Danbury Career Academy 2022 and District-Wide Facility Improvements
“BOE2022” Bond, Proposed Bond Authorization - June 2022 Referendum
BOND AUTHORIZATIONS – DANBURY CAREER ACADEMY
General Fund
The Proposed Bond Referendum for June 2022 contains two (2) separate questions, both pertaining to significant new construction (Danbury Career Academy) and improvements for the Danbury School District Facilities and grounds. Although collectively to be known as the “BOE 2022” Bond, the amounts will be separately listed into the following two (2) questions requiring the approval of the voters:
Question 1: Danbury Career Academy Bond $164,000,000
Question 2: School District Wide Improvements $43,900,000
Brief history of Danbury Career Academy funding
On April 19, 2021, pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order E.O. No. 7-S-7, the City Council approved a $99 million bonding referendum ($2.4 million transferred from SNAPP2020 bond) for the planning, design, acquisition, construction, equipping and furnishing of a new grades 6.12 Danbury Career Academy School at 100 Reserve Road (The Summit).
Unfortunately, the City and the Summit was unable to settle on mutually beneficial terms. Consequently, a new site quickly emerged as the most viable option for the new Danbury Career Academy. The new site located at the Cartus World Headquarter site would include the purchase of several buildings and purchase options on buildings/land for future expansion totaling approximately 39.5 acres.
[Except from Bond Ordinance – Question 1]
Question 1: Danbury Career Academy Bond $164,000,000
AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $164,000,000 FOR THE PLANNING, DESIGN, ACQUISITION, RENOVATION, CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPPING AND FURNISHING OF A NEW DANBURY CAREER ACADEMY SECONDARY SCHOOL AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $164,000,000 BONDS OF THE CITY TO MEET SAID APPROPRIATION AND PENDING THE ISSUANCE THEREOF THE MAKING OF TEMPORARY BORROWINGS FOR SUCH PURPOSE
RESOLVED:
Section 1. The sum of $164,000,000 is appropriated for the planning, design, acquisition, renovation, construction, equipping and furnishing of a new Danbury Career Academy Secondary School within the City of Danbury, Connecticut (the “City”), including but not limited to: (i) the purchase and/or acquisition of a 270,000 +/- square foot commercial building and approximate 24 acre site located at 40 Apple Ridge Road in the City, the driveway known as Apple Ridge Road and an approximate 6.4 acre site-proximate parcel and identified as Assessor Lot No. E-17097 in the City; (ii) renovations, improvements, and retrofitting the existing space for public school educational uses; (iii) the planning, design, acquisition, renovation, construction, equipping and furnishing of said commercial building for public school educational purposes, including but not limited to the installation and/or improvements of utilities, HVAC, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, data, technology, life safety and security, communication systems and other infrastructure improvements; (iv) the planning, design, renovation, construction, equipping and furnishing improvements for various public school educational uses, including without limitation, relocation of the City Board of Education central office, administrative office space, dining hall, gymnasium, infrastructure improvements, security upgrades, reconstruction and improvement of parking areas, sidewalks, driveways and access roads, landscaping, athletic fields, earthwork, site work, playgrounds and play areas and acquisition of furniture, fixtures and equipment; and (v) environmental studies, remediation and removal and related abatement of hazardous materials; and related engineering, architect, permitting, environmental and geological testing, advisory, technical support services, construction administration services, and governmental fees and expenses and printing, legal and financing costs related thereto (collectively, the “Project”). Said appropriation for the Project to be inclusive of any and all State and Federal grants-in-aid thereof.
