By Amantha Garpiel
For Miami Valley Today
TIPP CITY – The Tipp City Board of Education held a special meeting on Oct. 31 to move forward with the new building project for the district.
The first item on the board’s agenda is to declare the district’s intent regarding building storm shelters for the new preschool through eighth-grade building and for the high school.
This item was discussed at the previous meeting and the board was presented with approximate statistics based on enrollment in current preschool through eighth-grade classes. It was shared with the board that the storm shelter at the new building would require approximately 10,000-square-feet of space to abide by the building codes for storm shelters that requires 5-square-feet per person. Along with space, it is also required that the storm shelters have accessible bathrooms and walls and windows must be able to withstand winds and projectiles traveling up to at least 250 mph.
The board made no decisions during the last meeting on Oct. 23, but voted to declare their intent during the Oct. 31 special meeting. The board approved the resolution declaring they do not wish to build storm shelters for the district. The resolution passed in a 4-1 vote with member Theresa Dunaway voting against the resolution.
The board then went on to vote on a resolution determining the law firm to serve as bond counsel for the district. The firm that was presented to the board was Bricker Graydon LLP. Dunaway raised a small concern over the fees, but was reassured by Treasurer David Stevens the cost of $100,000-$125,000 is average for the firms in the area that provide bond counsel. Stevens also noted that the fee might be slightly higher due to previous bond issuances Bricker Graydon LLP has worked on for the district that the school district was not billed for.
The motion to hire Bricker Graydon LLP for bond counsel for the Tipp City Exempted Village Schools passed with a 4-1 vote. Dunaway voted against this motion.
Lastly, the board approved a resolution requesting state consents and special needs approval to issue bonds of the school district in an amount not to exceed $88,000,000 and to submit the bond to the electors in March.
In the initial agenda, the amount not to be exceeded was left to be determined, as the staff required the board’s intent regarding storm shelters for the appropriate amount for the request for the bond.
The $88,000,000 was suggested by Stevens as the top amount for the bond, which is not to be exceeded.
This resolution is a procedural resolution to ensure the board and district stay on track to have the levy for the new building project on the ballot for voters in March.
The resolution passed, with Dunaway voting against it.
The writer is a regular contributor to Miami Valley Today.
