Master Plan Oversight Committee

Master Plan Oversight Committee
PURPOSE

The purpose of the Master Plan Oversight Committee (MPOC) is to provide assurance to the public that all phases of the School Facilities Master Plan (SFMP) for Orleans Parish will be completed on time and on budget, and to review the progress of the OPSB and BESE in the effective implementation of the SFMP for Orleans Parish. The MPOC’s oversight responsibilities are:

  • To review the annual capital budget as it is submitted to OPSB and BESE
  • To review progress of RSD and OPSB implementation of SFMP and annual capital plans, including expenditures, timelines and internal control procedures to assure that the SFMP is being implemented on time and on budget
  • To review needed changes to the approved Master Plan, if any; building life-cycle costs, sustainability and cost trends and suggest ways that capital projects may decrease operating costs
  • To review demographic changes in the parish, compare them to projections in the SFMP, and recommend any needed changes to the plan at the end of the two (2) year cycle. For the MPOC to carry out its responsibilities,
  • The OPSB and RSD superintendents shall assure that the committee has timely access to necessary briefings, documentation and staff of the OPSB, RSD and BESE
STRUCTURE

The committee shall meet quarterly to review progress and budget against the SFMP. The committee shall issue a quarterly report on capital projects to the public and to BESE and OPSB Boards The membership of the MPOC shall consist of five (5) members as listed below, to be approved by OPSB and BESE.

  • An individual experienced in construction management and value engineering nominated by local universities
  • A representative nominated by the local chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors
  • A certified public accountant or financial auditor familiar with construction nominated by the local chapter of the American Institute of Public Accountants.

And one nominee per organization from:

  • The Urban League of Greater New Orleans
  • The New Orleans Business Council

The member from the Urban League of Greater New Orleans shall convene the first meeting, and committee members shall select a chairman at that meeting. Members of the MPOC shall not have had any financial interests in RSD or OPSB capital projects-related contracts or subcontracts as of December 1, 2008; nor shall they seek or acquire such interests while serving on the committee.

Members shall serve two-year terms, and shall be limited to two terms. For the purpose of staggering terms, one of the initial five members shall serve for one year, two members shall serve for two years; and two members shall serve for three years. Those staggered initial terms of service shall be decided randomly. When a member’s term of service is completed or upon resignation, his or her replacement shall be nominated from the category or organization from which that member was nominated, and approved by BESE and OPSB.

A committee member shall be removed by the committee upon failure to attend three consecutive meetings unless excused by the board chair for good cause. A committee member shall be removed by the committee for failure to comply with any conflict-of- interest and/or ethics provisions applicable to MPOC members. When a member is so removed, his/her replacement shall be nominated from the category or organization from which that member was nominated, and approved by BESE and OPSB. All MPAC meetings are subject to the Louisiana’s open meetings law.