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9/25/13 Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee September 25, 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; Robert Cohen, Susan McLeish, Jonina Schonfeld, Mollie Garberg, Rob Addelson (non- voting, ex officio) Other Attendees: Dr. Paul Ash, Superintendent of Lexington Public Schools; Pat Goddard, Director of Public Facilities; Mary Ann Stewart, Chair, Lexington School Committee; Jim Osten, Chair, Lexington Town Meeting Members Association The meeting was called to order at 7:39 p.m. 1. Lexington High School Modular Classrooms and Educational Space: Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Paul Ash, and Director of Public Facilities, Patrick Goddard, made a presentation on the School Committee's proposal, to be considered at the upcoming special town meeting, to add modular classrooms and educational space to Lexington High School. Dr. Ash explained that increasing enrollment, especially among special needs students, is the primary driver of the need for more space. Enrollment is projected to increase 17% by 2016. The plan is to install two groups of modular units in courtyard spaces adjacent to or between existing buildings. The units would comprise 12 general education classrooms as well as 5 and 7 educational spaces for the extensions to high school age students of the two Intensive Learning Programs (ILPs) housed, respectively, at the Clarke and Diamond Middle Schools. These Intensive Learning Programs will serve students of high school age through age 22 as required by state law. The units have an expected life of 10 years and would act as a bridge to accommodate the educational needs of students until the high school can be renovated or replaced as discussed in the Lexington capital projects master planning effort. The project would be done in two phases, a larger phase to be done in 2014 and a smaller phase in 2015. Mr. Goddard explained that a 50% construction design document has provided the basis for an estimate of the construction cost of the 2014 phase of the project of $4.7M. However, by the time 90% construction design documents are completed, and the 2015 phase as well as non - construction costs including Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FF &E) are added, it is anticipated that the total costs will be $6.7M to $7.7M, and an amount in that range will be sought at the upcoming Special Town Meeting. The cost estimates assume that modular units are less expensive than new construction. Per square foot costs are estimated at approximately $261 /sq. ft. while new construction would be $350- $375 /sq ft. As a frame of reference, the cost of construction of the new Estabrook School will be in the range of $450 /sq. ft. Mr. Addelson made a presentation on options for financing the LHS modular additions. He explained that Chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws categorizes modular structures as equipment, for which debt may not be issued for a term longer than 5 years; however, the Board of Selectmen may extend that authorization to 10 years, and it is anticipated that they will do so here. Mr. Addelson then presented four scenarios using the midpoint cost assumption of $7.2M and