Over the past week I have helped a Richland County homeowner who took in a homeless couple. Now he can't get them out.
The couple has five kids; 9, 8, 4, 5 months, 3 weeks. His and hers. The homeowner felt sorry for them after they got kicked out of their prior housing (hotel? motel?) and didn't want the seven to have to live in their car.
Here's the Warning: if you take someone into your home, even if they don't pay rent, you become a Landlord and they become your Tenants. As Tenants, they acquire property rights to your house.
To get them out, you will have to evict them. And the courts are closed.
So you are stuck.
Before you make any similar offer, call your lawyer. Understand your rights before you make a decision.
Unfair? It doesn't matter whether you think this is unfair. You'll be stuck as a victim of South Carolina law.
You might ask yourself: "Who makes dumb laws like these?" Call your State Rep or Senator, and ask his or her viewpoint on this law. If you don't like that viewpoint, there is an election coming up.
Vote 'em out.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Teachers' Hours
It's amazing what you can learn from the Richland 2 School District homepage. For example,
"Teacher office hours for assistance with e-learning/remote learning
All Richland Two teachers will have “office hours” Monday-Friday 9–10:30 a.m. and 2:30–4 p.m. During these times, teachers will be available to check and respond to emails. Parents and teachers can also arrange to talk via telephone or video chat during office hours."
https://www.richland2.org/Departments/Communications-Strategic-Partnerships/Flu-and-Coronavirus-Info/Coronavirus-FAQs
Are these the only hours that teaches working?
Are teachers conducting classes by Zoom?
How many hours/week are teachers working?
Remember when they were demanding 15-minute and 30-minute breaks for planning?
Perhaps some teachers will weigh in here and report what their workweek looks like.
Are teachers receiving full pay during the school-closure order by Gov. McMaster.
Just askin'...
"Teacher office hours for assistance with e-learning/remote learning
All Richland Two teachers will have “office hours” Monday-Friday 9–10:30 a.m. and 2:30–4 p.m. During these times, teachers will be available to check and respond to emails. Parents and teachers can also arrange to talk via telephone or video chat during office hours."
https://www.richland2.org/Departments/Communications-Strategic-Partnerships/Flu-and-Coronavirus-Info/Coronavirus-FAQs
Are these the only hours that teaches working?
Are teachers conducting classes by Zoom?
How many hours/week are teachers working?
Remember when they were demanding 15-minute and 30-minute breaks for planning?
Perhaps some teachers will weigh in here and report what their workweek looks like.
Are teachers receiving full pay during the school-closure order by Gov. McMaster.
Just askin'...
Free meals - WHY?
Do you know that Richland 2 School District is providing free meals to all students under 18 while schools are closed?
According to a message on the District's website,
"Children do not have to attend one of these schools to receive free meals. Pick-up at these sites is open to all children under the age of 18 living in Richland Two attendance zones regardless of the families' free/reduced-price meal status."
This is certainly a generous act of the School District, but I wonder when the School Board approved that. I don't recall ever hearing it mentioned at a school board meeting.
Why is the District spending money to feed children whose families have no financial need for such free food?
According to a message on the District's website,
"Children do not have to attend one of these schools to receive free meals. Pick-up at these sites is open to all children under the age of 18 living in Richland Two attendance zones regardless of the families' free/reduced-price meal status."
This is certainly a generous act of the School District, but I wonder when the School Board approved that. I don't recall ever hearing it mentioned at a school board meeting.
Why is the District spending money to feed children whose families have no financial need for such free food?
Friday, April 17, 2020
District to "Zoom" the April 21st Special Meeting
The following press release was sent out by Richland 2 School District. The time of the meeting is 5:30PM EDT. No information was provided about the Zoom meeting number or any passcode needed, should the Livestream link fail.
No telephone number was provided in the District's announcement for those who cannot or do not wish to connect via computer.
Submit your questions/concerns/issues by email no later than Tuesday, April 21, 12:00PM EDT.
The "official notice" mentioned in the press release doesn't state any information not included in the press release.
No telephone number was provided in the District's announcement for those who cannot or do not wish to connect via computer.
Submit your questions/concerns/issues by email no later than Tuesday, April 21, 12:00PM EDT.
