After some debate Wednesday, Hamilton County commissioners authorized $3.7 million for various maintenance projects at local schools, including paving, roof repairs, security upgrades and boiler and chiller replacements.
Commissioner Joe Graham, R-Lookout Valley, had asked commissioners to use up to $100,000 of that funding to hire engineers to develop more precise estimates for the project costs. That amendment failed in an 8-2 vote with Graham and Commissioner Mike Chauncey, R-East Ridge, voting in favor of setting aside those dollars. Commissioner Warren Mackey, D-Lake Vista, was absent.
The resolution had initially been for more than $3.3 million, but commissioners Wednesday added $350,000 for an HVAC replacement at Hixson High School at the request of Commissioner Ken Smith, R-Hixson.
"Ronald Reagan said, 'Trust but verify,'" Graham told commissioners during a meeting Wednesday. "There is no way to verify this list. None whatsoever. These are numbers that are educated guesses."
Graham said it would be an opportunity for commissioners to set a precedent to ensure the county is spending money on projects that have been properly vetted. Superintendent Justin Robertson told commissioners Wednesday that would further delay needed building repairs, adding the funding request follows county, state and school board procurement policies.
"It's going to set everything back at least several months because we start the process over," he told commissioners.
The money comes out of $6 million the County Commission withheld from Hamilton County Schools during budget planning last summer. It had initially been set aside for maintenance projects in the school budget, but county officials have argued they could use those recurring dollars for a more substantial bond issue, which would provide even more funding for facility needs at a lower cost.
The move also reduced the county's ongoing funding obligations to the school system. By state law, Hamilton County must preserve at least the same level of local funding for schools as it did in the prior year, a requirement called "maintenance of effort."
(READ MORE: Hamilton County Commission to consider more than $3M in school maintenance needs)
The county has not yet borrowed the money, so the school district is now asking commissioners to approve a list of projects using the $6 million originally included in the budget. School district leaders plan to approach the commission again before the fiscal year is over to spend the remaining $2.3 million.
Mayor Weston Wamp has said he expects the county will borrow those school maintenance dollars at the same time officials issue bonds for a new facilities plan, which may involve rebuilding and consolidating several schools.
Commissioner David Sharpe, D-Red Bank, said officials have been aware of the need for roof repairs at Rivermont Elementary School for two years. The school will receive $108,000 as part of the $3.7 million the panel approved Wednesday.
Rivermont, Alpine Crest and DuPont elementary schools would be consolidated at the DuPont site as part of the new facilities plan. However, the Rivermont building would remain in use for at least another two years if construction moves forward.
Commissioners made a rash decision when they decided to hold back growth money from the school system, Sharpe said, adding the county needs to spend $23 million per year to stay on top of maintenance needs.
"These people need this money so they can address issues in these schools," Sharpe said. "I support every single one of them."
Graham on Wednesday asked a clerk to read aloud a text message exchange he had with Robertson before the meeting. Graham had asked for the make, model and manufacture of boilers the school system would purchase with this money. Robertson responded the estimates were based on past purchases compared to current prices.
"Respectfully, this is backwards on any level," Graham said in one text to Robertson. "Asking for an amount of money with no specs from an expert is like finding a needle in a haystack not knowing where the haystack is in the first place."
Robertson disagreed.
"That is not even close to the same thing," he responded. "If the process is backwards, it has been created due to the fact the funds are not in the capital maintenance account for (the Hamilton County Department of Education)."
Chauncey said the list includes worthy projects, but he had questions about how officials prioritized them. He walked the athletic fields at East Ridge High School on Tuesday, which he said were in dire need of attention.
"It's deplorable," he said during the meeting. "Embarrassing. I can only imagine how embarrassed the players are and the coaches are when they try to host games there. It's probably impossible."
Chauncey said more than a year and a half ago, his predecessor, former Commissioner Tim Boyd, asked officials to set aside about $750,000 in federal pandemic relief funds for a new track and field at the school.
Officials initially expected to complete work last spring or summer, Chauncey said, but crews haven't yet broken ground. Schools Maintenance Director Justin Witt told Chauncey that officials have designs on paper, but the project may go over budget.
In a phone call, Chauncey said he hopes to have more a thorough conversation with school officials about the next steps for that project and whether there could be alternative uses for that funding, which must be spent within a certain time frame.
Chauncey said he and Graham wanted to ensure the school system had a solid basis for its funding request Wednesday rather than simply throwing numbers at the wall.
"It's like when you put a new deck on your house," he said. "You get an estimate from a contractor."
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.