WELCOME TO THE ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOLS SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET COMMITTEE -- BUDGET [00:00:09] ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING. SORRY IT HAS ALREADY BEEN A LONG DAY. TODAY IS MARCH 16TH AND THIS IS OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED MONTHLY MEETING. AND A SPECIAL WELCOME TO SELINA HAJI, APOLOGY IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME IF IS ATTENDING TONIGHT AS POTENTIAL NEW MEMBER. MY NAME IS ERIN DAHLIN AND CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE AND WILL FACILITATE OUR MEETING TONIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE ROBERT HAS MAYBE SIGNED OFF AND WILL SIGN BACK IN TO TAKE CARE OF HOUSEKEEPING BUSINESS UNTIL HE CAN RETURN. AND THAT IS THE APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY MEETING MINUTES. [Items 2 & 3] SO THAT EARLIER NANCY REFRESHED US, JUST PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY SENDING THEM OUT. SO IF WE COULD GET A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR MINUTES THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC. >> SO MOVED. >> ALL RIGHT, SECOND? >> SECOND. >> ALL RIGHT, AND APPROVED. A BAD, ROBERT RULES ORDER. THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED. TERRIFIC. AND AT THIS POINT WE NORMALLY TURN TO OUR STAFF BUDGET UPDATE, WE'LL WAIT [1. Agenda for the March 16, 2021 Budget Advisory Committee Meeting] FOR ROBERT TO REJOIN US. BUT I THINK IT HAS BEEN FUN TO KIND OF SEE ALL OF THE INFORMATION COMING IN FROM ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS. SELINA, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, OR ANY OTHER FOLKS LISTENING TONIGHT SO PART OF THE SCHOOL BOARDS REQUEST THIS YEAR WAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER JURISDICTIONS BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY'S PROCESS IS IN THE ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS OR IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERHAPS THE SCHOOL BOARD TO TBHAIG ADVANCE OF THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER, PRESENTING HIS BUDGET PRIOR TO THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVAL. AND SO EACH OF US HAD TAKEN A SURROUNDING JURISDICTION OVER THIS LAST PERIOD OF TIME -- LAST MONTH TO TAKE A LOOK AT TO JUST SEE LIKE WHAT COULD WE FIND OUT IN A PUBLIC FORUM YOU KNOW IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY POSTED ON THEIR WEBSITE AND OTHERS. INFORMATION TO SEE YOU KNOW, WAS OUR PROCESS VERY MUCH ALIGNED? OR ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PERHAPS THE CITY HAS PART OF THE WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS BEEN COMMUNED TO FOLKS -- COMMUNICATED TO FOLKS OVER THE YEARS THAT THIS WAS JUST SORT OF THE WAY WE DID BUSINESS IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA. WE WEREN'T SURE IF THAT WAS RELATED MORE TO JUST THE WAY CITY JURISDICTIONS RUN IN VIRGINIA? OR IF IT WAS EXCLUSIVE TO ALEXANDRIA. SO I SEE ROBERT HAS REJOINED. I DON'T KNOW ROBERT WE SKIPPED AHEAD A LITTLE BIT. I KNEW YOU PROBABLY HAD PROBLEMS THERE. MAYBE YOU CAN RETURN TO THIS T STAFF REPORT, I KNOW IT WAS A BUSY AND EXCITING DAY FOR MANY OF OUR FAMILIES WITH KIDS RETURNING TO IN-PERSON EDUCATION. I WAS ONE OF THOSE FAMILIES SO I AM VERY HAPPY FOR MY SON. AND ROBERT IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE STAFF REPORT, THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC. AND I KNOW MANY OF US WATCHED WITH ANTICIPATION LAST WEEK WHEN THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PASSED, AND THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE RESOURCES COMING TO THE CITY, TIMELINE AND PLANNING FOR THOSE DOLLARS IF YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT YOU CAN SHARE WITH US AND ROBERT IF YOU'RE TALKING YOU'RE ON MUTE. SUSAN IF YOU CAN MESSAGE HIM, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM. >> I'M MESSAGING HIM NOW. >> OKAY. >> ERIN. >> UH-HUH. >> WHILE WE'RE WAITING COULD I JUST MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. >> SURE. >> THAT WHEN WE WHATEVER PORTION YOU'RE ALLOCATING FOR THE DISCUSSION OF THE JURISDICTIONS THAT WE ALL VOLUNTEER TO REPORT ON ABOUT NANCY'S SEVEN-POINT. >> PRESENTATION. >> IS A REALLY GOOD WAY TO KIND OF GO THROUGH A DISCUSSION OF EACH OF THE [00:05:03] JURISDICTIONS. >> GREAT. Y YET THEY WESTERN JUST MINE, THEY WERE MINUTES FROM OUR CONVERSATION LAST TIME. SO BUT YEAH, I THOUGHT IT WAS HOPEFUL TO -- HELPFUL TO HAVE THOSE. >> REGARDLESS, YOU PUT IT TOGETHER. >>> CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, ROBERT. >>> OH, MY GOODNESS. >> YEAH, I'M SO SORRY I'M ACTUALLY CALLING FROM MY PHONE, I APOLOGIZE. >> NO WORRIES. >> I DID HEAR ABOUT THE I GUESS THE UPDATE ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. >> YEAH, JUST WONDERING IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN SHARE AND, YOU KNOW, AT LARGE, YOUR NORMAL BUDGET UPDATE IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR TO THE FUNDS COMING TO THE CITY. >> WELL, NOT MUCH ON THE BUDGET UPDATE SIDE, WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. RIGHT NOW IT IS PRETTY MUCH IN THE HANDS OF THE CITY, CITY COUNCIL AS TO THEIR DELIBERATIONS ON THE ACPS SIDE, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS TO DO REALLOCATIONS OF THEIR OF THE SCHOOL ALLOCATIONS. SO ESSENTIALLY EACH SCHOOL IS GIVEN OR -- NOT GIVEN, ALLOCATED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY BASED ON THEIR PROJECTED ENROLLMENT. AND SO THE INDIVIDUAL TREASURERS AND THE PRINCIPALS DETERMINE WHERE AND HOW THEY WANT TO DISTRIBUTE THOSE FUNDINGS. SO THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REALLOCATING DOLLARS. WITH RESPECT TO THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, WE HAVE RESEARCHED OUT THE OUR STATE COUNTERPARTS AND HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GOING T SOME INFORMATION BY THE END OF THE WEAK. WE ARE TENTATIVELY ANTICIPATING ROUGHLY -- AND I'LL JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE, ROUGHLY $30 MILLION, PERHAPS. >> WOW. >> TO COME TO ACPS WHICH WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF MONEY AND HAVE AT LEAST TWO YEARS TO SPEND IT. SO THAT IS A WELCOMED REPRIEVE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO SPEND MONEY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS THROUGH THAT. WE ARE ALSO ALSO ANTICIPATING THE APPLICATION, AGAIN, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF CARES ACT OR THE ESERR FUNDING WHICH WE ARE ALREADY AWARE WE ARE GOING TO RECEIVE ROUGHLY $15 MILLION. AND THAT APPLICATION IS DUE APRIL 1ST. SO WE'LL APPLY FOR THOSE FUNDINGS APRIL 1ST OR THAT IS $15 MILLION AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WE'RE LOOKING AT ROUGHLY $30 MILLION IS THE TENTATIVE RESCUE RIGHT NOW -- MORE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE REGARDING THAT HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE WEEK. AND. >> DO YOU HAVE EVEN THE BROAD BUCKETS YET, ROBERT? I KNOW -- WE'VE BEEN IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE WE'RE IMPLEMENTED AARP DOLLARS, LOOKING AT THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN SCHOOLS, A LOT SEEMS TO BE FOCUSED ON INFRASTRUCTURE. ARE THERE ANY INITIAL DISCUSSIONS FROM THE CITY ON THE. >> THE INITIAL -- THE CONVERSATION HAS BEEN AROUND ONE INFRASTRUCTURE, OBVIOUSLY THE TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE AND W WORD FROM THE STATE LAST WEEK -- AND THEY'RE PASSING THIS ALONG TO A LOT OF THE JURISDICTIONS THAT THEY DON WANT TO SEE ANYMORE LAPTOPS. THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE THE PURCHASE OF LAPTOPS FOR STUDENTS. WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US USE ARE THOSE DOLLARS FOR FACILITY UPGRADES WHETHER HVAC, VENTILATION, WHAT WE'RE EVEN LOOKING AT DOING IS THE WATER FOUNTAINS YOU KNOW PUTTING IN THE BOTTLE FILLING WATER FOUNTAINS. AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER -- I JUST LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT, SO IT WAS THE. >> IS IT TECHNOLOGY THE CLASSROOM, ROBERT. >> THAT IS WHAT IT WAS, TECHNOLOGIES IN THE CLASSROOM -- WELL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, JUST A LOT OF THINGS ON THE BACKEND TO HELP BUILD UP OUR CAPABILITIES. THAT IS WITH THE ESSER-2 MONEY. FOR THE $30 MILLION OR SO, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, IT IS -- OH, MY GOODNESS. , I DON'T WANT TO SAY TOO EARLY, BUT AGAIN THERE IS A LOT OF THOUGHT PROCESS THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO PLACE TO HOW TO BEST UTILIZE THOSE FUNDINGS. AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT IS A LOT OF MONEY. IF WE DO GO DOWN THE ROAD OF SUPPLEMENTING STAFF OR ADDING STAFF, IT WOULD BE STRICTLY -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY TEMPORARY -- ON A TEMPORARY OR LIMITED BASIS, [00:10:05] WHEREBY IF WE DO HIRE STAFF, THEY WILL BE HIRED SPECIFICALLY WITH THOSE GRANT FUNDING WITH THE BEGINNING AND AN END DATE. FOR THOSE WRECK IT IS SERVICES -- REQUISITE SERVICES. LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE. I HAD SOME NOTES HERE. FACILITY -- I MENTIONED FACILITY MODIFICATION OR FACILITY UPGRADES IN TERMS OF SPACING AND/OR -- I'M SORRY, I'M LOSING MY THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW. >> YOU AHEAD HVAC UPDATES AND WATER FOUNTAIN TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, SO I'M ASSUMING LIKE YOU'RE TALKING LIKE SMALLER INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATES LIKE AIR PUREIFIERS OR MORE LIKE THE LARGE SCALE HVAC REPLACEMENT PROJECT? >> NOT NECESSARILY THE REPLACEMENTS, BUT THOSE REPLACEMENTS CAN AND WILL BE ELIGIBLE. I THINK IT IS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF THE AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. THERE IS MONEY STILL INCLUDED AND WE PLAN TO SUPPLEMENT THE ACADEMIC LEARNING LOSS AND/OR GAPS THAT WE HAVE. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATION TAKING PLACE WITH OUR TLL GROUP AS WELL AS THE STUDENT SERVICES REGARDING THE SOCIO-EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC LEARNING. I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE GOING SEE A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND A LOT OF SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES ADDED IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS. YEAH, I KNOW THAT IS A LONG-WINDED THING. THERE IS JUST A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE. SO JUST TRYING TO KEEP TRACK. I WILL SAY NEW BUSES ARE GETTING READY TO COME ON-LINE. SO THE ELECTRIC BUSES THAT WE HAD WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH DOMINION IS GETTING READY TO COME ON-LINE. THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A BUDGET UPDATE, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THOSE ACPS FACILITY, OPERATIONS UPDATES THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S ABOUT IT. LET ME STOP. >> CAN I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION? >> YOU SURE CAN. >> SO -- AND THANKS FOR ALL THAT INFORMATION. ARE THERE ANY GLARING HOLES THAT ARE AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THAT THESE FUNDS MIGHT ADDRESS? HONEST THE >> HONESTLY, I'LL TELL YOU THE ABILITY TO EXPAND OUR CAPACITY TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE FACILITIES OR BUILDINGS THAT WE COULD UTILIZE. WE ACTUALLY ENGAGED WITH THE OWNERS OR THE, YEAH, THE OWNER-OPERATORS OF THE WHAT IS IT, VICTORY CENTER? VICTORY CENTER REGARDING THE POTENTIAL OF USING THAT SPACE AS WELL AS WE'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN IN SEVERAL MEETINGS IN WHICH THE CITY COUNCIL AND/OR THE CITY MANAGER HAVE MENTIONED CITY-OWNED SPACE BEING AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVE OFFICIALLY ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS AS TO WHERE ARE THOSE FACILITIES? AND TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THEY AVAILABLE TO ACPS. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS ABSENT THE ESERR2 FUNDING AS WELL AS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE SO ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN PURSUING THOSE OPTIONS. BUT RIGHT NOW THOSE OPTIONS ARE FULLY ON THE TABLE AND WE ARE ENGAGED IN DISCUSSIONS FOR THAT FOR THAT SPACE AVAILABILITY AS TO WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE BUILDOUT TO MAKE IT SUITABLE FOR STUDENTS. >> IS THAT KIND OF A GENERAL LOOK INTO THE FUTURE KIND OF THING? OR IS THAT TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE SPACING FOR CLASSROOMS RIGHT NOW? >> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT NOW. WE'RE LOOKING TO FAST-TRACK ANY AND ALL OPTIONS RIGHT NOW. AS I MENTIONED WE WERE ON A CALL JUST LAST WEEK WITH THE VICTORY CENTER. AND THEY'RE EXPECTING OR PLANNING TO GET BACK WITH US THIS WEEK. AND WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE ANALYSIS AS TO WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FISCAL [00:15:04] IMPACT AND WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US. AS I ALSO MENTIONED JUST IN THE DISCUSSIONS THE CITY, WHAT ARE OUR POSSIBILITIES AND WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS THERE WITH THE CITY AS FAR AS CITY-OWNED SPACES. >> THANK YOU. >> ROBERT, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT HOW YOU'RE LOOKING BACK AT SOME OF THE PANDEMIC-RELATED EXPENSES. AND ONE EXAMPLE I'M THINK OF, WHICH PROBABLY ISN'T A HUGE BUDGET ITEM COMPARATIVELY, ARE THE LEARNING PACKETS AND SUPPLY KITS AND THINGS THAT YOU SENT HOME TO FAMILIES NOW. NOW IF EVERYONE IS BACK IN THE FALL THAT WON'T BE AN ISSUE, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK YOU'RE GETTING FROM BOTH STAFF, BUT ALSO MAYBE FAMILIES ABOUT HOW WELL UTILIZED SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES WERE AND WHETHER SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES COULD BE SORT OF PRIORITIZED IN RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER TYPES OF EXPENSES. >> HONESTLY, I WOULD HAVE TO ADMIT I HAVE VERY LIMITED KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHAT THE FEEDBACK HAS BEEN, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THE PARENTS AND THEIR -- THE I GUESS THE THOSE PACKETS. I WILL SAY ON BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE PRINT SHOP NOW, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE GUYS IN THE PRINT SHOP PRODUCING THOSE LEARNING PACKET. >> I BET. >> THEY WERE PRETTY MUCH WORKING YOU KNOW, 12-HOUR SHIFTS TO TRY TO GET THOSE PACKETS AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STUDENTS. AND THEY ACTUALLY WONDERED, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE THEY BEING UTILIZED. SO I CAN ACTUALLY -- I CAN POSE THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK WE'VE GOT. >> AND AGAIN, IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE OF THE OPENING STATUS WON'T BE AN ISSUE OR IT IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT ITEM EXPLORING IT. BUT JUST YESTERDAY I WAS GOING THROUGH MY SON'S PACKETS TO SENDS HIM TO SCHOOL ECONOMY HAD LIKE TWO COPIES OF EVERY PACT, ONE IN ENGLISH AND ONE IN SPANISH. HE'S AT A DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOL SO NEIGHBOR IS WHY. I THOUGHT THIS IS SUCH A WASTE, WE ONLY NEED ONE COPY OF THIS. JUST LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT. MAYBE IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL, BUT I JUST KNOW THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE THAT THE SYSTEM DID TO PROVIDE ALL OF THOSE MATERIALS TO STUDENTS. SO JUST CURIOUS IF THERE IS ANY SORT OF AFTER-ACTION ON THOSE, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT THE CONTENT WAS. >> I WILL ASK REGARDING THAT. AND I WILL SAY THAT I THINK IN TERMS OF HAVING THE DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO US MADE IT MUCH EASIER TO GO THROUGH THE COST AND THE EXPENSE OF THAT -- I'M JUST GOING TO SAY -- WITHOUT A LOT OF ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF TH USABILITY. LIKE WE GOT TO GET SOMETHING OUT. GET SOMETHING FOR THE STUDENTS. GET THEM TO WORK ON SOMETHING. >> YES. >> LET ME JUST SAY A LOT OF THE MATERIALS ARE EXCELLENT AND WERE WELL-UTILIZED. SO I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SAY BOTH THE MAKE SURE I ADDED A POSITIVE TO THAT, TOO. JUST CURIOUS, THANKS. >> GREAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ROBERT THIS EVENING? ALL RIGHT, WELL, I THINK WE CAN DELVE INTO OUR COMPARISON SHOPPING OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OTHER BUDGET PROCESSES AND AS SEAN SUGGESTED THE FRAMING QUESTIONS NANCY ATTACHED IN THE E-MAIL ARE GOOD ONES TO ADDRESS. AND DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER OR SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST. >> WOULD YOU LIKE -- ERIN, WOULD YOU LIKE ONE OF US TO SHARE OUR SCREENS OR PULL UP THE CHART OR IS THAT NOT HELPFUL BECAUSE IT IS SMALL? >> IT COULD BE, I DON'T KNOW HOW FOLKS FEEL ABOUT THAT. >> IT IS TOTALLY FINE, I HAVE IT OPEN. >> I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT THE SAME SORT OF FILE. >> LY ADMIT TO BEING -- LIKE I HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAN I POPULATED IN THE CHART AT THE TIME AND THE INFORMATION DIDN'T ALIGN THAT GREAT. >> WE'LL TALK BUT I'LL SEE IF I CAN PULL IT UP. >> ERIN. >> SURE. >> LAST TIME I LOOKED ANY OF THE STUFF FROM NEW PORT NEWS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CHART IS THAT CORRECT? >> WE WERE -- I'M SORRY, SEAN, DID YOU E-MAIL IN? OR WAS IT IN. >> I PUT INTO IT GOOGLE DOCS. >> OKAY, I DEFINITELY. >> IN A FOLDER. >> I DID -- I LOOKED SEAN AND SAW THAT SOME OF THE CALENDARS AND STUFF WERE IN THE FOLDER BUT THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT NEWPORT NEWS ON THE SPREADSHEET. >> SORRY, SEAN, THAT WAS A PROCESS THING, WE STARTED. >> IF WE WERE GOING SHARE THE SCREEN THEN THAT SCREEN WHERE THE CHART WILL NOT [00:20:05] INCLUDE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION. >> I CAN PULL UP THAT STUFF IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, SEAN, JUST LET ME KNOW. >>> I HAVE IT ALL PRETTY SET IN MY MIND, I SPENT SEVERAL HOURS ON IT SO, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE IT ESPECIALLY WITH OUR FRAMEWORK OF QUESTIONS NANCY. >> PERFECT. SEAN, DO YOU WANT TO START? >> PUT ME ON THE SPOT. >> AND I'M COGNIZANT OF TIME. WE CAN USE THIS AS OUR BROAD BRUSH TO JUST KIND OF -- BUT I KNOW WE PROBABLY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DOCUMENT, TOO, SO MAYBE FROM A TIME PERSPECTIVE WITH THE FOUR JURISDICTIONS TO GO THROUGH, IF WE COULD SPEND ABOUT TEN 10 TO 12 MINUTE MINUTES ON EACH OF THEM. AND IF WE NEED MORE TIME WE CAN ALLOCATE MORE TIME THE NEXT MEETING. >> EVEN IF WE COULD MAYBE LIKE JUST KEEP IT EVEN EVEN HIGHER LEVEL FOR THIS CONVERSATION, I THINK THAT PROBABLY WILL BE HELPFUL, WHERE DOES THE APPROVALS AND HOW DOES THAT OCCUR, SORT OF KEEPING IT AT AND THEN SORT OF MAYBE WE CANDYING INTO THE DETAILS AS NEEDED. >> I WAS GOING SAY I COULD PROBABLY DO LESS THAN 12 MINUTES FOR SURE. >> I CAN DEFINITELY DO LESS THAN 12 MINUTES. SUKUMAR RAO. >> I HAD EVERYTHING NEAR I'M TRYING TO FINDS NANCY'S. >>> I PUT THE KEYS ON THE SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE THEM RIGHT NOW. >> I HAVE TOO MANY THINGS OPEN, IF SOMEONE ELSE WANTS TO START. >> I'M HAPPY TO START, SO I LOOKED AT FAIRFAX COUNTY AND IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL TIMELINE WHERE WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT RELEASES THE BUDGET, WHEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MAKES DECISIONS IT SEEMED FAIRLY COMPARABLE TO ALEXAND DRYIA THE SUPERINTENDENT LITERALLY RELEASED HIS BUDGET THIS SAME DIAZ HE DID HERE IN ALEXANDRIA, THERE WAS A LOT OF OVERLAP. THE SCHOOL BOARD DOES DEFINITELY APPROVE THE BUDGET, THE SUMENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER OR THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, I SHOULD SAY, RELEASES THE BUDGET TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BY A LITTLE LESS THAN A WEEK. SO THAT IT DOES HAPPEN BEFORE THAT. THE -- YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE -- I'M JUST GOING