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By vote of 4-1, school board changes mind on restrooms
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · June 25, 2015
A flipped vote on kindergarten restroom work prompted a heated exchange between board members at a special June 10 meeting.
At issue is whether or not the school should install tile in three kindergarten restrooms, a project Superintendent Kevin Hatfield would make them easier to clean.
In May, with three of five board members present, board Vice President Mike Colbert and board member Richard Paulus wanted to do the work, but board member Deb Schreiber disagreed and Colbert and Paulus supported her motion to only upgrade the lighting in those restrooms. The vote was 3-0.
On June 10, with five board members present, Colbert and Paulus changed their vote and aligned with Board President Kathy Knoop and board member Mike Owen, who wanted to see the tiling work done as well.
When Colbert and Paulus in May reluctantly agreed to support Schreiber’s motion to just upgrade the lighting in those restrooms, the two men said they believed three voters were necessary to approve the contract and get the work started so it could finish before school resumed in August.
To change the contract, Schreiber at the May meeting directed the administration and architect to return to the June meeting with how much S&S Plumbing of Marengo would cut from the $320,000 project. That project includes upgrading several other restrooms in the north end of the school.
The answer that came on June 8: $6,000, or $2,000 for each of the three kindergarten restrooms.
All five board members were in attendance at that June 8 meeting, but the restroom contract was not on the agenda, so the board was legally barred from taking any action. They met in special session two days later, on June 10, to consider the change order.
The June 10 meeting had Board President Kathy Knoop and board member Mike Owen — both of whom supported doing the tile work in the kindergarten restrooms — phoning in to participate, allowing them to discuss and vote on the change order. At this meeting, it was clarified that only a simple majority was needed at the May meeting, rather than a unanimous vote of the three members present. Colbert and Paulus were set to vote at that June 10 for their original preference, which would overturn the May vote.
However, Schreiber objected to the June 10 meeting as a whole because she felt the May vote of the three members present ought to be confirmed by the entire school board, and that the change order should be approved out of respect for that original vote.
“I feel the May 11 vote was final,” Schreiber said. “I feel like now we are changing that. It deteriorates the credibility of the three board members that night. It would have been different if Kathy and Mike (Owen) were there. We had a consensus.”
“This isn’t about feelings,” Knoop interjected.
Schreiber agreed, noting the board did not have the $6,000 figure when it was critical to get the project going in time for summer.
“It’s the principle,” Schreiber said. “We made a decision and we voted.”
Owen said he understood Schreiber’s point, but viewed the June 10 vote as a “change order,” and it was no longer a question of doing the work, waiting or not doing the work at all.
“We need to accept or not accept this (change order),” he said. “This issue is before us again and it is so properly.”
Knoop said she was “not so worried about the credibility of the board or the credibility of the superintendent.”
“I’m appalled you want to micromanage this,” she said.
“I don’t appreciate your accusation,” Schreiber said. “You’d better look in the mirror.”
Paulus interrupted, stating his time spent in kindergarten classrooms reading to the pupils convinced him that “kids pee where they shouldn’t” and that this argument was about a “technicality.”
“I vote for clean restrooms,” he said. “There is a real need for the latest tile that isn’t porous.”
Paulus made the motion to accept Hatfield’s recommendation and install the tiling; Knoop seconded the motion and the board voted 4-1, with Schreiber casting the “no” vote.
Hatfield said after the vote that he “really appreciates diversity on the board.”
Schreiber said her opposition to the second vote was “not personal.”
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