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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us June 14, 2005 County will maintain school grounds ASD will pay about $67,000 for mowing, landscaping services By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings Seventeen days before the contract with the Parks Department for grounds maintenance expires, the Ashland School Board accepted a $67,000 proposal with Jackson County for landscaping and mowing of school district properties. The 1-year contract that contains a 30-day termination clause for both parties irked a handful of residents because its consideration was added to the board’s work late last week. It was not listed on the agendas available for the public at the meeting. The use of herbicides in play areas and the possibility of hiring a new maintenance worker or contracting the care of each school out to a local landscaper were also brought up before the board approved the contract 4-0-1. “I just think, basically, it’s a really bad idea to spray poison where our kids go to school,” said Ashland resident Tom Marr. “I realize it’s currently used ... I think there’s lots of alternatives.” The board decided Jackson County will not be allowed to use any herbicides on Ashland schools property until after the new board meets on July 11. Three new board members — Mat Marr, Ruth Alexander and Amy Sager Patton — will begin serving in July. The termination clause will allow the new board to reconsider the contract with Jackson County if it chooses. “I just feel it’s difficult for a board to do 12 hours notice with full due diligence,” Mat Marr said, who didn’t mention if he would ask the board to reopen the issue next month. In other business, the board: • awarded a $57,410 contract to Dull Olson Weeks Architects Inc. of Portland for a comprehensive facilities study. The company will begin work as soon as next week and should evaluate all of the school district buildings over the summer, before holding community input meetings at all of the schools; • approved the 2005-06 budget at $31.7 million and three other resolutions establishing the appropriation of those funds, imposing a tax rate of $4.1601 per $1,000 of assessed value and $2,418,000 for bonds, and categorizing those taxes; • approved four memorandums of understanding between the school district and the Southern Oregon Bargaining Council, the teachers’ union, regarding the teacher evaluation system the school district will implement next year, extra duty assignments, clarifying the language related to voluntary retirement and extending teacher contracts until June 2007. The one-year contract extension was approved because the majority of the school board, the school district business manager and the Ashland Education Association leadership will all be new to the job. The school board will hold a joint work session with the Ashland Parks and Recreation Department at 7 p.m. on June 27 in the Senior Center at Hunter Park to discuss how school playgrounds and open spaces work into the city parks system. The meeting is open to the public. Staff writer Jennifer Squires can be reached at 482-3456 x 3019 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams