Beacon News April 25, 2007

Held at Ridgemont CC, Bob Dyjak reporting 

Presiding Officer: President Rich Vogelzang 

Guests:

·         Jay Riley, guest of Tod Myers

·         Kirk Morris, guest of Jeff McCann

·         Bob Schroeder, guest of Steve Achramovitch

·         Steve Grimm, guest of Roger Boily 

Visiting Rotarians: N/A 

Birthdays:

·         Tracey Wooden 

Anniversaries:

·         Richard & Valerie Baum - 18 years 

Announcements:

·         Rich Vogelzang indicated we’d like to have two putting teams for this year’s LPGA which takes place on June 19^th.  Four Rotarians are needed.  Email Rich if interested.

·         Jodie Perry mentioned that there are still spots available for the Greece Chamber’s Annual Civic Awards Banquet to be held on Friday, April 27^th, at the Marriott.  Call Sue Edgett for tickets.

·         Upcoming events:

}       May 4-6 - District Conference at Turning Stone

}       May 10 - Ladies Night Out (contact Kim Putnam)

}       May 19 - Camp Haccamo - spring clean up day

}       June 11 - Charity Golf Tournament

}       June 15 - Installation dinner at Lakeshore CC

}       June 18-24 - LPGA week at Locust Hill

}       July 25 – Camp Haccomo - evening meeting

}       December 7 - Annual Christmas Party at the Marriott

Today’s Program

Review of the April 23^rd board meeting.

Host Location: Bill Testa, 54 Greymere Road, Rochester, NY 14612

Recorded by Bill Gormont

Opening Comments by President Rich Vogelzang:

1.Rich thanked Bill Testa for hosting tonight meeting.

2.Rich introduced guest Roger Battaglia, St. Joseph’s Villa – Roger reviewed a funding request for Eating Disorders Residential Treatment Center.  See attachment. Summary of Roger’s presentation:

a.    Cost of restructuring is estimated at $125,000

b.    Renovation of 8 bed male/female treatment facility in existing campus building

c.    First adolescent (youth to age 18) residential treatment center in US

d.    Clients – 1^st choice local, then could extend beyond Monroe county to outside NYS

e.    Nearest residential eating disorder center is 350 miles from Rochester

f.     Length of client stay  variable – could be 4 to 8 weeks

g.    Economic development impact – 15 new professional jobs will be created

h.    Client costs paid by insurance and/or private pay

i.      Request for funding options include:

i. Emergency Generator = $20,000

ii. Energy Management and Security System = $15,000

  iii. Redecorate and Furnish Client Living Room = $10,000

iv.   Redecorate and Furnish Two Person Bedroom = $5,000

3.Brad Shea read a letter he prepared in support of the St. Joseph’s Villa Request.  The letter was simply general encouragement for Greece Rotary to engage with financial support.  While there was no specific financial amount included, he did say, "Wouldn't it make sense to make a noticeable and major contribution to maximize that relationship with St. Joseph's Villa."  See attachment.

Treasurer’s Report

Financial report was reviewed by:  Treasurer Del Smith

·         Total Checking/Savings = $44,744.20

·         Total Account receivable = $290.00

·         Total Current assets = $45,034.20

·         Total Assets = $93,864.44

·         Total Current Liabilities = $946.50 (50/50)

·         Equity (Fund Balance + Liotta + Moreas + Net Income) = $92,917.94

·         Total Liabilities & Equity = $93,864.44

Call for Discussion of Financial Report:  Rich Vogelzang

Discussion Highlights: 

·         Summary discussion of Ziti fund collection progress

o        $40,626.00 gross

o        $31,406.00 net

o        net  less than last year

·         One member has not yet paid annual dues.

Committee Reports

Attendance Committee - Andy Gray

1.No report

2.Request for leave of absence for Deb Walker due to new job constraints.  Leave effective Wednesday April 25, 2007 @12:15 pm.  Deb will be expected to help at LPGA, Golf Tournament, fellowship events, etc.

Motion Call:  BOD accept Deb Walker’s Leave of Absence as presented:  Rich Vogelzang

1^st motion to accept:  Bill Testa; 2^nd motion to accept:  Bill Gormont

Vote:  In favor: All; Opposed: None; Motion outcome: Passed

Club Service Committee - Brad Turner

1.The Greece Rotary Member 2007 Christmas Party reservations are being confirmed at the Marriott for Friday December 7, 2007.  Action: Brian Cacia

2.The Greece Rotary 2008 Ziti Dinner reservations must be confirmed with the Diplomat to formally reserve the date.  Check NFL Super Bowl schedule to ensure no schedule conflict. Action: Ralph Annucci

3.Camp Haccamo Cleanup scheduled for May 19 @ 9:00 a.m.

Community Service Committee- Judie Van Bramer

1.     Golf Tournament – committee is continuing to work w/Wal-Mart for $1000.00 grant

2.     Dictionary Project – In Progress

3.     Status update of Greece Rotary’s $2,000 request to State Assemblyman Bill Reilich’s office to support the Children’s Christmas Party – No confirmation received yet

4.     Status update of Greece Rotary’s $5,000 request to State Senator Joe Robach’s office to support the Greece Little League Challenger Division – No confirmation received yet

5.     390 Cleanup – NYS Contract is complete.  General feeling is that the club does not strongly support this activity as shown by attendance.  No renewal will be sought at this time.

6.     Entertainment Books will be sold again during the 2007-2008 club year

7.     Soap Box Derby car is being driven once per year.  The issue is a lack of parent or responsible adult to attend with the youth from St. Joseph’s Villa.  Brian Cacia will see if a counselor from the Villa or a Greece Rotary Member would be willing to support this role to allow the car to be driven an average of once per month during the derby season.

International Service Committee - Linda Blossom

1.Honduras Water Project (Rich DeAsis, Assistant District Governor Area 4 and immediate Past President of the Dansville Club) has all funding they require.  No followup is needed by the Greece Club.

2.   Nigerian Water Project – Communication by the Nigerian Sponsoring Club has stopped.  Linda is following up with the Chicago Rotary Office to help resolve.  No immediate problem is believed to exist.

3.   Status of possible funding for Ethiopian Literacy project identified by Ed D’Angelo.  District Simplified Grant activity may be sought for $500.

4.   Possible Student Exchange student proposed by Frank Vella.  Linda and Rich waiting for additional information from Frank before investigation occurs.

Membership Committee - Dave Nagel

1.   Membership count as of April 23, 2007 is 92.

2.   John Riley – Don Riley sponsor – Induction scheduled for April 25, 2007

3.   Steve Grimm – Induction on hold pending completion of 3 meeting requirement.  Steve is existing Rotarian.

Vocational Service Committee - Doug DeVey

No report on April 23, 2007.

Old Business – Items not addressed above in officer and committee reports  

New Business:

1)Bill Gormont – Discussion of modifying the Greece Rotary Club “Attendance Year” from (July 1 thru June 30), to (May 1 thru April 30). 

(Background:  Each year we present attendance awards at the installation banquet.  The banquet occurs before the end of the club “Business Year” which is also the club “Attendance Year”.  The banquet occurs before the LPGA which drives a significant amount of make-up credit.  As presently calculated, an individual’s yearly attendance as used for the perfect attendance award is simply a guess, and inaccurate at best, based on the presumption of perfect meeting attendance through the end of the year AND what the individual believes they are planning for make-ups (LPGA, etc.) through the end of the year.  Moving the 12 month attendance year earlier by two months allows for accurate attendance performance.  There is precedence as District 7120 uses the period from (April 1^st thru March 31) for their district club attendance awards based on the timing of the District Assembly. The district actually shifted the closing date this year only (2007) to January 31^st, because of the early April Assembly date.)

Discussion:  The 2006-2007 club year attendance data will be collected from May 1, 2006 to April 30, 2007.  The May 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006 data will be drawn from the prior club year for this year only.  It will include all attendance and unused make-up credits generated during the May 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006 time period.  This will include the 2006 Golf Tournament, 2006 LPGA, Board Meetings and other events occurring within that May 1, 2006 to June 30, 2006 time period.  2006-2007 is the transition year.  All future years, beginning with club year 2007-2008 will run from May 1 thru April 30.  Note:  The remaining fiscal year will continue to run from July 1 to June 30.

Motion Call:  Modifying Greece Rotary Club “Attendance Year” from (July 1 thru June 30), to (May 1 thru April 30) - Rich Vogelzang

1^st motion to accept:  Ed D’Angelo; 2^nd motion to accept:  Bill Testa

Vote:  In favor:  All; Opposed:  None; Motion outcome:  Pass

Next BOD Meeting:  May 21, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Joe Darweesh, 500 Country Woods Lane, Rochester, NY 14626

Second Program Speaker today

Steve Achramovitch, Superintendent, Greece Central School District

Bob Schroeder, Business Official, Greece Central School District

Two handouts were distributed and discussed:

·         Inside the Numbers - The real deal behind Greece Central’s State Aid allocation

·         Vote May 15 … Because It Matters

Both are available for review as PDF files on the GCSD website.

…achievement matters

Student academic success is Greece Central’s number one priority. Assessment results in some

areas show improvement, but achievement in other subjects is not where it should be. The proposed

budget provides funding to maintain all current educational programs and expand some

programs in the areas where students are struggling to meet state standards. Money has also

been earmarked to maintain class sizes.