Section 2. To meet said appropriation, $164,000,000 bonds of the City or so much thereof as shall be necessary for such purpose, shall be issued, maturing not later than the maximum maturity permitted by the General Statutes of Connecticut, Revision of 1958, as amended from time to time (the “Connecticut General Statutes”). Said bonds may be issued in one or more series as determined by the Mayor and the Director of Finance and the amount of bonds of each series to be issued shall be fixed by the Mayor and the Director of Finance in the amount necessary to meet the City’s share of the cost of the Project determined after considering, as applicable, the estimated amount of State and Federal grants-in-aid of the Project, or the actual amount thereof if this be ascertainable, and the anticipated times of the receipt of the proceeds thereof, provided that the total amount of bonds to be issued shall not be less than an amount which will provide funds sufficient with other funds available for such purpose to pay the principal of and the interest on all temporary borrowings in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of said bonds outstanding at the time of the issuance thereof, and to pay for the costs of issuance of such bonds. The bonds shall be in the denomination of $5,000 or a whole multiple thereof, be issued in fully registered form, be executed in the name and on behalf of the City by the facsimile or manual signatures of the Mayor and the City Treasurer, bear the City seal or a facsimile thereof, be certified by a bank or trust company, which bank or trust company may be designated the registrar and transfer agent, be payable at a bank or trust company, and be approved as to their legality by Robinson & Cole LLP, Attorneys-at-Law, of Hartford, Connecticut. The bonds shall be general obligations of the City and each of the bonds shall recite that every requirement of law relating to its issue has been duly complied with, that such bond is within every debt and other limit prescribed by law, and that the full faith and credit of the City are pledged to the payment of the principal thereof and interest thereon. The aggregate principal amount of the bonds of each series to be issued, the annual installments of principal, redemption provisions, if any, the registrar, certifying agent, transfer agent and paying agent, the date, time of issue and sale and other terms, details and particulars of such bonds, including the approval of the rate or rates of interest, shall be determined by the Mayor and the Director of Finance, in accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes.
Through special state legislation, the City is expected to receive approximately 80% state grant funding on all eligible construction costs and bonds will be issued for the remaining costs up. Typically, the state grant reimbursement is 63% on eligible expenditures.
[Except from Bond Ordinance – Question 2]
Question 2: District Wide Facility Improvements Bond $43,900,000
AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING $43,900,000 FOR THE PLANNING, DESIGN, ACQUISITION, RENOVATION, CONSTRUCTION, EQUIPPING AND FURNISHING OF VARIOUS UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS AT DANBURY HIGH SCHOOL, HAYESTOWN AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND KING STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL, AND CREATING IMPROVED CLASSROOM SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE DISTRICTWIDE OVERCROWDING AND AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF $43,900,000 BONDS OF THE CITY TO MEET SAID APPROPRIATION AND PENDING THE ISSUANCE THEREOF THE MAKING OF TEMPORARY BORROWINGS FOR SUCH PURPOSE
RESOLVED:
Section 1. The sum of $43,900,000 ($6,600,000 of which shall be transferred from the SNAPP 2020 School Ordinance and $1,400,000 of which shall be transferred from the Danbury Career Academy Ordinance (which included a $2,400,000 transferred allocation from the SNAPP 2020 School Ordinance), as more particularly set forth in Sections 2(a)-(b), respectively, below) is appropriated for the planning, design, acquisition, renovation, construction, equipping and furnishing of various school updates, renovation and improvement projects to schools within the City of Danbury, Connecticut (the “City”), including but not limited to: (i) the performance of Danbury High School accreditation work, all as more fully set forth in the report prepared by New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc.’s Commission on Public Schools, dated September 15, 2021, as amended from time to time, including, but not limited to, updates, renovations and code compliance improvements to science laboratories, nurse suite, and bathrooms, and HVAC equipment & duct evaluation and related renovation and improvements, supply and condensate pipe abatement & evaluation and related renovation and improvements; (ii) ADA compliance work at Hayestown Avenue Elementary School, including, but not limited to, the installation of a new elevator and other related work at the school; (iii) improvements to ADA accessible routes to the stadium bleachers at Danbury High School; (iv) the repair and replacement of the King Street Primary School roof; and (v) the creation and/or modification of classroom space to accommodate districtwide overcrowding, as determined by the Board of Education and the City of Danbury; and related engineering, architect, permitting, advisory, technical support services, construction administration services, and governmental fees and expenses and printing, legal and financing costs related thereto (collectively, the “Project”). Said appropriation for the Project to be inclusive of any and all State and Federal grants-in-aid thereof.
