2013-10-10-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

10/10/13 Minutes Minutes Town of Lexington Appropriation Committee October 10, 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; Richard Neumeier; Jonina Schonfeld; Rob Addelson (non- voting, ex officio) Members Absent: Robert Cohen; Mollie Garberg; Susan McLeish; Eric Michelson The meeting was called to order at 7:48 p.m. 1. Announcements and Liaison Reports: Mr. Neumeier attended a meeting of the Cary Memorial Building Renovation Design Committee ( CMBRDC) as the Appropriation Committee liaison. At this time, architectural designs are not available, and the CMBRDC is not discussing items that have financial implications. He plans to attend these meetings only when items with financial implications are being discussed. Mr. Neumeier will inform the CMBRDC chair of his planned approach to attendance. Mr. Bartenstein reported that he has been following the recent process for setting the Town's FY2014 water and sewer rates. The staff s final proposal, approved by the Selectmen on October 7, was for a combined (water and sewer) increase of 1.6 %. The rate increase for water (3.5 %) is somewhat higher than the rate increase for sewer (.8 %). Mr. Bartenstein noted that the financial results for FY2013 showed substantial surpluses of about $1 million in each of the water and sewer funds, resulting from: • Unanticipated bond premiums; • Operating costs that came in below budget; and • Water and sewer usage greater than projected. With respect to the last item, he has been working to identify the causes of recent growth trends in water and sewer usage, particularly at the most expensive tier, in the hope that more accurate projections can be made in the future and surpluses of this magnitude avoided. Shire Pharmaceuticals has accounted for a large amount of the recent growth in usage as its water - intensive biotech manufacturing operations have ramped up, but the data indicate that Shire usage is now leveling off. Other factors contributing to the growth trend appear to be the continuing teardown phenomenon, which results in larger houses with higher water and sewer usage; and on the sewer side only, the gradual elimination of homes with private septic systems. (As these homes, historically billed for water use only, are converted to the Town sewer system, overall annual sewage usage is approaching annual overall water usage.) If these trends can be confirmed, less conservative usage projections may be warranted in future rate proceedings. 2. Minutes: Mr. Levine plans to make some additional edits to the draft September 25, 2013 Minutes; approval was postponed.