The "official notice" mentioned in the press release doesn't state any information not included in the press release.
"The Richland School District Two Board of Trustees will hold a special called board meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Due to the restrictions on public gatherings, the meeting will be held using the “Zoom” online meeting platform. The public will be able to view the meeting at http://www.richland2.org/livestream.
"During the special called meeting, the board will consider for action a Continuing Resolution for the FY 2020-2021 General Fund Operating Budget. Click here to view the agenda for the meeting, which includes a copy of the continuing resolution.
"Residents of Richland School District Two interested in providing comments on the continuing resolution are encouraged to email their input to budget@richland2.org. Emails need to be received by noon on April 21.
"The official notice is attached. Thank you for helping us notify the public about the meeting."
 |
LIBBY ROOF
Chief Communications Officer
|
April 21st Special Board Meeting - WHY?
The agenda for the April 21st Special-Called Board Meeting has been published. This meeting is totally unnecessary.
Robert's Rules of Order contains useful information to explain when a Special meeting should be called. Generally, it is when something of great importance and urgency cannot wait until the next Regular meeting.
Board members should demand of the Board Chair and Superintendent to know exactly what the urgency of this meeting is.
The next Regular Meeting of the board is scheduled for April 28, 2020.
What is so urgent that a Special Meeting is being called?
The only item on the agenda for the 5:30PM Special Meeting is a Continuing Resolution pertaining to the District's operating budget that must be approved by June 30, 2020.
Can you see anything so urgent that this could not wait one week for the Board's attention?
In case you are wondering about this urgent matter, below is the proposed Resolution:
"Whereas,
1.
Board
Policy DB provides that, "In case
the budget does not receive approval by June 30, the board will adopt a
continuing resolution based on last year's operating budget until the budget
can be approved."
2.
The
State of South Carolina has initiated a continuing resolution in the event that
the state has not completed an adopted budget by June 30, 2020.
3.
In
the event the state's budget is not approved by the beginning of the new fiscal
year (July 1, 2020), there will be disruption and uncertainty concerning the
effect of the FY 2020-21 budget.
Now therefore, BE
IT RESOLVED:
1.
In
the event the State of South Carolina does not vote to give final approval of
the State Budget and respective education funding lines from the state budget
and respective new guidelines of those funds by the end of the day on June 30,
2020, the Board directs that the FY 2019-20 Board budget, in current form,
shall continue to govern and shall provide the legal authority for the receipt
and expenditure of funds for the operations of the District, until the Board
finds that the Board's FY 2020-21 budget shall go into effect.
2.
If
the State of South Carolina completes final approval to the State budget on or
before June 30, 2020, then this resolution shall be moot and of no effect.
3.
Nothing in this resolution constitutes a waiver of
any of the Board's legal status relating to the budget, management and control
of the Richland Two School
District.
It is so resolved this 21st day of April
2020."
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Public Participation at Board Meetings. Quorum?
If you look at the District's website just before agendas are published, you'll see the Public Participation rules of the Board.
Want to address the Board? Go to a meeting and you'll have three minutes to speak your piece.
Only you won't, because the Board suspended ("temporarily", they said) Public Participation at meetings until the end of April. But they don't tell you that on the website. Is it a big, dark secret?
What the Board did not discuss at the last meeting was its decision about public attendance. If you can get in the door, you won't be able to speak. But can you even get in the door?
What will happen on Tuesday night, April 21, at the Special-Called Board Meeting?
By State law, board meetings are to be open to the public.
Watch the agenda for the starting time.
Will the Board have a quorum in person at the meeting? A quorum is five. I contend it's five in person, not by teleconference. Without five board members present in person, the Board cannot legally meet.
Another dilemma for the Board is that it currently allows two trustees-elect to act as if they are legitimate board members. Amelia McKie and Teresa Holmes have never legally taken the oath of office.
Both of them took the oath on November 13, 2018, before they were eligible to do so. The State law is clear. First you file your Statement of Economic Interest Reprt with the South Carolina Ethics Commission; then you take the oath of office. They filed their SEIs on December 4, three weeks after taking the oath.
So to have a quorum on April 21, all five of the "real" Trustees must attend in person; that means Manning, Agostini, Elkins-Johnson, Shadd, and Caution-Parker must be there in person and not "attending" by phone.
