Meeting Minutes – Monday, May 8, 2023

Yavapai Education Service Agency – in person or zoom
2970 Centerpointe East Drive, Prescott, Arizona 86301

Monday, May 8, 2023 10:00 am 

Also present were: Jenn Nelson – YCESA, Frank Vander Horst – YCESA 

Yavapai County Forest Fee Management Association
Board of Directors
 Special Meeting Minutes

Welcome and Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 10:00

Establishment of Quorum and Pledge of Allegiance (President Brown)

A quorum was established

Limited Call to the Public (President Brown)

• The public is invited to speak about any agenda item.
• There is a limit of three (3) minutes per speaker and 20 minutes total.
• Request to speak must be in writing and provided to the Clerk at the beginning of the meeting or prior to any agenda item.
• The President has absolute discretion over procedural matters
• The Board may waive their “Public Participation Policy” as it applies to all speakers.
• Members of the public may indicate their support or opposition to a topic, in writing, that will be noted and entered into the record.
• The Board may not respond to comments from the public, but may ask the facilitator to respond or place the item on a future agenda.

No call to the public.

Discussion and Action Items of the Consent Agenda: all items on the consent agenda may be adopted as a whole with one motion, unless a member of the Board wishes to consider it separately

1. Approval of the Special Meeting Agenda for Monday, May 8, 2023

Dennis Dearden made a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented; Kellie Burns seconded the motion; it was unanimously approved 5/0 by Danny Brown, Stephanie Miller, Mardi Read, Dennis Dearden and Kellie Burns

Information, Discussion and Action Item: Fiscal Agent Report, Political/Legislative Update, Secure Rural Schools Update 

Mr. Carter advised the board that there has been no movement for Secure Rural School funds. The current distribution from 2022 has been received however there was an issue with the processing. There is no current vehicle for SRS to attach to for future funding. In 2010 it was determined that any SRS funds cannot co-mingle with any other funds. The county created an account (870) for only SRS. In April when the distribution was received, it was received in a lump sum with other distributions for different entities, all funds were deposited into 870. County finance has been advised of the possibility of an audit finding and they have reversed the deposit and taken out the other funds. The only funds currently in 870 are correct and only for schools. There is also a sequestration around the amount of $87,000 that is being held and it is unknown when it will be released.

Information, Discussion and Action Item: Approval of Total Fund Distribution Amount of $1,408,950.15

Mr. Carter advised the board the amount presented is what has been received, there is no interest as of today and that is the correct amount to be distributed.
Mardi Read made a motion to approve the fund distribution amount of $1,408,950.15; Kellie Burns seconded the motion; it was unanimously approved 5/0 by Danny Brown, Stephanie Miller, Mardi Read, Dennis Dearden and Kellie Burns.

Information, Discussion and Action Item: Approval of Fund Distribution Formula;

• The total 2022 amount to be distributed, including interest earned is $1,408,950.15.
• The total ADM per school is listed, amounting to a county wide total of 19,426.155 ADM.
• Diving 19,426.155 into $1,408,950.15 creates a “per pupil” amount of $72.529.
• Multiplying the “per pupil” amount by the individual school district ADM equals $1,408.950.15.
• The difference is $0, leaving a rounding amount of $0 per school. Which is then added to the school total.
• The cents left over goes to our smallest school ….. Crown King
Mr. Carter explained the formula that has always been used by FFMA to distribute funds.
Danny Brown made a motion to approve the distribution formula; Dennis Dearden seconded the motion; it was unanimously approved 5/0 by Danny Brown, Stephanie Miller, Mardi Read, Dennis Dearden and Kellie Burns

Information, Discussion and Action Item: Approval of the Annual Allocation per District. See the Attached List of School District Amounts

Mr. Carter advised the board the per district amount is listed and presented to the board.
Mardi Read made a motion to approve the allocation per district; Kellie Burns seconded the motion; it was unanimously approved 5/0 by Danny Brown, Stephanie Miller, Mardi Read, Dennis Dearden and Kellie Burns

Information, Discussion, and Action Item: Review and Potentially Modify the Held Encumbrance Amounts of Technology Related Funding

The board reviewed the tech fund spreadsheet, which shows that there is a need to allocated and additional $451,611 to the encumbrance in order to fulfill the districts’ requests from 2019. There are 5 districts that have already used all their allocated technology funds. The board agreed in order to “clean up” the spreadsheet and make the fund whole it will need to allocate the additional funding. The board discussed how far back reimbursements should be made and agreed that it will go back to July of 2022 to keep in line with the fiscal year, however, if there is a district that needs a reimbursement from prior to July 2022 it will be reviewed by the board on a case-by-case basis.
Mardi Read made a motion to approve an additional $451,611 to be allocated to the tech fund, allowing districts to receive reimbursements from July 2022 through June of 2025; Kellie Burns seconded the motion; it was unanimously approved 5/0 by Danny Brown, Stephanie Miller, Mardi Read, Dennis Dearden and Kellie Burns.

Discussion and Action Item – Topics from the Board for Future 

Authorize Mr. Carter to call for electronic nominations for Group 3 & 4 due to the retirement of Danny Brown and Dennis Dearden

Announce Future Meeting Dates

• Tuesday June 13, 2023 (10 AM) 
• Tuesday September 12, 2023 (10 AM) 
• Tuesday December 12, 2023 (10 AM) 

Open Call to the Public for Future Agenda Items ( Requires a written request to speak and is limited to one(1) minutes. The Board may not comment on these requests)

Action Item: Adjournment

Danny Brown adjourned the meeting at 10:31 am

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