2014-06-STM-AC-rpt - Laserfiche WebLink

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APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE JUNE 2014 STM In Phase 3, the consultants will estimate the amount of funding that may be required over the next fen years to meet long-term capacity needs, based on enrollment forecasts from the Enrollment Working Group and consideration of spaces needed to meet modern educational standards. The initial term of the master planning effort would be three years, from June 2014 to June 2017. Phase 1 is advertised as a negotiated fee,not to exceed $75,000. Phase 2, if required, is anticipated to require a fee of approximately $25,000 and Phase 3 is anticipated to require a fee of approximately $100,000. For pur- poses of comparison, we note that in 2009 the Town appropriated $155,000 for a School Facility Master Planning document that was limited to the High School and four elementary schools. The evaluation pro- posed under this article will look at all nine schools and the Administration Building. The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0). Article 6: Amend General Bylaws Funds Funding Committee Contracts and Deeds Requested Source Recommendation — None N/A Approve (9-0) Power purchase agreements for solar facilities typically provide for the sale of electricity for terms of 20 years (or more) as of the date of commercial operation. The 20 year purchase period does not include the time required for the permitting and construction of a solar facility, typically less than one year. Under the current general bylaw, contracts for electricity purchases that can be directly approved by the Board of Selectmen are limited to a total duration of 20 years or less. This is incompatible with most power pur- chase agreements because no additional time for permitting and construction can be included. Raising the maximum allowed duration to 22 years would allow the Town Manager to take into account the possibility of up to two year delays in permitting and interconnection approvals and construction prior to commercial operation. Because state law limits PILOT Agreements to 20 years, the term of PILOT agreements is unchanged by this amendment. Under the proposed amended bylaw, PILOT Agreements would become effective con- temporaneously with the time when the solar system commences production, the Town begins to pur- chase electricity from a completed and operational solar facility, and the developer begins to receive rev- enue with which to make PILOT payments. The Committee recommends approval of this request(9-0). Article 8: Establish and Funds Funding Committee Appropriate To and From Requested Source Recommendation Specified Stabilization Funds None N/A IP As of publication there were no recommendations for appropriations into or out of any specified stabiliza- tion funds. The Committee supports indefinite postponement. 6