Wellness center plan advances
Herald-Standard CALIFORNIA – The California Area School Board this week voted to take the next step toward building a wellness center, telling the state that it is willing to match $2.5 million available through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Budget.
The vote on the matter was 6-1, with Director George Safin voting against the measure and directors John Bayer, Teresa Doman, Norm Hasbrouck, Dorothea Kulak, Walter Moleski and Tom Russell voting in favor. Directors Barry Niccolai and Diane Zielensky were absent.
“Something of this scope and magnitude should go before the voters on a referendum,” Safin said.
Bayer spoke at length in support of the wellness center, noting that it ties in with the need for a new football field. Bayer said that a large expense in constructing a field at the high school complex is running utilities to the site and constructing the access road. Those elements would be covered through the construction of the wellness center, Bayer said, as would the construction of the boys and girls locker rooms.
“We would be bleachers and a playing surface away from having a facility here,” Bayer said.
Bayer did not have an estimated cost of construction of a new football stadium in conjunction with a wellness center. It would not be part of the $5 million in construction for the wellness center, Bayer said.
Bayer said that with a user fee of $20-25 a month for school district residents and slightly higher for non-residents, the facility should be able to pay for itself through the fees, not including operating expenses. Bayer said operating expenses have not yet been calculated for the proposed facility.
Bayer said the district’s matching contribution toward the state funding would include the value of the land, which it already owns.
The motion adopted by the board was contingent upon the solicitor’s review. The matter was discussed during an executive session prior to the board meeting, with solicitor John Smart giving the board his opinion on the matter.
“I could find nothing at this point that says the district can’t legally do this,” Smart said after the meeting.
Resident Artie Harris asked the board members if they would support a referendum on the issue. Directors Kulak and Moluski said they would consider that possibility, while Bayer and Russell opposed it as being unnecessary.
“We’re not voting to build this tonight,” Moluski said. “I will vote to move ahead this far, but I still need to know a lot more about where this money is going to come from.”
In other matters, the board voted to seek the services of a real estate agent to sell the old Phillipsburg School building that currently houses the district offices and a pre-school program. The board also voted to spend up to $6,000 for an electronic security entrance system for that building.
The board also authorized having a security officer at its public meetings.
Leroy Simms was named the middle school volleyball coach, with Rene Pascoe named the assistant coach. Michele Morgan was appointed to the position of assistant middle school softball coach, with Amanda McKula named the volunteer assistant softball coach.
Elsa Sauritch was hired as a temporary professional employee effective Aug. 27, 2007, for the elementary special education/gifted teacher. John Bayer voted against the hiring, saying he was not voting against the person, but against the position. Bayer said he believes the special education and gifted positions should not be combined. Sauritch was hired at the step 1 bachelor’s degree salary of $33,675.