BFA-Fairfax Transportation Consolidation and White House Update

[7F24]

     I keep thinking about this issue...who owns the buses?  With the exception of the last school budget, the buses have always been a separate vote.  Does the school administration have the right to sell our buses, or should they go back to the town that actually paid for them when they start contracting busing?
     The person from the state at the school board meeting said the company that gets the contract would rent our garage at fair market value.  This makes no sense to me.  If they are renting our garage they will just include the cost of the rent in our contract...so they rent it for free.

[ohhman]

I think we, the town of Fairfax taxpayers, own our bus system! We have paid for this over the many years & sincerely hope we are allowed to keep them. I spoke with our board chair & she said as of now, 2 companies have been asked to bid the busing for the SU. She also said IF we can show it is both more cost effective & more efficient, the SU can chose to keep our buses just as they are! Now, when I asked that question to the state ed rep that came to the school board meeting, he really "danced around" with his reply!  We also spoke of the bus garage & I was told that NO way will our garage be rented out IF we contract busing, that our custodial supervisor has said we will fill that garage with our own school equipment & vehicles. She noted the contracted busing for Georgia parks those buses @ the school & the Fletcher drivers take their buses home with them.  I think we need to be clear the buses, if contracted out, be parked @ the facility that owns them; let their insurance cover cost of damage rather than have them on school property where we would be responsible.  Besides, if we don not own our buses in the future, let them run them someplace else for a half hour to get them going/warm up rather than our neighborhood;  1st student has a huge facility just a little over 2 miles from our garage.  So, with that said, the next SU board meeting is Nov.19th, 6:30, @ the SU office; guess we have work to do before!!! 

[trussell]

If I remember correctly, the company that has the bus contract in Georgia keeps them at the school for registration reasons.  I believe (and could certainly be wrong.  It happens occasionally) that they were able to avoid paying sales taxes on the buses (and potentially having a lower bid) if they were registered under the municipality- which requires that they be stored on town property.  I could be way off though with my comments.

Also, if the Town of Fairfax owns the current buses then is it possible to setup a Municipal Transportation Department (separate "division", similar to the water and sewer department) that could bid on the service?