Jefferson West board to form seven-person community bond committee to scope future facilities request

Board members discussed creating a seven-person community bond committee to develop scope and cost recommendations for a potential facilities bond. The presenter (S1) and several board members said the committee should deliver a recommended scope-of-work and a not-to-exceed amount to the board by the August meeting so the district can consider a November ballot (or March as an alternative).

Multiple board members urged that the committee focus on fixing structurally urgent items—electrical, core repairs and building foundations—rather than ancillary elements. One speaker referenced the prior $17.5 million proposal as ‘‘too much’’ and said the committee should scale back options and present prioritized A/B/C choices for voters.

Members debated how the committee should operate: some favored individual meetings between prospective committee members and bond staff/Brad to ensure members understand the commitment; others favored group meetings to surface ideas across members. The board agreed the committee should have latitude to gather community input and would not be expected to fundraise; any grant or fundraising leads would be referred to district staff.

Several members emphasized transparency and outreach so residents do not feel excluded by a small selected group. The board said it would provide data from past bond meetings and community feedback to the committee and that committee members should reflect a cross-section of views, including some who were previously critical of the bond.

Next steps: staff will reach out to prospective committee members, hold initial meetings in late May or early June and schedule recurring meetings so the committee can return a recommended scope and cost target to the board by August.