GO THROUGH THE QUESTIONS SO IT SKIPS AROUND A LITTLE BIT. IN TERMS OF THE COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE, IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THEY ACTUALLY DO HAVE A BACK EQUIVALENT. THEY HAVE A COMMITTEE, A CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE LOOKING AT CAPACITY AND CIP-TYPE ISSUES BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ONE RELATED TO BUDGET. T FOCUSED ON BUDGET. BUT THAT DIDN'T APPEAR TO INCLUDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THAT WAS JUST A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE BOARD ITSELF. YOU KNOW, SIMILARLY THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOARD AND CITY/COUNTY SEEMED FAIRLY COMPARABLE IN TERMS OF HAVING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BOARD AND THE CITY/COUNTY BOTH TO HAVE JOINT WORK SESSIONS EARLY ON TO TALK ABOUT FISCAL FORECASTS AND THE LIKE. BUT THEN, AGAIN, TO SORT OF SHARE INFORMATION ONCE THE BUDGET WAS RELEASED. SO I THINK WE MAY HAVE -- I'LL PUT THAT ON THE SPREADSHEET IN A SECOND. WE MIGHT HAVE A FEW MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAN THEY DO, BUT IT WAS COMPARABLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED IS THAT THEY -- MY SENSE WAS THAT WE TEND TO HAVE MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND MORE WORK SESSIONS RELATED TO THE BUDGET THAN FAIRFAX COUNTY DID YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY'LL SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR TWO DAYS, WHICH I IMAGINE IS TO ACCOMMODATE OVERFLOW, BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THOSE SECOND DAYS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD ABOUT THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS COMPARED TO OUR FIVE. AND I SHOULD SAY OUR FIVE DOESN'T INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY BUDGET FORUM WHICH [00:25:13] WOULD REALLY MAKE US 6 SO THAT SEEMED TO ME TO BE A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY TO STREAMLINE IF WE WANTED TO JUST LOOK AT A COMPARABLE JURISDICTION, WHICH KIND OF GETS TO NUMBER 5. IT DIDN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, IN ENGAGEMENT, I DON'T KNOW -- THEY DIDN'T APPEAR TO HAVE WHAT THEY CALL AN ADD-DELETE PROJECT BUT COULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF. THAT I DID NOTICE ONE OF THE THINGS FAIRFAX COUNTY DOES IS THEY HAVE SORT OF IDENTIFIED WORK SESSIONS FOR THE BUDGET. BUT THEN THEY ALSO HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE WITHIN JUST A REGULARLY SCHEDULED SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WHERE THEY HAVE -- I DON'T HAVE THE TERM IN FRONT OF ME BUT SORT OF LIKE A PRESENTATION ON A CERTAIN ASPECT OF THE BUDGET. SO IT LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD ABOUT THREE TO FIVE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. AGAIN, IT WASN'T A BUDGET WORK SESSION, BUT IT WAS A CHANCE FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT OR APPROPRIATE STAFF TO PRESENT A CERTAIN PART OF THE BUDGET. AND THOSE HAPPENED SORT OF DURING THE COURSE OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, SORT OF IN BETWEEN WORK SESSIONS. AND THEN, AGAIN, SIMILAR TO ALEXANDRIA, THEY DO HAVE A BUDGET PRIORITY SETTING ACTIVITY AND I'LL JUST MOVE TO THIS NOW SO YOU CAN SEE IT. SIMILAR TO US, THEY HAVE A PRIORITIES WORK SESSION IN SEPTEMBER. I DIDN'T SEE THEY HAD LIKE A MEETING WHERE THEY ADOPT THOSE PRIORITIES, I'M SURE THEY DO I JUST DIDN'T SEE IT ON THERE, ON THEIR SCHEDULE. I THINK THE ONLY OTHER THING I'LL ADD ABOUT FAIRFAX COUNTY IS THIS IS JUST -- ROBERT WOULD PROBABLY EXPLAIN THIS BETTER THAN ME -- I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THEY HAVE BOND FUNDING AND THE LIKE FOR THEIR CIP PROJECTS IT LOOKED LIKE THAT WAS AN INTERNAL SCHOOL PROCESS. THEY HAVE A SEPARATE PROPOSED CIP AND PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPTION OF THE CIP THAT ALL PAP PEAR TO HAPPEN IN THE FALL OR CERTAINLY BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. AND I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING AFTER THAT TIME. SO IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THERE WAS -- I SHOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING DEFINITIVELY, I COULDN'T TELL IF THERE WAS ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE CIP ISSUES SORT OF AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THEIR BUDGET STUFF WAS REALLY FOCUSED MORE ON OPERATING-TYPE STUFF. AND I SORT OF PROVIDED A LITTLE DETAIL OF THAT IN THE SPREADSHEET. BUT SO, AGAIN, I THINK MAYBE COUNTRIES FOR STREAMLINING, BUT THE TIMELINE OTHER THAN WHEN THE BUDGET DECISION HAPPENS SEEMED PRETTY COMPARABLE. >> GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, NANCY. SUKUMAR OR SEAN, WANT TO GO NEXT. >> I'M STILL WORKING ON. >> SUKUMAR, YOU WANT TO GO? >> I'M HAPPY TO START. SO ANTIVIRAL, THE ARLINGTON COUNTY -- LET ME START WITH THE BUDGET APPROVAL OF THE BUDGE ITSELF. THE SCHOOL BOARD PROPOSES ITS BUDGET AND THE COUNTY, THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES THE BUDGET AFTER THE COUNTY ADOPTS IT. AND IN TERMS OF THE BACK, THEY DO HAVE A SIMILAR BACK-STRUCTURE. I MUST APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T GET INTO A LOT OF THE DETAILS HOW THEY WORK BUT DEFINITELY THEY WERE MEETING MINUTES AND ALL OF THAT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE I DIDN'T GET INTO A LOT OF DETAILS THERE. IN TERMS OF THE WORKING SESSIONS, YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CHART COMPARED TO ALEX AFNED DRYIA THEY HAVE -- ALEXANDRIA, THEY HAVE FEWER WORK SESSIONS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS LOWER COMPARED TO THEM. AND HERE I JUST WANTED TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT IS THE GAP NOT NECESSARILY -- ALTHOUGH I ENDED UP COUNTING EACH ONE OF THEM. DEFINITELY ALEXANDRIA DOES IT A LOT MORE IN TERMS OF YOU CAN LOOK AT THE WORK SESSIONS, THE NUMBER OF WORK SESSIONS ARE 10. ARLINGTON THERE WERE ABOUT 6. AND WHAT ELSE DID WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT? >> I'LL PUT THE QUESTIONS UP AGAIN. >> AND THE FORMAL INTERPLAY, I THINK THERE ARE QUITE A FEW WORKING COMBINED WORKING SESSIONS. ALL OF THAT, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT IS THE EXTENT OF WHAT HAPPENS IN ALEXANDRIA LIKE YOU SEE THE JOINT WORKING SESSION THERE ARE TWO WORKING SESSIONS BETWEEN THE AND VERY SIMILAR WHERE THERE IS INITIAL BUDGET SETTING AND SORT OF THAT FEEDS INTO THE GUIDES THE PROCESS AND THE PRIORITIES SO THAT IS, I GUESS, MY [00:30:07] OVERVIEW. >> GREAT. >> NANCY, COULD YOU PUT UP THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I CAN'T FIND THE E-MAIL. I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT DISAPPEARED TO. >> THEY'RE RIGHT THERE. >> I'M STILL SEEING THE EXCEL. >> YOU ARE? >> THAT'S ALL I SEE IS THE EXCEL. >> GIVE ME A MINUTE. >> SURE, JUST WANT TO BE. > PROJECT COMMITTEE. >> DO YOU SEE THEM NOW? >> NOW I SEE YOUR NOTES. >> I SEE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. I KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS, SORRY. >> I'M JUST IMPRESSED BECAUSE EVERY TIME I HAVE TO SCREEN SHARE I SCREW IT UP. EVERY SINGLE TIME. >>> I AM TERRIFIED AND I WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES TO DO IT INSTEAD OF ME. >> I EVEN WHEN I PRACTICE I SCREW IT UP. >> I'M LIKE, NOPE, I NEED SOMEBODY ELSE. I CANETH AER TALK OR I CAN SHARE A SCREEN. BUT I CAN'T -- I APPARENTLY CANNOT PERFORM BOTH. >> IT IS THERE NOW? >> I THOUGHT YOU COULD SCROLL THROUGH LIKE A LIKE DOCUMENTS AND WORD AND SORT OF GO BACK AND FORTH. >> APPARENTLY NOT. >> SO NEWPORT NEWS, WHICH IS INTERESTING, A CITY OF ABOUT 220,000 PEOPLE WITH 26,000 STUDENTS ORGANIZED THE SAME WAY WE ARE IN TERMS OF A CITY WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. GO BACK ABOUT 15 YEARS WITH NEWPORT NEWS, THEY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES IN THE ACTUALLY IN THE COUNTRY AND CERTAINLY IN THE COMMONWEALTH TO ACTUALLY CREATE A CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILIES KIND OF STRATEGIC PLAN. SO VERY INTERESTING THAT THEY DID THAT. THEIR BUDGET PROCESSES ARE VERY WELL ALIGNED, SCHOOL BOARD AND CITY COUNCIL SEEM TO WORK OFF ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME SCHEDULE. EVERYTHING SEEMS TO HAPPEN IN WITH THE PRIORITIES BEING SET OUT TO THEIR RESPECTIVE STAFF MEMBERS, BOTH IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND IN THE CITY. THE COMPOSITION IS EIGHT MEMBERS ON SCHOOL BOARD AND EIGHT MEMBERS ON THE CITY COUNCIL INCLUDING THE MAYOR AND THE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. INTERESTING THAT THEY HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER, THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'D THINK IS ALL THAT USUAL. >> IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN YOU THINK. I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE DOING ONLY SLIGHTLY RELATED RESEARCH. YEAH, IT IS INTERESTING. >> FORMAL INTERPLAY, ONE I WILL SAY IS FINDING INFORMATION ON-LINE WITH NEWPORT NEWS IS CHALLENGING. THEY DON'T APPEAR TO HAVE EITHER THE SAME MOTIVATION OR REASONING THAT WE DO HERE IN ALEXANDRIA FOR MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYTHING, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY EDUCATED AND NOSEY PEOPLE IN THE CITY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS JUST, IT IS JUST A MUCH MORE BRIEF SET OF BOWMENT U DOCUMENTS AND DISCLOSURES ON THE INTERNET THEY ONLY APPEAR TO HAVE TWO JOINT MEETINGS BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CITY RESPECT TO THE BUDGET. AND FINDING OUT WHAT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS DURING SCHOOL BOARD PROCESS, BUDGET PROCESS, THEY ONLY HAVE AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, ONE MAYBE TWO PUBLIC COMMENT MEETINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE BUDGET. CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STREAMLINING. SO THAT IS INTERESTING QUESTION. AND I THINK IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE. [00:35:04] S THEIR PROCESSES SEEM MUCH MORE STREAMLINED JUST ON THE SURFACE. AND THEIR BUDGETS ARE CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN OURS WITH PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHICH W SIMILAR KINDS OF LEARNING CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN ALEXANDRIA AND MAYBE EVEN GREATER. THEY DO NOT APPEAR TO HAVE AN ADD/DELETE BUDGET MEETING FOR SCHOOL BOARD. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT FURTHER EXAMINATION MIGHT SHOW THAT THAT DOES EXIST AND LIKE I SAID THE PRIORITIES ARE WORKED ON AND SET MOSTLY IN OCTOBER. 92 IS WHEN ALL THE -- THAT IS WHEN ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS BOTH IN THE SCHOOL, STAFF AND CITY STAFF ARE ASKED TO CREATE THEIR "ASKS" WITHIN THE BUDGET. THAT'S ABOUT IT. >> SO SEAN, DID IN TERMS OF THE SEQUENCING ISSUE, THOUGH, DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE THE BUDGET BEFORE IT GOES TO THE CITY? OR IS EVERYTHING SORT OF IN TANDEM? >> PRETTY MUCH IN TANDEM. >> LIKE LITERALLY THE SAME NIGHT? TWO DIFFERENT MEETINGS HAPPENING IN DIFFERENT AREA? >> NO, NOT TO THAT EXTENT RAMEE. I MEAN, SO AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET FROASES FOR SCHOOL BOARD, IT IS PRESENTED IN PRETTY MINUTE DETAIL IF YOU WILL, EVERY MEETING BUDGET WORK SESSION IS LISTED ON A CALENDAR. THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON-LINE ANYWHERE. AND THEY ALSO, INTERESTINGLY, DO NOT HAVE COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY NEITHER SCHOOL BOARD CITY COUNCIL APPEAR TO HAVE AN COMMUNITY COMMITTEES THAT ADVISE THEM WITH RESPECT TO BUDGETING. >> SO I'M WONDERING IF MAYBE FOR NEWPORT NEWS WE DO NEED TO ASK YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ROBERT MIGHT HAVE A LOGICAL STAFF CONTACT AND/OR IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE ME TO SEE IF I COULD MAYBE REACH OUT TO A BOARD MEMBER JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT ON NEWPORT NEWS. >> I CAN REACH OUT TO NEWPORT NEWS. >> OKAY. >> AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH A VARIETY OF CALLS I MEAN I GUESS AT THIS POINT AS SUKUMAR SAID, WE'RE AT A HIGH LEVEL IN THIS DISCUSSION. I THINK THE QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH AND HOW DETAILED INFORMATION DO WE WANT FROM EACH OF THESE JURISDICTIONS TO CREATE A WORTHWHILE COMPARISON. >> RIGHT. >> I'M HAPPY TO DO ANY AMOUNT OF LEG WORK WITH ANYBODY IN NEWPORT NEWS. >> GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, SEAN. AND ROUNDING OUT CITY OF RICHMOND. AND I WOULD SAY IT IS ALSO NOT QUITE THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA. IN FACT, THERE IS A POWERPOINT SLIDE IN A FOLDER IT IS LITERALLY SIX BUBBLES OF ENGAGEMENT IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. SO THERE THEIR BUDGET CALENDAR THE CITY BUDGET DEPARTMENT PRESENTS GUIDANCE IN THE FALL. AND YOU KNOW, GIVES THE BUDGET GUIDELINE TO ALL DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE CITY. THERE IS LIKE A CITYWIDE BUDGET KICK-OFF MEETING THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, ALL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS ATTEND. AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT -- THEY LOOK SIMULTANEOUSLY AT THE CAPITOL REQUESTS AT THAT TIME. AND THEN THEY DO KIND OF THEIR VETTING, YOU KNOW, REALLY IN THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER TIME FRAME. THAT IS SCHOOLS START WORKING ON THINGS. THIS IS REALLY FUNNY, THEIR SCHOOL BOARD HAS NINE MEMBERS. AND THEIR SUPERINTENDENT IN JANUARY PRESENTS THEIR -- HIS PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND THEN WITHIN ONE MONTH, THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES THAT BUDGET AND IT IS ADVANCED TO THE MAYOR FOR INCLUSION IN THE CITY'S BUDGET. AND THE MAYOR AT THAT POINT IS THE DECISIONMAKER, YOU KNOW, FINAL DECISIONS ARE BY [00:40:07] THE MAYOR AFTER THAT PRESENTATION. SO IN TERMS OF THEIR PUBLIC ENGANGMENT, THEY LITERALLY HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED. THERE ARE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY BUDGET PROCESS THAT JUST BASICALLY THE CITY HAS LIKE A SIX-PAGE DOCUMENT OF LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, BUDGET SOUP TO NUTS ACROSS THE CITY. AND THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS DURING THE BUDGETING PROCESS FOR THE CITY. BUT FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD PERSPECTIVE, IT LITERALLY IS LIKE, SUPERINTENDENT PREPARES. THERE IS A PUBLIC HEARING. AND THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES. I ALSO REFLECTED AND ROBERT, THE DOCUMENT THEY PREPARE IS ABOUT HALF THE SIZE OF WHAT THEY YOU ALL PREPARED HERE. THE CITY'S BUDGET LOOKS MORE LIKE THE SCHOOL'S BUDGET. IT IS ABOUT 600 PAGES. GO AHEAD, RAMEE. >> ERIN, IF BUDGET GOES TO THE MAYOR, I MEAN, IF -- I'M GOING TO PURPOSEFULLY MAKE A UP IS A SILLY NUMBER. THE SCHOOL BUDGET OF $100, IF THE MAYOR IS LIKE, NO, I'M SORRY, I CAN ONLY WHEN I'M THINKING OF THE LARGER CITY BUDGET I ONLY WANT TO PUT $90 IN, LIKE. >> IT LOOKS LIKE ALL OF THAT ALIGNMENT HAPPENS EARLIER. FRANKLY, JUST BASED ON SOME OF THE STUFF -- SO IT IS A YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF HAVE PHASE 1, PHASE 2 AND PHASE 3. YOU KNOW, WHERE THE MAYOR IS AT LEAST GIVING THEM SOME GUIDANCE TO, YOU KNOW, TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE CITY. BUT LIKE PHASE 1. >> OF A TARGET NUMBER, OKAY. >> UH-HUH. THE PHASE 1 ACTUALLY HAS A CODE OF VIRGINIA REFERENCE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO US AS ANOTHER CITY'S JURISDICTION. BUT IT SAYS SUPERINTENDENTS PROPOSED INTUJT BEGINNING PHASE OF BUDGET DEVELOPMENT USED TOGETHER INPUT FROM PARENT, BUSINESS LEADERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS THIS PHASE REPRESENTS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PRESENTATION OF THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR TO THE SCHOOL BOARD IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY, THIS YEAR IT TOOK PLACE IN JANUARY. AND THEN IT SAYS CODE OF VIRGINIA. BUT LIKE REALLY THAT TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PRESENTATION, THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND THE SCHOOL BOARD'S SIGN-OFF IS VERY TRUNCATED COMPARATIVELY TO OUR TO OUR PROCESS HERE. PHASE 2 IS THE SCHOOL BOARD'S RECOMMENDED SPENDING PLAN, THE MAYOR AND CITY, AND CITY COUNCIL AND THERE ARE ARE WORK SESSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO BUT ONLY ONE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSION AND LASTLY IS JUST, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS PRESENTED TO THE MAYOR AND INCORPORATED INTO THE -- YOU KNOW, A RECOMMENDATION BY THE RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL AND THEY MUST ADOPT THE CITY APPROPRIATION ON OR BEFORE MAY 15TH. AND THEN IT MOVES ALONG, BUT AGAIN, NO ADD/DELETE SESSIONS OR ANY KIND OF EXTREME AMOUNTS OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OR ANYTHING ALONG THAT LINE AND I SHOULD SAY "AIR QUOTES" EXTREME AMOUNT. IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE COUNTRY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STREAMLINING MAYBE WHAT WE WOULD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US WOULD LIKE RECOMMENDING MORE EFFICIENT USE OF THAT TIME ESPECIALLY IF ENGAGEMENT IS LOW OR REALLY TARGETED TOWARDS ONE VERY MUSTN'T ASPECT OF THE BUDGET, BECAUSE I THINK -- AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT AT THE RECOMMENDATION PHASE, SO SORRY FOR DELVING IN TOO DEEP THERE. BUT IT JUST APPEARS THAT WE MAY SPEND AN INORDINANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE CITY ON A VERY SPECIFIC LIKE -- YOU KNOW, RAMEE'S BUDGET. WE MIGHT SPEND A WHOLE TWO MEETING ON $2 WORTH OF EXPENDITURE. >> EXCELLENT POINT, YEAH, RIGHT. YEAH, I THINK THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT IS INTERESTING. IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE THAT WE APPEAR TO -- IF YOU THINK OF NUMBER OF MEETINGS OR PASS STEPS CONTINUUM WITH THIS HAND ON REPRESENTING THE LOWER ENDS AND THIS HAND REPRESENTING THE HIGHER ENDS WE DEFINITELY SEEM TO BE COMPARED TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING, ON THE HIGHER END. AND TO YOUR POINT ERIN ULTIMATELY WHAT YOU GUYS MIGHT COME UP WITH IN TERMS [00:45:07] OF RECOMMENDATIONS IS IN SOME WAYS, YOU KNOW, TO ADJUST THAT. IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE -- AND AGAIN, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE. IT MIGHT JUST BE THE BOARD UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE TRADEOFF, THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE -- I MEAN IT IS A LOT EASIER TO APPROVE THE BUDGET IN THE SPACE OF A FEW WEEKS OF JANUARY IF YOU'VE DECIDED NOT TO HAVE AS MANY MEETINGS AND NOT TO HAVE MULTIPLE ADD/DELETES AND MULTIPLE WORK SESSIONS. SO WHAT DO YOU -- WHAT DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD, YOU KNOW, FEEL IS MORE IMPORTANT OR VALUABLE? >> SO I THINK THAT IS IF POINT, REALLY, WHERE WE CAN PROBABLY COME UP WITH A COUPLE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATION, IF YOU WANT TO GET TO THE TIME FRAME IN WHICH WHY WE'RE DELVING INTO THIS SUBJECT IN AND OF ITSELF IS THAT THERE IS PROBABLY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT WE COULD RECOMMEND TAKING OUT OR MOVING UP OR ADJUSTING SLIGHTLY, YOU KNOW AND YOU ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW BEST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE WHAT THE PUBLIC ENGAGE MACHINE HAS BEEN. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS YEAR IS PROBABLY THE YEAR TO CUT OUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW KIDS RETURN TO SCHOOL AND YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE. BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER FORUMS, IS THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE ENGANGMENT ON THIS PROCESS THROUGH A PUBLIC FORUM. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IS PROBABLY LIKE A RULES-TYPE QUESTION, BUT, YOU KNOW IS THERE LIKE NOW ARE WE ABLE TO COLLECT FEEDBACK AND OTHER WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOLS CAN CONSIDER. SO. >> RIGHT. >> I THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, ERIN. AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY MY IMPRESSION LOOKING BOTH AT FAIRFAX, BUT ALSO JUST TAKING A LOOK AT THE CHART. AND I THINK LIKE WHAT YOU SAID IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IT IS NOT ABOUT ELIMINATING ENGAGEMENT, IT IS LIKE DOING A BETTER JOB AT ENGAGEMENT SO WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT ABOUT IT DO WE NEED THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS WHEN THERE ARE THREE AT EACH ONE. NO. MAYBE HAVING A MORE ROBUST ONE WHERE WE DO A BETTER JOB OF ENGAGING PEOPLE AND GETTING THEM INVOLVED AND BE MORE EFFICIENT AND HELP US STREAMLINE OTHER STUFF SO THAT WAS CERTAINLY MY IMPRESSION AS WELL. >> I GUESS KIND OF LIKE -- SUKUMAR DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO BRING UP? >> CAN I INTERJECT SOMETHING REAL QUICK. YOU GUYS MIGHT SHOOT ME FOR IT, BUT WHAT IF ONE OF THE AREAS TO SOLICIT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS THROUGH THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE? SO AS OPPOSED TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING PER SE, THAT THERE IS SAN ACTUAL BUDGET ADVISORY AND THEN THAT ENGAGEMENT IS THEN SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD SO THAT IT DOESN'T TAKE UP A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING THAT IS A SEPARATE, I GUESS A SEPARATE ENGAGEMENT SESSION. I'M JUST THINKING KIND OF OUTSIDE THE BOX. TO LIMIT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS THAT MAYBE THERE IS A SEPARATE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING SEEKING BUDGETARY IMPACT AND THEN THERE IS JUST A RECOMMENDATION OR A SUMMATION OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED AT THAT MEETING THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD RECEIVES. >> I THINK, ROBERT, THAT IS A REALLY GOOD UPONT WE'VE BEEN TALK ABOUT -- GOOD.T, WHAT COULD THIS GROUP ENGAGE AND BE SUPPORTIVE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THAT CERTAINLY COULD BE INCORPORATED INTO A RECOMMENDATION AS WELL FOR CONSIDERATION. AND IT DOES HELP BECAUSE THEN IT DOESN'T -- IT DOESN'T HOLD YOU TO "WELL, IT HAS TO BE ONE OF THESE TWO THURSDAYS IN THE MONTH". IT CAN BE RUNNING SORT OF PARALLEL TO OTHER STUFF. >> MAYBE IF YOU CUT OUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PUBLIC FORUMS AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING JUST BECAUSE OF SOME LIMITATIONS ON THE DATE, ALREADY YOU CAN TAKE TWO WEEKS OUT OVER THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT A WEEK BETWEEN PUBLIC AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES. ALSO WONDERING -- AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AGAINST CITY RULES OR ANYTHING. IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY FOR MORE DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT OR A DIFFERENT WAY THAT PARENTS CAN SHARE FEEDBACK NOW? I KNOW THE POINT OF PUBLIC COMMENT A LOT IS SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR EACH OTHER'S COMMENTS. BUT IS THERE A WAY FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENGAGEMENT? >> YES, I NOTICE ERIN ON THE FAIRFAX COUNTY BUDGET PAGE THERE WAS A VERY OBVIOUS [00:50:12] BUTTON WHERE AT ANY TIME YOU COULD COMPLETE A SURVEY OR PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET THAT IT WAS VERY PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT IDEA. >> AND I WOULD SAY, TOO, ON THE NEWPORT NEWS WEBPAGE WHEN YOU GO TO THE BUDGET, THAT IS ALSO PROMINENT THERE WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT, ANYBODY CAN SUBMIT. I COULD HAVE SUBMITTED SOMETHING ABOUT NEWPORT NEWS BUDGET PROCESS IF I WANTED TO, NOT THEY WANTED TO. BUT ANOTHER THING, SO AGAIN THE CITY OF SLIGHTLY LARGER POPULATION ALMOST 1 1/2 TIMES THE SCHOOL POPULATION THEY ONLY HAD ONE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING A MONTH AND ONE CITY COUNCIL MEETING A MONTH, NOT TWO BUT IF OTHER THING, KIND OF KEEPING -- I WOULD SUGGEST KEEPING IN MIND THE ENDGAME HERE IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANT TO ARRIVE AT WITH THIS? AND I THINK IT SEEMS TO ME THAT LOOKING AT THE PROCESS AND WHETHER IT IS A DELETE S EFFICIENT -- IT IS EFFICIENT AND WHETHER IT TAKES TOO MUCH AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COMPARING IT TO THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE FOLKS HERE BUT I THINK IN ORDER TO MAKE ANY KIND OF RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS DETAIL AND REAL TEETH IN IT THAT AT LEAST REPRESENTING NEWPORT NEWS, I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEIR PROCESS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE PROCESSES FOR CITY AND SCHOOL BOARD HERE IN ALEXANDRIA HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME TO BE WHAT THEY ARE TODAY. AND EVERYBODY LOOKS AT IT AND SAYS IT IS WHAT IT IS BUT WHY IT IS WHAT IT IS STARRED 50 YEARS AGO AND HAD DIFFERENT ITERATIONS ALONG THE WAY AND ISSUES THANK YOU JUROR THAT -- THANK YOU JURY THAT CAUSED PROCESS TO TAKE A PAUSE TO THE SIDE AND COME BACK OR WHATEVER. I THINK UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THAT BACKGROUND FOR EACH OF THE BUDGET PROCESSES FOR EACH OF THESE JURISDICTIONS WOULD BE HELPFUL OTHERWISE I THINK JUST MAKING A VERY BROAD KIND OF RECOMMENDATION TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. >> I THINK WE WERE TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, RIGHT, LIKE IF THE QUESTION WAS, CAN SOMETHING DIFFERENT BE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING THE ANSWER TO. AND IT SEEMS CLEAR FROM LIKE DELVING IN JUST EVEN FOUR DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS, YOU COULD CONSIDER SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WOULD ALLOW SCHOOL BOARD TO WEIGH IN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER MAYOR PRESENTS THEIR BUDGET. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WAS THE CRUX OF THE QUESTION THAT WE WERE ASKED IS AS A GOVERNING BODY YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL BOARD IS AT LIKE, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION SO THAT IT DOESN'T LOOK, LIKE THE WAY IT IS STRUCTURED NOW JUST APPEARS TO BE THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IF THE SCHOOL BOARD AGREED OR NOT. AND I KNOW THAT IMPRACTICALITY THAT THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS, BECAUSE OUR YOU KNOW, THE STAFFS ARE WORKING TOGETHER CLOSELY. BUT TO YOUR POINT, SEAN, I KNOW THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE. DO YOU BUILD SOMETHING OR DO YOU RECOMMEND SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE THAT DOES BUILD A LITTLE BIT MORE SUSTAINABILITY IN OR WHERE PEOPLE FEEL THEY HAVE MORE VISIBILITY BEFORE SOMETHING IS RECOMMENDED. >> I ALSO THOUGHT, TOO I WAS CURIOUS WHETHER ALEXANDRIA WAS AN OUTLIER OR WHETHER THAT SEQUENCING ISSUE IS SOMETHING YOU SAW IN OTHER PLACES. AND IT SEEMS AT LEAST FROM THE JURISDICTIONS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT WITH MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF AMBIGUITY IN NEWPORT NEWS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS DEFINITELY VOTING TO APPROVE BUDGET IN ADVANCE OF THE MAYOR OR EXECUTIVE OR WHOMEVER IT IS YOU KNOW, THAT SEQUENCING DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE IN EXISTENCE IN OTHER PLACES. >> IT IS NOT IN NEWPORT NEWS. THEY DON'T APPEAR TO BE OUT OF SYNC IN TERMS OF THE WAY THEIR BUDGET PROCESSES ALIGN COMPARED TO OURS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A MAJOR PART OF OUR CHARGE HERE THIS YEAR. >> BUT AS. [00:55:01] >> SORRY, GO AHEAD. >> I WAS GOING SAY, ON THE FLIP SIDE, THOUGH, IT DOES RAISE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT UP ON -- SO I THINK SOME OF THE DESIRE FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD WAS FROM SOME OF THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR THIS CHANGING OF THE SEQUENCE WAS THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT PROCESS. AND IT IS SORT OF INTERESTING WHEN I'M HEARING THE WAY THAT SOME OF THESE ARE DESCRIBED BECAUSE WHILE TECHNICALLY SOME OF THESE I MEAN IT IS TO YOUR POINT, SEAN I THINK SOME CONVERSATIONS MIGHT BE INTERESTING. IT IS NOT CLEAR TO ME IF MAYBE THE WAY THAT SOME SOME HOW INVOLVED SOME OF THESE SCHOOL BOARDS ARE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, PERIOD. AND SO AGAIN, I THINK IT IS SORT OF AN INTERESTING TRADE-OFF THING. WHEN I -- TO ME WHAT I'VE -- WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE DATA IT WAS THAT LAST SECTION TAWBILITY NUMBER OF MEETINGS AND THE NUMBER OF WORK SESSIONS AND NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEARINGS. I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS SORT OF THE INTERESTING AREA. SO THIS IS EXCITING GUYS. >> RAMEE, IF YOU -- IF IT MAKES SENSE TO DO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER DIVE INTO, YOU KNOW, A FEW OF THEM JUST TO HAVE AN INFORMATION LIKE BASICALLY AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW IF POSSIBLE, JUST TO MAKE THE CONTENT OF A RECOMMENDATION A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST, BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ALL NEED TO BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHETHER OR NOT A COUPLE STRATEGIC OUTREACH. >> I DEFER TO YOU GUYS -- I'M VERY -- I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING. IT REALLY IS -- IT IS AS IF YOU GUYS FEEL THERE IS A PARTICULAR HOLE THAT YOU FEEL IS NOT GETTING ANSWERED SO. >> I GUESS MAYBE ASKING YOU, BEFORE DELVING TOO MUCH DEEPER OR ASSIGNING DIFFERENT FOLLOWINGUP ACTIVITIES, JUST BEING REALISTIC, YOU KNOW FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD, IS A PROCESS THAT RECOMMENDS FEWER PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, POLITICALLY FEASIBLE? >> I THINK IF -- I WOULD SAY -- I WOULD SAY YES BECAUSE -- WE HAVE LEARNED THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT -- PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IS JUST SO DIFFERENT FROM WHEN EVER THE VIRGINIA CODE WAS WRITTEN ABOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. COMMUNICATION AND OPPORTUNITIES OUTREACH ARE CONTINUOUS ALL THE TIME, 365 KIND OF THING. YOU GUYS ALL JUST MENTIONED THE OTHER WEBSITE THAT HAVE THE BUTTON THAT PEOPLE CAN INSTANTLY. SO THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT YOU GUYS COULD PROVIDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS -- AND THE WAY THAT THIS WAS CONCEIVED OF IS IF YOU GUYS HAVE YOU KNOW, A MEMO OR REPORT YOU PROVIDE IN MAY WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OR MAYBE SOME OPTIONS OF THINKING OR APPROACH, RIGHT -- AND I DON'T -- IT MIGHT BE THAT YOU GUYS ALL GET TOGETHER, WE HAVE ONE REALLY CLEAR RECOMMENDATION, OR YOU MIGHT DECIDE, NO, THERE IS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU COULD APPROACH THIS. BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT WE THE SCHOOL BOARD WOULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND PER SPECTIVE AND THEN A MONTH LATER ROCK BERT AND DOMINIC AND THE TEAM WOULD COME BACK AND HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE THAN ONE CALENDAR OPTION PROVIDED. WE DIDN'T ONLY WANT TO HAVE ONE OPTION SHOWN TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. IT WAS THAT THE STAFF WOULD THE BOARD WILL HAVE WHAT YOU DEVELOP AND WHAT YOU ALL SHARE AS BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT THESE TWO OR MAYBE MORE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BUT MORE THAN ONE CALENDAR AND BEING ABLE TO SORT OF WEIGH THE PROS AND CONTINUES. NOT -- CONS WITH THE INFORMATION YOU ALL WOULD BE PREPARED, DOES THAT HELP? >> IT DOES. I KNOW JUST FROM OTHER LIKE LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL [01:00:05] RECOMMEND THINGS AND IT IS LIKE, WELL, THAT JUST WILL NEVER HAPPEN. IT IS BETTER TO KNOW THAT ON THE FRONT END. >> NO, I WOULD SAY -- YES, IF I REALLY THOUGHT -- IF I REALLY THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE LIKE, ABSOLUTELY NOT, I WOULD SAY SO. >> OKAY. >> I THINK WE ARE -- IN A LOT OF WAYS THIS IS A GOOD YEAR TO DO IT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T HAVE STAGGERED ELECTIONS, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF PEOPLE COME IN. IF YOU WERE DEALING WITH A BRAND-NEW BOARD THAT HAD ALL COME IN AND THE FIRST THING YOU TOLD THEM AFTER THEY HAD BEEN HERE AFTER FIRST FEW MONTHS YOU NEED TO HAVE FEWER MEETINGS. I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND COMMITTED. IT IS A BIT OF A LEARNING CURVE TO EMBRACE THE IDEA WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER, BUT YOU'VE GOT NINE PEOPLE MORE THAN READY TO HEAR IDEAS ABOUT WORKING SMARTER, NOT HARDER. >> THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO PIGGYBACK ON. I KNOW DEFINITELY THE ALIGNMENT BUDGETS ARE APPROVED AND ADOPTED, THAT SUH ONE THING. BUT THE OTHER THING IS ALSO, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. BUT IT IS A SIMPLE PROCESS. IT IS EASIER TO COMMUNICATE AND A PROCESS THAT IS EASIER TO COMMUNICATE LEADS TO BETTER ENGAGEMENT. >> THAT IS A REALLY GOOD POINT. >> THERE IS ANOTHER GOAL THERE THAT YOU CAN FOCUS ON. I LOOKED AT THE ALEXANDRIA -- CALENDAR, THAT IS A LOT OF ACTIVITIES. >> A LITTLE SCARY TO LOOK AT, YEAH. >> YOU KNOW WHAT IS FUNNY TO LOOK AT SO FAR I HAD IT ON MY DESK NEXT TO THE FAIRFAX COUNTY ONE I CAN'T EVEN READ THE ONE THEY'RE SO SMALL AND FAIRFAX WAS SO CLEAR. EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, AND -- FOR FAIRFAX, TOO IT WASN'T LIKE IT WASN'T DETAILLE IT DETAILED THE MEETINGS, WORK SESSION 1, WORK SESSION 2. IT WAS SO MUCH STRAIGHTFORWARD. I'LL JUST SAY, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOUR SAYING. GREAT POINT. >> I HAD A QUESTION. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR US TO KNOW WHETHER ANY OF THESE EVENTS ARE REQUIRED? SO IS IT REQUIRED TO HAVE A BUDGET FOR SNUM IS IT TRIER -- IS IT -- BUDGET FORUM? IS IT REQUIRED. >> SUSAN IT IS JUST ONE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CIP AND ONE FOR OPERATING, RIGHT? IS THAT IT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. AND THEY ARE REQUIRED. AND I JUST WANT TO CHIME IN HERE, NOT BECAUSE I'M ARGUING, BECAUSE I DON'T CARE EITHER WAY, DONE BUDGET CALENDARS. AND WE WORK, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT, WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN THE COMMUNITY HAS WANTED TO BE SUPER ENGAGED IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE'RE EITHER SLASHING OR ADDING SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY PUSHING A LOT OF PEOPLE'S BUTTONS. SO ON THOSE YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE NOT HAD ENOUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC SO THE NEXT YEAR WE WILL ADD EXTRA PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN THERE IS NOTHING THAT ANYONE CARES ABOUT. SO ONE THING WE HAVE NOTICED DURING ZOOM IS WE HAD THIS THING PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS ELECTRONUK MAGICALLY FOR THE BOARD MEETINGS. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS OPPOSED TO ACTUALLY COMING TO A MEETING, EVEN THOUGH ALL OF IT IS STILL VIRTUAL. THEY CAN STILL DO IT VIRTUALLY. SO IT HAS BEEN KIND OF INTERESTING. WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD FEW PUBLIC COMMENTERS. >> WE DEFINITELY HAVE. >> HAVING THE ZOOM AND THE WRITTEN COMMENTS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE'LL GET 50 WRITTEN -- NOT ANYMORE, BUT WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH RENAMING WE WOULD GET 50 RENAMING COMMENTS AND THREE SPEAKERS. THAT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING LEARNING CURVE AND THAT WAS THE RESULT OF ZOOM. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP. BUT THAT IS SOMETHING PERHAPS THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT COULD, YOU KNOW, USE AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW. GY THAT THAT IS RIGHT, THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS ABOUT EQUITY, YOU KNOW, IT IS MORE EQUITABLE TO PRESENT OTHER -- MANY OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE TO ENGAGE. ENGAGING DIGITALLY, LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT IS THE PRIVILEGE THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP FIVE HOURS OF YOUR NIGHT TO SIT AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. >> AND DRIVE IN YOUR CAR. >> UH-HUH. >> AND I THINK JUST FROM THAT LENS, LIKE I KNOW THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT THAT, YOU [01:05:03] KNOW, KIND OF ACROSS COMMUNITY THAT KEEPING THAT IN PERSPECTIVE AS WELL. I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS THAT WE ENGAGE IF PUBLIC IN WAYS THAT AREN'T SITTING IN A CHAIR FOR FOUR OR FIVE HOURS WAITING FOR YOUR COMMENT PERIOD. >> AND I JUST WANT TO COMMENT THAT WE DO SEEM TO GET COMMENTS FROM THE SAME PEOPLE. AND SOME WE DON'T ENGAGE WITH, WE WOULD LIKE TOW HEAR FROM. THAT IS A ISSUE ON ITS OWN. >> IF I COULD JUMP IN REAL QUICKLY. I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT EARLIER, BUT I'LL JUST BE REAL CLEAR HERE. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT -- THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES. AND SPEAKING TO RAMEE, AND IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WHERE PERHAPS THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE CAN HELP MAKE THE PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE IS THAT WE CAN BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT OUTREACH REGARDING THE BUDGET. I MEAN WE CAN GO TO CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETINGS. W ARE SO THAT -- AND AT TIMES THAT ARE CONVENIENT FOR THEM. I MEAN -- OR MAYBE WE FIGURE AND I'M VERY MUCH TALKING OUT LIED AS I'M SPEAKING, BUT MAYBE WE FIGURE OUT A WAY FOR YOU TO PARTNER WITH FACE, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW DOING THE, YOU KNOW, NEXT LEVEL KIND OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SOME OF OUR GROUPS THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN TOO MUCH DURING BUDGET CONVERSATIONS. AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST MAKE SURE THERE IS, YOU KNOW, RICH, AVAILABLE TRANSLATION SERVICE, JUST ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY. AND AGAIN, IT COULD BE REALLY NICE. IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT IS AMAZING BECAUSE I REMEMBER THIS FROM WHEN I WAS ON THE CHAIR AND WE WERE SETTING UP THE CALENDAR. FOR ALL THE MEETINGS, YOU THINK WHY IS THIS -- ONCE YOU SAY THAT CERTAIN THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN AT A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING CAN'T HAPPEN AT OTHER TIMES IT REALLY BECOMES MUCH MORE CHALLENGING. SO YOU KNOW THIS IS A VERY -- I THINK THIS IS AN INTERESTING LINE OF THOUGHT THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO INCLUDE THIS IN ANY KIND OF RECOMMENDATION ABOUT A SORT OF THIS -- THIS WORD IS BECOMING A DIRTY WORD. BUT A CONCURRENT STREAM OF WORK OF COMMUNICATION OR OUTREACH THAT IS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, WITH ASSISTANCE FROM BAC WHILE, YOU KNOW, OTHER BOARD MEETINGS AND KINDS OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING AND JUSTIFYING OUT THE SORT OF EXCHANGE HANDOFF MOMENTS. >> SOUNDS GOOD. ALL RIGHT, FOR AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE FOR DOING THE RESEARCH AND TAKING A LOOK. FOUND OUT SOME GOOD THINGS. SO OUR PRODUCT IS DUE IN MAY TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. WHICH MEANS WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE TWO MEETINGS TO PULL TOGETHER OR BASICALLY WE HAVE THE NEXT MONTH TO PULL TOGETHER RECOMMENDATION COULD PROBABLY DISCUSS IT MORE AT OUR NEXT -- LIKE SPEND OUR APRIL MEETING TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION AND THEN KIND OF THE OUTREACH STRATEGY OR WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS TO PREVIEW IT OR DIFFERENT THINGS WHICH WE CAN DISCUSS NEXT MONTH. BUT FOR NEXT STEPS WHAT SORT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DO WE FEEL WE NEED MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER REACHING OUT MORE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS. IS THAT NECESSARY? DO WE FEEL WE'LL GET MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WOULD CHANGE OUR RECOMMENDATION? PROBABLY MAKE IT MORE SOLID, RIGHT? BECAUSE NONE OF THEM HAVE THESE PARTICULAR LENGTHY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES. THOUGHTS FROM FOLKS? >> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER WE WANT TO STAY AT THE 30,000-FOOT LEVEL, GET DOWN TO, 10, 5, GROUND LEVEL. YOU KNOW, JUST FROM MY OWN EXERCISE IN TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN NEWPORT NEWS, THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN WAS MINIMAL. [01:10:03] IT IS SUGGESTED THEIR PROCESS IS MUCH MORE STREAMLINED AND THEIR NEED TO BE MORE PUBLICLY ENGAGED IS APPARENTLY LESS THAN WE FEEL BOARDS NEED TO BE HERE IN ALEXANDRIA. SO FROM MY STANDPOINT, GOING MUCH BELOW 10,000 FEET DOESN'T SEEM TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE TIME TO DO IN THE NEXT MONTH. >> YEAH. NANCY YOU WERE GOING TO SAVE SAY SOMETHING -- SORRY, ROBERT. >> I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT FROM A BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE SUBMISSION THAT POTENTIALLY YOU STAY AT THE 30 TO 20,000-FEET LEVEL AND THEN THE REQUEST TO THE SCHOOL BOARD IS TO HAVE STAFF DIG DEEPER AND GO DOWN INTO I. YOU KEEP IT AT A HIGH-LEVEL RECOMMENDATION TO LOOK FURTHER INTO SOME OF THESE DETAILED THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND THEN, YOU KNOW KIND OF PASS THE STAFF TO FLESH OUT A LOT MORE OF THE DETAILS. I KNOW I JUST ASKED FOR MORE WORK. BUT I THINK FROM AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE STANDPOINT YOU PUT TOGETHER A HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATION AND THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL SAY, WELL, WE GOT THIS AND WE WOULD LIKE STAFF TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS. >> AND ROBERT, JUST REALISTICALLY, WOULD YOU, THE STAFF, HAVE TIME BETWEEN MAY MEETING WHEN BAC WOULD BE SUBMITTING THIS REPORT AND THE JUNE MEETING WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY SCHEDULED TO DO THE CALENDAR TO ALSO DO THIS ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATING? >> I'VE TAKEN PLENTY OF NOTES HERE TONIGHT. SO I THINK WE MAY HAVE ALREADY GOT A HEAD START ON IT. I ACTUALLY HAVE MY MEETING WITH AND GET THEM TO START TO LOOK INTO SOME OF THESE YOU KNOW WHAT I SEE AS POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE CAN PROBABLY START TO GET TO WORK ON SOME OF THIS NOW SO THAT IT IS NOT LIKE A MAD DASH TO ONCE WE GET SOMETHING FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD TO THEN BE READY TO HAVE SOMETHING. SO I I HAVE A LOT OF NOTES THAT I'VE TAKEN HERE AND I THINK JUST BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WE KIND OF SEE WHERE WE'RE HEADED. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD YOU MENTION EARLIER IS THE OPTION OR THE POSSIBLIBILITY OF PREVENTING -- PRESENTING MORE THAN ONE BUDGET CALENDAR WITH OPTIONS. SO WE COULD START TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT NOW AND PUT SOME DATES AND WEIGH THOSE PROS AND CONS AND SAY, IF WE DO THIS OR IF WE CUT THIS OUT, WE WILL BE LOSING OUT ON THIS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M ALSO SEEING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE ENGAGEMENT PIECE OF IT. SO I'VE ALREADY MADE A NOTE AND SENT A TEXT TO ONE OF MY STAFF TO LOOK AT THAT INPUT BUTTON ON THE BUDGET WEBSITE SO THAT IF WE DO, FOR EXAMPLE, CUT OUT ONE OF THE WORK SESSIONS OR YOU KNOW CUT OUT ONE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WE ON THE FLIPSIDE PROMOTE THE ABILITY TO SUBMIT YOU BUDGET QUESTIONS OR SUBMIT YOUR CONVERSATIONS VIA THE WEBSITE SO ON ONE HANDS WHO TAKE AWAY A MEETING BUT WE'RE PROMOTING MUCH MORE THE ABILITY TO BE MORE CIVIC MAGICALLY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS SO BOTTOM LINE I THINK WE CAN START WORKING ON SOME OF THIS NOW IN PREPARATION OF A REMMATION. A CALENDAR FOR THE JUNE MEETING. >> ROBERT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION RAMEE ASKED IS A GOOD ONE, JUST WITH RESPECT TO THE CAPACITY FOR TIMING. I AM NOT SURE WE WOULD -- AND I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES HERE -- FEEL GOOD ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION THAT PUTS MORE WORK AS OPPOSED TO JUST SAYING THAT IS OUR RECOMMENDATION, THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE SCHOOL STAFF PRESENT TWO CALENDARS, WE THINK YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, REMOVE THIS -- THIS ENGAGEMENT AND THIS ENGAGEMENT FROM LAST DWREER GET AT THE ACHIEVED OBJECTIVE. AND IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, WE COULD LIKELY ENDS UP THERE. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE INFORMATION NOW AND CERTAINLY IN THE FOLDER ARE OTHERS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS THAT CANDYING IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IF THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE MY PRIMARY OBJECTIVE TO GIVE YOU MORE. >> ESPECIALLY, MAY IS POTENTIALLY WHEN YOU'RE QUITE, QUITE BUSY. [01:15:04] I MEAN THAT'S THE REALITITY I MEAN WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE CALENDARS, PLURAL, IN JUNE. THAT WAS LAID OUT IN THE FALL. BUT YOU SEE YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF THAT, BUT I WOULD HATE FOR IT TO BE BETWEEN MAY AND JUNE IN ADDITION TO THE CALENDARS THERE IS A WHOLE ANOTHER LEVEL OF WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING SO MUCH I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE IT IS -- MAYBE FOR THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IT MIGHT JUST BE IF YOU ALL KIND OF TAKE THIS INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE ALREADY GATHERED AND THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE YOU ALL ARE -- IF YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY SEEING SOME POTENTIAL DIRECTIONS OF RECOMMENDATION, MAYBE YOU ALL COLLECTIVELY DECIDE LET'S USE THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF WEEKS TO -- RATHER THAN GET DOWN TO 10,000 FEET ON ACROSS ALL APES OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET PROCESS. IT IS MORE. >> I HAVE A SUGGESTION. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF BETWEEN ROBERT AND RAMEE YOU COULD IDENTIFY A SUGGESTED POINT OF CONTACT FOR THOSE JURISDICTIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS. NOW IT MIGHT BE THAT SOME OF US WON'T FEEL THE NEED TO DO THAT. BUT I THINK THAT IT COULD BE BENEFICIAL JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE READ ON THE WEBSITE KIND OF THING. AND MY THOUGHT MY INSTINCT ON THIS IS THAT IT COULD BE THAT RAMEE IN SOME WAYS YOU MAY HAVE A BETTER RECOMMENDATION IN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK TO IF FISCAL OFFICER. I DON'T NEED THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL, BUT MAYBE SOMEONE EITHER IT IS A PEER OF YOURS OR SOMEONE ELSE, YOU KNOW WHO COULD TALK AT A HIGH LEVEL, BUT THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THAT WAS MY FIRST RECOMMENDATION, JUST TO HAVE THAT AVAILABLE FOR US. AND THEN THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION, IS PERHAPS WHAT WE COULD DO -- AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE A STABT A TEMPLATE -- BUT PERHAPS WE COULD SKETCH OUT WHAT OUR MEMO MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN ADVANCE OF OUR APRIL MEETING I COULD GET IT STARLTED BUT WE COULD HAVE A GOOGLE DOC GOING TO RUN THROUGH IT IN THE APRIL MEETING COME TO SOME CONSENSUS WANT THE CONTENT TO BE AND THEN WE CAN THROW IN THE APPENDICEES TO FINALIZE IT AND USE THE APRIL MEETING TO SORT OF MAYBE NOT FINISH THIS CONVERSATION, BUT SORT OF TIGHTEN UP THE CONVERSATION WE HAD TONIGHT. AND THEN MY ONLY QUESTION -- THAT WAS SORT OF PROCESS MY TWO THOUGHTS AND THEN THE OTHER JUST QUESTION I HAD IN TERMS OF MAY I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW IS THERE A PARTICULAR MAY BOARD MEETING THAT IS OUR DEADLINE? DO YOU WANT US THERE TO PRESENT? WHAT IS THAT ACTUAL -- BECAUSE MAY IS A MONTH -- TO HAVE A SENSE OF THAT SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE FINAL TIMELINE IS. >> SUSAN, CAN YOU MAKE A NOTE THAT THE NEXT WEEK AT THE AGENDA SETTING, CAN YOU GET THE LEADERSHIP TO PIN DOWN WHAT THEY WANT FOR THIS? >> OKAY, YEAH. I'LL LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S AGENDAS, TOO, JUST TO SEE WHERE WE PUT -- NOW THE ONE CALENDAR THAT WE. >> LAST YEAR WOULDN'T BE GOOD -- ACTUALLY ANY OF THEM BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD SUCH A FORMAL PRESENTATION. ACTUALLY IN MY FOUR YEARS WE'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING OF THIS KIND OF GIVING A PRODUCT. >> CORRECT. >> LIKE AT A BOARD MEETING. SO THIS WOULD BE DIFFERENT FOR US. >> YES. >> AND I DO BELIEVE THAT IN JUNE THEY WANT TO SEE A PRELIMINARY BUDGET CALENDAR. THE BUDGET CALENDAR DOESN'T ACTUALLY GET ADOPTED UNTIL SEPTEMBER. S THE YEAR. >> RIGHT, BUT IT WAS WORKED OUT AND I HAVE THE E-MAIL CHAIN FOR IT, WAS THE IDEA THAT BAC WOULD HAVE THEIR MEMO. >> CORRECT. >> IN MAY. >> YES. >> SO THAT THE -- SO THAT ROBERT AND HIS TEAM WOULD HAVE -- AGAIN, NOT THAT WE WANT THE TEAM TO GO AND DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF WORK, BUT JUST SO THAT THEY COULD PROCESS IT AND FIGURE, YOU KNOW, KEEP IT IN MIND. >> YES. >> AS THEY'RE PREPARING THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET CALENDAR OPTIONS FOR THE JUNE MEET JAG AND THEY HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DEVELOPED THE AGENDAS FOR MAY. SO I'LL SEE WHEN -- NOW DO YOU WANT -- THERE ARE TWOMIING INS -- TWO MEETINGS IN MAY, ARE YOU THINKING THE LATER ONE WOULD BE BELTER? [01:20:01] IS THAT TIMELINE-WISE. >> MORE TIME TO COMING TO FOR OUR MAY MEETING KIND OF CLOSE IT OUT IF IT WAS THE LATER ONE. >> I WOULD SAY THE PREFERENCE TWO WOULD BE LATER ONE. >> OKAY. >> AND THE NICE THING IS IF WE GET IN EARLY NOW, THEN YOU SLOT IT IN BEFORE OTHER PEOPLE START FILLING UP THAT MEETING. AND IT IS