I may be one of very few people in Richland County who believe the law is important and to be followed.
Want to address the Board? Go to a meeting and you'll have three minutes to speak your piece.
Only you won't, because the Board suspended ("temporarily", they said) Public Participation at meetings until the end of April. But they don't tell you that on the website. Is it a big, dark secret?
What the Board did not discuss at the last meeting was its decision about public attendance. If you can get in the door, you won't be able to speak. But can you even get in the door?
What will happen on Tuesday night, April 21, at the Special-Called Board Meeting?
By State law, board meetings are to be open to the public.
Watch the agenda for the starting time.
Will the Board have a quorum in person at the meeting? A quorum is five. I contend it's five in person, not by teleconference. Without five board members present in person, the Board cannot legally meet.
Another dilemma for the Board is that it currently allows two trustees-elect to act as if they are legitimate board members. Amelia McKie and Teresa Holmes have never legally taken the oath of office.
Both of them took the oath on November 13, 2018, before they were eligible to do so. The State law is clear. First you file your Statement of Economic Interest Reprt with the South Carolina Ethics Commission; then you take the oath of office. They filed their SEIs on December 4, three weeks after taking the oath.
So to have a quorum on April 21, all five of the "real" Trustees must attend in person; that means Manning, Agostini, Elkins-Johnson, Shadd, and Caution-Parker must be there in person and not "attending" by phone.
I may be one of very few people in Richland County who believe the law is important and to be followed.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Special-Called Board Meeting - April 21
The Richland 2 School District website now displays a calendar event (bottom of homepage) for a Special-Called Board meeting on Tuesday, April 21.
No agenda has been published yet. The District must publish it by Monday, April 20, at 5:30PM. They may publish it sooner, such on Friday afternoon or Thursday afternoon of this week. Whenever it is published, it will be found on the District's website. Click on EXPLORE; then on School Board; then on AGENDA; then on Special-Called Meeting; then on Agenda.
You should be able to learn more about the items on the agenda by clicking on links on the left sidebar, IF the District decides to reveal its plans to the public before the meeting, which is becoming less and less frequent.
A Special-Called Board meeting is an open meeting of the Board. The public is entitled to be present. Will the District try to prevent the public from attending? Will it broadcast only an audio livestream? Will it hold an illegal meeting by not having a quorum (five) present in person?
And is the Board ever going to insist that Amelia McKie and Teresa Holmes finally take the oath of office so that they will become legitimate members of the school board?
And will the Board begin insisting that Amelia McKie start paying off her $51,750 debt to the South Carolina Ethics Commission? Even if she were to pay $1,000/month, she would not have it paid off before the end of her term in November 2022? Will she be too embarrassed to run for a third term?
Richland 2 continues to claim that it is a Premier school district with a Premier Board of Trustees. So long as McKie is still on the Board and owes over $50,000 to the Ethics Commission for her numerous violations, the Board cannot be a "premier" boatd!
No agenda has been published yet. The District must publish it by Monday, April 20, at 5:30PM. They may publish it sooner, such on Friday afternoon or Thursday afternoon of this week. Whenever it is published, it will be found on the District's website. Click on EXPLORE; then on School Board; then on AGENDA; then on Special-Called Meeting; then on Agenda.
You should be able to learn more about the items on the agenda by clicking on links on the left sidebar, IF the District decides to reveal its plans to the public before the meeting, which is becoming less and less frequent.
A Special-Called Board meeting is an open meeting of the Board. The public is entitled to be present. Will the District try to prevent the public from attending? Will it broadcast only an audio livestream? Will it hold an illegal meeting by not having a quorum (five) present in person?
And is the Board ever going to insist that Amelia McKie and Teresa Holmes finally take the oath of office so that they will become legitimate members of the school board?
And will the Board begin insisting that Amelia McKie start paying off her $51,750 debt to the South Carolina Ethics Commission? Even if she were to pay $1,000/month, she would not have it paid off before the end of her term in November 2022? Will she be too embarrassed to run for a third term?
Richland 2 continues to claim that it is a Premier school district with a Premier Board of Trustees. So long as McKie is still on the Board and owes over $50,000 to the Ethics Commission for her numerous violations, the Board cannot be a "premier" boatd!
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