…opportunity matters

Greece Central provides students with a variety of learning opportunities. The proposed budget

would increase those opportunities by enabling middle school students to begin studying a language

a year earlier than they do today. The plan also continues funding for pre-kindergarten, elective

and Advanced Placement courses, and the International Baccalaureate programs at Holmes

Road-Buckman Heights Elementary School and Odyssey Academy.

…our future matters

Greece Central educators strive to prepare students for the future. The 2007-08 budget includes

money for additional classroom technology, a new reading intervention program, and continues inititatives at all grade levels that encourage students to explore different careers and make connections in the community.

…everyone matters

Our District coordinates services for about 1,270 students with disabilities. Whether a student has a

learning disability, is autistic, or speech impaired, he or she may require some additional educational

services in order to meet the New York State Learning Standards. Money has been included in

the 2007-08 budget proposal to expand the District’s current special education program.

Proposition 1 – Bus Purchases

Proposition 1 would allow the District to purchase 27 buses. Payments would be financed over five

years. These costs are expected to be offset by the amount of state aid the District receives, therefore

minimizing the impact on taxpayers.

Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,642,100

Effect on 2007-08 Tax Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0

Estimated Effect on 2008-09 – 2011-12 Tax Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.04

Proposition 2 – Bus Purchase Reserve

Proposition 2 would enable the District to establish a bus purchase reserve fund not to exceed

$7,000,000 to finance future bus purchases. No additional tax dollars would be collected to establish

this fund. Instead, state aid and other current revenue sources would be used to build the reserve. The

Board of Education would have to approve any funding of the reserve, and voters would have to

approve any expenditure from the reserve.

Fund Amount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,000,000 maximum

Effect on Tax Rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0

Proposition 3 – Capital Project

Proposition 3 would pay for building repairs and renovations as well as the purchase of some technology. The proposal would fund a variety of health and safety related projects as well as general maintenance work in schools and buildings throughout the District. By taking advantage of a combination of building aid and special EXCEL Aid available from the State for a limited time, this work is expected to be completed at minimal cost to taxpayers.

Cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $21,407,375

Effect on Tax Rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0

Estimated Effect on 2008-09 – 2021-22 Tax Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0.03

Which percentage is correct, 13% or 6%?

Both are correct. The 13% cited in news stories and by the state represents the increase in the amount of Foundation Aid Greece Central is expected to receive next school year. The 6% cited by District officials refers to the increase in the total amount of state aid Greece is expected to receive in 2007-08.  Think of Foundation Aid as funding the basic things a school district needs. Foundation Aid is new for 2007-08 and replaced Base Year Aids, which was allocated using a different formula. The state legislative budget proposal shows the District receiving $48,909,226 in Foundation Aid. That’s up 13.55% over the $43,071,204 in Base Year Aids Greece received in 2006-07.  But Foundation Aid is just one type of state aid school districts receive. When you add up all of the various forms of state aid, Greece is estimated to receive $74,173,740 in total state aid dollars next school year – or roughly 6% more than the current school year.

Why do state aid projections differ depending on the source?

The State’s estimate of $76,987,033 includes $1,192,878 of Universal Pre-Kindergarten funding.

Universal Pre-kindergarten is not included in the general operating budget approved by voters and is therefore not included in the general state aid totals. Additionally, New York State school districts are required to have fiscal years that begin on July 1 and end on June 30. Each district’s state aid allocation is estimated based on how much they spent the previous year. Adjustments have to be made when the fiscal year ends to reflect actual spending. District officials estimate that Greece

Central will receive $1,620,415 less state aid than the legislature is projecting based on the amount

of spending to date. However, until June 30, everything is an estimate, as illustrated by the numbers quoted in the sources below.

Changes in State Aid Depending on the Source

As estimated in the:

2007-08 State Legislative Budget . . . . . . . . . 4.9% increase

Proposed District Budget Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1% increase

SED Output Reports as of 3/31/07 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0% increase

SED Output Reports as of 4/11/07 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.9% increase

What is Greece Central doing with its increase in state aid?

The money is being put back into classrooms and programs. The state legislature’s historic increase in state aid is also tied to accountability. All district, including Greece Central, receiving a 10% or greater increase in Foundation Aid will be required to develop a “Contract for Excellence.”  That contract will commit school officials to demonstrate that funds are spent to produce measurable results in student achievement. That can mean smaller class sizes, increased student time on task, full-day pre-kindergarten, teacher quality initiatives, and middle school and high school restructuring.

50/50 Winner: Al Schneier did not select the ace!

Fining (Brad Shea):

Following Don Riley’s lead from last week, Brad did some creative fining that included docking everyone $1 for not having on their Rotary pin and collecting $2/person at the “noisy table”.  In addition, the following individuals were fined for a variety of infractions:

·         Richard Baum - $3

·         Jim Gaudet - $5

·         Dan Hedberg

·         Liz Richardson - $20

·         Bill Selke - $5

·         Brad Turner - $10

·         Deb Whitt - $10

·         Tracey Wooden - $5