Assessment appeals to affect LH revenue, solicitor says
The imminent resolution of assessment appeals on three parcels in the Laurel Highlands School District will negatively affect the district’s future revenue but should not require a payout from the district, according to the district’s solicitor. During a work session Tuesday, Gary Frankhouser told the directors that three appeals pending in Fayette County Court will most likely lead to an outcome similar to an appeal by the owners of Uniontown Mall.
In that case, the school board, supervisors of North Union and South Union townships and county officials agreed in October 2000 to lower the assessment of the mall for the 1997-2000 tax years.
Frankhouser said appeals are pending on Wal-Mart, Kmart and Sylvan Heights Cemetery on assessed values on those parcels for three tax years before the countywide property reassessment. He said proposals have been submitted that would lower the assessed values of all three parcels, and the property owners would pay less in taxes over a certain time period rather than have the district refund overpayment for the years under appeal.
He said appraisals that were conducted on the properties do not match the 1958 values of the last Fayette County reassessment, a point that diminishes the district’s ability to argue in court for higher values.
“Hopefully, there will be a resolution that will not cost the district out-of-pocket money, but there will be reduced revenue,” Frankhouser said, adding that he could not provide specific dollar amounts in regard to the losses.
The directors heard the news after business manager Joyce Estocak provided them with a monthly budget update. According to figures as of Sept. 30, the district has brought in 28 percent of its projected revenue and spent 24 percent of the estimated expenditures.
In other matters, John Over of project manager Sleighter Engineering Inc., said all of the asbestos that was found at the junior high school was removed between Sept. 20 and 22. He said more asbestos than was previously thought was uncovered, but all of it was removed during those three days.
Parents expressed concern last month that asbestos was being removed during the school year and that the district did not inform parents properly. Over said that a $12,000 payment is being withheld from the environmental consultant because they were to develop a plan to abate asbestos before the school project began, but he said the plan never was completed.
He said a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency was on site while the asbestos was being removed and documented the workers’ course of action in removing the asbestos. Over said the EPA representative was satisfied that all regulations were met.
In other junior high news, Over said work on the east wing will be completed next month, and most of the students will be in new classrooms by Thanksgiving. Work is continuing on a $9.2 million project to convert the junior high to a middle school, a project that is expected to be completed next fall.
Over said windows for Marshall Elementary School will be delivered next week and should be installed within two weeks from the delivery date, and at least five windows at Hatfield Elementary are in need of replacement. He asked the board to consider the purchase of the windows for Hatfield at tonight’s meeting.
With the junior high project nearing its completion, Over said now is the time for the board to consider renovations at other schools, in particular Kennedy Elementary, Hutchinson Elementary, and the senior high school. He said interest rates are at a 30-year low, and each of the schools he mentioned has “major issues” that need addressing sooner rather than later.
“Practically, you do need to look at it, and to benefit the taxpayers, now is the time to do it,” he said. “The problems aren’t going to go away in these buildings. It is going to cost you more the longer you wait.”
At tonight’s meeting, directors will consider purchasing an additional security system for the junior high to update equipment in the current building, and will consider changing monitoring companies for all the district’s facilities.
The directors discussed developing a policy that sets rental fees for use of all district gymnasiums, after learning that multiple requests are coming in for use of the Clark Elementary gym for various teams and groups. Directors said the policy could be ready for a first reading in November.
The board discussed moving the November meeting to Nov. 12, with a work session at 5 p.m. in the administration building and a regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the senior high auditorium.
A finance committee meeting will be held Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. in the administration building to go over the district audit, which should be received by Nov. 15. A special meeting may be held after that committee meeting, the directors said.
Also, the board said it will hold a work session on Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. in the junior high conference room, and the reorganization meeting will be held Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the junior high auditorium, with the regular meeting to follow.