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9/12/13 Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee September 12, 2013 Place and time: Ellen Stone Room, Cary Memorial Building, 7:30 p.m. Members present. Glenn Parker, Chair; John Bartenstein, Vice Chair and Secretary; Alan Levine; Eric Michelson; Richard Neumeier; Rob Addelson (non- voting, ex officio) Members Absent' Robert Cohen; Mollie Garberg; Susan McLeish; Jonina Schonfeld Other Attendees: Dorinda Goodman, Director of Information Technology (IT)/Management Information Systems (MIS); John Frey, Chair, Tree Committee; Gerald Paul, Tree Committee The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. 1. Announcements and Liaison Reports: Mr. Parker reported having attended the Ad hoc Community Center Advisory Committee (CCAC) meetings, one of which was this morning. Of particular concern to the Appropriation Committee is the anticipated request for an appropriation at the November 4, 2013 Special Town Meeting to renovate enough of the main building at 39 Marrett Road to allow occupancy in early 2014. The Selectmen do not want the building sitting empty for an extended period of time. Mr. Parker said that after the meeting he and David Kanter, Capital Expenditures Committee, reviewed with Michelle Ciccolo, chair of the CCAC, their committees' information needs with respect to the fall Special Town Meeting. 2. Fiber -optic Communication Line: Mr. Addelson and Ms. Goodman discussed a request for approval of an increase in the spending ceiling of a revolving fund. Using a handout describing the needs, Ms. Goodman explained that it has been determined that the Town's network infrastructure is at high risk for service disruption incidents because it uses a hub and spoke topology and depends primarily on overhead cables, i.e., cables supported by utility poles, for connectivity between facilities. She is recommending that the Town transition to a network loop or multi -loop underground system. The cost for Lexington to install its own conduits along Bedford Street was estimated earlier to be approximately $70,000, and, in that case, the Town would also be responsible for the conduit's maintenance. The Town currently has an opportunity to partner with Verizon in beginning this transition. Verizon will allow the Town to use at no charge its underground conduits between the Police Station and 201 Bedford Street. Under this arrangement, if the conduit or cables therein are damaged in the future, Verizon will repair the conduit and the Town will be responsible for repairs to its cables. Installation of the Town's fiber -optic cable in the Verizon conduit will cost approximately $30,000. Break points to connect to municipal facilities along the route are included in the estimate. Later development of the network will involve the installation of redundant links. There will be choices for the pathways of the redundant links; these will be determined based on recommendations from the Public Safety Radio Study. Mr. Addelson reported that he recommends funding this project from the Public, Education and