Mill levy to remain flat in USD 408 years ago
Patrons living in Marion-Florence USD 408 will see virtually no increase in taxes for budget year 2004-05.
Following the board's "no tax increase" directive, business manager Martin Tice reported he had kept the mill levy for the upcoming budget year "basically flat." Increasing a minuscule .002 mills from 46.194 in 2003-04 to a proposed 46.196 mills.
During a special noon meeting, July 20 the board voted 7-0 to publish the public notice announcing the budget hearing.
The hearing is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 9 in the district office. Once the budget has been published, school districts can decrease the mill levy, but cannot increase.
Radio frequency lease
Following the explanation of a rather bizarre situation, the board voted to sell the district's lease on something it never used — radio frequencies — to an individual named Harold Hughes.
Business manager Martin Tice and superintendent Lee Leiker told members a few years ago USD 408 entered into a lease with a company called Nucentrix for the use of radio frequencies.
"These were radio frequencies the government set aside for schools to use. I don't know if any of them ever got used. Most schools didn't even know they had them," Tice told the board.
Nucentrix leased the frequencies from USD 408 and several other area districts, Tice said.
"We received several payments of $10,000 a year. Then they told us they couldn't send up lump sum payments but would be sending quarterly payments. Then we were notified they had gone bankrupt," Tice recalled.
Leiker said an individual, Hughes, contacted the district and offered to pay USD 408 $6,000 for its rejected/unsecured claim in the Nucentrix bankruptcy.
"Initially we had a hard time finding out what was going on. Checking around we found out Herington and Hillsboro are both involved," Leiker said. "But we investigated his offer and feel we can gain the $6,000 and not stand to lose anything in the process."
Leiker explained Hughes was buying up various school districts' claims in the Nucentrix bankruptcy in order to place himself "higher on the list" assuming the company was liquidated.
Tice said the district never used the frequencies in the first place.
"It's the last of the free monies. If we don't sell to him we have nothing," Tice explained. "Basically, you're giving up your right to the claim in bankruptcy."
Noting they were probably never going to receive anything from the bankruptcy, the board voted 7-0 to sell the district's claim to Hughes.
In other matters, the board:
— approved the Marion Elementary School staff handbook with minor revisions.
— approved placing advertisements selling two 1998 Windstar vans by bid. Bids will be taken until Aug. 6. A $2,000 minimum bid was approved with the district retaining the option to reject all bids.
— voted to allow MHS band students to raise funds and attend a trip to Worlds of Fun (see separate story).
— voted to accept the resignation of Steve Smith and hire Bryan Davies as custodian/driver.
— after discussion with athletic director Tod Gordon the board voted 5-2 to accept a proposal from Defargo Sports Surfaces to redo the pole vault runways at a cost of $3,350. Board members Keith Collett and Gene Bowers cast the no votes.
Leiker explained the takeoff areas on the runway in front of each pole vault box are badly worn and in need of repair. Defargo will remove and replace 15 feet of runway in front of each box. Sometime in the future, a final layer of polyurethane structural spray will need to be re-applied to the entire track and runway surface.
Leiker said due to wear the pole vault areas needed to be repaired before the final layer is applied.
Gordon explained the area is worn more than usual because pole vaulters "plant (their poles) there."
"You'll see a lot of cleats there," Gordon said. "As for the rest of the track I felt the company did a fine job (during previous work)."
Tice said the current price tag to do the work is "cheaper than usual" because the company is working in the vicinity (in Abilene).
Board vice president Bowers questioned if track repair was going to be an expense every three to five years.
"I feel once that structural spray is applied it won't wear out," Gordon said.
Tice noted that tracks with "bounce" do not have the structural spray applied and once that substance is applied the "bounce" will be gone.