LIKE, OH, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THE BAC THING. LET'S -- WE'RE CALLING DIBS ON IT NOW. >>> THE OTHER OPTION IS AS I SUGGEST PUTTING THIS OUT HERE SO THE TERMINOLOGY IS CORRECT, YOU KNOW, WE DO PLAQUE MAGICALLY HAVE WORK SESSIONS ATTACHED TO BOARD MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR. S THAT -- BUT ACTUALLY, NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT IN MAY, YOU KNOW, WE DO GO BACK TO HAVE BUDGET WORK SESSIONS. MAYBE THAT IS AN IDEAL TIME TO ALSO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE CIP COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET WORK SESSIONS THAT BEGIN IN MAY AGAIN. >> THIS DISCUSSION IS REALLY ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR NEXT YEAR AND THE WORK SESSIONS ARE GOING TO BE WORK SESSIONS ARE REALLY BORING BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS FULLY FUNDED AND IT IS JUST A LOVELY DISCUSSION ABOUT HERE IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH ALL THIS WONDERFUL FEDERAL MONEY, HURRAY. HIGH-FIVE. AND I'M NOT SAYING NO, SUES ARNTION I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS FOR YOU TO REALLY -- AND I WILL BACK YOU UP, I WILL SEND AN E-MAIL TO MEAGHAN AND GREG AND COPY YOU AND SAY, REMINDER WE AGREED ABOUT MAY, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THIS WE HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL DETERMINE THE DAY IN MAY. AND TO YOUR POINT, IT COULD BE IN A WORK SESSION OR IN A MEEGHT. IT NEEDS TO BE IN MAY AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT DATE SO THAT THIS TEAM COULD WORK BACKWARD FROM THERE. >> WE DID SORT OF TALK ABOUT IF ANYTHING IN A WORK SESSION. BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS ON THE WORK SEGS LIKE POLICIES THAT ARE ALWAYS SO EXCITING. THAT MIGHT MAKE IT AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY. >> THAT'S FINE. I WILL, OKAY, SO. >> I WILL PENCIL IT IN RIGHT NOW FOR THEM TO DISCUSS. >> AND AS FAR AS IN TERMS OF ME, IDENTIFYING, I MEAN, I CAN I CAN REACH OUT TO I GUESS SOME OF THESE JURISDICTIONS DO HAVE SOME EQUIVALENT OF A BUDGET VAI ADVISORY COMMITTY. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE MORE LOGICAL ONE TO TALK TO OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO FINE A BOARD MEMBER THAT MIGHT BE WILLING TO TALK FOR FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS? I'M HAPPY TO DO WHATEVER. ON THAT END. IT WOULD BE ROBERT, I THINK IF YOU THOUGHT THERE WAS A STAFF AMERICAN PERSON YOU MIGHT NEED FOR A FOLLOW-UP. I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP. >> I'M HAPPY TO BE DISAGREED WITH. IF I WAS TALKING TO THE FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I WOULD FEEL A LITTLE OUT OF MY DEPTH, BUT MAYBE IF I JUST KEPT THE QUESTIONS AT A HIGH LEVEL IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT. ANYWAY, JUST TO THOUGHT ABOUT SORT OF WHO THE RIGHT PERSON IS. >> MY ONLY COMMENT ON THAT IS THAT I FEEL I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH FOR ME TO LEAN ONE WAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL REALLY CHANGE IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M LOOKING ATLANTA THIS POINT. KEEPING IN MIND WE'LL BE AT A HIGH LEVEL. >> IS IT REALLY MORE -- SEAN, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SEA JUST BECAUSE THE WAY -- WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SEE IF I COULD FIND YOU A NEWPORT NEWSPERSON? >> I'M FINE. >> IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND I'M AN E-MAIL AWAY. >> WE'LL TAKE THIS UP NEXT MONTH. THE COMBINED GOOGLE DOC. LET'S PUT THE FRAME TOGETHER. WE CAN PUT KIND OF PUT IT INTO THE KIND OF FORMAT THAT WE'RE ENVISIONING. IF WHEN WE MEET IN APRIL WE FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED SOME SORT OF INFORMATION OR COULD BE STRONGER IF WE HAD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, THEN WE COULD DO A REACH-OUT AT THAT POINT. >> AND THAT WAY IT COULD BE MORE TARGETED. THESE ARE THE TWO VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WE NEED ANSWERS TO. OKAY, THAT SOUNDS GREAT. OKAY. >> I DO WANT TO TAKE ROBERT'-- I THINK BURDEN ON THE STAFF HERE, BUT THEIR INPUT ALSO WOULD BE HELPFUL. I THINK THEY'RE PRETTY FAMILIAR VALUE ADDED AND NON-VALUE ADDED ITEMS ARE AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE AT LEAST THEM TO CONSIDER THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. [01:25:04] >> ROBERT IS THERE LIKE A PROPOSED CALENDAR YET FOR NEXT YEAR? LIKE EVEN. >> NOT YET. >> JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. HURT I NOTICED THE TIME. I THINK WE'VE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION TONIGHT AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT FOLKS BE PREPARED FOR IT. SEAN, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION. >> I JUST HAVE A SUGGESTION THAT WE ALLOCATE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO OUR MEETING IN APRIL SO THAT WE CAN REALLY TRY TO TIE THIS UP AND IN A NICE RED BOW. >> SOUNDS GOOD. I THINK WE'LL HAVE FOLKS PLAN WE'LL BE HERE FOR, YOU KNOW TWO HOURS TOGETHER. THAT WOULD BE GOOD. >> IT IS HELPFUL -- I KNOW WE EARLIERS FOR START TIMES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT AN EARLIER START TIME IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO LONGER OR IF IT WORKS -- I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO YOU,LY BE LEAR WHATEVER TIME YOU GUYS SETTLE ON. >> BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I THOUGHT WE SHOULD BRING SELINA OVER TO SAY HELLO. >> WHILE WE'RE DOING, THAT COULD WE JUST CONFIRM THE DATE FOR OUR NEXT MEETING. WILL I IT BE APRIL 20TH? IT SHOULD BE THE THIRD -- IS THAT THE THIRD? >> YEAH. >> YERK IT IS. >> I CAN CHECK WHAT IS ON OUR CALENDAR. >> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. >> SO SELINA SHOULD BE -- SELINA SHOULD BE IN THE MEETING HERE. >> I AM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> OH, YEAH, VERY NICE TO MEET YOU. >>> NICE MEETING YOU GUY, TOO. I DEAD ENJOY THE CONVERSATION. >> I KNEW YOU WERE THERE, I'M SORRY YOU WEREN'T IN OUR ROOM BUT HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE HERE NEXT TIME THAT WE DIDN'T SCARE YOU AWAY JO NO, YOU DIDN'T AT ALL. MY FULL-TIME POSITION, I AM ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF DOING BUDGET FORMULATIONS. SO IT IS FINE. >> I LOVE IT. >> I AM ALSO DOING BUDGET FORMULATION AT MY WORK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERFORMANCE METRICS AND GOALS. >> EXACTLY. >> AND ARP MONEY. TERRIFIC. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK SELENA, WE CAN CONNECT OFFLINE WITH SUSAN AND RAMEE TO MAKE SURE YOUR BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD FOR THE FORMAL INVITATION, BUT WE'RE THRILLED TO HAVE ANOTHER MEMBER AND. >> YES, WE ARE. >> AND MAKE US FIVE. SO TERRIFIC SO THEN WE'LL LOOK TO APRIL 20TH TO COME TOGETHER. WE'LL GET A SHELL OF THE DOCUMENT JUST BEING REALISTIC PROBABLY NOT UNTIL THIS WEEKEND OR SO AND I WILL PING FOLKS WHEN SOMETHING IS IN THERE TO LOOK AT. SO, ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE CLOSE THIS EVENING? >> JUST REALLY QUICK, YOU KNOW, I SAW JUST FROM THE EARLIER E-MAIL. I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING MORE TO ADD OTHER THAN IF YOU ACTUALLY READ THE MEMO THAT NANCY, YOU KNOW, LINKED TO. IT IS JUST SORT OF AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT YOU KNOW THAT HAS BEEN SLOWLY BUILDING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT STARTED WITH THINGS LIKE JENNIFER KIND OF HELPING THE BOARD, LITERALLY GO THROUGH ALL OF THE POLICY STUFF RELATED TO THE COMMITTEES AND CLEAN THAT UP. AND THEN THERE WAS THE IDEA OF REGULAR, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS WITH THE CHAIRS OF THE DIFFERENT ADVISORY COMMITTEES. AND THIS IS SORT OF THE NEXT STEP OF THE EVOLUTION IS HAVING THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE A LITTLE SUBCOMMITTEE GLEUP IS GOING CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. SO YEAH, I THINK ONCE THAT GROUP GETS STARTED, I KNOW THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU ALL TO EXPERIENCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I KNOW THEY WILL BE EAGER TO HEAR THAT. ABSOLUTELY. SO STAY TUNED. >> TO FINISH WITH ONE THING, TOO, IS THE IDEA THAT ROBERT BROUGHT UP, I THINK OF THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR WHOEVER DOING ACTUAL OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE JUST AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS ENGAGED ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR A LONG TIME A WHILE BACK, ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT THINGS IS TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS SUSTAINED REASON FOR THE COMMITTEE TO EXIST. >> IT IS NOT LURCHING FROM ONE PROJECT TO ANOTHER. [01:30:01] >> WELL, I MEAN JUST THAT EVERY YEAR THERE IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY GIVING THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE VALUE. >> YEAH. >> SO THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE ON IT, BECAUSE THEY ARE PRODUCING A VALUABLE PRODUCT THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE USED AND NOT SOMETHING PRETTY THAT SITS ON A SHELF SOMEWHERE. >> ABSOLUTELY, RIGHT. >> THAT IS THE REALLY IMPORTANT POINT IS LIKE -- AND A GOOD DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD FOR LITERALLY YEARS IS HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THE PARTICIPATION IS MEANINGFUL BECAUSE FOLKS WANT TO BE ENGAGED IN A WAY LIKE THERE IS A THOUSAND THINGS TO VOLUNTEER FOR IN ALEXANDRIA AND WHATEVER YOU DO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE IT IS USEFUL FOR FOLKS. VERY GOOD POINT. IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE FOR THIS EVENING, WE WILL ADJOURN. SELENA WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING NEXT MEETING SOTER RICK. >> WONDERFUL. >> HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, EVERYONE. >> THANKS. >> HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. >> GOOD NIGHT. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.