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203 <br /> <br />Ms. Richards said she recalls that the School Board held a hearing about a year <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said he knows the pre-school is a priority for the School Board, but they <br />are struggling with the fact that major renovation has to be done and would prefer to have <br />a new facility. Mr. Cox said that if it is a priority, the School Board needs to make some <br />decisions regarding funding, and something else will have to be cut. Mr. Cox said that if <br />they do this, Council will be there at the table to help. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards said that the School Board made the decision to transfer title of the <br />building to the City, and once that happens the City will be responsible for use and <br />maintenance of it. In return, any proceeds of the sale of the building will go to the School <br />Board for capital projects. Ms. Richards said Council has been waiting for a decision <br />from the School Board, but understood from previous discussions that they did not want <br />to keep the program at Jefferson. The question remains where the program will be <br />located. Ms. Richards noted that Council has great respect for Jefferson School and its <br />history. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said he does not think it is fair to keep kicking the issue back to the <br />School Board, noting that the thinks they would keep it at Jefferson if they could afford <br />it. Mr. Lynch said it is tough for the School Board to maintain the buildings they have. <br />Mr. Lynch said he does not think the City can give the School Board $6 million, but <br />thinks the City can come up with $1 million to $2 million over the next few years. Mr. <br />Lynch said that while the School Board would like to have 35,000 square feet for the <br />program, he suggested keeping it at 20,000 square feet and possibly growing into <br />additional space over time. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox noted that Council has asked the School Board to come up with cuts to <br />f'mance a location for the pre-school, and feels that those proposed cuts need to go before <br />the public for their input. Mr. Cox said that the Council will need to do the same for <br />their share. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano said that the School Board has known about this issue for years, and <br />they have not dealt with the issue of what to do with the building. Mr. Toscano said that <br />the cost to move the program back into the elementary schools is nothing compared to the <br />cost to renovate Jefferson for the pre-school program. Mr. Toscano said the question is <br />what does Council need to do to preserve the building, and said he would like to see <br />something alive in the site, such as a cultural center. Mr. Toscano said he does not think <br />renovation and development of the site can be done with City money alone. Mr. Toscano <br />said he thinks Council should adopt the principles proposed by the City Manager, and if <br />the School Board decides a pre-school at Jefferson is a priority, and indicate how they <br />can fund this, it could be included in the RFP. <br /> <br /> Mr. Caravati said he concurs with Mr. Toscano, and noted that the pre-school will <br />need to be relocated temporarily to the elementary schools if the building is renovated. <br />Mr. Caravati said he thinks the School Board needs to have a formal hearing process. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said he thinks the principles speak to what he has heard from the <br />community, and he is comfortable adopting them. Mr. Cox said that something will have <br />to happen on the open space on the site, and he thinks the community needs to be brought <br />back closer to the building. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards noted that the principles maintain the function of the Carter <br />Recreation Center. <br /> <br />Mr. Caravati allowed another late arriving speaker to comment. <br /> <br /> Ms. Angle Brown said that she was one of the first to attend Jefferson School and <br />she thinks the City should let it stay where it is and should fm it up. <br /> <br /> <br />