal needs have been addressed in the LTAP. She noted, however, that it is important that the plan be fair and address the needs of all students, including those in the growth areas. She observed that the Ministry has provided a formula for pupil accommodation, and remarked that if the Board continues to resist it, it will not move forward. Trustee Libbey pointed out that some 77% of Ottawans want the funding formula fixed, and that there were similar results in Toronto. He felt that the financing plan will lead to unaccept- able pedagogical results and suggested that the Board needs to have other scenarios available for consideration. Ms Clarke advised that this could be done. Trustee Libbey presented a motion asking for a request for proposal from CN Watson to prepare additional versions of the LTAP incorporating assumptions and various scenarios. The motion was carried. Business Services Committee /Special - 5 - 16 May 2001 0. On a motion by Trustee Libbey, therefore, your Committee recommends: THAT STAFF DRAFT FOR CONSIDERATION BY TRUSTEES A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ASKING C.N. WATSON AND ASSOCIATES LIMITED TO PREPARE ADDITIONAL VERSIONS OF THE LONG TERM ACCOMMODATION PLAN THAT WOULD INCORPORATE SPECIFIC ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE BOARD WILL DEFINE, SUCH AS "WHAT IF" SCENARIOS RELATED TO ENROLMENT PROJECTIONS, THE 90% ASSUMPTION INSIDE THE GREENBELT, FUNCTIONAL CAPACITIES, CASH FLOW ASSUMPTIONS, ETC. The meeting adjourned at 11:30 pm. David Moen, Chair Business Services Committee BLC /cb BSC- 020516Sp Business Services Committee/ Special - 6 - 16 May 2001