Section 2. To meet said appropriation:
(a) Appropriation and bond authorization in the sum of $6,600,000 is hereby transferred to the Project from an ordinance approved by the City Council on May 5, 2020 and entitled “An Ordinance Appropriating $23,300,000 For Various Capital Improvements To Schools Within The City And Authorizing The Issuance Of $23,300,000 Bonds Of The City To Meet Said Appropriation And Pending The Issuance Thereof The Making Of Temporary Borrowings For Such Purpose,” as amended from time to time and otherwise referred to as the “SNAPP 2020 School Ordinance;” thereby decreasing the amounts available for the remainder of the projects authorized by the SNAPP 2020 School Ordinance from $20,900,000 to $14,300,000.
(b) Appropriation and bond authorization in the sum of $1,400,000 is hereby transferred to the Project from an ordinance approved by the City Council on April 19, 2021 and entitled “An Ordinance Appropriating $99,000,000 For The Purchase Of Real Property Including Common Interest Community Units And Development Rights For And The Planning, Design, Acquisition, Construction, Equipping And Furnishing Of A New Grades 6-12 Danbury Career Academy School And Authorizing The Issuance Of $99,000,000 Bonds Of The City To Meet Said Appropriation And Pending The Issuance Thereof The Making Of Temporary Borrowings For Such Purpose” and otherwise referred to as the “Danbury Career Academy Ordinance;” which included a transferred allocation, in the sum of $2,400,000, from the SNAPP 2020 School Ordinance; thereby decreasing the amount of transferred allocation from the SNAPP 2020 School Ordinance, in the Danbury Career Academy Ordinance, from $2,400,000 to $1,000,000.
(c) $35,900,000 additional bonds of the City or so much thereof as shall be necessary for such purpose, shall be issued, maturing not later than the maximum maturity permitted by the General Statutes of Connecticut, Revision of 1958, as amended from time to time (the “Connecticut General Statutes”). Said bonds may be issued in one or more series as determined by the Mayor and the Director of Finance and the amount of bonds of each series to be issued shall be fixed by the Mayor and the Director of Finance in the amount necessary to meet the City’s share of the cost of the Project determined after considering, as applicable, the estimated amount of State and Federal grants-in-aid of the Project, or the actual amount thereof if this be ascertainable, and the anticipated times of the receipt of the proceeds thereof, provided that the total amount of bonds to be issued shall not be less than an amount which will provide funds sufficient with other funds available for such purpose to pay the principal of and the interest on all temporary borrowings in anticipation of the receipt of the proceeds of said bonds outstanding at the time of the issuance thereof, and to pay for the costs of issuance of such bonds. The bonds shall be in the denomination of $5,000 or a whole multiple thereof, be issued in fully registered form, be executed in the name and on behalf of the City by the facsimile or manual signatures of the Mayor and the City Treasurer, bear the City seal or a facsimile thereof, be certified by a bank or trust company, which bank or trust company may be designated the registrar and transfer agent, be payable at a bank or trust company, and be approved as to their legality by Robinson & Cole LLP, Attorneys-at-Law, of Hartford, Connecticut. The bonds shall be general obligations of the City and each of the bonds shall recite that every requirement of law relating to its issue has been duly complied with, that such bond is within every debt and other limit prescribed by law, and that the full faith and credit of the City are pledged to the payment of the principal thereof and interest thereon. The aggregate principal amount of the bonds of each series to be issued, the annual installments of principal, redemption provisions, if any, the registrar, certifying agent, transfer agent and paying agent, the date, time of issue and sale and other terms, details and particulars of such bonds, including the approval of the rate or rates of interest, shall be determined by the Mayor and the Director of Finance, in accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes.